OR, THE WORLD HAS CHANGED. 



105 



continued, it distressed me greatly to know that I bad done 

 som9 terrible things while under the power of this awful 

 affliction, but trusted I would not be held responsible for it 

 hereafter, and proposed to go to bed, but Joe was not at all 

 sleepy, and said he believed he would go home ; thought he 

 ought to go home anyway. Evans remarked it would be very 

 unsafe to make the trip after night, as two large bears had 

 been seen in the swamp afew days since. Pickens said he would 

 not think of such a thing, as the road was doubtless full of 

 snakes ; that in this country the snakes all crawled at night. 

 Joe gave a sort of uneasy grunt, and asked if he could get 

 another room. Benson answered impossible, as all the rooms 

 were occupied, so we all began to undress to go to bed ; he 

 got on the edge of my bed, as he was my visitor, and every now 

 and then would ask how I was feeling. The boys kept talking 

 to themselves in an undertone, but every word was audible to 



Joe Hide. 



One of them said what a pity he has these spells, he's such 

 a clever fellow when he's at himself ;. another one said he's so 

 dangerous, I'm scared. Evans said, warn't that awful about 

 that fellow he killed in Pickens District last year, and they 

 had to choke him off while he was sucking the blood. Benson 

 said the worst thing was his killing that family in Anderson, 

 cuttmg them up in quarters and salting them down in a hogs- 

 head. Pickens said it seemed his whole desire was for blood 

 when those spells came upon him; was about to tell of another 

 terrible affair, when I cried out, boys hold up, I don't want to 

 hear about those terrible things, you know I would not have 

 done it if I could help it, please stop and let's go to sleep. I 

 could hear Joe's heart thumping against his ribs, and he was all 

 over in a shake. I asked what's the matter Joe, got a chill? 



