the stolen bacillus

by H .G .Wells

" this again," said the Bacteriologist, slipping a glass slide under the microscope, " is well,--a preparation of_the bacillus of cholera-- the cholera germ ."

the pale- faced man peered down the microscope . he_was evidently not accustomed to_that kind of thing, and held a limp white hand over his disengaged eye ." I_see very little," he_said .

" touch this screw," said the Bacteriologist; " perhaps the microscope is out of focus for_you . eyes vary so_much . just the fraction of a turn this_way or that ."

"Ah ! now I_see," said the visitor ." not so very_much to_see after all . little streaks and shreds of pink . and yet those little particles, those mere atomies, might multiply and devastate a city ! wonderful ! "

he stood up, and releasing the glass slip from_the microscope, held it in_his hand towards the window ." scarcely visible," he_said, scrutinising the preparation . he hesitated ." are these-- alive ? are they dangerous now ? "

" those have_been stained and killed," said the Bacteriologist ." i_wish, for_my own part, we_could kill and stain every_one_of_them in_the universe ."

"I suppose," the pale man said, with a slight smile, ' that you scarcely care to_have such things about you in_the living-- in_the active state ? "

" on_the contrary, we_are obliged to," said the Bacteriologist ." here, for instance--" he walked across the room and took up one of several sealed tubes ." here_is_the living thing . this_is a cultivation of_the actual living disease bacteria ." he hesitated ." bottled cholera, so to_speak ."

a slight gleam of satisfaction appeared momentarily in_the face of_the pale man ." it's a deadly thing to_have in your possession," he_said, devouring the little tube with_his eyes . the Bacteriologist watched the morbid pleasure in_his visitor's expression . this man, who had visited him that afternoon with a note of introduction from an old friend, interested him from_the very contrast of_their dispositions . the lank black hair and deep grey eyes, the haggard expression and nervous manner, the fitful yet keen interest of_his visitor were a novel change from_the phlegmatic deliberations of_the ordinary scientific worker with_whom the Bacteriologist chiefly associated . it_was perhaps natural, with a hearer evidently so impressionable to_the lethal nature of; his topic, to take_the most effective aspect of_the matter .

he held the tube in_his hand thoughtfully ." yes, here_is_the pestilence imprisoned . only break such a little tube as_this into a supply of drinking- water, say to_these minute particles of life that one must needs stain and examine with_the highest powers of_the microscope even to_see, and_that one can neither smell nor taste-- say to_them, ' go forth, increase and multiply, and replenish the cisterns,' and death-- mysterious, untraceable death, death swift and terrible, death full of pain and indignity-- would_be released upon_this city, and go hither and thither seeking his victims . here he_would take_the husband from_the wife, here the child from its mother, here the statesman from_his duty, and here the toiler from_his trouble . he_would follow the water-mains, creeping along streets, picking out and punishing a house here and a house there where they_did_not boil their drinking- water, creeping into_the wells of_the mineral water makers, getting washed into salad, and lying dormant in ices . he_would wait ready to_be drunk in_the horse-troughs, and by unwary children in_the public fountains . he_would soak into_the soil, to reappear in springs and wells at a thousand unexpected places . once start him at_the water supply, and before we_could ring him in, and catch him again, he_would_have decimated the metropolis ."

he stopped abruptly . he had_been told rhetoric was his weakness .

" but he_is quite safe here, you_know-- quite safe ."

the pale- faced man nodded . his eyes shone . he cleared his throat ." these anarchist--rascals," said he, " are fools, blind fools-- to use bombs when_this kind of thing is attainable . i_think----"

a gentle rap, amere light touch of_the finger-nails, was heard at_the door . the Bacteriologist opened if ." just a minute, dear," whispered his wife .

when he re- entered the laboratory his visitor was looking at his watch ."I had no idea I had wasted an hour of your time," he_said ."Twelve minutes to four .I ought_to_have left here by half- past three . but your things were really too interesting . no, positively I_cannot stop a moment longer . I_have an engagement at four ."

he passed out_of_the room reiterating his thanks, and_the Bacteriologist accompanied him to_the door, and then returned thoughtfully along the passage to_his laboratory . he_was musing on_the ethnology of_his visitor . certainly the man was not aTeutonic type nor a common Latin one ."A morbid product, anyhow, I_am afraid," said the Bacteriologist to himself ." how he gloated over those cultivations of disease germs ! " adisturbing thought struck him . he turned to_the bench by_the vapour bath, and then very quickly to_his writing- table . then he_felt hastily in_his pockets and then rushed to_the door ." I_may_have put it down on_the hall table," he_said .

"Minnie ! " he shouted hoarsely in_the hall .

" yes, dear," came a remote voice .

" had I anything in my hand when I spoke to_you, dear, just now ? "

pause .

" nothing, dear, because I remember----"

" blue ruin ! " cried the Bacteriologist, and incontinently ran to_the front door and down the steps of_his house to_the street .

Minnie, hearing the door slam violently, ran in alarm to_the window . down the street a slender man was getting into a cab . the Bacteriologist, hatless, and in_his carpet slippers, was running and gesticulating wildly towards this group . one slipper came off, but he_did_not wait for_it ." he has gone mad ! " said Minnie; " it's that horrid science of_his"; and, opening the window, would_have called after him . the slender man, suddenly glancing round, seemed struck with_the same idea of mental disorder . he pointed hastily to_the Bacteriologist, said something to_the cabman, the apron of_the cab slammed, the whip swished, the horse's feet clattered, and in a moment cab and Bacteriologist hotly in pursuit, had receded up the vista of_the roadway and disappeared round the corner .

Minnie remained straining out_of_the window for a minute . then she drew her head back into_the room again . she was dumbfounded ." of_course he_is eccentric," she meditated ." but running about London-- in_the height of_the season, too-- in_his socks ! " a happy thought struck her . she hastily put her bonnet on, seized his shoes, went into_the hall, took down his hat and light overcoat from_the pegs, emerged upon_the doorstep, and hailed a cab that opportunely crawled by ." drive me up the road and round Havelock crescent, and_see if_we_can find a gentleman running about in a velveteen coat and no hat ."

" velveteen coat, MA'am, and no ' at . very_good, MA'am ." and_the cabman whipped up at once in_the most matter- of- fact way, as_if he drove to_this address every day in_his life .

some few_minutes later the little group of cabmen and loafers that collects round the cabman's shelter at Haverstock hill were startled by_the passing of a cab with a ginger-coloured screw of a horse, driven furiously .

they were silent as it went by, and then as it receded--" that's 'Arry 'Icks .Wot's he got ? " said the stout gentleman known as old Tootles .

" he's a-using his whip, he_is, to rights," said the ostler boy .

"Hullo ! " said poor old Tommy Byles; " here's another bloomin' loonatic .Blowed if there ain't ."

" it's old George," said old Tootles, " and he's drivin' aloonatic, _as you say .Ain't he a-clawin' out_of_the keb ? wonder if he's after 'Arry 'Icks ? "

the group round the cabman's shelter became animated . chorus: " go it, George ! " " it's a race ." " you'll ketch 'em ! " " whip up ! "

" she's agoer, she_is ! " said the ostler boy .

" strike me giddy ! " cried old Tootles ." here ! I'm a-goin' to_begin in a minute . here's another comin' . if all the cabs in Hampstead ain't gone mad this_morning ! "

" it's afieldmale this_time," said the ostler boy .

" she's a-followin' him_," said old Tootles ." usually the other way about ."

" what's she got in her ' and ? "

"Looks like a'igh ' at ."

" what abloomin' lark it_is ! three to one on old George," said the ostler boy ."Nexst ! "

Minnie went by in a perfect roar of applause . she did_not like it, but she felt that she was doing her duty, and whirled on down Haverstock hill and Camden town high street with her eyes ever intent on_the animated back view of old George, who was driving her vagrant husband so incomprehensibly away from her .

the man in_the foremost cab sat crouched in_the corner, his arms tightly folded, and_the little tube that contained such vast possibilities of destruction gripped in_his hand . his mood was a singular mixture of fear and exultation . chiefly he_was afraid of being caught before he_could accomplish his purpose, but behind this_was a vaguer but larger fear of_the awfulness of_his crime . but his exultation far exceeded his fear . no anarchist before him had ever approached this conception of_his .Ravachol, Vaillant, all those distinguished persons whose fame he had envied dwindled into insignificance beside him . he had only to_make sure of_the water supply, and break the little tube into a reservoir . how brilliantly he had planned it, forged the letter of introduction and got into_the laboratory, and how brilliantly he had seized his opportunity ! the world should hear of him at last . all those people who had sneered at him, neglected him, preferred other people to him, found his company undesirable, should consider him at last . death, death, death ! they had always treated him as a man of no importance . all the world had_been in a conspiracy to_keep him under . he_would teach them yet what it_is to isolate a man . what_was this familiar street ? great saint Andrew's street, of_course ! how fared the chase ? he craned out_of_the cab . the Bacteriologist was scarcely fifty yards behind . that was bad . he_would_be caught and stopped yet . he_felt in_his pocket for money, and found half a sovereign . this he thrust up through_the trap in_the top of_the cab into_the man's face ." more," he shouted, " if only we get away ."

the money was snatched out of_his hand ." right you_are," said the cabman, and_the trap slammed, and_the lash lay along the glistening side of_the horse . the cab swayed, and_the anarchist, half-standing under the trap, put the hand containing the little glass tube upon_the apron to preserve his balance . he_felt the brittle thing crack, and_the broken half of it rang upon_the floor of_the cab . he fell back into_the seat with a curse, and stared dismally at_the two_or_three drops of moisture on_the apron .

he shuddered .

" well, I suppose I_shall_be the first .Phew ! Anyhow, I_shall_be a martyr . that's something . but it_is a filthy death, nevertheless .I wonder if_it hurts as_much as_they say ."

presently a thought occurred to him-- he groped between his feet .a little drop was still in_the broken end of_the tube, and he drank that to_make sure . it_was better to_make sure . at any rate, he_would_not fail .

then it dawned upon him that there_was no further need to escape the Bacteriologist . in Wellington street he_told the cabman to stop, and got out . he slipped on_the step, and_his head felt queer . it_was rapid stuff, this cholera poison . he waved his cabman out of existence, so to_speak, and stood on_the pavement with_his arms folded upon his breast awaiting the arrival of_the Bacteriologist . there_was something tragic in_his pose . the sense of imminent death gave him a certain dignity . he greeted his pursuer with a defiant laugh .

"Vive l'Anarchie ! you_are too late, my friend, I_have drunk it . the cholera is abroad ! "

the Bacteriologist from_his cab beamed curiously at him through his spectacles ." you_have drunk it ! an anarchist ! I_see now ." he_was about to_say something more, and then checked himself .a smile hung in_the corner of_his mouth . he opened the apron of_his cab as_if to descend, at which the anarchist waved him a dramatic farewell and strode off towards Waterloo bridge, carefully jostling his infected body against as_many people as possible . the Bacteriologist was so preoccupied with_the vision of him that he scarcely manifested the slightest surprise at_the appearance of Minnie upon_the pavement with_his hat and shoes and overcoat ." very_good of you to bring my things," he_said, and remained lost in contemplation of_the receding figure of_the anarchist .

" you had better get in," he_said, still staring .Minnie felt absolutely convinced now that he_was mad, and directed the cabman home on her own responsibility ." put on my shoes ? certainly, dear," said he, as_the cab began to_turn, and hid the strutting black figure, now small in_the distance, from_his eyes . then suddenly something grotesque struck him, and he laughed . then he remarked, " it_is really very serious, though .

" you_see, that man came to my house to_see me, and he_is an anarchist . no--don't faint, or I_cannot possibly tell you the rest . and i_wanted to astonish him, not knowing he_was an anarchist, and took up a cultivation of_that new species of bacterium i_was telling you of_that infest, and i_think cause, the blue patches upon various monkeys; and, like a fool, I_said it_was Asiatic cholera . and he ran away with it to poison the water of London, and he certainly might_have made things look blue for_this civilised city . and now he has swallowed it . of_course, I cannot_say what_will happen, but you_know it turned that kitten blue, and_the three puppies-- in patches, and_the sparrow-- bright blue . but the bother is, I_shall_have all the trouble and expense of preparing some more .

" put on my coat on_this hot day ! why ? because we_might meet Mrs jabber . my dear, Mrs jabber is_not a draught . but why should I wear a coat on a hot day because of Mrs ----- .Oh ! very_well ."