The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-12-12

SLEEP. Y y
parently hesitated a long time to
record, the impression that they
were approaching some sort OF Gre
AZURE Of which they had very liz.
tie, IL any, dependable Information.
".At first chauvannes put this
down as an illusion arising from
the depression OF insomnia. But
he began to speak OF It later as a
sort Of definite premonitton to be
reckoned with.
"of course, when the journal
first came into our possession, we
took this, and the incredible things
that followed, to be merely the IL.
lusions Of q man whose nervous
system had broken down. This
was q profound error. Every state,
mept following In the journal was,
as II proved, Of the most definite
Importance. One got here at this
point In the journal a pretty clear
conception of the condition. OF
ohauvannes at the time
1.-THE three with him, whose care.
devotion and nntiring solicitude
are, as l. have said, the persistent
note OF this latter part Of Chau
vannes' journal, were now vefs
much concerned about him. They
seemed to understand the danger,
to himself, Of one in such a mental
state, for they secured and de.
stroyed all the ammunition to tha
private weapons which Chauvsnnes
carried; they. even broke the
blades Of the knives. They appear
ed to realize that a homicidaI
seizure might develop from such a
mental condition, and they seemed
to fear that 1t might take the course
OF a suicidal mania. They were
wholly without fear for themselves,
as Chauvnnnes' Journal repeats
over and over again.
st Is here, now, at this point.
that The whole journal Of, Chan.
vannes' begins TO be taken up with
the extraordinary things that slle
observed. The impression Of some
strange creatures close on the
camp in the neighborhood, became
an obsession. -
1T was on the first night In the
new camp after they had emerged
from the forest that Chauyannes
had q sensation, as he puts it, OF
something delicately feeling over
MS face. It seemed to be a very
slight, moving touch, as Of the lin.
Of a feather, but 1t was clearly dis.
tinguishable. The man nut nm his
hand and made a swift gesture in
the darkness about him, but there
was absolutely nothing that he
could touch. He says that this
thing happened more than once n
the night, and each time, although
he put out his hand Instantly. II
come in contact with no physical
him. "oSs
1.-THE thing occurred again tba
next night. On this OCCASION Char.
yannes distinctly felt THAT swift
lingering touch pass over his face:
and again, instantly, he cIutche,i-
about him in the dark, beating tho
whole place with his arms In q des.
perate effort to come into sotna
physical contact with the creature
But It was wholly to no purpose
He touched nothing. There was no
sound anywhere, and the men
sleeping about him In the tent were
not disturbed. He says that on the
following morning he mentioned
this thing again: but the three men
with him had no experience Of ft
whatever, ~ u
IF these creatures, Of which
Chauvannes had the strange pre.
monitory sense, had finally appear.
ed, they seemed to be directing
their attentions exclusively to him
At any rate, the men denied having
been disturbed by anything. They
had seen nothing, felt nothing. But
they were disturbed about Chau
Yannes. N 81,
The concluding instaIlment OIL
"The Great CIPHER will appear In
our next issue. 4