table was seized by a much more robust influence, which
dashed it about very violently. In answer to my
questions it claimed to be the spirit of one whom I
will call Dodd, who was a famous cricketer, and with
whom I had some serious conversation in Cairo before he
went up the Nile, where he met his death in the
Dongolese Expedition. We have now, I may remark, come
to the year 1896 in my experiences. Dodd was not known
to either lady. I began to ask him questions exactly
as if he were seated before me, and he sent his answers
back with great speed and decision. The answers were
often quite opposed to what I expected, so that I could
not believe that I was influencing them. He said that
he was happy, that he did not wish to return to earth.
He had been a free-thinker, but had not suffered in the
next life for that reason. Prayer, however, was a
good thing, as keeping us in touch with the spiritual
world. If he had prayed more he would have been higher
in the spirit world.

This, I may remark, seemed rather in conflict with
his assertion that he had not suffered through being a
free-thinker, and yet, of course, many men neglect
prayer who are not free-thinkers.

His death was painless. He remembered the death of
Polwhele, a young officer who died before him. When he
(Dodd) died he had found people to welcome him, but
Polwhele had not been among them.