Adventure, December 1914 — page 28: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

26 above earthly things. Men and women were now brilliant creatures of whom I was one. It was sensuous, but it was not sensual. I remember that I looked once at my own clothes. My every-day suit was, I thought, exquisite. My hands were covered by a glow as of red fire that made me feel that they must be the hands of a demi-god at least. Sefiora Ruiz was offering some more of the mescal to the others when there floated into my vision another such hand. It laid itself on mine and a voice whispered in my ear— ‘Walter, we have had enough. Come, let us go. This is not like any other drug— not even the famous hasheesh. I have found out all I want.” We rose and Kennedy made our excuses amid general regrets. As we left the cabaret the return to the world was quick. It was like coming out from the theater and seeing the crowds on the street. They, not the play, were unreal forthe moment. But strange to say I felt no depression as a result of the mescal in- toxication, although for a long time I could not shake off that sense of seeing blue and red and golden. ‘What is it that produces such results?” I asked as Kennedy hurried along until we found a night-hawk cab. ‘The alkaloids,” he answered, directing the cabman to the laboratory, late though it was. ‘‘Mescal was first brought to the attention of scientists, I believe, by explor- ers of our own Bureau of Ethnology. Dr. Weir Mitchell and Dr. Harvey Wiley and several German scientists, as well as Mr. Havelock Ellis, have investigated it since then. It is well known that it con- tains half a dozen alkaloids and resins of curious and little-known nature and prop- erties.” “You think it was the poison used?” I asked, my mind reverting to the cases of Valcour and Neumeyer. ‘Hardly,’ he replied. ‘Of course, I haven’t had time to investigate that, but I should say the poison in those cases was much more violent, off-hand.”’ Our cab made excellent time in the de- serted streets and we were rapidly being carried uptown to Craig’s laboratory at the University. As the effect of the mescal began to wear Adventure off in the cool, fresh night-air, I found myself thinking more clearly, yet in a peculiar, questioning state of mind. Nothing much had been said. If our new acquaintances had any guilty knowledge they were certainly keeping close-mouthed about it, even when off their guard among themselves. What had we gained by our visit? A packet of letters. CHAPTER VII THE BURIED TREASURE ATE as it was, Kennedy insisted on plunging into work in his laboratory. To all appearances the mescal had had no great effect upon him, and indeed I myself felt nothing except a lassitude which I knew I could overcome by an effort of will, if the occasion demanded. I watched him indolently, however, and as nearly as I could make out he was work- ing over what looked like an X-ray tube, though of a different pattern from any that I had seen before. ‘“‘What is that, Craig?” I asked at lerieth, ‘“‘an X-ray outfit?” “Ves,”’ he replied scarcely looking up from the apparatus. “These are what are known as ‘low’ tubes. They give out the so-called ‘soft’ rays.” He did not seem disposed to interrupt his work to talk and I kept silent, wondering why he was working so feverishly. At last he was ready to go ahead and I was glad of it, for the pungent odor of ozone from the electrical discharge was not adding to my physical comfort. Kennedy had placed the letter that had been addressed to Valcour in themachine, radiographed it, then rapidly laid aside the plate and placed another letter in it, re- peating the process. The second letter, I observed, had been addressed to Sanchez and was postmarked Mexico City several days before. Quite eveidently Sanchez and the rest of the party had, in the sup- pressed excitement of the day and evening, neglected to look in the letter boxes to see whether there was anything for them. It was a fortunate opportunity of which Kennedy was taking advantage, though it aroused my curiosity to know just what he was doing. I was on the point of breaking my silence comiclboool C@©