Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1912-09-06

The glass swept the lines rapidly.
Suddenly, with q cry, the professor
| dropped the lens, a violent start al
most lifting him from the floor.
Ridiculous. l say! Poof!" He
snapped his fingers. "Necromancy and
thaumaturgy transmitted in pajamas!
Absurd"
"Pifle!" said Billings emphatically.
Don't know what they are" he whis-
pered to me, but I'll take a hundred
to-one shot on anything he says. q
professors q corker!"
by Jove!" I remarked. Perhaps
Professor H~uckleberry won't mind
telling US"
What / think. gentlemen? What
could l think but what l am sure Is
your own conclusion-though you
have generously and considerably left
me to form my own opinion-namely,
that the claim of supernatural at
tributes Of these garments Is prepos-
ferrous. Enchanted pajamas! Haunted
pajamas! Poof! Nursery lore; chill
dren's fairy tales! Ghosts. gentle
men? Tut, tut-nonsense!"
He snorted Indignantly.
"Ghosts!" faltered Billings.
ooh, / say!" l rather gasped. Dash
me If it didn't give me a turn. rather!
The professor shrugged his Shout
ders.
What other Interpretation is admis-
sible, gentlemen" he questioned some
what peevishly. taking up the coat.
Here, we have the royal insignia OF
the cruel emperor, Kee, and we nots
that these garments were given some
one in his court by the alleged sor-
cerer, Fuh-keen. Perhaps 1t was re-
yengeperhaps some court plot IN
which Fuh-keen, for reasons OF MS
own, was an active participant; 1t IS
OF no Importance, that part OF 1t. 80
much for the first line; but now we
come"
He paused to polish his spectacles.
"Tell me-" he said more cheerfuliy,
do our free translations OF the fdeo-
graphs 80 far agree in essentials-
eh!"
Like as two peas!" Billings de-
| clared with manifest enthusiasm.
The professor looked gratified and
bowed.
Nov we come to the second line.
or. more strictly speaking. column"
he said, Strengthening impressiveiy.
Here We find the astonishing claim
made that there will be q change or
metamorphosis OF any l n OF animal
life that these habilimehts enshroud.
| Umi"
The great man breathed heavily and
batted at W over his glasses.
"Credat Judaeus apella-eh. gentle
mem" And he winked knowingly.
Dashed II he didn't almost catch me
swallowing q yawn. too! For l hadn't
any idea what he was talking about
or driving at. and. by Jove. I did know
was getting devilish sleepy.
The professor waved his glasses
did you ever read such q childish,
r~4dicnlous ~extrayagant asseveration?"
he demanded.
"Ass-eh? should say sol" ]
worked this on indignantly.
"Tommyrot!" murmured Billings alb
sently. He seemed thoughtful.
was thoughtful, too-wondering,
by love. whether the professor would
I 70 soon, so we could turn In and get
the earlier start tomorrow up the
river. But chiefly l was wondering
w~istfully IL Frances would still be
angry with me.
Moreover" broke in the profes
sor's voice as he turned again to the
| lettering. ITO assert further that there
will be a semblance-not actual, gen,
tlemen. mind you, but an optical illu-
sion-takins the form OF some crea'
ture Of the same kind that this silken
tenement has previously Enclosed.
I'm other words. gentlemen, II ]
were to don these garments. ! might
no longer look like myself, but Hke
some one else who had worn them
upon some previous occasion-per
haps last night-perhaps a thousand
years q Ell? Is that what you un'
d~erstand?"
He ducked again over the letters
and came up. looking chagrined.
Moreover. / am forced to confess
sentlemen. that I fail to ind q sys
tem-any rule governing these ridic
ulous transformations. The hypoth'
esis 10, therefore, that the alleged
materialixations merely follow the a
bitrary caprice of b magic" az
shook his head. well. gentlemen. L
really, l must taught"
And he did! hadn't caught the
DRIFT of what it was he thought he
was laughing at got b words. but
was too dashed sleepy to get the
sense. But I was awfully glad ! un'
derstood this much-that what he was
attempting now was . laugh. I never
would have known It. It was more