Graham guardian., 1912-02-02
"That's what It looks like.. assented

And use 1t effectively" put In Fitch
I'm something Of q shot," the detec
tive ventured. meditatively. ''Mayb,
! could hit 1t, and maybe I could ge
that gum"
His eyes, ranging the room In tn,
Immediate neighborhood of the chit
fonier. had alighted upon the wate1
pipe. The long, flexible rubber stem
of the narghileh was stretched across
the table and the mouthpiece huni
over the back Of = chair within few
feet Of the top Of the chiffonier.
I'll try It," said the detective decis
lively. give hand here. doc!"
Fitch hooked one arm about the or
namental knob at the back Of the chit
fonier. and with his free hand grippet
the detectives left wrist. Brits, hiI
left hand clutching the doctors sleeve
the toe Of his left boot thrust betweel
the chiffonier and the wall. leaned Ia
out in an attempt to reach the tub,
OF the water pipe. He withdrew BIZ
arm quickly. however, and gave littl,
nervous cough as the drab death tina
lay coiled In the middle OF the fool
Strengthened its sinister length ant
glided swiftly across the room, thei
coiled itself once more directly undel
the spot where the detectives stretch
ing fingers had been. Once more tn,
head arose with that strange, sinuous
swaying motion, and It began to NOV,
slowly back and forth, while the glis
tening eyes seemed to shoot sparks to
ward the man who hung at such fear
ful hazard above It.
"Gee!" said Britz. This Is gettini
a little too close for comfort. How fal
can that thing stretch, doctor?"
mo higher than that" answeret
Fitch. "at least, think not. l under
stand the cobra can strike onl,
straight forward"
Sure It can't make an upper cut?'
inquired the sleuth.
I'm not going to say positively. I'm
not sure OF anything with that kind O.
q BRUTE Fitch answered. "The bes
way is to take no chances. Let me
have try for the gun"
A bifurcated scarlet thread, ths
slender forked togue OF the reptile
darted in and out Of It's gaping jaws Ii
a frenzied way. It was apparent tt
he scientist or layman
that the serpent was in white heat o.
fury. Woe betide the human flesh thai
came within reach o. that eager, death
dealing venom.
Britz, though he was known thu
length and breadth Of the department
as the coolest proposition under Man
ning's command, frankly shuddered al
he watched the undulating menace O
the serpent's body, and the staccatt
play Of the tongue that seemed Il
mock him with the deadly humor Of q
fiend. He was willing to risk his life
II need be, to prevent the escape Of
the dark. subtle enemies whose de
moniacal ingenuity had caught him ir
such trap. for trapped he seemed t.
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
ut was my fool carelesness that left
that gun on that table. and It's up to
me to get 1t. You hold me fast and sit
tight, and II anybody gets stung. it'll
be me-"
Once again Britx, warily watching
the snake, stretched forth his arm
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 experience
At last he nipped the smooth amber OF
the pipestem's mouthpiece between
the tips OF his first and second I'm.
gers. It was the slightest OF grasps;
but 30 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
fangs. still he did not finch
He clung to the pipestem, his fingers
drawing 1t toward him until
be had firm clutch on the rubber
tube. Then with powerful upward
and backward heave, he regained his
position on the chinonier, 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 chiftonier, 1t went close to the
head of the cobra. Lightning-like. the
head dashed toward It, fangs bristling,
and only a quick twitch of the detec.
tive's fingers snatched the stem be.
yond the reach OF those poison-freight.
I'D 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 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.
one end OF the tube to the
doctor, Britz took hold Of the other.
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