Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-04-05
CHAPTER II.
.ofAaaor Kant MkeR 4 Call.

beheld, In the glare or the AFTERNOON
sun, spare figure rise alertly upon
the wall, descend to the road, and rise
again. He stepped to the open win
dow and watched curious progress.
A scrubby bearded man, clad In serv-
iceable khaki, was performing stunt.
with the wall as a basis. He was
walking from east to west quite fast,
and every third pace stepping upon
the wall; stepping, Sedgwick duly
noted, not jumping, the change OF level
being made without visible effort.
Now, Sedgwick himself was dis
tinctly long Of leg and timber, but he
realized that he would be wholly in
capable of duplicating the strangers
gracefully accomplished feat without
violent and clumsy exertion. Conse-
quently, he was Interested. Leaning
out of the window, he called:
Hello, there!"
Good afternoon" said the stranger,
in quiet, cultivated voice.
would you mind telling me what
you are doing on my WALTZ"
mot in the least" replied the
bearded man, rising buoyantly into
full view, and subsiding again with
the rhythm of wave.
"Well, what are you doing?'
Taking little exercise"
BY this time, having reached the
end of the wall, he turned and came
back, making the step, with his right
leg instead Of his left. Sedgwick hur-
ried down stairs and out into the road
way. The stranger continued his per-
Torrance silently. At closer inspection
It appealed to the artist as even more
mysterious both in purport and execu-
ton than it had looked at a distance.
do you do that often?" he asked
presently.
The gymnast paused, poised like a
Mercury on the high coping. Yes,
said he. otherwise shouldn't be able
to do it at ALL" ..
IT should think not, indeed! Has II
any particular utility, that form OF
exercise?"
Certainly It is in pursuance OF a
theory of self-defense."
what in the world has wall.hop-
ping to do with self-defense?
II shall expound," said the stranger
in professional tones, taking seat by
the unusual method Of letting himself
down on one leg while holding tine
other at right angles to his body. do
YOU know anything of jiu-jitsu?"
Every little"
"In common with most Americans.
For that reason alone the Japanese
system is highly effective here, not SO
effective in Japan. You perceive there
the basis of my theory"
"A system Of defense Is effective IN
proportion to it's unfamiliarity. mat .
ALL"
"Then your system consists in step
ping up on wall and diving into 90.
security on the farther side, perhaps"
suggested Sedgwick ironically.
Defense, said not escape. Escape
ia perhaps preferable to defense, but
not always so practicable. No; the
wall merely served as a temporary
gymnasium while I was waiting"
waiting for what?'
"F'or YOU"
"You have distinctly the advantage
of me-" said Sedgwick, with froWn;
for he was in no mood to welcome
strange visitors.
"To return to my theory of self
defense" said the other imperturb-
ably. my wall exercise serves to keep
timber and active certain muscles
that in the average man are half afro
nhied You are familiar with the
ostrich?"
with his proverbial methods OF
obfuscation," replied sedgwick.
The other smiled. "That, again, is
escape or attempted escape. My refer
ence was to other characteristics.
However, l shall demonstrate. He
rose on one foot with an ease that
made the artist stare, descended.
selected from the roadway a stone OF
ordinary cobble size, and handed it to
Sedgwick
"Let that lie on the palm Of your
hand" said he, land hold it out, waist
high"
As he spoke he was standing two
feet from the other, to his right.
sedgwick did as he was requested: AS
his hand took position, there was =
twist of the bearded mans 1.-THE body,
a sharp click, and the stone, flying In
a rising curve, swished through the
LEAKAGE of lilac fifty feet away.
"How did you do that?" cried the
artist.
The other showed slight indenta.
ton on the inside Of his right boot
heel. and then swung his right foot
slowly and steadily up behind his left
knee. and let it lapse into position
again. "At shoulder height he ex-
planned, II could have done the same !:
but it would have broken your hand
II see," said the other, adding with
distaste, ''but to kick an opponent!
Why. even as boy was taught"
eve were not speaking of child's
play" said the visitor cody; NOR am
/ concerned with the rules of the
prize ring, as applied to my theory.
When one is in danger, one uses
knife or gun, If at hand. prefer a
less deadly and more effective weapon.
kicking sidewise, either to the front
or to the rear, can disarm man.
break his leg, or lay him senseless It
is the special development Of such
muscles as the sartorius and plan
taris,' he ran his long fingers down
from the outside Of his thigh round to
the inside of his ankle, that enables
a human being, with practice, to kick