The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-01-03

was q simple one to desehd. but my
feelings had been wrought up to such
a state Of excitement that seemed in
capable of analysing the most ordinary
combinations.
Suddenly 1 was startled by my eppo-
nent almost kissing between his teeth:
"Mate in six moves.'
Good heavensi This then WAS the
man Of whom my host had been tell.
ing. A cold shiver ran through me.
Those terrible words: Mate in sig
moves" sounded in my ears like a
death knelL What did they mean? l
| asked myself. Did the demented wretch
see his way clear to force a mate in
six moves ia spite of anything l could
do? Or was he only uttering an ex.
| preston he was in the habit OF. using
which had no significance for the game
we were engaged in?
l tried to be calm myself in order to
examine the position Oh. the board. So
far as could make out it was impossi.
BILE to force a mate in six moves, and
beyond that my opponent had some adj
vantage in the matter of attack, our
positions seemed to be about equal
After uttering the orainous words:
Mate in six moves" my opponent
leaned back in his chair and INDUCED
in series Of horrible chuckles, which
seemed to make my blood run cold.
Then, resuming his former attitude, he
slowly lifted his queen. "One," he
cried, as he brought the piece down
with bang which shock the table.
By making this move he offered me a
piece which promptly took. thinking
he had made blunder which would
give me the game.
1.-Two" said my opponent, without a
moments hesitation, as ne replaced
one Of my knights with his owr, while
], thinking to be a piece to the good,
accepted the exchange and took the
white knight off the board. The mo-
ment / had done SO realized that l
had fallen into fatal trap It was
plain that / must be mated in four
moves, and without doubt this cum
ming mailman had foreseen the mate
SIX moves ahead.
"Three!" he cried, the white queen
giving check to my king. Great beads
Of perspiration now began to break
out on my forehead. had lost the
game, and unless some one came to my
rescue thought should most assur.
eddy be killed. I pretended to be
studying the position, but my head
was busy trying to concoct some
scheme for my escape from this terrible
dilemma. Seeing, however, that nv
opponent was getting excited, moved
my king to the only available square
"Four. Checkr' he almost shouted as he
moved his queen one square back. My
position was snow desperate. I could only
prolong the game by interposing my
rock, and as reluctantly pushed the
piece forward l saw with horror my
opponent pick up the pistol.
'Five. Check!" and away went my |
rock. My king had now only one |
move followed by mate. Never shall |
forget what my feelings were at that |
moment, and now the time for action |
had come I felt powerless to move
hand or foot. My head seemed to reel, |
and almost mechanically 1 made my
last move.
"Six. Mater he literally shrieked,
and saw him raise the revolver on a
level with my head. Instinctively l
closed my eyes and the next instant
there was loud report and fell to the
ground unconscious.
"How do you feel now? You GER
tainly had a narrow escape"
1 opened my eyes and saw DR..
Charley bending over me.
us that you, doctor?" 1 murmured.
Sam 1 really. alive? 1 thought was
dead"
You are not only alive, but unin-
jured," was the comforting reply, and
then my host told me tina. at the very
the mailman raised the re-
volver to fire at me, he had noiselessly
entered the room and was just in time
to knock the would-be assassin's arm
IN an upward direction, so that the
weapon went off without doing any
more harm than little damage to the
room l had simply been overcome
and fallen down in a dead faint owing
TO the mental strain 1 had undergone.
Ny opponent had been Immediately
by the keepers, who were
waiting in readiness.
It seems that after bidding me good
night the doctor had had occasion to
open the sliding-door arrangement
which, when closed effectually, shut
IF the house from the asylum. By
'ome means my mad opponent had
slipped through uuobserved and made
lis way to the study. His absence had
,een discovered, and the doctor and his
assistants had instituted a quiet and
areful search, until at length. hear
ng voice in the study. they made all
taste there and arrived just in time, as
believe, to save my life
When l said good-by to the doctor
ext day / made up my mind that it
'ould be long time before paid him
mother visit, and to this day never sit
own to a game of chess without the
errible experience If that night being
ividly recalled to my mind.
Refrigeration. 8
A large company was gathered at b,