The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-09-12
THE ADVENTURE OF
THE DEVILS FOOT
CONTINUED from page twelve.)

shit and complete. The facts, there
fore. seem to bear out the theory
of A poison which worked by cOmbus-
ton.
With this train Of reasoning in m,
head l naturally looked about in Nor
timer Tregennis' room to fine some re-
mains of the substance. The obvious
Mace to look was the tale shield or
smoke guard OF the lamp. There.
sure enough / perceived Il nu1nber of
flaky ashes and round the edges a
fringe of broWnish powder, which had
not yet been consumed. Half Of this
I took. as you saw, and I placed it in
an envelope"
Why ha'f. Hclmes?'
1t is no.. 'or me, my lea Watson,
to stand in The way Of the official po-
lice force. I leave them all the owl
dence which I found The poison still
remained upon the tale, had they the
wit to find it. Now, Watson, we Will
light our lamp; we will however, take
the ~precaution to open the window to
avoid the premature decease Of two
deserving members of society, and
YOU Will seat yourself nea hat open
window in IN arm-chair-unless, like
a sensible man, you determine to have
nothing to do with the affair. Oh, you
will see it out, will you? / thought l
knew my Watson. This chair l will
place opposite yours, SO that we may
be the same distance from the poison,
and face to face. The oor We will
leave ajar. Each is now in a position
to watch the other and to bring the
experiment. to an end should the
symptoms seem alarming. Is that all
clear? Well, then. I take our pow
der-or what remain of it-from the
envelope, and I lay it above the bul :
ing lamp. So! Now, Watson, let us sit
down and await dnVplOnmentS.' NJ, a
They were not long in coming. I
had hardly settled in my chair before
l was conscious Of a thick, musky
odour, subtle and nauseous. At the
very first whiff Of it my brain and
my imagination were beyond all con-
troll. A thick black cloud swirled be-
fore my eyes, and my mind told me
that in this cloud, unseen as yet, but
about to spring out upon my appalled,
senses lurked all that was vaguely nor
riDle, all that was monstrOus n in
cOnceiVably wicked in h universe.
Vague shapes swirled and swan amid
the dark could-bank, each a menace
and Il warning Of something coming,
the advent of some u~nSpeaEable dWelf-
er upon the threshold, whose very
shadow would blast my soul. A freez-
ing horror took possession OF me. l
felt that my hair was rising, that my
eyes were p~rotruding, hat my mouth
was opened, and my tongue like leath-
er. The turmoil within my brain was
such that something must surely snap.
! tried to scream, and was vague1y
aware of some hoarse croak which
was my own voice, but distant and
detached from myself. At the same
moment in some effort of escape. l
broke through the cloud Of despair.
and had a glimpse of Holmes, ace
white, rigid and drawn with horror
the very look which 1 had seen upon
the features of the dead. 1t was that
VISION which gave me an instant OF
sanity and Of strength. l dashed from
my chair, threw my arms round
Holmes, and together We lurched
through the door, and in IN instant
down upon the grass plot and
We're lying side by side conscious
only Of the glorious sunshine
through the hellish cloud Of terror
Which had girt US in. Slowly it rose
from our souls like the mists from a
landscape, until peace and reason had
returned, and we were sitting up on
me grass, Wiping our clammy fore
heads and looking with apprehension
at each other to mark the last traces
81 mat terrific experience which We
had undergone.
Upon my word, Watson!" said
tonnes ait last, with an unsteady
Voice. Il W You both my thanks and
an apology. 1t was an unjustifiable ex-
pef1ence even for oneself. and doubly
TOT a friend l am really very
on know I answered. with some
ethot1on, for l had never seen so much
MONIES heart before. that it is my
greatest JOY and privilege to help
You"
ne elapsed at once into that half
humorous, half cynical vein which was
ne haeltual attitude to those about
Inn. 1T would be superfuous to drive
uS mad my dear Watson,' said he,
\ candid observer would certainly
tcc'are that We were so already be-
a'Ie We embarked upon so wild an ex-
pthilent. | confess that / never i'm
'Sl1led that the eff Get cnlrld he 60 sud