We reached the farm-house, and as I observed the care and attention
extended me by the pleasant-faced housewife, I realized that, in one
respect at least, old age brought its compensation. After breakfast a
man appeared from the farmer's barn, driving a team of horses attached
to an open spring-wagon which, in obedience to the request of my guide,
I entered, accompanied by my young friend, who directed that we be
driven toward the village from which I had been abducted. He seemed to
know my past life as I knew it; he asked me to select those of my
friends to whom I first wished to bid farewell, even mentioning their
names; he seemed all that a patient, faithful son could be, and I began
to wonder at his audacity, even as much as I admired his
self-confidence.
As we journeyed onward we engaged in familiar talk. We sat together on
the back seat of the open spring-wagon, in full sight of passers, no
attempt being made to conceal my person. Thus we traveled for two days,
and on our course we passed through a large city with which I was
acquainted, a city that my abductors had previously carried me through
and beyond. I found that my "son" possessed fine conversational power,
and a rich mine of information, and he became increasingly interesting
as he drew from his fund of knowledge, and poured into my listening ears
an entrancing strain of historical and metaphysical information. Never
at a loss for a word or an idea, he appeared to discern my cogitations,
and as my mind wandered in this or that direction he fell into the
channel of my fancies, and answered my unspoken thoughts, my
mind-questions or meditations, as pertinently as though I had spoken
them.
His accomplishments, for the methods of his perception were
unaccompanied by any endeavor to draw me into word expression, made me
aware at least, that, in him, I had to deal with a man unquestionably
possessed of more than ordinary intellect and education, and as this
conviction entered my mind he changed his subject and promptly answered
the silent inquiry, speaking as follows:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account