Page:Weird Tales Volume 4 Number 2 (1924-05-07).djvu/148

 for nothing, while he—! Ah, my son, my son!"

Upon hearing these words I came to the conclusion that she had not seen or heard me, so spoke again, this time in a louder tone of voice. But she paid no heed and continued to weep and bemoan my fate.

Then a horrible, terrifying thought dawned upon my wondering brain. Suppose I were really dead? Suppose I had not escaped as I thought, and were in truth a spirit and no longer able to communicate with those I held dear to me on earth! As these terrible thoughts rushed upon me, I gasped and stumbled blindly from the hut. An insistent voice within monotonously repeated these words, "Dead, dead, yes, dead!"

So for weeks I wandered aimlessly over the Universe in a seemingly void space, without man, beast or reptile. I wandered over spacious cities, broad forest lands and at last, becoming weary, sank to the streets of a large city.

People rushed over me, through me, around me and in all directions. They were a curious people and so, having nothing to do, I watched them from mere curiosity. Then, as my interest grew, I centered my attention upon a few. I listened to what they were saying, and was startled to hear one gray-haired old gentleman remark, "Yes, sir, Maudin, I'm telling you I saw that spirit with my own eyes, and later communicated with it! How? With pen and paper. I have the proofs; come along and see for yourself. Then if you still disbelieve you may scoff."

At these words my heart gave a great leap and seemed to turn over in my breast. If one spirit could speak through others, why not I? Buoyed up with this hope and elation, I followed the two to see how it was done.

The little man and Maudin first entered a dark room and seated themselves at a table. Pen and paper were given Maudin.

"Now," said the other, "leave your hand lax and see what happens. Think of nothing. You will not long scoff."

Fully five minutes passed before the hand began to move, and then glancing up at the force which was moving the hand, I was not a little astonished to see a filmy, wraithlike being like myself standing beside me. The seance soon ended and the spirit departed.

All that day and the next I hovered near the little old gentleman, hoping to be able to attract his attention and speak to him through the medium of a pen. At last I succeeded and am now writing through that little gray-haired man’s hand this very instant and intend to do so for some time, thereby keeping in touch with the material world.

Perhaps some will scoff at this and call it the imaginings of one a trifle given to the subject of spiritualism. Be that as it may, I have done my best to set down for all the story of my life and death; and now, this tale finished, I must away to my shadowy realm again.

SHORT time ago, Mr. Ellar of Oswaldkirk, and Mr. R. Marshall, son of Mr. Marshall, of East Newton, near Helmsley, being on a visit to Mr. Hesseletine, of Hambleton, and having spent a pleasant day, the latter intimated his intention of returning home that night, having promised to do so on account of his mother’s indisposition. Fearless of danger, and little thinking it would be for the last time, he bade them good night and rode off. On the afternoon of the next day, Mr. Ellar returned, and called at Mr. Marshall’s to inquire how his friend got home and how he was after his journey. Young Marshall’s absence beyond the time fixed for his return had created some little uneasiness; but the effect of these inquiries of his friend and the companion of his visit, can scarcely be conceived; it was natural to indulge alarm; and alas! their forebodings were more than realized. Persons were dispatched in every direction in search of him, but the family were kept in suspense another night. Intelligence of his being missed had reached Hambleton House, from whence early on Tuesday morning, a party set out to examine every possible place of danger and before they had proceeded a quarter of a mile, they discovered his horse standing over him, at the bottom of a precipice from twenty to thirty yards in height, over which they had fallen. The force with which he had come to the ground had made an impression upon it and from the appearances, it was thought he had never moved after his fall but had died instantly. One circumstance deserves remark; the party who had found him attempted to lead the horse from the place in a direction the most easy of ascent. From its unwillingness or inability they could not succeed, but on their ascending the steep with its master, who had been placed in a sheep-box for that purpose, it immediately followed him, and on reaching the summit dropped down dead beside him. It was at first surmised that this melancholy accident had been occasioned by intemperance, but it appeared clearly in evidence before the Coroner, that the report was unfounded, and that the accident had been altogether owing to the extreme darkness of the night, and the very intricate and unprotected nature of the roads across those dreary heights.—York Courant."

LEARIUS gives a description of the manner in which he saw the knout inflicted on eight men and one woman, only for selling brandy and tobacco without a license. The executioner's man, after stripping them down to the waist, tied their feet, and took one at a time on his back. The executioner stood at three paces distance with a large pizzle, to the end of which were fastened three throngs of an elk's skin untanned, with which, springing forward, whenever he struck, the blood gushed out at every blow. The men each had twenty-five or twenty-six lashes: the woman, though only sixteen, fainted away. After their backs were thus dreadfully mangled, they were tied together two and two; and those who sold tobacco having a little of it, and those who sold brandy a little bottle put about their necks; they were then whipped through the city of Petersburgh for about a mile and a half; and then brought back to the place of their first punishment and dismissed. According to M. de la Motreye, this is what is termed the moderate knout; for when the sentence orders it between the moderate and severe, the executioner takes off pieces of flesh at every stroke. It is no wonder that many die of this cruel and inhuman punishment.