Page:Weird Tales Volume 4 Number 2 (1924-05-07).djvu/107

Rh glance backward at me, and there was regret in his buttony eyes.

"When they had gathered before him in chorus—hundreds and hundreds of rats, sitting on their tails on the bloody bodies, waving their forefeet up and down and wagging their heads my Latvian made a feeble wave of his hand to me and looked me in the eyes. There was triumph and a great gladness in his look. He let go of the rigging, and slumped over the rail. The rats followed him, and the water hissed as they dived into it. I heard the faint repetition of the call and in a few moments there was silence: The deck was clear of all but the shattered rigging and the mangled bodies.

"It was my Latvian's way of discharging an obligation."

E around the table came back to our surroundings as men returning from afar. Knowlton was the first to inquire of the sequel.

"The emotions which my Latvian's sacrifice of his life aroused made me faint again, and when I awoke it was to find my mate bending over me, his head bandaged and voice cheery.

"The three executioners who had been sent back to kill the wounded had done but a little of their work when the more subtle and horrid method suggested itself. With the rats gone, by the grace of my Latvian's mystical powers and great gratitude, we had a chance. Those who were less badly wounded were up and caring for themselves in a few hours. They took me to my cabin, and we sighted our island the next day."

Drucamp shivered.

"Those damned rats are running up and down my spine this minute," he said. "Let's have another drink."



GENTLEMAN connected with the family of Dr. Ferriar, an officer in the army and certainly addicted to no superstition, was quartered early in life, in the middle of the last century, near the castle of a gentleman in the north of Scotland, who was supposed to possess the second sight. Strange rumours were afloat respecting the old chieftain; he had spoken to an apparition, which ran along the battlements of the house, and had never been cheerful afterwards: his prophetic vision excited surprise even in that region of vredulity, and retired habits favored the popular opinion. One day while the officer was reading a play to the ladies of the family, the chief, who had been walking across the room, stopped suddenly, and assumed the look of a seer: he rang the bell and ordered the groom to saddle a horse, to proceed immediately to a seat in the neighborhood, and to inquire after the health of Lady ; if the account were favorable, he then directed him to call at another castle, to ask after another lady whom he named. The reader immediately closed his book, and declared that he would not proceed till these abrupt orders were explained, as he was confident they were produced by the second sight. The chief was very unwilling to explain himself, but at length he owned that the door had appeared to open, and that a little woman, without a head, had entered the room; that the apparition indicated the sudden death of some person of his acquaintance, and the only two persons who resembled the figure were those ladies after whose health he had sent to inquire.

A few hours afterwards the servant returned, with an account that one of the ladies had died, of an apoplectic fit, about the time when the vision appeared.

At another time the chief was confined to his bed by indisposition, and my friend was reading to him, in a stormy winter night, while the fishing boat belonging to the castle was at sea. The old gentleman repeatedly expressed much anxiety respecting his people, and at last exclaimed—"My boat is lost!" The colonel replied, "How do you know it, sir?" He was answered, "I see two of the boatmen bringing in the third drowned, all dripping wet, and laying him down close beside your chair." The chair was shifted with great precipitation; in the course of the night the fishermen returned, with the corpse of one of the boatmen.

TRUE miracle, performed by Dr. Connell, of Bunno, in the county of Cavan, in the year 1777. In the year 1778, about the month of February, a girl of the name of Anne Mulligan, who lived near Roxberry, and who was about fourteen years of age, went over to a neighbor's house on a visit one evening, and returned about ten o'clock at night, having completely lost her speech, and remained in that state till May, 1777, being a space of four years and about a quarter, when her friends brought her to Dr. Connell, generally called the "mad doctor," who, when he had examined the girl and heard the story, brought her into his parlor, and locked the door. Then placing her on a chair on one end of the table, and himself opposite to her at the other, he commenced by distorting his countenance in a shocking manner, so as to strike terror into the girl, and after some time he furiously bounced up, flew to a dagger, which was hanging over the chimney-piece, ran at the girl, swearing he would instantly put her to death, when she dropped on her knees, and exclaimed for God's sake to spare her life, and immediately fainted. On her recovering from the faint, she had completely regained her speech, nor ever after lost it. This can be attested by about twenty persons, and by the tradition of the whole neighborhood.