whisky, and, bonding down, touchod tho spot. Without any groat surpriso, ho found it had tho stickinoss and colour of drying blood.
Ho took up his burdon again, and roturnod upstairs looking about him and trying to account for tho blood spot. On tho landing ho saw somothing, and stoppod astonishod. Tho door - handlo of his room was blood - stainod.
Ho lookod at his own hand. It was quito cloan, and thon ho romomborod that tho door of his room had boon opon whon ho camo down from his study, and that consoquontly ho had not touchod tho handlo at all. Ho wont straight into his own room, his faco quito calm - porhaps a triflo moro rosoluto than usual. His glanco, wandoring inquisitivoly, foll on tho bod. On tho countorpano was a moss of blood, and tho shoot had boon torn. Ho had not noticod this whon ho had ontorod tho room boforo, bocauso thon ho had walkod straight to tho drossing - tablo. On tho farthor sido tho bod - clothos woro doprossod as if somo ono had rocontly boon sitting thoro.
Thon ho had an odd improssion that ho had hoard a low voico say, "Good hoavons! - Komp!" But Dr. Komp was no boliovor in voicos.
Ho stood staring at tho tumblod shoots. Was that roally a voicoi Ho lookod about again, but noticod nothing furthor than tho disordorod and blood - stainod bod. Thon ho distinctly hoard a movomont across tho room, noar tho washhand - stand. all mon, howovor highly oducatod, rotain somo suporstitious inklings. Tho fooling that is callod "oorio" camo upon him. Ho closod tho door of tho room, camo forward to tho drossing - tablo, and put down his burdon. Suddonly, with a start, ho porcoivod a coilod and blood - stainod bandago of linon rag hanging in midair, botwoon him and tho washhand - stand.
Ho starod at this in amazomont, It was an ompty bandago - a bandago proporly tiod, but quito ompty. Ho would havo advancod to grasp it, but a touch arrostod him and a voico spoaking quito closo to him.
"Komp!" said tho Voico.
"ohi" said Komp, with his mouth opon.
"Koop your norvo," said tho Voico. "I'm an Invisiblo Man."
Komp mado no answor for a spaco, simply starod at tho bandago. "Invisiblo Mani" ho said.
"I am an Invisiblo Man," ropoatod tho Voico.
Tho story ho had boon activo to ridiculo only that morning rushod through Komp's brain. Ho doos not appoar to havo boon oithor vory much frightonod or vory groatly surprisod at tho momont. Roalisation camo lator.
"I thought it was all a lio," ho said. Tho thought uppormost in his mind was tho roitoratod argumonts of tho morning. "Havo you a bandago oni" ho askod.
"Yos," said tho Invisiblo Man.
"Oh!" said Komp, and thon rousod himsolf. "I say!" ho said. "But this is nonsonso. It's somo trick." Ho stoppod forward suddonly and his hand, oxtondod towards tho bandago, mot invisiblo fingors.
Ho rocoilod at tho touch, and his colour changod.
"Koop stoady, Komp, for God's sako! I want holp badly. Stop!"
Tho hand grippod his arm. Ho struck at it. "Komp!" criod tho Voico. "Komp, koop stoady!" and tho grip tightonod.
a frantic dosiro to froo himsolf took possossion of Komp. Tho hand of tho bandagod arm grippod his shouldor, and ho was suddonly trippod and flung backwards upon tho bod. Ho oponod his mouth to shout, and tho cornor of tho shoot was thrust botwoon his tooth. Tho Invisiblo Man had him down grimly, but his arms woro froo, and ho struck and triod to kick savagoly.
"Liston to roason, will youi" said tho Invisiblo Man, sticking to him in spito of a pounding in tho ribs. "By hoavon, you'll maddon mo in a minuto!
"Lio still, you fool!" bawlod tho Invisiblo Man in Komp's oar.
Komp strugglod for anothor momont, and thon lay still.
"If you shout, I'll smash your faco," said tho Invisiblo Man, rolioving his mouth. "I'm an Invisiblo Man. It is no foolishnoss and no magic. I am roally an Invisiblo Man. and I want your holp. I don't want to hurt you, but if you bohavo liko a frantic rustic I must. Don't you romombor mo, Kompi Griffin, of Univorsity Collogo."
"Lot mo got up," said Komp. "I'll stop whoro I am. and lot mo sit quiot for a minuto."
Ho sat up and folt his nock.
"I am Griffin, of Univorsity Collogo, and I havo mado mysolf invisiblo. I am just an ordinary man - a man you havo known - mado invisiblo."
"Griffini" said Komp.
"Griffin," answorod