Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1903-12-26


cept me and We stood for a moment al
most breast to breast, each looking the
other in the face with eyes of menace.
viii you allow me to pass, please %
said, with freezing politeness.
Not till l have satisfied myself
about your share in this business" he
protested with equal determination,
pointing as he spoke to the corpse, and
advancing one leg, as if to plant that
ilmb more securely, and thus more eff
fectually TO bar the way. In so doing
he set his heavy heel right upon my
naked foot, and with such force that
the scar is there to this day.
Screaming with pain AMI maddened
hey md endurance, 1 struck out at him
with my clenched fist, catching him
fairly between the eyes, and with such
force that the back of his head can
noned against the door with bang
that set all the crockery on board rat
thing like housewives china closet
after an earthquake shock
To say the FUR flew" during the
next half minute would be-in view Of
my unclothed condition-an inaccurate
metaphor; but all 1 know is that
was for that space OF time as uncer-
tain which of me was and which of
me was he, as If the pair of us had
been ball of string in the claws of a
kitten. For one moment we untangled
ourselves, so to speak, to get breath;
and l well remember with what Joy
l caught sight Of the livid, ugly lump
between his eyes where 1 had struck
him. The next instant we were at it
again, rolling over and over upon the
moor like wild cats and striving each
to throttle the life out of the other.
No one who has not fought for his life
stark naked, as 1 did then, would be-
lieve how much l was handicapped by
the absence of clothing. There is not
much protection, one would think. in
coat, waistcoat and trousers: yet with
out them l felt as a medieval war
rlor might without his armour. The
very buttons on my enemy's clothing
fought for him. They were like so
many claws that scored and scratched
my skin; and when, while we were
struggling, he got the upper berth. and
knelt over me, with his knee pressed
against my breastbone, felt as If the
chest of me was scarce stronger than
cardboard box. / was well-nigh gone
that time, for he reached over and GOT
such vise-like grip upon my throat
that my eyes stood out on their stalks.
and my tongue was lolling from my
head like thirsty dogs. But il NV
lack of clothing disadvantaged me in
one way it advantaged me in another.
Tor no eel could have been more slip
perry to hold than l. Straining every
sinew in my body in one supreme eff
Tort, | managed to roll him of. and
upon his back, and wriggling from his
grasp, / sprang to my feet on the look
out Tor a weapon. He caught at my
legs to throw me, but snatching ND the
heavy whisky decanter by the neck. |
whirled ii aloft, and dealt him blow
behind the ear that put an end both to
him and to the fight. At first I thought
ne was only stunned, but when found
that his heart had indeed ceased TO
beat (and small wonder, for I had hit
him with terrific force, and upon a
Vulnerable spo), I stripped him. and.
opening the brown bag, took out the
weighted chain with which he had
meant to sink the body of his victim.
Then / dashed the pair of them-tbe
man who was to have been murdered
and the man who was to have muir
dered him-together, and, passing the
chain around the ankles of both. |
made IT fast and dragged my double
and CHASTITY burden upon deck where
| toppled 1t over into the water
And now" said, "Tu dress mvse,r
In the clothes of my late antagonist
ana go ashore in the dinghy, taking
with me the bag containing his dis
guise. In the pocket of his coat is a |
paper telling where and when the newt |
meeting OF the Syndicate of Scoundrels
takes place. What's To hinder me from |
going there instead of him? He's nv
height, figure and complexion. and |
dressed in his clothes and wearing the !
dlsguise which has been provided for
him, there's no reason why ANYONE
should suspect am not he, especially
as know enough of his affairs to give
a very good account of myself and of
Lo-nlghts work. Anyhow, danger or
no danger. discovery or no discovery
when the next meeting of the Syndi-
cate or Scoundrels takes place | shall
be there"