Bell Tone Read online

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  THE BELL TONE

  by

  EDMUND H. LEFTWICH

  _It is no use. It's too late. The earth--I must dig--alone._

  _To Whom It May Concern:_

  In order to clear up any misunderstanding or false impressions regardingthe amazing case of my beloved friend and co-worker, Professor Howard E.Edwards, I submit herewith, extracts from the professor's notebook,which I found on the desk.

  EVANS BARCLAY, B.S. Fellow IRE.

  * * * * *

  _Jan. 25._

  Last night, in my dreams, I was a monstrous ant, and had been diggingmyself a burrow in the soft fresh earth. The dream was intensely real,and when I awoke, I felt as tired as if I had actually been digging. Myarms ached, and I was astonished, upon examining my hands, to find themraw.

  Dressing hastily, I rushed to the back yard, and there, sure enough,near the fence, was a large hole about two feet deep and three feetlong. Hurriedly, I filled it in and returned to the house.

  I must rest for a few days, as I feel that the intense excitement causedby my investigations, is preying too heavily upon my mind.

  At this time, I feel that I should make a brief summary of my findingsin respect to the ants, so that Barclay may go over these notes upon hisreturn from his vacation.

  _First:_ The ant colony is the source of a powerful bell-like tone whichis radiated continuously on two wave-lengths, .0018 meter, and .00176meter. This tone acts as a radio-beacon, and directs the ants to thecolony, no matter where they may be located. The .0018 meter wave isused by the ants for their "clacking" conversations, by means of whichthey communicate with each other and the colony, receiving orders fromthe directing intelligence, reporting the location of food, andrequesting help, when needed.

  The wave .00176 meter, is used for sending thought images or pictureswhich may be sent with the "clacking" code, or independently. I cannotconceive a more efficient or highly specialized communications system. I_must_ learn their secret, their methods.

  * * * * *

  _Jan. 30._

  This morning, while sitting at the receiver in a semi-doze, with thebell-tone ringing in my ears, I fell into that state known as"day-dreaming." Little "Nippy," my beloved fox terrier, and constantcompanion, rushed into the laboratory and ran up to me.

  For a moment my mind went blank. My hands shot out. I grasped the dogaround the throat and began to throttle him. I had risen from my chair,and the dog was nearly dead, when I slipped and fell, pulling the phoneplug out of the receiver.

  Instantly, my mind cleared, and words cannot express the remorse I feltat my inhuman actions. Nippy would have nothing to do with me, andcrawled dejectedly from the room, a terrified look in his eyes.

  I have no explanation for my actions.

  * * * * *

  _Feb. 3._

  The transmitter is ready for operation. I have constructed a pair ofmetal disc-electrodes which clamp tightly to my head and press upon mytemples. This device will pick up the thought impulses from my brain,feed them directly into the radio-frequency amplifier, where they willbe amplified, and then radiated in a tight directed beam.

  My two ants were in their little enclosure under the microscope when Ithrew the switch to the "send" position. I pictured myself as I lookedas a man, and sent the thought, "I am a man."

  Hastily, I threw the switch to the "receive" position. I looked throughthe microscope.

  The ants were lying on their sides. Somehow, I felt that the power wastoo great, and had stunned them. Keeping my eye to the microscope, Iagain threw the switch to "send," and cut the power to half.

  "Get up, friends ... get up," I thought, as I pictured them rising. Sureenough ... the ants slowly regained their feet. They looked about inapparent bewilderment. Back again, in "receive" position, I wasconscious of the thought image,

  "The man ... he is the man. The man holds us here. He is killing us. Wemust kill the man."

  They gnashed their fierce-looking mandibles. I snapped back to "send"and thought.

  "No ... you must not kill the man. The man will not harm you ... he isyour friend. He will help you."

  As I watched, the ants seemed to become less excited. From the larger ofthe two, I received the thought,

  "We are dying. The man is killing us with his strong vibrations. Wemust kill the man."

  Then a very powerful thought impression burst upon my brain.

  It seemed to come from the colony, three feet away.

  "Warning to the man. Stop your thought transmissions at once! Yourvibrations are killing us. We want nothing from you. We have everythingwe need. You will learn nothing from us. You will stop _at once_!"

  I threw the switch to "send." Viewed through the microscope, the twoants were lying on their backs ... dead, to all appearances.

  "What if I don't stop?" I sent the thought question, "I want to learnthe secret of your communication. In return, I will teach you manythings. I can't stop now!"

  I changed to receive, and the answer came back,

  "If you do not stop ... we will kill you!"

  I turned off the apparatus, but the powerful bell tone continued topound incessantly into my brain.

  I laughed. They'd kill me ... would they? Those tiny insects ... whatcould they do? Well--let them try, but I'd get what I was after. I wouldnot quit now, with success so near. What if my transmissions did kill afew of them? Of what importance were the lives of a few ants as comparedto the advancement of the science of Communication?

  * * * * *

  _Feb. 9._

  I found myself digging again in the back yard yesterday. As before, Ihad been "day-dreaming," when an overwhelming desire to go outside andfeel the cool moist earth between my fingers and on my face tookpossession of me.

  I rushed out into the back yard, and began digging feverishly ... madly,until finally I fell, exhausted. Then my mind cleared and I filled inthe hole.

  About half the ants have died, due no doubt to the strength of myradiations. No matter how low I cut the power, they still cannot livebut a short time under the force of my transmissions. They have stoppedsending thought impressions entirely, and are using only their"clacking" code signals, which they seem to realize I cannot understand.

  I feel that they are undertaking some sort of campaign against me. Forhours they congregate, closely packed, their antennae stiffly pointedstraight up. Their thought currents seem to be flowing into and mergingwith the bell tone, which grows stronger and more penetrating day byday.

  In my back yard, there are four large ant hills, and at each hill,curiously, there is no activity except the same mass concentration ofthe ants. Have they, too, been affected by my radiations and joinedforces with the original colony against myself?

  The bell tone continues to grow stronger.

  * * * * *

  _Feb. 11_

  Mrs. Winslow, the middle-aged widow, who comes to clean my house andlaboratory twice a week, was here this morning.

  She is short, dumpy, and inclined to be stout. As she went about herwork, I noticed particularly the fat firm flesh of her neck, just belowthe jaw. I felt an uncontrollable desire to sink my teeth deep into thatflesh, and enjoy the taste of the warm fresh blood.

  I had actually risen from my chair to accomplish my desire, when thetelephone rang ... and my mind cleared.

  * * * * *

  _Feb. 14._

  I have decided to stop my experiments with the ants.

  As they refuse to send any more
thought impressions, there is nothingfurther I can learn from them. Somehow, I feel that they are gaining ahold upon my mind, and that every time I listen in on the receiver, thathold becomes stronger. I firmly believe that I would have attacked poorMrs. Winslow, had not the ringing of the 'phone so opportunelyinterrupted me. I have sent word for her to stay away ... as I cannottrust myself.

  I keep a box of fresh earth on the table in my laboratory. I often runmy hands through it, and taste it. It is remarkable how much thissoothes my nerves.

  * * * * *

  _Feb. 16._

  It is too late!

  For two days, I have kept my apparatus shut off. I have not so much aslooked at the ants, but still that confounded bell tone rings in my earswith all the insistence of African tom-toms. Hour by hour ... the tonebecomes more penetrating. I cannot sleep, and can eat but little.

  As a last resort, I destroyed my ant colony. I even went so far as topour boiling water on the four ant hills in my yard.

  Still ... the bell tone persists. I can stand it no longer!

  Perhaps if I were to dig ... again in the yard ... in the soothingearth, I could forget....

  * * * * *

  (News Clipping: From Philadelphia Banner)

  RADIO COMMUNICATIONS ENGINEER DEAD

  Howard E. Edwards, Suicide

  _Philadelphia, Feb. 18._ The body of Howard E. Edwards, B.S., PhD.,Member I. R. E., eminent authority on Radio Communications, aged 56, wasfound this morning in the back yard of his residence, 1427 RainesAvenue. The body was almost completely buried in a long narrow hole inthe ground.

  At first, foul-play was suspected, but later it appeared that Edwardshad dug himself into the ground and died of suffocation, as his nostrilsand mouth were filled with dirt.

  Dr. P. A. Hofner, who examined the body, found no wounds, stated thatEdwards had been dead for about two days, and pronounced the death as aclear case of suicide, the strange means employed probably due to anunbalanced mental condition.

  Elaborate radio apparatus upon which Edwards had been working had beensmashed to bits.

  Transcriber's Note:

  This etext was produced from _Comet_ July 1941. Extensive research didnot uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication wasrenewed. Minor spelling and typographical errors have been correctedwithout note.