The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-03-09


self on his back and whlstled the
whole Of Chopius Funeral March,
mostly off the key.
CHAPTER H. 4
PROFESSOR KENT MAKES A CALL.
Between the roadway and the broad
front lawn Of the Nook a four-toot
rough stone wall interposcs. Looking
un from his painting, Francis Scdg-
wick heheld ia She glare of the after
noon sun, a spare figure rise alertly
upon the wall. descend 10 the road
and rise again He stepped to the
open window and watched a curious
progress. A scrubby-bearded man.
clad in serviceable khaki, was per-
forming 81 stunt, with the wall as
basis lie was walking from east to|
west quite fast. and every third pace
stepping upon the wall; stepping
Sedgwick duly noted, not jumping, the
change IF level being made without
visible effort.
Now. Sedgwick himself was distinct
~ long of leg and lin ber, but he real
lied that he would be wholly incap-
able Of Duplicating the strangers
gracefully accomplished feat without
violent and clumsy eXertion. tunse~
uucntiy he was interested. Leaning
out of the window. he called.
Hello, theref
'b0Du afternoon Bdl1 JE1| Stranger VI
In a quiet cultivated voice.
would you mind telling me what
you are doing on my. wall
Not in the least" replied the
/ bearded man. rising buoyanty into
I fun view and subsidinE again with the
! rhythm of a wave.
/ Well, what are you dong?"
/ Taking a little exercise"
ffy 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 hir-
red downstairs and out into the road
way The stranger continued his per-
Torrance silently. AT closer inspec-
ton it appealed to the artist as even
more mysterious both in purport and
execution than it had looked at dis
Laacex-4..4 s -rse W. r.a-
! "Do you do that often?' he asked
presently.
The gymnast paused, poised like a
Mercury on the high coping. es,
said he. otherwise / shouldn't be
able to do ii at all"
i u should think not, indeed! Has
/ it any particular utility. that form of
exercise r.
Certainly. It is in pursuance of
a theory Of self Defense
What in the world has wall~hop-
, ping to do with self-defense ?"
Il shall expound," said the stranger
, in professional tones, taking a seat by
the unusual method of letting himself
down on one leg while holding the
, other at right angles TO his body. DO
you know anything OF Jtu-1utsu :!
VERY little"
an 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"
NO, / don't perceive ii at all"
"A system of defense is effective In
Then your system consists In step
proportion to its unfan1iliarlty. That
is all.
ping up on a wall and diving into OBJ
security on the farther side, perhaps,
. suggested Sedgwick ironically.
Defense. ! said; not escape, E1s-
cape IL perhaps preferable TO defense,
bat not always SO practicable. No;
I the wall merely served as a temporary
gymnasium while | was waiting"
Waiting for what?"
For you"
'eYou have distinctly the advantage
r of me- said Sedgwick, with a frown
for he was ia no mood to welcome
2 strange visitors.
ITO return to my theory of self-de-
. Tense" said the other imperturbably
? My wall exercise serves To keep linn
Der and active certain muscles that in
the average man are haiA aIopHIeo'
{ ON are fa miiiar with the ostrich!'
! with his proyerbial methods Of OBJ
fuscation," replied Sedgwick.
) The other smiled. THAT. again. Is
escape or attempted escape My ref
srence was to other characteristics.
/. However ] shall demonstrate" He
rose on one foot with an ease that
made the artist stare, descended, Sc
, lected from the roadway a stone ot
. ordinary cobble size. and handed it Ia
! hehgwick.
let That lie on the palm of your
hand, said he, land hold 1t out waist
, high"
As he spoke he was standing tive
feet FROM The other. 70 his right
sedgwick did as he was requested. As
hls hand TOOK position. there was a
twist of the bearded mans 1.-the body,
a sharp click, and the stone. flying III
a rising curve, swished through the
LEAKAGE of a lilac fifty feet away.
How did you do that?" cried the
artist,
The other showed a slight indenta.
tion an the inside of his right boot
heel and then swung his right foot
slowly and steadily UP behind his left
knee, and let il lapse into position
again. AT shoulder height" he eX-
planned, II could have done the same {,
hat 1t woad have bro&en yea hand. =
4 see" said the other, adding with
+ dstastc bat 10 kick an opponent!
Why. even as Il boy was taught"
ave were NOT speaking Of child s
: PLAY, said the visitor eoolly; nor am
. 1 concerned with the rules Of the prize
ring. AS applied TO my theory When
I one Is ia danger. one uses knife or
gum. If az hand prefer a less dead
~ ana more effective weapon. Kick
, ing siocwise. either to the front or TO
! the rear / can diNarm man. break
his leg ar lay him scnseIess. 1t is the
special development 81 such muscles
as the sartorus and plantaris,' he
ran his long hngcrs G0wn from the
outside of h,s thigh round to the in
side - his al<ie, that enables hui
: man being, with practice, 10 kick Ike
an ostrich. Since you found me exer~
cising on your property, I owe you this
explanation. hope you won't prose-
cute for trespass, Mr. Long Lean
: I4eggy ScagWick
"Lesgyi" The artist had whirled at
the name. "Nabody's called me that
for ten years
Just tea years ago that you grad =