Rocky Ford enterprise., 1912-11-29

ut is not for me, my dear Watson,
to stand in the way of the official
police force. leave them all the evil
dence which found. The poison still
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 our window to
avoid the premature decease of two
deserving members of society. and
you will seat yourself near that open
window in an rm-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
/ knew my Watson. This chair will
place opposite yours. SO that we may
be the same distance from the poison,
and face to face. The door we will
leave ajar. Each is now in a posi-
tion to watch the other and to bring
the experiment to an end should the
seem alarming. Is that all
clear? Well, then, / take our pow
der-or what remains of it-from the
and lay it above the burn
ing lamp. So! Now, Watson. let us
sit down and await developments"
They were not long in coming. /
had hardly settled in my chair before
l was conscious of thick. musky
odor. subtle and nauseous. At the
very first whiff of 1t my brain and my
Imagination were beyond all control.
A thick black cloud swirled before 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 horrible.
all that was monstrous and inconceiv-
ably wicked in the universe. Vague
shapes swirled and swan amid the
dark cloud-bank, each a menace and
warning of something coming, the
advent of some unspeakable dweller
upon the threshold. whose very shad-
ow would blast my. soul. A freezing
horror took possession of me. l felt
that my hair was rising, and that my
eyes were protruding, that my mouth
was opened. and my tongue like
leather. The turmoil within my brain
was such that something must surely
snap. I tried to scream, and was
vaguely aware of some hoarse croak
which was my own voice. but distant
and detached from myself. At the
same moment. In some effort of es-
cape, broke through that cloud of
despair, and had glimpse of Holmes
face. white. rigid and drawn with hor-
ror-the very look which l had seen
upon the features of the dead. 1t was
that vision which gave me an instant
of sanity and of strength. dashed
from my chair. threw my arms round
Holmes, and together we lurched
through the door, and an instant aft
erwards had thrown ourselves down
upon the grass plot and were lying
side by side. conscious only Of the
glorious sunshine which was bursting
its way through the hellish cloud of
terror which had girt us in. Slowly
1t rose from our souls like the mists
from landscape, until peace and rea-
son had returned, and we were sitting
up on the grass, wiping our clammy
foreheads. and looking with apprehen-
sion at each other to mark the last
traces OF that terrific experience which
We had undergone.
Upon my word. watson!" said
Holmes at last. with an unsteady
voice. Il owe you both my thanks and
an apology. 1t was an unjustifiable
experiment even for oneself, and
doubly SO for a friend. l am really
very sorry"
You know" answered. with some
emotion. for / had never seen so
much of Holmes heart before, that
it is my greatest Joy and privilege to
help you"
He relapsed at once into that half
humorous. half-cynical vein which was
his habitual attitude to those about