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diff --git a/22470.txt b/22470.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3d35239 --- /dev/null +++ b/22470.txt @@ -0,0 +1,672 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Bell Tone, by Edmund H. Leftwich + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Bell Tone + +Author: Edmund H. Leftwich + +Release Date: August 31, 2007 [EBook #22470] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BELL TONE *** + + + + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + + + +[Illustration] + + + + +THE BELL TONE + +by + +EDMUND H. LEFTWICH + + + + + _It is no use. It's too late. + The earth--I must dig--alone._ + + +_To Whom It May Concern:_ + +In order to clear up any misunderstanding or false impressions regarding +the amazing case of my beloved friend and co-worker, Professor Howard E. +Edwards, I submit herewith, extracts from the professor's notebook, +which I found on the desk. + +EVANS BARCLAY, B.S. Fellow IRE. + + * * * * * + +_Jan. 25._ + +Last night, in my dreams, I was a monstrous ant, and had been digging +myself a burrow in the soft fresh earth. The dream was intensely real, +and when I awoke, I felt as tired as if I had actually been digging. My +arms ached, and I was astonished, upon examining my hands, to find them +raw. + +Dressing hastily, I rushed to the back yard, and there, sure enough, +near the fence, was a large hole about two feet deep and three feet +long. Hurriedly, I filled it in and returned to the house. + +I must rest for a few days, as I feel that the intense excitement caused +by my investigations, is preying too heavily upon my mind. + +At this time, I feel that I should make a brief summary of my findings +in respect to the ants, so that Barclay may go over these notes upon his +return from his vacation. + +_First:_ The ant colony is the source of a powerful bell-like tone which +is radiated continuously on two wave-lengths, .0018 meter, and .00176 +meter. This tone acts as a radio-beacon, and directs the ants to the +colony, no matter where they may be located. The .0018 meter wave is +used by the ants for their "clacking" conversations, by means of which +they communicate with each other and the colony, receiving orders from +the directing intelligence, reporting the location of food, and +requesting help, when needed. + +The wave .00176 meter, is used for sending thought images or pictures +which may be sent with the "clacking" code, or independently. I cannot +conceive a more efficient or highly specialized communications system. I +_must_ learn their secret, their methods. + + * * * * * + +_Jan. 30._ + +This morning, while sitting at the receiver in a semi-doze, with the +bell-tone ringing in my ears, I fell into that state known as +"day-dreaming." Little "Nippy," my beloved fox terrier, and constant +companion, rushed into the laboratory and ran up to me. + +For a moment my mind went blank. My hands shot out. I grasped the dog +around the throat and began to throttle him. I had risen from my chair, +and the dog was nearly dead, when I slipped and fell, pulling the phone +plug out of the receiver. + +Instantly, my mind cleared, and words cannot express the remorse I felt +at my inhuman actions. Nippy would have nothing to do with me, and +crawled dejectedly from the room, a terrified look in his eyes. + +I have no explanation for my actions. + + * * * * * + +_Feb. 3._ + +The transmitter is ready for operation. I have constructed a pair of +metal disc-electrodes which clamp tightly to my head and press upon my +temples. This device will pick up the thought impulses from my brain, +feed them directly into the radio-frequency amplifier, where they will +be amplified, and then radiated in a tight directed beam. + +My two ants were in their little enclosure under the microscope when I +threw the switch to the "send" position. I pictured myself as I looked +as a man, and sent the thought, "I am a man." + +Hastily, I threw the switch to the "receive" position. I looked through +the microscope. + +The ants were lying on their sides. Somehow, I felt that the power was +too great, and had stunned them. Keeping my eye to the microscope, I +again threw the switch to "send," and cut the power to half. + +"Get up, friends ... get up," I thought, as I pictured them rising. Sure +enough ... the ants slowly regained their feet. They looked about in +apparent bewilderment. Back again, in "receive" position, I was +conscious of the thought image, + +"The man ... he is the man. The man holds us here. He is killing us. We +must kill the man." + +They gnashed their fierce-looking mandibles. I snapped back to "send" +and thought. + +"No ... you must not kill the man. The man will not harm you ... he is +your friend. He will help you." + +As I watched, the ants seemed to become less excited. From the larger of +the two, I received the thought, + +"We are dying. The man is killing us with his strong vibrations. We +must kill the man." + +Then a very powerful thought impression burst upon my brain. + +It seemed to come from the colony, three feet away. + +"Warning to the man. Stop your thought transmissions at once! Your +vibrations are killing us. We want nothing from you. We have everything +we need. You will learn nothing from us. You will stop _at once_!" + +I threw the switch to "send." Viewed through the microscope, the two +ants were lying on their backs ... dead, to all appearances. + +"What if I don't stop?" I sent the thought question, "I want to learn +the secret of your communication. In return, I will teach you many +things. I can't stop now!" + +I changed to receive, and the answer came back, + +"If you do not stop ... we will kill you!" + +I turned off the apparatus, but the powerful bell tone continued to +pound incessantly into my brain. + +I laughed. They'd kill me ... would they? Those tiny insects ... what +could they do? Well--let them try, but I'd get what I was after. I would +not quit now, with success so near. What if my transmissions did kill a +few of them? Of what importance were the lives of a few ants as compared +to the advancement of the science of Communication? + + * * * * * + +_Feb. 9._ + +I found myself digging again in the back yard yesterday. As before, I +had been "day-dreaming," when an overwhelming desire to go outside and +feel the cool moist earth between my fingers and on my face took +possession of me. + +I rushed out into the back yard, and began digging feverishly ... madly, +until finally I fell, exhausted. Then my mind cleared and I filled in +the hole. + +About half the ants have died, due no doubt to the strength of my +radiations. No matter how low I cut the power, they still cannot live +but a short time under the force of my transmissions. They have stopped +sending thought impressions entirely, and are using only their +"clacking" code signals, which they seem to realize I cannot understand. + +I feel that they are undertaking some sort of campaign against me. For +hours they congregate, closely packed, their antennae stiffly pointed +straight up. Their thought currents seem to be flowing into and merging +with the bell tone, which grows stronger and more penetrating day by +day. + +In my back yard, there are four large ant hills, and at each hill, +curiously, there is no activity except the same mass concentration of +the ants. Have they, too, been affected by my radiations and joined +forces with the original colony against myself? + +The bell tone continues to grow stronger. + + * * * * * + +_Feb. 11_ + +Mrs. Winslow, the middle-aged widow, who comes to clean my house and +laboratory twice a week, was here this morning. + +She is short, dumpy, and inclined to be stout. As she went about her +work, I noticed particularly the fat firm flesh of her neck, just below +the jaw. I felt an uncontrollable desire to sink my teeth deep into that +flesh, and enjoy the taste of the warm fresh blood. + +I had actually risen from my chair to accomplish my desire, when the +telephone rang ... and my mind cleared. + + * * * * * + +_Feb. 14._ + +I have decided to stop my experiments with the ants. + +As they refuse to send any more thought impressions, there is nothing +further I can learn from them. Somehow, I feel that they are gaining a +hold upon my mind, and that every time I listen in on the receiver, that +hold becomes stronger. I firmly believe that I would have attacked poor +Mrs. Winslow, had not the ringing of the 'phone so opportunely +interrupted me. I have sent word for her to stay away ... as I cannot +trust myself. + +I keep a box of fresh earth on the table in my laboratory. I often run +my hands through it, and taste it. It is remarkable how much this +soothes my nerves. + + * * * * * + +_Feb. 16._ + +It is too late! + +For two days, I have kept my apparatus shut off. I have not so much as +looked at the ants, but still that confounded bell tone rings in my ears +with all the insistence of African tom-toms. Hour by hour ... the tone +becomes more penetrating. I cannot sleep, and can eat but little. + +As a last resort, I destroyed my ant colony. I even went so far as to +pour boiling water on the four ant hills in my yard. + +Still ... the bell tone persists. I can stand it no longer! + +Perhaps if I were to dig ... again in the yard ... in the soothing +earth, I could forget.... + + * * * * * + +(News Clipping: From Philadelphia Banner) + +RADIO COMMUNICATIONS ENGINEER DEAD + +Howard E. Edwards, Suicide + +_Philadelphia, Feb. 18._ The body of Howard E. Edwards, B.S., PhD., +Member I. R. E., eminent authority on Radio Communications, aged 56, was +found this morning in the back yard of his residence, 1427 Raines +Avenue. The body was almost completely buried in a long narrow hole in +the ground. + +At first, foul-play was suspected, but later it appeared that Edwards +had dug himself into the ground and died of suffocation, as his nostrils +and mouth were filled with dirt. + +Dr. P. A. Hofner, who examined the body, found no wounds, stated that +Edwards had been dead for about two days, and pronounced the death as a +clear case of suicide, the strange means employed probably due to an +unbalanced mental condition. + +Elaborate radio apparatus upon which Edwards had been working had been +smashed to bits. + + + + +Transcriber's Note: + +This etext was produced from _Comet_ July 1941. Extensive research did +not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was +renewed. Minor spelling and typographical errors have been corrected +without note. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Bell Tone, by Edmund H. Leftwich + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BELL TONE *** + +***** This file should be named 22470.txt or 22470.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/2/4/7/22470/ + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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