Year: 1864

| lection OF orig nt steel Instruments, WhlcA ne


took from the mahogany box which 1 have


mentioned before. Was there any help for
me? I tried to rememb Der how long 1t was
after we left M before 1 went asleep
as thought if we got to F. the maniac
would be discovered, and 1 should be re-
lieved from the horrible death which now
seemed imminent; but as 1 had been doing
some time before I went regularly off to
sleep, found that could not in the least
remember what time had passed.


After some time spent in preparing his
instruments, my prosecutor began to pre-
pare me by unbuttoning my waistcoat and
barring my breast At length everything
seemed to be to his satisfaction, and he
took up a sharp, keen -bladed knife. shall
never forget my sensations when I saw that
little glittering instrument, so soon to be
dyed with my blood. felt cold shudder
run through my body, and longed to close
my eyes !, but they seemed to keep open by
a sort of horrible fascination.


After trying the edge Of the knife, and
preparing cloth, and giving one final look
to his instruments, my eccentric friend
pressed his finger close above my heart and
said:


This how l am going'to manage 1t, my
friend; ] am going to cut circle IN the
flesh. above the heart, with this knife; it
will not hurt much. as shall only just cut
through the skin, and the knife is exceed
ingly sharp. I shall then proceed to dig
deeper with this instrument, and finally ex-
tract the heart with this one.


The reader may imagine my sensations
during this cold, bloody recital, for am
utterly unable to describe them; but when
the sharp steel first pierced my flesh, and 1
felt the warm blood flowing out and m past
8 hofo IL =.
nom ment of Limo, only to make my desire of
still living, aud the horror of an ignemiuious
death, ten-fold greater.


Slowly the sharp knife plowed in my
flesh, m making my blood freeze in my veins,
and my eye balls burn and seem ready to
burst from their sockets, and now 1 felt my
reason gradually leaving me; the strain up
on my nerves was too much-I felt thew
must give way; but considered that if they
did, my only hope should be choked with
the rope around my neck.


Slowly the sharp steel, impelled by a
steady hand, continued its deadly course;
and now the circle was nearly accomplish
ed, when l felt that the speed of the train
was being gradually diminished. A raw of
hope illu minated my breast looked into
my companions ewes to see if he too MOTTO
ed that we were nearing F.; but he was
too intent on his horrible work.


At length he leaned back, and said:


There now, only about an inch more, and
shall commence the deep cutting.


Only about an inchl And the station was
yet some way off. Only about an inch!-I
Ny life hung upon the merest thread.


Itwas not long that the experimenter ad-
mired his diabolical work-he soon fell to
it again. but saw the lights of F. sta
tion fash past the windows of the carriage;
1 saw strange arm seize my tormenter:
heard a loud and appalling cry like that of
a bafied wild beast, and became iusesi-
bic.


For few weeks after this I lay between
life and death, in a brain fever brought on
by the intense excitement and fear of those
twenty minutes.


I afterwards learned that my pleasant
had been doctor and surgeon,
but then when he was a young man, and |
just married, having perform ed an operation
te extract a cancer, from his wife. he wen t
out Of his mind, and had ever since been
attem pting to escape, in order that he might |
perform the dreadful experiment which so
nearly resulted in my death.