Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-08-17

AT last he nipped the smooth amber of
the pipestem's mouthpiece between
the tips Of his first and second fin
gers. 1t was the slightest of grasps;
but 80 steady were the nerves of the
Headquarters man that although the
cobra In its swaying seemed TO ap-
proach ever nearer the arm and naked
wrist that shrank irvoluntarily from
the fancied death-thrust OF those
cleaning fangs, still ne did not finch.
He chung to the pipestem, his fingers
steadily drawing It toward him until
ne had firm clutch on the rubber
tube. Then with a powerful upward
and backward heave, he regained his
position on the chiffonier. the twisting
hose gripped in his hand The other
END OF the pipestem still was attached
TO the bowl Of the narghileh. AS the
tube festooned between the table and
the chiffonier, ii went close to the
head of the cobra. Lightning-ike, the
head dashed toward It, fangs bristling,
and only quick twitch OF the detec-
tive's fingers snatched the stem be-
yond the reach of those oison-freight-
ed ivory needles.
That jerk freed the other end of
the tube from the pipe bowl, and
Britt quickly looped 1t in his hands.
Holding both ends of the long stem,
he knotted a single loop in the mid
die and flung it like a double lariat
upon the table beside the pistol. Slow.
ly dragging the pipestem back, he
pulled it, after several trials, about
the chamber of the weapon. Then,
handing one end of the tube to the
doctor, Britt took hold Of the other,
explaining his purpose to Fitch in a
few words. The detective stretched
his arm away from the chffonier at
one end the physician did the same
at the other. and they stool pulling
In opposite directions, thus tightening
the loop about the pistol. When the
grip of the tube on the weapon was
firm enough, it was comparatively
easy to swing the revolver from the
table to the chiffonier Britt gripped
the gun with an intake of breath that
betokened satisfaction.
Now, then, doc he said briskly.
Lets see If We can't put the reverse
English on that Garden Of Eden cpl
sode. Here's where the seed OF the
woman bruises the serpent with his
heel"
Il would advise you to DO your
bru1sing at long distance" said Fitch,
and unless you have more cartridges
about you. | wouldn't waste shot
You won't find it easy to hit him
Britz in a moment or two realized
the doctor spoke true. The swaying
neutraltinted body was no easy mark
for the most practiced marksman
His first shot went wide. The bullet
Embedded itself in leg of the table
with rasping sound that only infuri-
ated the cobra the more. Britt his
nerve slightly shaken by the miss,
fired again quickly, shivered the bowl
of the narghileh, and caused the
snake to oscillate more and more VIC
lenty. 1t became apparent he would
gain nothing by aiming at It's head.
I'll have try at him 'midships,"
he said.
Only three loaded cartridges re-
manned in the revolver, and as Britt
found no extra ones in any Of his
pockets. he knew he must make the
most Of those he had. A third time
the pistol cracked The bullet grazed
tho serpents flesh 1t did not inJure
the spine. Quickly the appraised part
of the body sank upon the coil, but It
reared itself again in an instant, and
the furious darting of the tongue re-
vealed that the reptile was more en-
ragged than ever.
Want to take crack at 1t, doc?"
asked the detective, handing the
weapon to the physician.
Fitch had no poor idea Of himself
as fancy shot, but he found his
muscular control too sadly shaken by
his narrow escape from the cobra to
shoot straight His shot-the fourth
was wider miss than any of the de-
tective's had been. He handed the
pistol back to the Headquarters man
and shook his head
You're the man to stay on the fir
Ing line" he said
Britt eyed the revolver grirnly. In
its bluesteel chamber we're four
empty cartridges and only one that
held the potentially of release from
their dangerously uncertain refuge on
the chiffonier. Crooking his left arm,
he used the angle made by his elbow
as a rest and leveled the long blue
barrel Of the big-calibered weapon
steadily. Pausing until the Gwaytng
OF the serpent diminished as much rs
it apparently was going to do he
fired
A wfthing, twisting snar. was the
result. The cobra coiled and uncoiled
with electric rapidity, travelling in cir
cles all over the space between the
chiffonier and the table whence Britz
had lassoed the pistol Plainly the
reptile was hit-mortallv wounded, he
thought, but as he started to descend
impatiently, Fitch seized him and 1T
orally flung him back on the chiffon
ier's smooth top,
Not yet" said the doctor, nervous
ly. Let's wait minute"
1t was profitable patience For after
probably q minute Of terrible struggle,
the cobra returned to It's coil and
once more reared its head. The gray
body throbbed fiercely, but closer
scrutiny showed the man the snake
had not been hit with fatal result.