Year: 1863

J nANAAN AANANAJ No4A NAAese al % pSAA
ment.'


Wouldn't you now2 Curious, that /;
yes, very curious, for to tell you the
truth, I don't myself know whether am
justified in calling it an experiment But
enough of that matter for the present.
May I ask where you are going to?


TO C


Have you any friends there?'


None, I am sorry to say. I am call
ed there on some disagreeable though
important business


Then may I have the pleasure of
your company to dinner when you arrive
thereP


Thank you; I shall have the greatest
pleasure in accepting your kind invita-
ton


BY the way, do you know how many
times "" stop before we reach c.?


Only vice, as this is an express train.
Once at M, at IL o'clock, and second
at F., at fve'


And when are we due at CO
AT half-past six, I believe.


Thank you


Thus for a time, our conversation end
ed, but we often renewed it again, and I
began to regard my companion as cIsv-
er, kindhearted, though rather eccentric
old man.


Some time after We had passed II
my eccentric friend composed himself for
sleep, and was soon snoring, and it was
not long before I followed his example.
My dreams were troubled. First of all
1 was being hung; then that was being
handcufed; and, last of all, that a great
weight was upon me, and that something
was pressing heavily upon my chest. 1
then woke with start, to find myself
bound hand and foot, with a rope passed
round my neck, and fastened to the UNI
brella rack behind, in such a manner
that, if I struggled in the least, I should
inevitably choke myself; and my fellow
traveller was standing over me, with one
knee on my chest.


What are you doing2' said I; but
my sentence was cut sort by a gag, which
my eccentric friend thrust into my mouth
and tied behind my head He then
stood away to look at his handiwork,
with does glaring like those of a wild
beast, and his whole frame trembling
with excitement.


Now, he said, with a wild laugh; /;
now I shall be able to try my grand ex-
pertinent! Now I shall be able to find
whether the heart can be extracted while
man is alive, without killing him! Twice
have failed, but the stars have told me
that third time I shall not fail. o,
fame, glory, Immortality, I have you in
my graspI What, pitiful foolI do you
turn pale and tremble? If you die, you
will die glorious martyr to science; and
if you live, you and I will share the glo-
ry of this grand discovery


From this ridiculous rhodomOntade, I
perceived that my pleasant eccentric traT-
cling companion was a raving maniac.
What was I to do? I could not move
hand or foot, or even speak, and the mad
man was arranging on the seat in front
of me a collection of bright steel instru.
ments, which he took from the mahoga-
ny box which 1 have mentioned before.
Was there any help for me2 I tried to
remember how long it was after we left
M before I went asleep, as 1 thought
if we got to F. the maniac would be
discovered, and should be relieved from
the horrible death which now seemed
imminent; but as 1 had been doing some
time before 1 went regularly off to sleep,
1 found that could net in the least re-
member what time had passed.


After some time spent in preparing
his instruments, my prosecutor began to
prepare me by unbuttoning my waistcOat
and barring my breast. At length every
thing seemed to be to his satisfaction,
and he took up sharp, keen bIaded
knife. I shall never forget my sensa-
tions when I saw that little glittering in
strument, so soon to be dyed with my
blood. felt a cold shudder run through
my body, and I longed to close my eyes,
but they seemed to keep open By q sort
Of horrible fascination.


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


This is how 1 am going to manage it,
my friend; I am going to cut a circle in
the flesh, above the heart, with this knife
it will not hurt much, as I shall only
just cut through the skin, and the knife
is exceedingly sharp. shall then pro
ceed to dig deeper with this instrument
and finally extract the heart with this
one.


The reader may imagine my sensations
during this coId, bloody recital, for an