10
THE BATTALION
My wrath flamed up in an instant. “No dealings with
the Evil One!” I cried—nay, shouted furiously, and indeed
incoherently. I hardly knew what I was saying or thinking.
The creature—I can not call it a man, though looking so
like a prosperous financier—turned and saw the prostrate
form of my friend. The moment was a horrible one to me.
To see that decent Jew gnash his teeth was really a frightful
experience! I afterwards thought that a wolfish howl had
burst from his lips at the same moment. But this may have
been a delusion of my heated imagination. In a moment he
had changed his express T on back to that which accorded with
his business, and had resumed his genial smile.
“I have exposed myself,” said he politely. “Excuse me.
I shall not trouble you further.”
With this, he took up his hat, bowed, and was about to
walk airily out of the room, when I stopped him with a wave
of the hand toward the body of Olsen.
“Oh!” said he, with a sardonic smile, “Your friend is
not electrocuted—yet.” With one last bow, he opened the
door, and vanished. I sent for a doctor at once and ex
plained to him that my friend had received a severe shock
from imprudently touching a galvanic battery; and I was
greatly relieved to see him restored by the medical man’s ef
forts in about an hour’s time.
But to this day Olsen firmly believes that he had the un
usual experience of a peep into the mind of the Great Tempter.
I—I know not what to think about it. But what would
not John Bunyan have made of such an experience?