It acted almost identically whether
administered sub-cutaneously or, of course in a larger dose, internally.
I brought it home with the intention of giving it to a friend who was
interested in vivisection. I did not think that I myself should be the
first and last to experiment with it. It served my purpose well.

The moment I pricked his skin, Brande moved in his seat. My hand was on
his throat. He nestled his head down again upon his arms, and drew a
deep breath. Had he moved again that breath would have been his last. I
had been so wrought upon by what I had already done that night, I would
have taken his life without the slightest hesitation, if the sacrifice
seemed necessary.

When my operation was over, I left the room and moved silently along the
corridor till I came to the ladder leading to the deck. Edith Metford
was waiting for me as we had arranged. She was shivering in spite of the
awful heat.

"Have you done it?" she whispered.

"I have," I answered, without saying how much I had done. "Now you must
retire--and rest easy. The formula won't work. I have put both it and
Brande himself out of gear."

"Thank God!" she gasped, and then a sudden faintness came over her. It
passed quickly, and as soon as she was sufficiently restored, I begged
her to go below. She pleaded that she could not sleep, and asked me to
remain with her upon the deck. "It would be absurd to suppose that
either of us could sleep this night," she very truly said. On which I
was obliged to tell her plainly that she must go below. I had more to
do.

"Can I help?" she asked anxiously.

"No. If you could, I would ask you, for you are a brave girl. I have
something now to get through which is not woman's work."

"Your work is my work," she answered. "What is it?"

"I have to lower a body overboard without anyone observing me."

There was no time for discussion, so I told her at once, knowing that
she would not give way otherwise. She started at my words, but said
firmly:

"How will you do that unobserved by the 'watch'? Go down and bring up
your--bring it up. I will keep the men employed." She went forward, and
I turned again to the companion.

When I got back to Rockingham's cabin I took a sheet of paper and wrote,
"Heat--Mad!" making no attempt to imitate his writing. I simply scrawled
the words with a rough pen in the hope that they would pass as a message
from a man who was hysterical when he wrote them. Then I turned to the