Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1914-07-22
"He's a sort Of harmless scientific

crank, explained JARVIS; comes from |
Washington; something to do with the |
government work"
"Kinder loony, think" conjectured
little, thin, piping man. MUSES.
and moves around like it"
rs that SOP said Sailor Smith, who
still had his eyes fixed on the scarifed
neck. well, amt any too dunn sure
thet he's az big fool as some folks
know thet thinks ikelier Of their
selves. He seen there was somethin'
queer about thet rope, an he asst me
about the knots, right off,
Possibly the eIe supporter OF the
absent would lave wavered in his 10y
atty had he seen the trove that Pro
fessor Chester Kent had carried un-
ostentatiously from the beach. in his
pocket, after picking it from the graf
ing. 1t was the fuzzy cocoon of a
small and quite unimportant insect.
The Washington scientist, seated on a
bowlder opened up the cocoon with alb
sorbed interest. pricked it until the
impotent inmate wriggled in protest,
and then cast it aside to perish.
Between the roadway and the broad
front lawn of the Nook a four foot,
rough stone wall interposes. Looking
up from his painting. Francis Sedg-
wick beheld in the glare of the after
noon sun spare figure rise alertly
upon the wall, descend to the road and
rise again. He stepped to the open
window and watched a curious prog
ress. A scrubby bearded man clad in
serviceable 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 eff
fort.
Leaning out of the window he called:
Hello, therev'
Good afternoon" said the stranger,
in quiet, cultivated voice.
would you mind telling me what
you are doing on my wall?"
''Not in the least" replied the beard
ed 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 in
stead of his left Sedgwick hurried
downstairs and out into the roadway.
The stranger continued his perform
ance silently.
DO you do that often?' he asked
presently.
The gymnast paused. poised like a
Mercury on the high coping. Yes"
said he. otherwise 1 shouldn't be able
to do it at all. 1t is in pursuance Of
theory Of self defense"
what in the world has wall hopping
to do with self defenseY
81 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 jujutsu?'
Every little"
TN 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 it at ALL
"a system Of defense is effective in
proportion to it's unfamiliarity. That
is ALL"
Then your system consists in STEP
ping up on a wall and diving into
| obscurity on the farther side perhaps"
suggested Sedgwick ironically.
Defense. said, not escape. Es-
| cape is perhaps preferable to defense,
but not always so practicable. No;
| the wall merely served as a temporary
| gymnasium while | was waiting for
you"
You have distinctly the advantage
| of me-" said Sedgwick, with a frown,
| for he was in no mood to welcome
| strange visitors.
ITO return to my theory of self de-
fense." said the other imperturbably.
| My wall exercise serves to keep
timber and active certain muscles that
in the average man are half afro
phied."
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 be. land hold it out, waist
| high
AS he spoke he was standing two
feet from the other to his right. Sedg-
wick did as he was requested. AS his
hand took position there was a twist
of the bearded mans 1.-THE body, a
sharp click. and the stone. flying in a
rising curve, swished through the leaf
age of a lilac fifty feet away.
How, do 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 If lanSo info DOSitiOn