The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1916-07-14
CHAPTER xxxl-cOntInued.

"Feigning again?" l demanded an-
grily.
He shook his head his stern mouth
shaping the strangest, twisted smile
1t was indeed twisted smile, for 1t
was on the left side only, the facial
muscles OF the right side moving not
at all.
That was the last play Of the Wolf"
ne said. Il am paralyzed. l shall
never walk again. Oh, only on the
other side," he added, as though divin-
ing the suspicious glance l flung at
his left leg, the knee of which had just
then drawn UP and elevated the blank.
cts.
It's unfortunate" he continued.
I'd liked to have done for you first,
Hump. And l thought had that much
left in me-"
But how can you account for it?"
i asked. Where is the seat Of your
trouble?"
The BRAIN" he said at once. 1T
was those cursed headaches brought
1t on"
Symptoms" l said.
He nodded his head. There is no
accounting for It. l was never sick
IN my life. Something's gone wrong
with my brain. A cancer, a tumor,
or something Of that nature-a thing
that devours and destroys. It's attack.
ing my nerve centers, eating them up,
bit by bit, cell by cell-from the
pain"
The motor centers, too" l sug-
gested.
$50 It would seem, and the curse
OF 1t Is that must lie here, conscious.
mentally unimpaired, knowing that
the lines are going down, breaking bit
Dy DIT communication with the world.
! cannot see, hearing and feeling are
leaving me, at this rate | shall soon
cease to speak; yet all the time shall
Dc here, alive, active and powerless."
When you say you are here, I'd
suggest the likelihood Of the soul" |
said.
Bosh!" was his retort. 1T simply
means that in the attack on my brain
tho higher psychical centers are I'M
touched. can remember, ! can think
and reason. When that goes, 20.
am not. The soul?"
He broke out in mocking laughter,
then turned his left ear to the pillow
as a sign that he wished no further
conversation.
Maud and / went about our work
oppressed by the fearful fate which
had overtaken him-how fearful we
were yet fully to realize There was
the awfulness Of retribution about It.
Our thoughts were deep and solemn,
and we spoke to each other scarcely
above whispers.
You might remove the handouts"
he said that night, as we stood in con.
sultation over him. Its dead safe.
I'm a paralytic now. The next thing
TO watch out for is bed sores"
He smiled bis twisted smile and
Maud, her eyes wide with horror, was
compelled to turn away her head.
DO you know that your smile IA
crooked? ] asked him; for | knew
that she must attend him, and wished
to save her as much as possible.
Then / shall smile no mores ba
said calmly. Il thought something
was wrong. Ny right cheek has been
numb all day. Yes, and I've had warn.
ings OF this for the last three DAYS.
by spells, my right side seemed going
TO sleep. sometimes arm or hand.
sometimes leg or foot"
so my smile is crooked?" he ouer.
led a short while after. well. con.
slider henceforth that / smile inter.
nally, with my soul. II you please. INV
soul. Consider that / am smiling
now"
And for the space OF several min.
utes he lay there, quiet, INDUCING his
grotesque fancy.
The man Of him was not changed
II was the old, indomitable, terrible
Wolf Larsen, imprisoned somewhere
within that flesh which had once been
so invincible and splendid. Now II
bound him with insentient letters.
walling his soul In darkness and 81.
lence. blocking II from the world
which to him had been a riot of &C
ton. No more would he conjugate the
verb ito do" in every mood and tense.
ITO be" was all that remained to him
Ito be, as he had defied death. with.
out movement; to will. but not to ex.
ecute; to think and reason and In the
spirit of him to be as alive as ever,
but in the flesh to be dead. quite dead.
And yet, though even removed the
handouts. we could not adjust our
selves to his condition. Our minds
revolted. To us he was full Of poten.
tiality. We knew not what to expect
of him next. what fearful thing. rising
above the flesh. he might break out
and do. Our experience warranted
this state OF mind. and we went about
our work with anxiety always upon
us.
had soIved the problem which had
arisen through the shortness Of the
shears. II was the morning Of the
third day that swung the foremost
from the deck and proceeded to square
it's butt to fit the step. Here was
especially awkward. sawed and
chopped and chiseled the weathered