1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:07,879 Fear by Guie de Mopison. We went up on deck after dinner. Before 2 00:00:07,960 --> 00:00:12,720 us, the Mediterranean lay without a ripple and shimmered in the moonlight. The 3 00:00:12,759 --> 00:00:17,839 great ship glided on, casting upward to the star studded sky, A long 4 00:00:17,960 --> 00:00:23,640 serpent of black smoke behind us. The dazzling white water, stirred by the 5 00:00:23,719 --> 00:00:29,120 rapid progress of the heavy bark and beaten by the propeller, foamed, seemed 6 00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:34,280 to Writhe gave off so much brilliancy that one could have called it boiling moonlight. 7 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:39,000 There were six or eight of us, silent with admiration, and gazing 8 00:00:39,039 --> 00:00:44,000 toward far away Africa, whither we were going. The commandant, who was 9 00:00:44,039 --> 00:00:49,719 smoking a cigar with us, brusquely resumed the conversation begun at dinner. Yes, 10 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:54,000 I was afraid. Then my ship remained for six hours on that rock, 11 00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:58,600 beaten by the wind and with a great hole in the side. Luckily 12 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:03,120 we were picked up toward even by an English color which sighted us. Then 13 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:07,439 a tall man of sunburnt face and grave demeanor, one of those men who 14 00:01:07,439 --> 00:01:12,959 have evidently traveled unknown and far away lands, whose calm eyes seems to preserve 15 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:18,599 in its depths something of the foreign scenes. It is observed a man that 16 00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:23,840 you are sure is impregnated with courage, spoke for the first time. You 17 00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:27,680 say, Commandant, that you are afraid. I beg to disagree with you. 18 00:01:27,680 --> 00:01:30,920 You are in error as to the meaning of the word and the nature 19 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:36,599 of the sensation that you experienced. An energetic man is never afraid in the 20 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:41,359 presence of urgent danger. He has excited, aroused, full of anxiety. 21 00:01:41,879 --> 00:01:48,319 But fear is something quite different. The commandant laughed and answered, bah, 22 00:01:48,359 --> 00:01:53,280 I assure you that I was afraid. Then the man of the tanned countenance 23 00:01:53,319 --> 00:02:00,439 addressed us deliberately as follows. Permit me to explain fear and the hot men 24 00:02:00,519 --> 00:02:06,120 may feel. Fear is something horrible, an atrocious sensation, a sort of 25 00:02:06,239 --> 00:02:10,400 decomposition of the soul, a terrible spasm of brain and heart, the very 26 00:02:10,439 --> 00:02:15,639 memory of which brings a shudder of anguish. But when one is brave he 27 00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:20,240 feels it neither under fire, nor in the presence of sure death, nor 28 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:24,199 in the face of any well known danger. It springs up under certain abnormal 29 00:02:24,199 --> 00:02:30,680 conditions, under certain mysterious influences, in the presence of vague peril. Real 30 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:36,919 fear is a sort of reminiscence of fantastic terror of the past. A man 31 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:42,080 who believes in ghosts and imagines he sees a specter in the darkness must feel 32 00:02:42,199 --> 00:02:46,159 terror in all its horror. As for me, I was overwhelmed with fear 33 00:02:46,199 --> 00:02:52,280 in broad daylight about ten years ago, and again one December night last winter. 34 00:02:53,479 --> 00:02:57,960 Nevertheless, I have gone through many dangers, many adventures which seem to 35 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:01,120 promise death. I have often been battle I have been left for dead by 36 00:03:01,159 --> 00:03:07,560 thieves in America. I was condemned as an insurgent to be hanged and off 37 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:10,039 the coast of China, have been thrown into the sea from the deck of 38 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:15,479 a ship. Each time I thought I was lost, I at once decided 39 00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:20,280 upon my course of action, without regret or weakness. That is not fear. 40 00:03:21,439 --> 00:03:23,639 I have felt it in Africa, and yet it is a child of 41 00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:29,719 the North. The sunlight vanishes it like the mist. Consider this fact, 42 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:34,639 gentleman. Among the Orientals, life has no value. Resignation is natural. 43 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:38,360 The nights are clear and empty of the somber spirit of unrest which haunts the 44 00:03:38,439 --> 00:03:44,240 brain in cooler lands. In the Orient, panic is known, but not 45 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:51,240 fear. Well, then here is the incident that befell Me in Africa. 46 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:54,719 I was crossing the great Sands to the south of Onargla. It is one 47 00:03:54,759 --> 00:03:59,719 of the most curious districts in the world. You have seen the solid, 48 00:04:00,039 --> 00:04:04,800 tenuous sand of the endless ocean strands. Will imagine the ocean itself turn to 49 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:11,439 sand in the midst of a storm. Imagine a silent tempest with motionless billows 50 00:04:11,479 --> 00:04:15,519 of yellow dust. They are high as mountains, these uneven varied surges, 51 00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:23,000 rising exactly like unchained billows, but still larger and stratified like watered silk. 52 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:28,800 On this wild, silent and motionless sea, the consuming rays of the tropical 53 00:04:28,879 --> 00:04:33,360 sun are poured piteously and directly. You have to climb these streaks of red 54 00:04:33,399 --> 00:04:39,240 hot ash, descend again on the other side. Climb again, climb, 55 00:04:39,399 --> 00:04:44,959 climb, without halt, without repose, without shade. The horses cough sink 56 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:49,160 to their knees, and slide down the sides of these remarkable hills. We 57 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:54,000 were a couple of friends, followed by eight Spahis and four camels with their 58 00:04:54,079 --> 00:04:59,000 drivers. We were no longer talking, overcome by heat, fatigue, and 59 00:04:59,079 --> 00:05:02,920 a thirst such as had produced this burning desert. Suddenly one of our men 60 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:09,639 uttered a cry. We all halted, surprised by the unsolved phenomenon known only 61 00:05:09,639 --> 00:05:15,800 to travelers in these trackless wastes. Somewhere near us, in an indeterminable direction, 62 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:19,720 a drum was rolling, the mysterious drum of the sands. It was 63 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:26,759 beating distinctly, now with greater residence and again feebler, ceasing than resuming its 64 00:05:26,879 --> 00:05:31,040 uncanny roll. The Arabs, terrified, stared at one another, and one 65 00:05:31,079 --> 00:05:36,000 said in his language, death is upon us. As he spoke, my 66 00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:42,240 companion, my friend, almost my brother, dropped from his horse, falling 67 00:05:42,279 --> 00:05:46,600 face downward on the sand, overcome by a sunstroke. And for two hours, 68 00:05:46,839 --> 00:05:50,639 while I tried in vain to save him, this weird drum filled my 69 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:58,120 ears with its monotonous, intermittent and incomprehensible tone, and I felt a hold 70 00:05:58,120 --> 00:06:02,519 of my bones fear, real fear, hideous fear, in the presence of 71 00:06:02,560 --> 00:06:08,360 this beloved corpse, in this hole, scorched by the sun, surrounded by 72 00:06:08,360 --> 00:06:12,879 four mountains of sand, and two hundred leagues from any French settlement, while 73 00:06:12,959 --> 00:06:17,480 echo assailed our ears with this furious drum beat. On that day I realized 74 00:06:17,480 --> 00:06:23,279 what fear was. But since then I have had another and still more vivid 75 00:06:23,319 --> 00:06:28,920 experience. The commandant interrupted the speaker. I beg your pardon, But what 76 00:06:29,079 --> 00:06:33,240 was the drum? The traveler applied, I cannot say. No one knows. 77 00:06:34,360 --> 00:06:40,160 Our officers are often surprised by this singular noise, and attribute it generally 78 00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:44,519 to the echo produced by a hail of grains of sand blown by the winds 79 00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:47,680 against the dry and brittle leaves of weeds. For it has always been noticed 80 00:06:47,879 --> 00:06:54,319 that the phenomenon occurs in proximity to little plants burned by the sun and hardest 81 00:06:54,360 --> 00:07:00,000 parchment. This sound seems to have been magnified, multiplied, and swelled beyond 82 00:07:00,199 --> 00:07:03,959 measure in its progress through the valleys of sand, and the drum therefore might 83 00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:09,839 be considered a sort of sound of mirage, nothing more. But I did 84 00:07:09,839 --> 00:07:15,040 not know that until later. I shall proceed to my second instance. It 85 00:07:15,079 --> 00:07:18,560 was last winter in a forest of the northeast of France. The sky was 86 00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:24,680 so overcast that night came two hours earlier than usual. My guide was a 87 00:07:24,680 --> 00:07:29,040 peasant who walked beside me along the narrow road under the vault of fir trees, 88 00:07:29,439 --> 00:07:33,199 through which the wind and its fury howled between the tree tops. I 89 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:38,800 saw the fleeting clouds, which seemed to hasten as if to escape some object 90 00:07:38,800 --> 00:07:43,759 of terror. Sometimes, in a fierce gust of wind, the whole forest 91 00:07:43,839 --> 00:07:46,879 bowed in the same direction with a groan of pain, and a chill laid 92 00:07:46,920 --> 00:07:51,519 hold of me to spite my rapid pace and heavy clothing. We were to 93 00:07:51,560 --> 00:07:57,079 sup and sleep at an old gamekeeper's house not much farther on. I had 94 00:07:57,120 --> 00:08:01,680 come out for hunting. My guide sometimes raised his eyes and murmured ugly weather. 95 00:08:03,680 --> 00:08:05,639 Then he told me about the people among whom we were to spend the 96 00:08:05,720 --> 00:08:11,480 night. The father had killed a poacher two years before, and since then 97 00:08:11,519 --> 00:08:15,839 had been gloomy and behaved as though haunted by a memory. His two sons 98 00:08:15,839 --> 00:08:20,480 were married and lived with him. The darkness was profound. I could see 99 00:08:20,519 --> 00:08:24,439 nothing before me nor around me, and the mass of overhanging interlaced trees rubbed 100 00:08:24,480 --> 00:08:30,600 together, filling the night with an incessant whispering. Finally I saw a light, 101 00:08:30,959 --> 00:08:35,080 and soon my companion was knocking upon a door. Sharp woman's voices answered 102 00:08:35,159 --> 00:08:39,120 us. Then a man's voice, a choking voice, asked, who goes 103 00:08:39,159 --> 00:08:45,639 there? My guide gave his name. We entered and beheld a memorable picture. 104 00:08:46,799 --> 00:08:50,600 An old man with white hair, wild eyes, and a loaded gun 105 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:52,799 in his hands, stood waiting for us in the middle of the kitchen, 106 00:08:54,360 --> 00:08:58,919 while two stalwart youths armed with axes guarded the door. In the somber corners, 107 00:09:00,320 --> 00:09:05,799 I distinguished two women kneeling with faces to the wall. Matters were explained, 108 00:09:05,120 --> 00:09:09,399 and the old man stood his gun against the wall at the same time, 109 00:09:09,519 --> 00:09:13,039 ordering at a room be prepared for me. Then, as the women 110 00:09:13,080 --> 00:09:18,000 did not stir, looked you, Monsieur said he two years ago this night 111 00:09:18,039 --> 00:09:20,320 I killed a man, and last year he came back to haunt me. 112 00:09:20,840 --> 00:09:26,159 I expect him again to night. Then he added, in a tone that 113 00:09:26,240 --> 00:09:31,399 made me smile. And so we are somewhat excited. I reassured him as 114 00:09:31,399 --> 00:09:37,159 best I could. Happy to have arrived on that particular evening and to witness 115 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:43,159 this superstitious terror. I told stories and almost succeeded in calming the whole household. 116 00:09:43,279 --> 00:09:48,840 Near the fireplace slept an old dog, mustached and almost blind, with 117 00:09:48,879 --> 00:09:52,879 his head between his paws, such a dog as reminds you of people you 118 00:09:52,919 --> 00:09:58,080 have known. Outside, the raging storm was beating against the little house, 119 00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:01,399 and suddenly, through a s small pane of glass, a sort of peep 120 00:10:01,440 --> 00:10:05,879 window, placed near the door. I saw, in a brilliant flash of 121 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:11,039 lightning a whole mass of trees thrashed by the wind. In spite of my 122 00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:15,519 efforts, I realized that terror was laying hold of these people, and each 123 00:10:15,559 --> 00:10:20,559 time that I ceased to speak, all ears listened for distant sounds annointed these 124 00:10:20,559 --> 00:10:26,159 foolish fears. I was about to retire to my bed when the old gamekeeper 125 00:10:26,240 --> 00:10:31,279 suddenly leaped from his chair, seized his gun, and stammered wildly, there 126 00:10:31,279 --> 00:10:35,360 he is, there he is, I hear him. The two women again 127 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:39,360 sank upon their knees in the corner and hid their faces, while the suns 128 00:10:39,440 --> 00:10:43,720 took up the axes. I was going to try to pacify them once more, 129 00:10:43,320 --> 00:10:48,519 when the sleeping dog awakened suddenly, and raising his head and stretching his 130 00:10:48,639 --> 00:10:52,639 neck, looked the fire with his dim eyes, and uttered one of those 131 00:10:52,679 --> 00:10:56,519 mournful howls which made travelers shudder in the darkness and solitude of the country. 132 00:10:58,519 --> 00:11:01,840 All eyes were focused upon him now as he rose upon his front feet, 133 00:11:01,879 --> 00:11:05,919 as though haunted by a vision, and began to howl at something invisible, 134 00:11:07,480 --> 00:11:11,840 unknown, and doubtless horrible, for he was bristling all over. The gamekeeper, 135 00:11:11,840 --> 00:11:16,559 with livid face, cried, he scents him, he scents him. 136 00:11:16,279 --> 00:11:20,480 He was there when I killed him. The two women, terrified, began 137 00:11:20,519 --> 00:11:26,159 to wail in concert with a dog. In spite of myself, cold chills 138 00:11:26,240 --> 00:11:30,759 ran down my spine. This vision of the animal at such a time and 139 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:35,440 place, in the midst of these startled people, was something frightful to witness. 140 00:11:35,519 --> 00:11:41,200 Then for an hour the dog howled without stirring. He howled as though 141 00:11:41,240 --> 00:11:46,120 in the anguish of a nightmare, and fear, horrible fear came over me. 142 00:11:46,879 --> 00:11:50,360 Fear of what How can I say? It was fear, and that 143 00:11:50,559 --> 00:11:56,039 is all I know. We remained motionless and pale, expecting something awful to 144 00:11:56,080 --> 00:12:00,320 happen. Our ears were strained, and our hearts beat loudly, while the 145 00:12:00,360 --> 00:12:05,000 slightest noise startled us. Then the beast began to walk around the room, 146 00:12:05,519 --> 00:12:09,600 sniffing at the walls and growling constantly. His maneuvers were driving us mad. 147 00:12:11,360 --> 00:12:15,679 Then the countryman who brought me thither, in a paroxysm of rage, seized 148 00:12:15,720 --> 00:12:18,720 the dog and carrying him to a door which opened into a small court. 149 00:12:20,039 --> 00:12:24,639 Thrust him forth. The noise was suppressed, and we were left plunged into 150 00:12:24,759 --> 00:12:31,799 silence, still more terrible. Then suddenly we all started. Someone was gliding 151 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:35,159 along the outside wall toward the forest. Then he seemed to be feeling of 152 00:12:35,200 --> 00:12:39,600 the door with a trembling hand. Then for two minutes nothing was heard, 153 00:12:39,879 --> 00:12:45,720 and we almost lost our minds. Then he returned, still feeling along the 154 00:12:45,759 --> 00:12:48,799 wall, and scratched lightly upon the door, as a child might do with 155 00:12:48,840 --> 00:12:54,039 his fingernails. Suddenly a face appeared behind the glass of the peep window, 156 00:12:54,679 --> 00:13:00,559 a white face with eyes shining like those of the cat tribe. Sound was 157 00:13:00,600 --> 00:13:05,720 heard, an indistinct, plaintive murmur. Then there was a formidable burst of 158 00:13:05,799 --> 00:13:09,240 noise in the kitchen. The old gamekeeper had fired, and the two suns 159 00:13:09,240 --> 00:13:15,080 at once rushed forward and barricaded the window with a great table, reinforcing it 160 00:13:15,120 --> 00:13:18,240 with the buffet. I swear to you that at the shock of the gun's 161 00:13:18,279 --> 00:13:22,600 discharge, which I did not expect, such an anguish laid hold of my 162 00:13:22,720 --> 00:13:28,159 heart, my soul, and my very body that I felt myself about to 163 00:13:28,200 --> 00:13:33,240 fall, about to die from fear. We remained there until dawn, unable 164 00:13:33,279 --> 00:13:37,639 to move in short, seized by an indescribable numbness of the brain. No 165 00:13:37,720 --> 00:13:43,039 one dared to remove the barricade until a thin ray of sunlight appeared through a 166 00:13:43,039 --> 00:13:46,320 crack in the back room. At the base of the wall and under the 167 00:13:46,320 --> 00:13:52,120 window, we found the old dog lying dead, his skull shattered by a 168 00:13:52,159 --> 00:13:56,559 ball. He had escaped from the little court by digging a hole under a 169 00:13:56,600 --> 00:14:01,240 fence. The dark visaged man became silent, then he added, and yet 170 00:14:01,279 --> 00:14:05,639 on that night I incurred no danger. But I should rather again pass through 171 00:14:05,679 --> 00:14:11,120 all the hours in which I have confronted the most terrible perils than the one 172 00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:15,000 minute when that gun was discharged at the bearded head in the window.