"If you
leave us, Matt," he said, "we are lost. I feel our safety depends on
our keeping together. If I'm not mistaken this is a cunning dodge on
the part of the Unknown to separate us. If that happens, I feel we may
never get back to our bodies--and the compact will then be broken. We
must hang on to each other at all costs." So saying, he slipped his
free arm through that of Curtis, and the three stood linked together. Hamar clung on to the other two, until his hands grew numb, and
the sweat stood on his chest and forehead in great beads. As figure
after figure stealthily and noiselessly approached them, Kelson and
Curtis writhed and shrieked; and, at times, it seemed as if the
chain must be broken. But alarming as were these harrowing types of
Vice-Elementals--_i.e._, nude things with heads of beasts and bodies of
men and women; grotesque heads; malevolent eyes; mal-shaped hands;
headless beasts, etc. ; none had so dangerous an effect on the unity of
the trio as the alluring types of Vice-Elementals, _i.e._, shapes of
beautiful women that smiled seductively at Kelson, and resorted to
every device to entice him away with them. It was then that Hamar was
taxed to the utmost, that he exhausted voice, strength, and patience,
in holding Kelson back. He was about to give in, when to his astonishment these Vice-Elementals
vanished, and a phantasm, the exact counterpart of Karaver, only much
taller, appeared before them, and commenced giving them instructions
as to Stage Two. "You," he said, addressing Hamar, "will possess the property of second
sight, _i.e._, the power to see, at will, earthbound spirits,
conditionally, that you fumigate your room, for ten minutes every
night, before retiring to rest, with a mixture composed of 2 drachms
of henbane, 3 drachms of saffron, 1/2 oz. of aloes, 1/4 oz. of
mandrake, 3 drachms of salanum, 2 oz. of assafoetida; that you abstain
from animal food and wine, and give up smoking; that, three times
every day, you bathe your face in distilled water, to which has been
added three drops of the juice of the whortleberry, one drop of the
juice of the mountain ash berry, 1 oz. of lavender water, 1 oz. of
nitre, and 1/2 oz. of tincture of arnica; and that, just before going
to sleep, you look for three minutes, without blinking, at an
equilateral triangle, transcribed in blood, on white paper, and
composed of these letters and figures." And he handed Hamar a piece of
paper, on which were written these symbols:

K.T.O.P.I.6.X.7.4.H.I.P.3.S.4.W.V.2.8. "So long as you observe these conditions the power will remain with
you. To-morrow, only, it will be awarded you without any
preparations." "You," he went on, turning to Kelson, "will possess the property of
projection, _i.e._, the power of leaving your body, and of visiting,
where you will, on the material plane. You will continue to possess
the same, conditionally, that you carry out the same rules as Leon
Hamar, with the exception that, instead of looking at a triangle
before going to sleep, you will repeat these words. See, I have
written them down for you." And he handed Kelson a slip of paper, on
which were transcribed "Darkona, droomer, doober, parlar, poohmer,
perler. A--ta--rama--skatarinek--ook--drooksi--noomeg--viartikorsa." "You," he said, turning to Curtis, "will be endowed with the property
of overcoming gravity, _i.e._, you will be able to fly, to jump great
heights, and to lift and move prodigious weights; and this property
will remain in your possession during the prescribed period, provided
you abstain from all animal food, from smoking and from drinking
alcohol; and observe the same rules with regard to fumigating your
sleeping apartment, and bathing your face, as Hamar and Kelson. But,
always, before you attempt to fly or to jump, it will be necessary for
you to set in motion certain vibrations, in the ether, that counteract
the attraction of gravity. You must repeat the words 'Karjako
Mandarbsa Guahseela,' which I have written on this blue paper; and
when you want to move or lift objects, you must first repeat the words
'Perabibo Henlilee Oko-kokotse,' which I have written on this green
paper. Gravity, as you will see, is entirely dependent on sound--sound
can move mountains. It did so in Atlantis, it did so in Egypt." Making the sign of a triangle, an eye, and a tree in the air, with the
forefinger of his left hand, he slowly repeated the words
"Barjakva--ookpoota--trylisa." and the concluding syllable was no
sooner uttered, than the trio found themselves standing in Berners
Street. But of Karaver's house--the house they had just quitted--there
was no trace. FOOTNOTES:

  [Footnote 19: According to Brahminical teaching there are seven
  main   classes of spirits; some having innumerable sub-divisions. They are--

    1. Arrippa Devas, with forms. 2. Arrippa Devas, without forms. (Both Classes 1 and 2 are
    intelligent, sixth principles of certain planets. I style them
    Planetians, and classify them with all other spirits hailing from
    Jupiter Neptune, etc.) 3. Mara rupas (identical with Vice-Elementals). 4. Pisachas, _i.e._ male and female elementaries. (I have termed
    them Impersonating Elementals, since they consist of the astral
    forms of the dead, that may be utilized by Elementals.) 5. Asuras, _i.e._ gnomes, pixies, etc. (Corresponding to those
    I have designated Vagrarian Elementals.) 6. Monstrosities. (These I include among Vice-Elementals and
    Vagrarians.) 7. Kaksasas, viz. souls of wizards, witches, and of clever people
    with evil tendencies, scientists with cruel or harsh
    tendencies--such as vivisectionists and sophists. All these come
    under my division of "earthbound phantasms of the dead"--spirits
    tied to this earth by passions or vices; and I should add to the
    list--militant suffragettes, strike agitators, hooligans, apaches,
    pseudo-humanitarians, religious bigots, misers, all people
    obsessed with manias, idiots, epileptic imbeciles and criminal
    lunatics. All such may at times be encountered on the lowest
    spiritual plane.] [Footnote 20: Composed of 2 drachms of myrrh, 1/2 oz. of sweet oil,
  2 oz. of attar of roses, 1/2 oz. heliotrope and 1/4 oz. of musk.] [Footnote 21: These words are so arranged as to set in vibration and
  loosen the atmosphere, that keeps the spirit incarcerated in the
  physical body, and so set the latter free.] CHAPTER XVI

HAMAR MAKES ADVANCES


The doctors had stated that the tenth day would see the crisis of John
Martin's illness; if he could tide over that period, he might go on
for years without another attack. When the momentous day arrived,
Gladys was simply eating her heart out with suspense. Not a sound was
permitted in the house.