The record-union., 1896-08-09

| Nhlch L could not catch, and then he
stopped over my sleeping comrade.
/ Bangl
! | tired my revolver through the roof
and sprang up. In less than a second
/ had grappled him around the throat
lie was very wiry and determined. but
had him at disadvantage. and in
less time than it takes to tell, i heard
a responsive shot outside The camp
was alarmed. Valley was awake and
tumbled out of bed as the sentry forced
his way into the tent
1t took all 1 knew to hold the devil.
But we had him safe, and VALLEY hay-
ing struck a light, handed my captive
over to a couple of our men who had
Joined us, and we were enabled to take
/ his portrait.
lie was very vulgar specimen of a
! Shan. Naked as when born, except
for filthy rag he were round his lean
body, we'll above his waist. he was
elaborately tattooed from hip to knee,
/ according to the fashion of his coun-
/ try. His face was dirty, his express
sion criminal. He was a good type Of
the pronounced Dacoit by conviction.
And this, then. was the personification
! OF the Nemesis that had overtaken
| three good men and true, that would
have enveloped Valley and myself had
his errand of tonight not failed. We
searched him-it didn't take long-and
found nothing. We questioned him as
well as we were able, but evoked no
satisfactory reply.
We questioned the sentry, a trusted
man, but with no result The Sikh
swore that no living thing had, did. or
could obtain access to the tent with
out his having known, and further
affirmed that he had never seen the
man before.
We finally saw him securely bound
and placed under guard Then I went
back with Valley to the tent TO discuss
recent events.
We were both somewhat disappointed
at the turn events had taken That
our prisoner was up to no good we felt
satisfied, but we had not a little of
evidence to connect him with the re-
cent murders. And we knew how hope
less it was to expect him to own up and
convict himself.
Il should like to know what he would
have done if 1 hadn't disturbed him.
L said
| Thanks" replied Valley. I'm sure
it's a pity you didn't wait and see"
What was your sensation when you
woke?" L asked, disregarding his sar-
casm
well, It's little difficult to say. T
was fast asleep, when / felt something
touching my eye. 1 must have lifted
my hand to push it away, when heard
a peal of thunder-this being of course
your shOt-and awoke, feeling that
something was pulling my eyelid. 1t
was most extraordinarily queer SEN
sation; but Immediately L grasped the
position of affairs it passed out of my
mind"
DO you think that he really was
touching your eye?" L inquired.
mo question about it. 1t felt just
like it does when you get a fly in. and
some other chap is pulling the lids
apart to get it out. I felt it distinctly
and one eye feels quite achey now"
That's curious" l replied. as I
moved to the edge of the bed to sit
down. DO you NEAR"
But the sentence was interrupted by
the sensation that / was wounded in the
leg, and 1 promptly sung out and jump
ed, to find piece of bright curved steel,
some eight inches in length. sticking in
to my thigh by the pointed end. The
weapon, whatever it was, had gone
nearly an inch deep, and the pain was
considerable.
What the deuce is that?" exclaimed
| Valley, as 1 distracted the instrument
and handed it to him.
THAT must have been the weapon
that black devil meant to take your
life WITH L replied. See it is pointed
and curved exactly like a surgical nee
die, but without an eye, and longer
by Jove, | can see it all now." eX-
claimed Valley. Come along; don't
let's lose any time saying which he
| led the way out / followed him, at a
loss to understand what was passing in
| his mind, but soon saw where he was
! bent on going We went down hill to
| the burrow that now held it's second
victim. We had the doctors body
drawn out. Then Valley uncovered the
face.
1T amt exactly a nice job he said
with a shiver. "Will you look or shall
| -"
instinctively drew back.
He accepted the position, and on di-
lating the left eye caused the eyeball
to leave its socket entirely, except for
the nerves, or whatever they We're, that
connected it to the head at the back.
Il imagine that you have been out
of your place once before" muttered
Valley, as he peered into the CHASTITY
crater, which looked like yawning
wound Look now" he said, as he
| managed to work the eyeball to one
side; that is how the fiend Gid his hell
ish work. Do you see?"
And 1 looked and saw a bloody
puncture where an implement of death
had been forced up into the brain.
There is little more to add. On the
third day after the doctors death we
had visitors in camp. Our dispatches
had caused a sensation, and the Resi-
dent. with the sub-commissioner from
Bhamo an army surgeon and doctor,
| as well as strong body of police, came
over express. The doctors bore out the
conclusion we had arrived at. The ia
matte had murdered his victims by
Iassing the curved needle from behind
the eyeball into the brain. The appear
ance after death was in full accordance
with apoplexy; and while the Dacoit
was enabled to effect his purpose with
certainty, and with minimum of risk
to himself, he was also able. by inn
parting an appearance of the SUPER
natural into the death of such frequent
victims, to fiatter his soul with hopes
of reward in the next world.
We discovered his hiding-piace and
solved the reason of his constant escape
from detection. He had Sc
creted himself between the double skin
of the commanders tent. In this space