The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1895-06-15
being obliged to play, when a false
move might cost me my life.

move might cOSS me my lie.
A hundred thoughts passed through
my brain. Could my grim and terri
BILE opponent really play an accurate
game? If he could should be able to
make a stand against him till some
one came to my rescue? Even II
could beat him, what guarantee had
I that my life would not still be In
danger? And, besides, 1 was morally
bound to prevent, if possible, the man
taking his own life.
I looked up at him. His eyes were
fixed upon the board with terrible
stare, and there appeared to be nc
escape from the awful ordeal of being
forced to stake my life on a game OF
chess.
Without consulting me he selected
the white pieces and moved first. He
played what chess players call an IT.
regular opening, but there was moth
ing very remarkable or fantastic about
it, tried to keep. cool, but as lifted
the pieces my hand trembled and my
head felt on fire.
soon discovered that my opponent
knew perfectly we'll what he was do
ing, and that whatever particular
form his madness might take, it did
not prevent him from playing the
game accurately and in earnest. He
quickly forced an exchange OF pieces,
to his own advantage, and secured a
vigorous attack upon my king. The
position, no doubt, was a simple one
to defend, but my feelings had been
wrought up to such state of excite
ment that seemed incapable Of ana
lying the most ordinary combinations.
Suddenly I was startled by my op-
ponent almost Kissing between his
teeth:
"Mate in six mOveSv'
Good heavens! This, then. was the
man of whom my host had been talk
ing. A cold SILVER ran through me.
Those terrible words, "Mate in six
moves" sounded in my ears like a
death-knell.
"What did they mean?' I asked my
self. Did the demented wretch see
his way clear to force a mate in six
moves, in spite of anything l could
do? Or was he only uttering an eX-
which had no significance for the
SdLlC we were cuSdScu Ill
I tried to calm myself in order to ex-
anime the position on the board. So
far as l could make out, 1t was impos-
sible to force a mate in six moves,
and except that my opponent had
some advantage in the matter of at
tack, our positions seemed to me about
equal.
After uttering the ominous words,
"Mate in six moves" my opponent
leaned back in his chair and INDUCED
in a series of horrible chuckles which
seemed to make my blood run cold.
Then resuming his former attitude he
slowly lifted the queen.
"One," he cried, as he brought the
piece down with bang which shook
the table.
By making this move he offered me
a piece, which I promptly took, think
would give me the game.
'"rwo," said my opponent, without
a moments hesitation, as he replaced
ing he had made a blunder which
one of my knights with his own, while
I, thinking to be a piece to the good,
accepted the exchange, and took his
knight off the board.
The moment I had done so realized
that had fallen into a fatal trap, 1t
was plain that I must be mated in
four moves, and without doubt this
cunning mailman had foreseen the
mate six moves ahead.
''Three," he cried, the white queen
giving check to my king.
Great beads of perspiration now be-
gan to break out on my forehead I
had lost the game, and unless some
one came to my rescue, I thought
should most assuredly be killed. l
pretended to be studying the position,
but my head was busy trying to con-
coct some scheme for my escape from
this terrible dilemma. Seeing, how
ever, that my opponent was getting
excited. 1 moved my king to the only
available square.
"Four-checkr' he almost shouted
as he moved his queen one square
back.
My position was now desperate. I
could only prolong the game by inter-
posing my rock, and as 1 reluctantly
pushed the piece forward l saw with
horror my opponent pick up the pis-
toll.
"Five-checkv' and away went my
rock.
My king had now only one move to
be followed by a checkmate. Never
shall l forget what my feelings were
at that moment, and now that the
time for action had come I felt pow
erless to move hand or foot. My head
seemed to reel, and almost mechan-
ically made my last move.
"Six-mate" he literally shrieked,
and saw him raise the revolver on a
level with my head. Instinctively I
closed my eyes, and the next instant
there was a loud report, and I fell to
the floor unconscious.
GLOW do you feel now? You have
certainly had very narrow escape"
[ opened my eyes and saw DR.. Choir
ley bending over me.
"Is that you, doctor? I murmured.
'sAm I really alive? thought 1 was
dead"
''You are not only alive, but unin-
jured,' was the comforting reply; and
then my host told me that at the very
moment the mailman raised the revol-
yer to fire at me, he had nOiSelesslv