The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-11-09

another. for perhaps your answer will
suffice for both questions What have
you got in that drawer?"
II Ninora had not gone white with
guilty fear, it might have been all
right yet, but it was the faltering
which developed the tiger in the man.
He took quick step forward and
grasped her wrist cruelty, harshly, as
he fairly Kissed out, you have letter
or something from him there!"
"My God." she moaned Back! Do
not touch it! If you touch that draw
err, | will never marry you-never."
With an exclamation of rage he brush
ed her to one side and, snatching the
drawer open. plunged his hand in.
There was the lightning swish of a
dark body, like the coil of whiplash
in motion: an electric shooting of pain
through his arm which brought an in
voluntary cry of anguish from his lips
and the twisting, writhing of the hide
GUS cobra body as he snatched his hand
from the death trap.
A piercing scream had rung out on
the still night air as he pulled the
drawer open. for, powerless to stop
him. Minora had foreseen that he was
driving to his death.
1t was the scream that brought the
professor to the room.
Quick, father! Rolando Is bitten"
and before the major knew what he
was about. the professor had grasped
his wrist as in a wise and pulled him
into his own room, which was next.
From that on it was head and head
finish, with the professor and death as
the runners. There were ligatures and
lancing. and the injecting Of the pro-
fessor's antidote, and the ceaseless
marching up and down of the patient
between two sturdy durwans, and the
watching of woman with great
sore heart and eyes that were too dry
and hot for tears.
And the other, the one that had sat
night after night by Herkomer's bed
came and sat there, just in the center
OF the veranda. HerlSomer would not
let the durwans move the chair. Don't
disturb him." he said. "Let him sit
there"
"Huzoor, it is but an empty chair"
said one of them. mo one sits there.
sahib."
But still he told them not to move
the chair-they could walk around it.
HE won't have long to wait now" he
muttered.
Surely the poison is making the
sahib little mad" the durwan
thought.
At first Herkomer felt strangely elat-
ed. 1t was like new wine-he was
drunk on it; it was good to be bitten by
cobras If he could only get over it, he
would like to try it again-it was like
opium.
And then came the poppy sleep. He
begged them to let him lie down and
rest.
IF you sleep, you de-" the professor
yelled in his ear.
The voice was far off, it was like
dream. 1t was the murmuring of the
breakers far away on the coral reefs,
and required too much energy to listen
to 1t. Besides, he was so tired and
sleepy. This ceaseless walking up and
uo"n was AihS SouAllHS Sueep, IL mace
his head heavy.
Up and down, up and down the hard
floor of the veranda, re-echoing to the
clap. clap Of the durwans' loose slip
pers as they marched one on either
side Of him.
1t was terrible race, and life was
the stake.
But as the torturing hours chased
each other through the long Burmese
night and the gray began to steal up
behind the tapering spire Of the golden
pagoda in the east, and the major still
lived, still walked up and down be-
tween his relays Of Punjabis, the pro-
fessor knew that he had won-had rob-
bed the hooded fend of his victim.