The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-11

under his breath which could not catch,
and then he stopped over my sleeping COM
rade.
| Bang!
| I fired my revolver through the roof and
sprang up. In less than a second / had
4 grappled him round the threat. He was
Mas and ana n e eg time had ha h It
takes, to tell, ! heard a responsive shot
outside. The camp was alarmed. Valley
| sentry forced his way into the tent
\ 1t took all knew to hold the devil. But
| a light. i handed my captive over to a
| couple of our men who had Joined US. and
we were enabled to take his portrait.
He was very vulgar specimen of Shan.
Naked as when born, except for filthy rag
he wore round his lean body. wei above
country. His face was dirty his expression
nounced Dacoit by conviction And this,
| then, was the personification of the Nemesis
| true. that would have enveloped Valley
| and myself had his errand of tonight not
found hothn n We dan 5ass
| him as well as we were able but evoked
no wa sat G5ssf tory reply sbs san.r -
but with no result: The Sikh swore that no
living thing had. did or could obtain access
| to the tent without 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 prison
| er was up to no good we felt satisfied but
| we had not a little of evidence to connect
| h'm with the recent murders. And we knew
| how hopeless it was to expect him to own
| up and convict himself.
II should like to know what he would
have done if I hadn't disturbed him. I
Thanks" replied VALLEY. TN sure it's
| pity you didn't wait and see
What your sensation when you
| aWoke?'' ] asked. dsregarding his sarca sm
We'll, it's a little difficult to say L was
| fast asleep. when felt something touching
| my eye. I must have lifted my hand to
| push it away when | heard a peal of thun-
| der-this being, of course, your shetland
f,Woke, feeling that something was pulling
my eyelid. 1t was a most extraordinarily
queer sensation, but Immediately / grasped
mind mir R'7'''0A . 3lfs pAsSeu oD' . my
DO you think that he was really touch
ing your eye?" I 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
That's curious | replied, as I moved
to the edge of the bed to sit down. do
But the sentence was interrupted by the
sensation that I was wounded in the leg,
an nd P peoe OF Bright curved vd steeI some
eight inches in length, sticking into 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 tbat?' exclaimed
Valley as distracted the implement and
That must have been the weapon that
black deyi meant to take your life WITH,
exactly like a surgical needle. but without
an eye, and longer"
claimed VALLEY. Come along; don't let's
lose any time saying which. he led the
G Iay an what was passing pass in his ind
but soon saw where he was bent on go
ing. We went down hill to the burroW
the doctors body drawn out. Then wall
ley uncovered the face. 90
TT amt exactly nice job" he said, with
1 instinctively drew back.
He accepted the position, and on diiating
the left eye caused the eyeball to leave It's
| socket entirely, except for the nerves or
whatever they were; that connected 1t 10
T imagine that, you have been out Of
your place before" muttered VALLEY as ne
Rsered in the ghastly crater oo which
said, as he managed to work the eyebal to
one side; this IS how Vt the I,e fiend did his
And 1 looked and saw bloody puncture
where an implement Of death had been
There her Is little more to add On the. third
| day after the doctors death we mad visitors
| in camp. Our dispatches had caused SEN
| sation and the Resident, with the subcom-
| missioner from Bhamo. an army surgeon
and doctor, as well as a strong body of
| bore out the conclusion we had arrived at
! The fanatic had murdered his victims by
| passing the curved needle from pehinf the
| eyeball into the brain. The appearance
after death was in full accordance with
| apoplexy and while the Dacoit was enab-
| led to effect his purpose with certainty and
| with a minimum of risk to himself, he was
| also able by importing an appearance OF
| the supernatural into the death Of such
| frequent victims, to flatter his soul with
| homes of reward in the next world.
We discovered his hiding place and solved
| the reason of his constant escape from de-
| lection. He had secreted himself between
| the double skin of the commanders tent.
| In this space we subsequently discovered
a water bottle and the remains of some
| food. Ee had come and gone in broad day
| light and remained concealed so close to
| HIS actual or intended victims in perfect
| safety. Poor old Martingale and the doctor
| must have undressed within three feet OF
| the murderer.
| 1t wasn't a case for us to deal with, much
| to the disgust of men. So we handed
| him over to the subcommissoner. who
! showed him every attention. He was
hanged very satisfactorily and his body
! cast into the jungle, where it served a use
| full purpose in feeding the hyenas. Valley
kept the needle as a memento: he used
| to carry 1t about with him. Perhaps it Is
on him now as he lies with bullet hole
| through him on the Randi. Who knows?
| Alexis KrauSSe, in CasselPS Magazine.