“l>rink," said the voice the onl
! voice i heard.
j "1 will not,” I cried, "it may be
i poison.”
1 heard a short harsh laugh and .It
a cold metallic ring laid against my
forehead.
"ll is not poison: it is an opiate and
will do you no harm, but this,” and
as he spoke 1 felt the pressure of the
little iron circlet, *‘l his is another at
fair. < ’house!”
1 drained the glass and was glad to
feel the pistol moved from my head.
"Now," said the spokesman, taking tin*
empty glass from my hand, “it yon are
a wise man. when you awake lo inor
row you will say: '1 have been drunk or
dreaming. 1 You have heard ns but nt.
seen ns. but remember we know y on.'
He left me, and in a short time, do
what 1 would to struggle against it.
heavy drowsiness ean.e over me.
Thoughts grew incoherent and reason
| seemed leaving me. My head fell lir-i
|on one side, then on the oilier. The
| last thing I can remember is a slron
| arm encircling me and keeping me fro:*
i tumbling out of my chair. Whatever
! the drug wa-, its action was strong and
swift.
For hours ami hours it held me.-en-e
less, and when at la-t its power faded
aim niv mind, struggling hack to a
clouded sor. of consciousness, made,
after many attempts, the fact apparent
to me that I was lying on a lied, ami.
