Detective Bob Bridger — page 24: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

~ DETECTIVE BOB BRIDGER. ~ AC one in his hand and eaze at it steadily for even five min- utes without falling off into deep slumber. Well, one of | these glasses I speak of was broken, and so Plinny marked two broken on the bill, and placed one in his pocket for me. And here itis.” As the Scotch detective spoke he opbatieed what seemed to be an oval, flat-bottomed, circular paper-weight, some three inches in diameter, the bottom of which was of thin sheet-iron, carefully fitted and cemented upon the glass. “T warn you,” continued Fandon, “not to gaze long or intently atit, for so sure as the warmth and electricity from your hand causes the fluid within to move you are one.” : ¢ y ll risk it,” returned Bridger, taking the glass in his an He perceived that it was heavy, and, on closer inspec- - tion, seemed a cleverly contrived ink- stand. It was filled with a jet-black fluid, while directly in its center, and beneath the upper glass, was an open glass circle an inch and a half in diameter, which appeared to be the mouth of an inner bottle. Any one would have considered ita clever puzzle, the puzzle being how to get at the ink. soon after Bridger took hold of it the fluid began to pour over into the mouth of the inner bottle. At every instant, as he gazed, the movement became — faster, and at length it seemed to bring up dregs from the eae which appeared to be tiny particles of silver and gold. The current of the fluid now assumed a regular course. It rushed outward in centrifugal motion upon the bottom of the glass, and then up its sides, with marvelous swilft- ness. At the top it turned in, in centripetal motion, and plunged down in the center, forming a busy whirlpool. Bridger became fascinated looking at it. He could not have withdrawn his eyes from it if he had tried. The fluid was no longer black, but a bright gray. Gradually the plunge of the whirlpool’s center seemed to grow deeper and its circumference greater and greater, until at length it appeared to Bridger as if he were hanging over the edge of a great circular Niagara. The roar of an ocean of rushing, plunging, plashing waters seemed also to sound in his ears. An instant more, and, with a gentle start, as if he had. plunged downward, all was dark. te ol ce re a eel GOmic 5G KS (ele)