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half…Indian； half…European； and officered by gentlemen in a uniform
partly British； were engaged； at great odds； with the swarming rabble
of the alleys。 I joined the weaker party； arming myself with the
weapons of a fallen officer； and fighting I knew not whom with the
nervous ferocity of despair。 We were soon overpowered by numbers； and
driven to seek refuge in a species of kiosk。 Here we barricaded
ourselves； and； for the present were secure。 From a loop…hole near
the summit of the kiosk； I perceived a vast crowd； in furious
agitation； surrounding and assaulting a gay palace that overhung the
river。 Presently； from an upper window of this place； there descended
an effeminate…looking person； by means of a string made of the
turbans of his attendants。 A boat was at hand； in which he escaped to
the opposite bank of the river。
〃And now a new object took possession of my soul。 I spoke a few
hurried but energetic words to my companions； and； having succeeded
in gaining over a few of them to my purpose made a frantic sally from
the kiosk。 We rushed amid the crowd that surrounded it。 They
retreated； at first； before us。 They rallied； fought madly； and
retreated again。 In the mean time we were borne far from the kiosk；
and became bewildered and entangled among the narrow streets of tall；
overhanging houses； into the recesses of which the sun had never been
able to shine。 The rabble pressed impetuously upon us； harrassing us
with their spears； and overwhelming us with flights of arrows。 These
latter were very remarkable； and resembled in some respects the
writhing creese of the Malay。 They were made to imitate the body of a
creeping serpent； and were long and black； with a poisoned barb。 One
of them struck me upon the right temple。 I reeled and fell。 An
instantaneous and dreadful sickness seized me。 I struggled I
gasped I died。〃 〃You will hardly persist now；〃 said I smiling；
〃that the whole of your adventure was not a dream。 You are not
prepared to maintain that you are dead？〃
When I said these words； I of course expected some lively sally from
Bedloe in reply； but； to my astonishment； he hesitated； trembled；
became fearfully pallid； and remained silent。 I looked toward
Templeton。 He sat erect and rigid in his chair his teeth
chattered； and his eyes were starting from their sockets。 〃Proceed！〃
he at length said hoarsely to Bedloe。
〃For many minutes；〃 continued the latter； 〃my sole sentiment my
sole feeling was that of darkness and nonentity； with the
consciousness of death。 At length there seemed to pass a violent and
sudden shock through my soul； as if of electricity。 With it came the
sense of elasticity and of light。 This latter I felt not saw。 In
an instant I seemed to rise from the ground。 But I had no bodily； no
visible； audible； or palpable presence。 The crowd had departed。 The
tumult had ceased。 The city was in comparative repose。 Beneath me lay
my corpse； with the arrow in my temple； the whole head greatly
swollen and disfigured。 But all these things I felt not saw。 I
took interest in nothing。 Even the corpse seemed a matter in which I
had no concern。 Volition I had none； but appeared to be impelled into
motion； and flitted buoyantly out of the city； retracing the
circuitous path by which I had entered it。 When I had attained that
point of the ravine in the mountains at which I had encountered the
hyena； I again experienced a shock as of a galvanic battery； the
sense of weight； of volition； of substance； returned。 I became my
original self； and bent my steps eagerly homeward but the past had
not lost the vividness of the real and not now； even for an
instant； can I compel my understanding to regard it as a dream。〃
〃Nor was it；〃 said Templeton； with an air of deep solemnity； 〃yet it
would be difficult to say how otherwise it should be termed。 Let us
suppose only； that the soul of the man of to…day is upon the verge of
some stupendous psychal discoveries。 Let us content ourselves with
this supposition。 For the rest I have some explanation to make。 Here
is a watercolor drawing； which I should have shown you before； but
which an unaccountable sentiment of horror has hitherto prevented me
from showing。〃
We looked at the picture which he presented。 I saw nothing in it of
an extraordinary character； but its effect upon Bedloe was
prodigious。 He nearly fainted as he gazed。 And yet it was but a
miniature portrait a miraculously accurate one； to be sure of
his own very remarkable features。 At least this was my thought as I
regarded it。
〃You will perceive；〃 said Templeton； 〃the date of this picture it
is here； scarcely visible； in this corner 1780。 In this year was
the portrait taken。 It is the likeness of a dead friend a Mr。
Oldeb to whom I became much attached at Calcutta； during the
administration of Warren Hastings。 I was then only twenty years old。
When I first saw you； Mr。 Bedloe； at Saratoga； it was the miraculous
similarity which existed between yourself and the painting which
induced me to accost you； to seek your friendship； and to bring about
those arrangements which resulted in my becoming your constant
companion。 In accomplishing this point； I was urged partly； and
perhaps principally； by a regretful memory of the deceased； but also；
in part； by an uneasy； and not altogether horrorless curiosity
respecting yourself。
〃In your detail of the vision which presented itself to you amid the
hills； you have described； with the minutest accuracy； the Indian
city of Benares； upon the Holy River。 The riots； the combat； the
massacre； were the actual events of the insurrection of Cheyte Sing；
which took place in 1780； when Hastings was put in imminent peril of
his life。 The man escaping by the string of turbans was Cheyte Sing
himself。 The party in the kiosk were sepoys and British officers；
headed by Hastings。 Of this party I was one； and did all I could to
prevent the rash and fatal sally of the officer who fell； in the
crowded alleys； by the poisoned arrow of a Bengalee。 That officer was
my dearest friend。 It was Oldeb。 You will perceive by these
manuscripts；〃 （here the speaker produced a note…book in which several
pages appeared to have been freshly written；） 〃that at the very
period in which you fancied these things amid the hills； I was
engaged in detailing them upon paper here at home。〃
In about a week after this conversation； the following paragraphs
appeared in a Charlottesville paper：
〃We have the painful duty of announcing the death of Mr。 Augustus
Bedlo； a gentleman whose amiable manners and many virtues have long
endeared him to the citizens of Charlottesville。
〃Mr。 B。； for some years past； has been subject to neuralgia； which
has often threatened to terminate fatally； but this can be regarded
only as the mediate cause of his decease。 The proximate cause was one
of especial singularity。 In an excursion to the Ragged Mountains； a
few days since； a slight cold and fever were contracted； attended
with great determination of blood to the head。 To relieve this； Dr。
Templeton resorted to topical bleeding。 Leeches were applied to the
temples。 In a fearfully brief period the patient died； when