Amazing Stories, Vol. 2, No. 1 — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

as oF a et, “7 age ae ee ae oF S ie THE PLAGUE OF THE LIVING DEAD was hoped that the Living Dead would be elim-° Dead, as it was afterwards known. At first, the authorities at Abilone believed that Doctor Farn- ham and his three companions had gone tempor- arily mad through the effects of the earthquake and the eruption, and they tried to calm the four and to soothe them. But when, a few hours later, the survivors of a relief party reported that the village and the neighborhood was filled with wild, blood-mad savages, and that three members of the party had been attacked, killed and torn to pieces, the authorities took action, although they still had no faith in Doctor Farnham’s tale, and scoffed at the idea that he had resuscitated the dead or that the savages were immortal, and considered these the hallucinations of an overwrought mind, No doubt, they said, the survivors of the catas- trophe had been driven crazy by the eruption and had reverted to savagery, but it would be a simple matter to round them up, confine them in an asylum and gradually cure them. But the force of police sent to the vicinity of the village found that neither Doctor Farnham nor the relief party had exaggerated matters in the least. In fact, only two policemen managed to escape, and with terror-filled eyes they told a story of horrors beyond any imagination. They had seen their fellows destroyed before their eyes. They had poured bullets into the bodies of the sav- age villagers at close range, but with no effect. They had fought hand to hand and had seen their short swords bury themselves in their antagonists’ flesh without result, and they shuddered as they told of seeing armless, yes, even headless, men fighting like demons. | At last the officials: were convinced that some- thing entirely new and inexplicable had occurred. Incredible as it might seem, the doctor’s story must be true, and something must be done without delay to rid the island of its curse,—this Plague of the Living Dead. Far into night, and through- out the following day, all the officials of the island sat in conference with the scientist, for, being sen- sible men, the authorities realized that no one would be so likely to offer a solution of the problem as the man who had brought it about. And very wisely, too. The first suggestion that was made and acted upon was to establish a strict censorship on everything leaving the island. To let the out- side World know what had occurred would be most unwise. The press would get hold of it; reporters and others would rush to the island to secure the facts; Abilone would be made the butt of incredu- lous ridicule or a place accursed, according to whether or not the press and public believed in the reports. But how to establish a censorship, how to prevent outsiders from visiting the island or to prevent the islanders from leaving was the ques- tion. This was solved by Doctor Frisbie, the med- ical inspector of the port. It would be announced that a virulent contagious disease had broken out in a.remote village,—which was in a way no more than the truth, and that until further notice, no vessels would be allowed to enter or leave the ports. Of course, this would entail some hardships, but the available supplies of food were sufficient to support the population for at least several months, and long before the expiration of that period it 17 inated. But as time passed, those upon Abilone began to fear that no human power could conquer the soulless automatons in human form who cursed the land and could not be destroyed. Luck- ily, being absolutely lacking in intelligence and with no reasoning powers, the things did not wan- der far, and showed no inclination to leave their original district to attack persons who did not bother them. And to prevent any possibility of their spreading, immense barriers of barbed wire were erected about the locality where the Living Dead held sway. As Doctor Farnham had pointed out, the barbed wire would not deter the things through the pain or injuries caused by its jagged points, and hence the fence was erected for strength and height, and formed a barrier which even elephants could scarcely have broken through. This, however, took time, and long before it was completed innumer- able attempts had been made to surround and cap- ture or to destroy the soulless beings, for so fixed are certain ideas in the human brain that the offi- cials could not believe that the Living Dead could not be killed, despite the arguments of Doctor Farnham who, over and over again, declared that it was a waste of money and life to attempt to an- nihilate the beings he had resurrected. But, of course, every attempt was futile. Bullets had no effect upon them, and when, after many arguments and innumerable protests, it was decided that, as the beings were no better than wild beasts and, therefore, a menace to the world, any means were justifiable, preparations were made to burn them out. Innumerable fires were kindled, and before ¢ fresh wind the flames swept across the entire are: occupied by the Living Dead and reduced the lag vestiges of their former village to ashes. Bur when, the fire over, a detachment of police was sent into the district to count the bodies, they were at- tacked, almost annihilated and driven back by the horde of singed, mutilated, ghastly beings who had survived the conflagration as completely as the had survived powder and ball, poison gases, anu every other means to destroy them. Next, it wa suggested that they be drowned, and although Doe tor Farnham openly scoffed at the idea and t! expense involved, no one could be made to believ that the things were really immune to death in any form. Hence, at a terrific expense, a dam wa‘ built across the river flowing through the district. and for days the entire area was flooded. But at the end of the time the Living Dead were as lively as Savage, aS unreasoning and as great a plague as ever. Strangely enough, too, not one of the be ings had ever been captured. On two occasions, tt be sure, members of the band had been seized, but on each occasion the beings had literally torn themselves free, leaving a dismembered arm oy hand in possession of their captors. And the; fragments of flesh, to everyone’s horror and amaze- ment, had continued to live. It was indescribably gruesome to see the dis. membered arm twisting and writhing about, to see the muscles flexing and the fingers opening and closing. Even when placed in jars of alcohol or formaldehyde, the limbs continued to retain their comicbooks.«