6
THE BATTALION.
Nearer and nearer the thing approached, until he could see
its eyes glistening like coals of fire in the moonlight. Shef
field stepped aside to allow the figure to pass, when to his
horror and surprise it turned and darted at him, and before
he could recover from his amazement he felt its cold clammy
fingers pressing his throaty while those horrible eyes seemed
to pierce his brain like darts of fire. In vain he endeavored
to. beat the uncanny monster off. It clung to his throat and
lie could feel the long, sharp talons piercing his throat
through the skin. Finally, summoning all his strength,
Sheffield Struck the thing on the head; then he felt the grip
on his throat relax, and he knew no more.
When he recovered consciousness he found himself in a
strange room with a doctor standing beside the bed feeling
his pulse. Upon inquiry he learned that the driver of a
market wagon passing along the road early the next morning
after the fight with the monster, had picked him up and
brought him to the city where he had turned him over to the
hospital authorities. His first impulse was to tell the phy
sicians of his encounter with the strange apparition, but
thinking that he would not be believed, he merely told him
that he had been attacked by a ) uffian who demanded his
money, and the scratches and finger marks on his throat were
the result of his encounter.
In a few days Sheffield was allowed to leave the hospital.
He proceeded at once to Ramsey’s room, but on opening the
door he found the apartment vacant. Upon inquiry he
learned that Ramsey had suddenly left college on Tuesday
last, which was the day after his adventure.
On account of the improbability of his not being believed,
Sheffield told no one of the strange affair; but one day while
talking with a fellow-student who roomed in the same build
ing with Ramsey he happened to mention Ramsey’s name,