The Delta independent. [volume] (Delta, Colo.) 1886-19??, 1911-10-27

namental knob at the back of the chit
fonier, and with his free hand gripped
the detectives left wrist. Britt, his
left hand clutching the doctors sleeve,
the toe of his left boot thrust between
the chiffonier and the wall. leaned far
out In an attempt to reach the tube
of the water pipe. He withdrew his
arm quickly. however. and gave little
nervous cough as the drab death that
lay coiled in the middle of the floor
Strengthened its sinister length and
glided swiftly across the room, then
coiled itself once more directly under
the spot where the detectives stretch
ing fingers had been. Once more the
head arose with that strange, sinuous,
swaying motion. and 1t began to move
slowly back and forth, while the glis-
tening eyes seemed to shoot sparks to-
ward the man who hung at such fear
full hazard above it.
"Gee," said Britt. This is getting
little too close for comfort. How far
can that thing stretch. doctor?"
No higher than that" answered
Fitch at least, l think not under
stand the cobra can strike only
straight forward
Sure it cant make an upper cut?"
inquired the sleuth.
I'm not going to say positively. I'm
not sure of anything with that kind of
a brute" Fitch answered. THE best
way is to take no chances. Let me
have try for the gun
A bifurcated scarlet thread, the
slender forked togue of the reptile,
darted in and out of its gaping jaws in
a frenzied way. 1t was apparent TO
anyone-be he scientist or layman-
that the serpent was in a white heat of
fury. Woe betide the human flesh that
came within reach of that eager, death
dealing venom.
Britt, though he was known the
length and breadth of the department
as the coolest proposition under Man
ning's command frankly shuddered as
he watched the undulating menace of
the serpent's body, and the staccato
play of the tongue that seemed to
mock him with the deadly humor OF a
fend He was willing to risk his life.
IL need be- to prevent the escape OF
the dark subtle enemies whose de-
moniacal ingenuity had caught him in
such trap, for trapped he seemed to
be beyond the possibility of escape.
That they had matched their cunning
against his cold, hard, Occidental skill
and common sense, only made him the
more determined to outwit. outplay,
Outright them.
mo, doc" said the detective firmly
1T was my fool carelesness that left
thar gun on that table and it's up to
me to get It, You hold me fast and sit
tight. and II anybody gets stung. It'll
be me-"
Once again Britt. warily watching
the snake, stretched forth his arm.
stretched his fingers until he could al
most feel them crack and strained
his muscles almost beyond endurance.
| the while his nerve was subjected to
the severest test OF all his experienS.
At last he nipped the smooth amber of
the pipestem's mouthpiece between
the tips OF his first and second hn-
gers. 1t was the slightest Of grasps;
but so 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 involuntarily from
the fancied death-thrust of those
]
He chung to the pipestem. his fingers
steadily drawing 1t toward him until
he 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, it went close to the
head of the cobra Lightning like. the
head dashed toward it, fangs bristling.
and only quick twitch of the detec-
tives fingers snatched the stem be-
yond the reach of those poison-freight-
ed ivory needles.
That jerk freed the other end OF
the tube from the pipe bowl. and
Britz 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 double lariat
upon the table beside the pistol. Slow.
ly dragging the pipestem back, he
, pulled 1t, 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 chiffonier at
one end; the physician did the same
at the other. and they stool pulling
a in opposite directions. thus tightening
T.. the loop about the pistol. When the
a grip of the tube on the weapon was
a firm enough, 1t was comparatively
I easy to swing the revolver from the
table to the chiffonier. Britt gripped
v the gun with an intake of breath that
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