Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-11-21

stranger probably learnt in very lev
minutes all about my connection With
old Bavidge, my suspicious that his
niece bad been defrsuded, and my con
viction that Zamat Driss had something
to do With II. say probably, for. tn
be eapo,d, 1 cahbos Iseollecs hos much
or how little Of my thoughts his subtle
questionings elected.
But presently he told me be could
not recollsct any person answer
ing to the one l Was in search Of. ]
bad been led On to talk SO much that ]
row ielt greatly disappointed. would
have left him, only he seemed so sorry
not to be able TO help me, and so volu-
bic in leading conversation into other
chsrDels that I was induced to lioger
with him.
We we're now in the museum OF the
Guildhall, looking at and soon chatting
about the various antiquities stored
there. BY and by We came to rather
dark corner where there was nothing
interesting, but my companion seemed
especially drawn that way, and present
1y, behind pile Of broken sculptures, he
pointed out to me soma objects should
not otherwise have noticed. These ap-
peared to be bundle of bows and ar
rows and other weapons, covered with
dust, and to all appearances showed
away there and forgotten.
lie took up one Of the arrows, which
lay apart from the rest, and examined
it.
This" said he, sis Of modern
make. Rather out Of place here, isn't
it? fancy it comes from some island
Of the Asiatic archipelago. | have
seen the like at home"
lie went on descant about the
masking of those weapons by savage
tribes, in an easy way, but with so much
detail that il interested me. Hetold me
of the rough tools employed, and bid mo
observe nevertheless how beautiful was
the finish attained. That | might the
better see the perfection Of the point
and barb, he laid that in my hand, h.
continuing to loosely hold the shaft at
tached. At the moment the point OF
the weapon lay in my palm ] noticed
his hand shake.a little. Fearful Of re-
ceiyiDg an accidental dig, | hastily
slipped my hand from under the point,
locking innocently up at him as | did
so. What saw in his face was--well,
if never before or since my eye met
that of q murderer, it did SO then.
Though far from thinking that at the
moment, yet started violently with \
sudden indefinable fear. Ny start was
accelerated by an official voice near D.
saying:
"You must please not touch the
things, gentlemen"
II was an attendant whom | had no.
previously noticed who spoke, and now
came up to us. His voice, together with
nv start, so affected the dark stranger
that he let the arrow slip from his
hand. 1t fell point downward upon
his foot. For just a second he had
glared at me and at the attendant with
such a tigerish look that instinctiyely
stepped back. Then he stopped and
began to examine his foot, and | saw
that the arrow bad slightly pricked
him, having passed through the thin
cloth upper" Of the boot he was
wearing.
lie baneled the place with far more
attention than such q tritle seemed to
warrant. When he rose there was p
new expression on his face, one that
was easy for me to understand - an
expression of intense, livid terror.
Hoarsely be muEmured
81 am hurt, | am hurt must
60, Alb, it is Fate Fate "
lie spoke again in what was, | sup
pose. his own tongue, and wringing his
bands with a gesture Of frantic despair,
and glided past rapidly and disappeared
from the room.
was stupefed by the singu'arity OF
his manner. | knew not what to think.
was about to run after him when the
voice of the other spectator stopped
ne.
Well, | never :" he exclaimed,
picking up the arrow and restoring It
to its place. These Indian chaps make
a great deal Of nothing. As if mere
scratch could signify"
Then a sudden idea shot into ny
mind which caused me thrill OF sick
enipg horror. What if the arrows were
poisoned. tad read that savages in
many parts Of the world were in The
habit Of putting poison On the points
Of such weapons. What if the stranger
knew the fact What if
As soon as my mind was clear enough
| began to question the attendant. tie
told me the weapons had been tempo
rarily deposited there some years be-
fore. Apparently they bad been for
gotten. Poisoned lie had never
heard tell and didn't believe in such
things. At any rate he didn't believe
poison on an arrow would keep active
for years. Very few people seemed
ever to discover these weapons or no.
tce them because they were laid almost
out OF sight. The last time he had
seen any one look at them was long
since. There was banquet at the
Guildhall, and so he remembered the
occasion. Some persons came into tho
museum before the dinner, and he re-
membered there was al Indian raj jan
or Siamese prince, or something Of that
sort, as be Judged from his dress,
among them. This man was looking
at the arrows with another, an English
man. He did not remember what the
Englishman was like. And that wa
all Le knew or could recollect.
My thoughts were so tumulsuous and
my head swan so with the real or
fancied discoveries believe bad made
that could only go home to think.
Next morning all was still confusion
but / had resolved to see the Chaplain
surgeon who had been summoned to
old Bayidge's death-bed. With diff
Guilty did ! get him to listen to me. AT
last be got interested. lie acknow-
lodged that when first called in ne had
momentarily suspected some unnatural
cause for the seizure, certain symptoms
being peculiar, but the eminent Sir -
- had set his mind at rest on that
point, referring to cardiac disease, and
bis authority on such points was almost