FIGHTING THE INSECTS 



the gas down very low, seated himself at a cabinet organ, and 

 we all sang softly "In the Sweet By-and-By." 



The tambourine began to rattle, and there was a general com- 

 motion behind the inner screen. Presently individuals were asked 

 by name to hold a paper pad forward, close to the screen. Then 

 a hand appeared which wrote messages, all of a satisfactory 

 kind. Finally the chairs were jerked from beneath the two per- 

 sons on either side of Keeler (by a belligerent spirit), and Gen- 

 eral Lippett turned up the gas. 



In the following interval Riley said something to indicate 

 his disbelief, and it was feared that the seance would not go on 

 because of the sensitiveness of the spirit. But it was tried. Though 

 I had been careful to show no incredulity, I was surprised, some- 

 how, when Keeler chose me to be one of the next battery. He 

 placed me on the extreme right end of the line. I held the right 

 wrist of the lady next to me with my right hand. My left hand 

 was free. The same performance went on as before (after a 

 longer delay). I was close to the "materialized" hand that wrote 

 the messages, and in looking at it closely, noticed a slight def- 

 ormation that appeared every time, although each hand was 

 supposed to be that of a different person. When I thought that 

 we were about through, I took a firm grip of the rung of my 

 neighbor's chair with my left hand, so that when the spiritual- 

 istic pull came suddenly and violently on her chair, I counter- 

 acted it with all my strength (and I was strong in those days). 

 I could see that this discomposed Keeler, and when the lights 

 went up and we were released from the battery I walked up to 

 him and asked to see his right hand. I noticed the slight deform- 

 ity at once, but said (for courtesy's sake), "Yes, it is quite 

 different from the materialized hand." 

 He replied, "Of course," and looked me in the eyes in an 



[304] 



