The Bell Tone

The Bell Tone, by Edmund H.
Leftwich

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Title: The Bell Tone
Author: Edmund H. Leftwich
Release Date: August 31, 2007 [EBook #22470]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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TONE ***

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[Illustration]

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
regarding the 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 digging
myself 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. My
arms ached, and I was astonished, upon examining my hands, to find
them raw.
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 feet long.
Hurriedly, I filled it in and returned to the house.
I must rest for a few days, as I feel that the intense excitement caused
by my investigations, is preying too heavily upon my mind.
At this time, I feel that I should make a brief summary of my findings
in respect to the ants, so that Barclay may go over these notes upon his
return from his vacation.

First: The ant colony is the source of a powerful bell-like tone which is
radiated continuously on two wave-lengths, .0018 meter, and .00176
meter. This tone acts as a radio-beacon, and directs the ants to the
colony, no matter where they may be located. The .0018 meter wave is
used by the ants for their "clacking" conversations, by means of which
they communicate with each other and the colony, receiving orders
from the directing intelligence, reporting the location of food, and
requesting help, when needed.
The wave .00176 meter, is used for sending thought images or pictures
which may be sent with the "clacking" code, or independently. I cannot
conceive 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 the
bell-tone ringing in my ears, I fell into that state known as
"day-dreaming." Little "Nippy," my beloved fox terrier, and constant
companion, rushed into the laboratory and ran up to me.
For a moment my mind went blank. My hands shot out. I grasped the
dog around 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
phone plug out of the receiver.
Instantly, my mind cleared, and words cannot express the remorse I felt
at my inhuman actions. Nippy would have nothing to do with me, and
crawled 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 of
metal disc-electrodes which clamp tightly to my head and press upon
my temples. This device will pick up the thought impulses from my
brain, feed them directly into the radio-frequency amplifier, where they
will be amplified, and then radiated in a tight directed beam.
My two ants were in their little enclosure under the microscope when I
threw the switch to the "send" position. I pictured myself as I looked as
a man, and sent the thought, "I am a man."
Hastily, I threw the switch to the "receive" position. I looked through
the microscope.
The ants were lying on their sides. Somehow, I felt that the power was
too great, and had stunned them. Keeping my eye to the microscope, I
again threw the switch to "send," and cut the power to half.
"Get up, friends ... get up," I thought, as I pictured them rising. Sure
enough ... the ants slowly regained their feet. They looked about in
apparent bewilderment. Back again, in "receive" position, I was
conscious of the thought image,
"The man ... he