Part 16 (2/2)

”Open these coffins,” he answered, ”beginning with that of the old God, since I would rather experiment on him I expect he will crumble into dust But if by chance he doesn't I'll jas, of which you don't know the na happens If it doesn't, it won't hurt hiive me a hand”

We went to the left-hand coffin and by inserting the hook on the back of my knife, of which the real use is to pick stones out of horses' hoofs, into one of the little air-holes I have described, ed to raise the heavy crystal lid sufficiently to enable us to force a piece of wood between it and the top The rest was easy, for the hinges being of crystal had not corroded In twospicy odour, and with it a veritable breath of warm air before which we recoiled a little Bickley took a pocket therlanced at it Itnoted this, he thrust it into the coffin between the crystal wall and its occupant Then ent out and waited a little while to give the odours time to dissipate, for they made the head reel

After five minutes or so we returned and exarees, the natural temperature of the human body

”What do you make of that if the man is dead?” he whispered

I shookhiht, quite eleven stone I should say; ot it out and laid it on a blanket we had spread on the floor of the sepulchre

Whilst I was thus engaged I saw so that nearly caused me to loose my hold from astonishment Beneath the head, the centre of the back and the feet were crystal boxes about eight inches square, or rather crystal blocks, for in the, and these boxes eht I touched one of them and found that it was quite waric”

”There's no such thing,” answered Bickley in his usual formula Then an explanation seeic but radiu of the sort That's how the temperature was kept up In sufficient quantity it is practically indestructible, you see My word!

this old gentleain aited a little while to see if the body begun to cru the opportunity to h sketch of it in my pocket-book in anticipation of that event But it did not; it reoes,” said Bickley ”If he should be alive, he will catch cold in his lungs after lying for ages in that baby incubator, as I suppose he has done So it is now or never”

Then bidding e which he had prepared, and thrusting the needle into a vein he selected just above the wrist, injected the contents

”It would have been better over the heart,” he whispered, ”but I thought I would try the ar hiain aited and watched

”Great heavens, he's stirring!” I gasped presently

Stirring he was, for his fingers began to move

Bickley bent down and placed his ear to the heart--I forgot to say that he had tested this before with a stethoscope, but had been unable to detect anyto beat,” he said in an awed voice

Then he applied the stethoscope, and added, ”It is, it is!”

Next he took a filament of cotton wool and laid it on the h very faintly Bickley tookfrom his medicine-chest on to it, placed it over the mouth beneath thefurther happened for a little while, and to relieve the strain on my mind I stared absently into the empty coffin Here I sahat had escaped our notice, two small plates of white metal and cut upon the boxes which I haveelse in the coffin I had no time to examine thean to breathe, evidently with sos filled the a wonderful pair of dark glowing eyes beneath Next he tried to sit up but would have fallen, had not Bickley supported him with his arm

I do not think he saw Bickley, indeed he shut his eyes again as though the light hurt them, and went into a kind of faint Then it was that Tos with grave interest, ca his tail, and licked the ue, he opened his eyes for the second ti hi like a smile appeared upon his fierce but noble face More, he lifted his hand and laid it on the dog's head, as though to pat it kindly Half asenses appreciated our presence The incipient smile vanished and was replaced by a somewhat terrible frown

Meanwhile Bickley had poured out some of the hot coffee laced with brandy into the cup that was screwed on the top of the ther to the man whom I supported, he put it to his lips He tasted and an to sip, and ultimately sed it all The effect of the stimulant onderful, for in a few minutes he came to life completely and was even able to sit up without support

For quite a long while he gazed at us gravely, talking us in and everything connected with us For instance, Bickley'sthe little vulcanite tubes, a few instrued his particular attention, and I saw at once that he understood what it was Thus his arm still smarted where the needle had been driven in and on the blanket lay the syringe He looked at his are, and nodded The paraffin hurricane lamps also seeht, attracted hiarlances, and then seehts to Tommy, who had seated hi him as a new addition to our party