The Bell Tone | Page 2

is the man. The man holds us here. He is killing us. We
must 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 is
your friend. He will help you."
As I watched, the ants seemed to become less excited. From the larger
of the two, I received the thought,
"We are dying. The man is killing us with his strong vibrations. We
must 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! Your
vibrations are killing us. We want nothing from you. We have
everything we need. You will learn nothing from us. You will stop at
once!"
I threw the switch to "send." Viewed through the microscope, the two
ants were lying on their backs ... dead, to all appearances.
"What if I don't stop?" I sent the thought question, "I want to learn the
secret of your communication. In return, I will teach you many things. 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 to
pound incessantly into my brain.
I laughed. They'd kill me ... would they? Those tiny insects ... what
could they do? Well--let them try, but I'd get what I was after. I would
not quit now, with success so near. What if my transmissions did kill a
few of them? Of what importance were the lives of a few ants as
compared to the advancement of the science of Communication?
* * * * *
Feb. 9.
I found myself digging again in the back yard yesterday. As before, I
had been "day-dreaming," when an overwhelming desire to go outside
and feel the cool moist earth between my fingers and on my face took
possession 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 in the
hole.

About half the ants have died, due no doubt to the strength of my
radiations. No matter how low I cut the power, they still cannot live but
a short time under the force of my transmissions. They have stopped
sending 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. For
hours they congregate, closely packed, their antennae stiffly pointed
straight up. Their thought currents seem to be flowing into and merging
with the bell tone, which grows stronger and more penetrating day by
day.
In my back yard, there are four large ant hills, and at each hill,
curiously, there is no activity except the same mass concentration of the
ants. Have they, too, been affected by my radiations and joined forces
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
and laboratory twice a week, was here this morning.
She is short, dumpy, and inclined to be stout. As she went about her
work, I noticed particularly the fat firm flesh of her neck, just below the
jaw. I felt an uncontrollable desire to sink my teeth deep into that flesh,
and enjoy the taste of the warm fresh blood.
I had actually risen from my chair to accomplish my desire, when the
telephone 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 nothing
further I can learn from them. Somehow, I feel that they are gaining a
hold upon my mind, and that every time I listen in on the receiver, that
hold becomes stronger. I firmly believe that I would have attacked poor
Mrs. Winslow, had not the ringing of the 'phone so opportunely
interrupted me. I have sent word for her to stay away ... as I cannot trust
myself.
I keep a box of fresh earth on the table in my laboratory. I often run my
hands through it, and taste it. It is remarkable how much this soothes
my nerves.
* * * * *
Feb. 16.
It is too late!
For two days, I have kept my apparatus shut off. I have not so much as
looked at the ants, but still that confounded bell tone rings in my ears
with