第72部分(第6/7 頁)

　first　called；　did　not　please　him。　Or　perhaps　this　had　been　used　before。　I　was　glad　to　receive　many　letters　from　strangers　thanking　me　for　it。

In　July　1904　there　happened　to　me　a　very　extraordinary　incident。　The　story　is　contained　in　a　letter　from　me　which　appeared　in　The　Times　for　July　21；　1904；　together　with　letters　from　various　other　persons　testifying　to　the　facts　of　the　case。　These　letters　and　other　matter　were　included　in　the　Journal　of　the　Society　for　Psychical　Research　for　October　1904；　from　which　I　make　short　extracts　relating　the　facts。　Should　any　one　wish　to　study　it　in　detail；　with　the　corroborating　letters；　they　are　referred　to　the　number　of　the　Society’s　Journal。

On　the　night　of　Saturday；　July　9；　I　went　to　bed　about　12。30；　and　suffered　from　what　I　took　to　be　a　nightmare。　I　was　awakened　by　my　wife’s　voice　calling　to　me　from　her　own　bed　upon　the　other　side　of　the　room。　I　dreamed　that　a　black　retriever　dog；　a　most　amiable　and　intelligent　beast　named　Bob；　which　was　the　property　of　my　eldest　daughter；　was　lying　on　its　side　among　brushwood；　or　rough　growth　of　some　sort；　by　water。　In　my　vision　the　dog　was　trying　to　speak　to　me　in　words；　and；　failing；　transmitted　to　my　mind　in　an　undefined　fashion　the　knowledge　that　it　was　dying。　Then　everything　vanished；　and　I　woke　to　hear　my　wife　asking　me　why　on　earth　I　was　making　those　horrible　and　weird　noises。　I　replied　that　I　had　had　a　nightmare　about　a　fearful　struggle；　and　that　I　had　dreamed　that　old　Bob　was　in　a　dreadful　way；　and　was　trying　to　talk　to　me　and　to　tell　me　about　it。

On　the　Sunday　morning　Mrs。　Rider　Haggard　told　the　tale　at　breakfast；　and　I　repeated　my　story　in　a　few　words。

Thinking　that　the　whole　thing　was　nothing　more　than　a　disagreeable　dream；　I　made　no　inquiries　about　the　dog　a