Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-05-26

you've shot out. Its .tonxus!"
sTrn'e eposGh.s The Nth bullet hari
paused between the gar,n. Jaws Of
~ rvp&ne ana taken OF the srsstsr.
part Of that darling scarlet thread
- neatly ~ sharp Instrument could
snuH . candle. While the wound
doubtlsss caused asoay 70 the snake,
Il did not lessen II anger. Tho pol
son.charxed faugs. rensired in It's
mouth, and the cutting OK OF its
tongue swellsd Its fury to the ultimate
degree.
Britx dropped the pistol on tho chit
fonier. and thrust both hands in bis
pockets.
Cup tree for fair" he said. Moth
ing more doing in the artillery liue."
THAT was your last cartridge"
Brit. bent his head aarmstive,y.
An expression Ut slow wrath gathered
force In the Headquarters mans face.
as he stared at the swaying serpent
such a short distance below. One
could see he was angry enough to
take the desperate chance Of spring
ing from his perch ard trying to
strike the cobra with his heels, or.
failing that, Selling 1t by the neck.
seeking to throttle it. The instinct of
self,preservation, however. was
stronger than rage. Fritz was willing
enough to risk his lie in the fulfill.
ing of his duty, so long as the risk
meant fighting chance to him. He
was too sensible abs olutely to throw
his life away, and something told him
that in spite of all the courage In the
world, no man would have an appreci-
able percentage Of opportunity in q
battle at close quarters with SO ven
omous a serpent. Yet he must get
out OF that house. He felt he was the
only man on the police force who
could be sure of heading off the ORR
entails. In that very moment they
might be beyond the city's limits.
bearing the booty he had pursued for
weeks. It was more than his self
poise could stand. He gave rein to
his anger, and for the first time In all
the doctors acquaintance with him he
swcre hard and fast and long. His
flow of profanity stopped as suddenly
as 1t had commenced. He drew one
hand from his pocket, and slowly, as
If he hardly dared to trust his senses,
held up his fingers and looked at what
they clasped Then he held the OBJ
iect out triumphantiy for the physi-
clan to see It was loaded cartridge
forgotten when last he emptied his
pockets of their supply Of extra am
munition!
well make no miss with this one, "
said the sleuth. Don't you think you
can use it better, doc?"
NO." said Fitch, Il am not in your
class when 1t comes to snufing out
serpents' tongues. You may fire when
you are ready, lieutenant"
Britz grinned, shook tho empty
shells out of the revolver. slipped the
full cartridge into one Of the cham
hers and twirled 1t until it paralleled
the barrel Then, once more using
his arm as rest, he took careful aim,
, and was about to pull the trigger,
when the door was flung open and the
uniformed policeman stood on the
| threshold.
"Well," said the bluecoat, excuse
me for butting In, but thought some
thing might hsveA-':
Fitch checked him with an appraised
hand, and the patrolman's eyes al
most burst In their sockets as, lower
ing his gaze, he saw the approaching
death covered by the Headquarters
| mans pistol For a seconds space,
none of the three men moved. Then q
metallic click broke the suspense,
only to leave IT. In another instant
more taut than ever as all three re-
| allied the cartridge had missed fire.
| The bluecoats hand reached for his