The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1892-10-28

fected that the man must nave hot tenn
per when aroused. l do not suppose de-
voted over five minutes to this train of
thought. AS time passed by i forgot my
surroundings while busy with the pencil.
Peter had been gone about thirty min
utes, as | afterward figured up, when
was suddenly clutched by the throat.
was leaning back against a tree hardly
larger than mans arm, and was reclin-
ing to the left. My eyes caught no glimpse
of anything, nor had my ears detected the
slightest sound to put me on my guard.
The first sensation was exactly like that
of falling. | remember roaring in my
ears and fireworks dancing before my
eyes, and l was perfectly conscious that
my throat was in the clutch of human fin
gers. What saved me was the tree and the
position in which | sat. / did not realize
that l struggled to break the clutch, but
did put forth mighty effort. My right
shoulder and arm were q lever against
the strangers right wrist, and as heaved
| broke his clutch and leaped to my feet.
1t was Peter, as you have suspected. He
had only gone few rods away and then
turned and crept back on me like ser
pent. His route was through bushes and
vines, but when / came to go over it
could not find that he had broken twig.
NV springing up threw him down, but he
was on his feet like a cat, and with a cry
like that of an enraged beast he sprang for
my throat again. His eyes were fairly
blazing, his face distorted with passion,
and realized in an instant that it was his
life or mine.
Under the new laws no native was al
lowed to carry a deadly weapon. If one
was found provided with knife or pistol he
was sent to prison. On the other hand, all
Europeans went armed. / had a revolver
buckled around me, and il Peter had
not been Sc sure of strangling me he could
have secured the weapon as he crept up be
hind ne. He sprang upon me like Wild
cat, seeking my throat at every clutch, and
we grappled and rolled over and over on
the ground. He made dash for my throat
with his right hand as we rolled about, and
l caught the ends of his first two fingers in
my teeth and bit to the bone. That one
bite gave me the victory. Still gripping
his fingers, | struggled to my knees, reached
for my revolver, and I had the muZZle
against his body when the thought flashed
across my mind that he was the profess
sional stranger wanted by the police. Up
to that instant had no thought as to why
he attacked me. When dropped his fin
gers and covered him with the revolver he
made no further resistance. The native Of
India, like the Arab. believes in fate.
''Sahib, you have won" he said as | stood
over him. 1T was to be, and so it is. Do
as you will with me-"
"Petcr, why should you seek my life?" |
asked, even yet half hoping there might be
some mistake about it.
why did | strangle the others, sahib?
A voice commanded me, and l obeyed."
Good heavens! but you are not the muir
derer of the farmer, the clerk and the sol
dier-you who have been considered 50
faithful to the EnglishY'
Even so, sahib. 1t was to be, and it is.
Take me to the police and l Will admit
everything and die like man"
drove him before me until we encoun-
tered a troop of cavalry which had been
securing the country for suspects, and
which was then returning to town with go
less than twenty-siX prisoners. Had Pc
ter denied his admissions to me nothing
could have been proved, and he only would
have been punished for assault. But he
felt that fate had delivered him into the
hands of his enemies, and he was willing
to help convict himself. He gave the par
ticulars of each murder with such detail
that no doubt could exist. 1t was the ser
geant who had lacerated his hands. He
was keeping shady while he waited for
them to heal lie would not have accom-
panied me that day but for the fear that he
might be suspected, though as a matter of
fact he would have been among the very
last to fall under the ban.
Il had no thought of strangling you
when we started out" he said to me after
his trial ut was only after you had no
ticed my hands. While you appeared in
different, was afraid that you suspected.
| could have snatChed away your pistol and
shot you dead, or could have beaten you
l.. l,,.. i a
not permit. ! must either strangle you or
let Won live on. Had been successful /
should have made my way north as fast as
possible"
He did not hesitate to tell the police that
he was professional stranger, and it was
with considerable pride that he exhibited
his nattCned thumbs and illustrated the
manner in which the deadly clutch was
made He had been professional for up
ward OF twenty years He spent one whole
day making out list of dates, localities
and victims, and the number of murders
was appalling. The figures ran up to
forty-twO or fOrty-threc, and there were
seven Europeans among them. He begged
no ones forgiveness-had no apologies to
offer He told me very plainly that he
was sorry he had not succeeded with me,
as he believed he could have safely escaped
and lived to gather in ten or twelve more
victims He had marked down six diff
ferent Europeans in the town, and but for
the interference of fate would have stran
gIed them at intervals of about four weeks.
Peter went to the gallows with the
utmost Indifference. He did not even be
tray the anxiety of man walking about
the street lie was, believe, the last pro
fessional stranger executed in that prov
iuce, although his class EOurished else
where and were picked up one 10y one for