The Minneapolis journal., 1904-11-19
The Episode of the Sealed Document,

CHAPTER I.--CContinued.)
The suspense became unbearable; could
endure 1t no longer For Gods sake.
what has happened?" cried, rushing for
Ward 10 seize her in my arms. She raised
her right hand above her head and, as
had almost reached her, threw some
thing full In my face!, InstlnctiYely I
struck at 1t with my walking-stick and
It ieu IN the grass at my feet-tt was q
young Indian cobra-Naja tripudians-a
serpent OF the deadliest sort l did not
pause to reason how this sweet angel
mad been 80 quickly changed into a VEN
omous tlend, althO the thought that some
now she had been led to think mo false
TO her' and that this act the swift
vengeance of her hot eastern blood
flashed momentarily thru my nind-all
that could be explained as soon as l had
h@r nesting In my arms. I reached for
ward to embrace her, but she struck me
In the face and fied For an instant my
heart stood still. It seemed to me 1t
would never start but it soon began to
throb again like a thing Of lead, and the
blood 1t pumped was cold for the winter
had closed In upon 1t. The elasticity Of
my life, that ineffabls Tesiency of the
soul which makes more than beasts Of
burden, was gone forever An automaton,
informed only with the material life, re-
mained-the spirit followed that feetIng
figure down the hill. More than twenty
years have passed and still the unreward-
ed chase continues
But 1t IS to facts I have to call your
attention. rather than to their effects. a
flutter OF white muslin in the moonlit
distance was all that was visible Of
the retreating girl when l started me-
Chanically, and without any particular
purpose in view, in pursuit Of her. My
path lay by the banyan tree under which
we had SO often sat, but every air-root
seemed changed to a writhng serpent. AS
I threaded my way among them, man
stepped from behind the trunk and dis
Duted my passage. His gigantic form was
silhouetted against the mass of rock form
ing the entrance to the little cave. The
bright moonlight. did what it could to
illumine that sinister face. It was Rama
Ragobah! For fully minute we stood
silently face to face, each expecting the
assault of the other. 1t was RagObah
who spoke first. She Is mine, body and
soul; and the English cur mayt find a
mate in his own KENNEL" He bent to-
ward me and Kissed these words in my
very face. His hot breath seemed TO poll
son mo. It made me beside myself. I
knew he meant to take advantage Of his
physical superiority and attack me, by the
narrow watch he kept upon the heavy
walking-stiCk / still carried in my right
hand. FTe had expected I would attempt
to strike with this, but my constant prac-
tice at boxing made my fists the
more natural weapon / was so enraged
I did not notice he was too close to use
; my stick to advantage. 1 simply acted
without any thought whatever. His attf-
tude was SUCH as he Kissed his venom
into my face, as to enable me to give him
n powerful upper cut'' under the jaw
This as 1 was so much lighter than he
was the most effective blow 1 could de-
liver; yet, altho it took him off his feet
Il did not disable him. I had not sue
ceeded In placing it as I had intended
and it had only the effect Of rendering
him demonlacal. In all instant he was
again upon his feet, and unsheathing g
long knife. I knew 1t meant death fol
me If he were able to close with me. L
was useless for me to call for help fo1
In those days this part of Malabar Iii
was as deserted as a wilderness. Now
the very spot on which wo stood Is highly
cultivated, and forms q part of the gar
dsn of the Blaschek villa. There, early
An the eighties as the guest Of the hos
pttable Herr Blaschek,. Professor Erns
Eaeckel botanized a week, on his way t
Ceylon.& Now, in response to cry from
his, intended victim, an assassin might b.
frustrated by assistance from oozel
BUNGALOWS, but at the time of which
write, the victim, II he were wise, saYe'
his breath for the struggle which he knev
he must make unaided
Ragobah paused and coolly barred hi
right arm to the elbow. There was
studied deliberaton In his movements
which said only too plainly: There Is n
hurry In killing you, for you cannot es
cape" I grasped my stick firmly as IN
only hope, and awaited his onslaught
NV early military drill now stood me !
good stead, and to 1t l owe my life With
out the knowledge which I had derive
from the use of the broadsword, I shoul
have been all but certain to have attemp
ted to strike him downward blow upo
the head. This is just what he was ex
pecting. and 1t would have cost me m
life He would have had only to throw U
his left arm to catch the blow, While VII
his right hand he plunged the knife int
my heart My experiences had taught N
how much easier it is to protect one
self from cutting blow than from
thrust, and L determined to adopt IN
latter means of assault. Ragobah &C
yanced upon me slowly, much as q cs
steals upon an unsuspecting bird. raise
my stick as If to strike him, and he II
u r. stinctively threw up his left arm, and af
yanced upon me. My opportunity ne
come; I lowered the point Of my cane
the level of his face, and made yfgo
GUS Iunge forward, throwing my who
h weight upon the thrust. AS nearly as
could tell the point of my stick caugl
him In the socket Of the left eye, Just q