practically unanimous in their account of Plattner's proceedings He poured little green powder into test-tube, and tried the substance with water, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, and sulphuric acid in succession Getting no result, he emptied out little heap--nearly half the bottleful, --upon slate and tried match He held the medicine bottle The stuff began to smoke and melt, and then exploded with deafening violence and blinding flash

The five boys, seeing the flash and being prepared for catastrophes, ducked below their desks, and were seriously hurt The window was blown out playground, blackboard on its easel was upset The slate was smashed to atoms Some plaster fell ceiling No other damage school edifice or appliances, boys at first, seeing nothing of Plattner, fancied knocked down and lying out sight below the desks They jumped out places assistance, and were amazed the space empty Being still confused sudden violence report, they hurried open door, under the impression that been hurt, rushed room But Carson, the foremost, nearly collided doorway principal, Mr Lidgett

Mr Lidgett is corpulent, excitable man with one eye The boys describe him as stumbling room mouthing tempered expletives irritable schoolmasters accustom themselves to use--lest worse befall "Wretched mumchancer ! " "Where's Mr Plattner ? " The boys are agreed very words ("Wobbler," "snivelling puppy," and "mumchancer" are, it seems, ordinary small change of Mr Lidgett's scholastic commerce )

Where's Mr Plattner ? That was question that was repeated next It really seemed that frantic hyperbole, "blown to atoms," had for once realised itself not visible particle of Plattner seen; not drop of blood nor stitch of clothing found Apparently he blown clean out of existence and left not wrack behind Not as would cover sixpenny piece, to quote proverbial expression ! The evidence absolute disappearance as consequence explosion is indubitable

necessary to enlarge here commotion excited Sussexville Proprietary School, and in Sussexville and elsewhere, event quite possible, indeed, that readers pages may recall the hearing of some remote and dying version excitement summer holidays Lidgett, it would seem, did everything power to suppress and minimise the story He instituted penalty of twenty-five lines for any mention of Plattner's name boys, and stated schoolroom that clearly aware assistant's whereabouts afraid, he explains, possibility of an explosion happening, elaborate precautions taken to minimise the practical teaching of chemistry, might injure the reputation school; and so might any mysterious quality in Plattner's departure Indeed, everything power to occurrence seem as ordinary as possible , he cross-examined the five eye-witnesses occurrence so searchingly began to doubt the plain evidence senses But, efforts, the tale, in magnified and distorted state, made nine days' wonder district, and several parents withdrew their sons on colourable pretexts Not the least remarkable point matter fact that large number of people neighbourhood dreamed singularly vivid dreams of Plattner during the period of excitement before his return, and dreams had curious uniformity In almost all Plattner was seen, sometimes singly, sometimes in company, wandering about through coruscating iridescence In all cases his face was pale and distressed, and in some he gesticulated towards the dreamer boys, evidently under the influence of nightmare, fancied that Plattner approached them with remarkable swiftness, and seemed to look closely into their very eyes Others fled with Plattner pursuit of vague and extraordinary creatures of globular shape But all these fancies were forgotten in inquiries and speculations when Wednesday next but one Monday explosion, Plattner returned

The circumstances return were as singular departure as Mr Lidgett's somewhat choleric outline filled in from Plattner's hesitating statements, it would appear that on Wednesday evening, towards the hour of sunset, the former gentleman, having dismissed evening preparation, was engaged garden, picking and eating strawberries, fruit inordinately fond large old-fashioned garden, secured from observation, fortunately, by high and ivy-covered red-brick wall Just as stooping over particularly prolific plant, flash air and heavy thud, and before look round, some heavy body struck him violently from behind pitched forward, crushing the strawberries he held hand, so roughly, that his silk hat-- Mr Lidgett adheres older ideas of scholastic costume--was driven violently down upon his forehead, and almost over one eye This heavy missile, which slid over him sideways and collapsed into sitting posture strawberry plants, proved our long-lost Mr Gottfried Plattner, in an extremely dishevelled condition collarless and hatless, his linen was dirty, and blood upon his hands Mr Lidgett was so indignant and surprised that he remained on all-fours, and hat jammed down eye, while he expostulated vehemently with Plattner disrespectful and unaccountable conduct

This scarcely idyllic scene completes what call the exterior version Plattner story--its exoteric aspect quite unnecessary to enter here into all the details dismissal Lidgett Such details, full names and dates and references, found larger report occurrences that was laid Society Investigation of Abnormal Phenomena The singular transposition of Plattner's right and left sides was scarcely observed first day or so, and then first in connection disposition to write from right to left across the blackboard He concealed rather than ostended this curious confirmatory circumstance, as he considered it would unfavourably affect his prospects in new situation The displacement heart was discovered some months after, when having tooth extracted under anaesthetics He then, very unwillingly, allowed cursory surgical examination made of himself, with view to brief account _Journal of Anatomy That exhausts the statement material facts; and now go on to consider Plattner's account matter

But first clearly differentiate preceding portion story and All told thus far is established by such evidence as even criminal lawyer would approve witnesses is still alive; the reader, if he have the leisure, may hunt the lads out to-morrow, or even brave the terrors redoubtable Lidgett, and cross-examine and trap and test heart's content; Gottfried Plattner himself, twisted heart three photographs, are producible It taken as proved that disappear for nine days consequence of an explosion; that he returned almost as violently, under circumstances in their nature annoying to Mr Lidgett, whatever the details circumstances ; he returned inverted, just as reflection returns from mirror last fact, as already stated, it follows almost inevitably that Plattner, during those nine days, must in some state of existence altogether out of space The evidence statements is, indeed, far stronger than that most murderers are hanged But own particular account of where he , with its confused explanations and wellnigh self-contradictory details, only Mr Gottfried Plattner's word wish to discredit that, but point out--what writers upon obscure psychic phenomena fail --that passing here practically undeniable kind of matter which any reasonable man is entitled or reject as he thinks proper The previous statements render it plausible; its discordance with common experience tilts it towards the incredible prefer not to sway the beam reader's judgment either way, but simply the story as Plattner told it me