Uncanny Tales

tel at a place called Fourteen St

ut since this has little or nothing to do with the story, I pass by my mining adventures an

ntered and said "Good-day" to me. I returned the comp

rd the man say

for anoth

full. But I was still more startled by the action of the bar

reason. The m

ive country nothing save a formal introduction will make them acquainted? I made some remark to Mast

ams to catch the train from Kimberley, and, having a few hours to wait

ourse we went together, and were quite old

he post-office. I used to have my letters addressed there, poste

ors, Lincoln's Inn Fields. It informed me that the sudden death of my cousin had so affected my uncle's health that he had followed

o say that I was coming home by the first available bo

come over to England to spend it, and in consequence the boats were very crowded. Masters demanded a cabin to himself, a luxury which was not to be had, though there was one that he and I could share. He made a treme

They treated him quite well at first, but gave him to understand that he must not try to escape. I suppose that to most men such a warning would be a direct incitement to make the atte

I cried. "W

tempered chaps when you didn't cross them. I wasn't going to be be

know at all how I managed to worry through. You see, I could only eat plants and leaves and such

I think the first failure and it

my wife was waiting for me at home, and I wanted to

aid. "Because there is a gir

ore she died,"

?" I

reached home at last, but I was with her a

contrary, I feel so sorry that I absolutely fail to find words to express my sympathy. I tried, h

lise must have been impossible for him to do for himself, and that yet were done. But he was so surprising

ugh the porthole. I could not see clearly, but I fancied that he walked to the door and opened it, and closed it behind him. He did it all very quickly, as quick

, too, much more easily than he seemed to be

ld chap?" he sai

was only half awake; but you seemed to open t

s see the shifts to which one has to r

ing bothered me, because he h

the only th

or the chair twisted apparently of its own volition, so that when he sat down again the sunlight was at his back and not in his eyes, as I knew it had been previously. But I reasoned with m

But that was all altered when we passed Cape Finisterre. I have done a lot of knocking about o

than be cooped up below, and after lu

bit," I said. "You make your

in his mouth, and gave him

utching hold of everything handy, and rather enjo

on-way and make his way very skilfully towards

utting my lips to his ear, shou

all right!" he s

t now that-well, if I hadn't been able to cling on with both h

gain and sho

utched at Masters, but trying to save him and myself handicapped me badly. The strength of that mass of water was terrible. It se

next instant was carried, still clutching Maste

. It held us for a moment, then gave, and for

n my arm, tighten till they bit into the

ehow. I was trembling like a leaf, and the sw

that in many parts of the earth to dread it greatly. It was the

rd, nor did I, until we fo

d my arm to the mirror. I knew I could

on the white skin showed the red marks of four slender fingers and a thumb! I sat down suddenly at sight of

o him and point

se here?" I said. "What-what

at me ve

or rather I didn't, for I

ou mean?"

ff," he said, "and some dry

ched the clothes come off him and dry ones

ose my eyes, but the weird, unnatu

w what it must have been like, though it was not so bad for me w

gradually

I'm telling you about. You as

what I'm saying or asking. I

y. That was quite true. They cut off both my arms-you can see the stumps for that matter. And I told you that I came home to find my wife dying. Her heart had always been weak, I'd known that, and it had gradually grown

again after each failure. I should have gone on trying to escape as long as I had lived, or rather a

must, because I called you so. But you have been long in coming,

as sorely tried. No arm

for a little, only for a

y. 'It is no use, my dear

u,' I said, 'I'll n

ok her h

t as much as if I still lived on earth. If only I could give you

hardly left her. Her arms were round me when she died. Shall I ev

rms and hands which one couldn't see. I used to keep my eyes shut

things that they would know to be impossible for an armless man. That was what took me t

shall be one fl

something of that sort. There's more than that

ith his head bowed on his

you at Fourteen Streams. I don't know what I shall do when I do g

to you from that othe

his hea

t thing, but, anyway, these arms and hands would do good of their own accord. Just now up on the deck I was very frightened. I'd have saved myself at any cost almost, and let you go. Bu

ale that ever a man was told, and kne

ays said that he was. Personally I do not belie

. So I made him come down with me to Englehart, that dear old co

in that co

hould not get married at onc

ch where Nancy and I were wed, and Bob

or the ring, and as I did so, I fe

n afterwards, and speech-ma

d I drove off

ted on driving to the station with the luggage;

ard when we reached it, and wa

nd seemed rather pale. I was just going to remark on it when we heard the whistle of the train. There

to catch her as she reeled and fell-right in front of the oncoming train. I sprang forward to le

e place that should have been

ht upon her. He says it was as if she was lifted by the wind. She was quite close to Masters. "Near enough for him to

awful accident, bruised, of cours

om, laid him on the cushions there

ose, knew the ordinary routine of his work quit

suade himself. "Shock, you know. He'll be better

t time, that the sleeves of

f he isn't hurt he would not look like

nd applied his stethoscop

id at length. "Very weak. He's

s--Good Lord, he's bleeding to death! Put liga

r said. "It must have been a dreadful experie

e struck him, but the others held me. They said

s eyes presently, and

d not understand. I could never explain to them now, and they would never believe you. Besides, it's

dful, and yet, I don't think that then I would have t

me very aff

wedding-day," he said. "But it would have been

ew fainter a

time, and his breath cam

upright on his feet, and a smile broke over his face-a smile so

strong and loud

ng, your arms are round me

th," the doctor told the coroner at the inquest. "He se