The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1917-05-14

King moved in his sleep, rather
noisily, and the movement knocked a
book to the door from the foot Of his
berth. The noise of that awoke Hyde
and King pretended to begin to wake,
yawning, and rolling on his back (that
being much the safest position an un-
armed man can take and much the
most awkward for his enemy.
"Thieves!" Hyde yelled at the top
of his lungs, cropping wildly for his
pistol and not finding 1t.
King sat up and rubbed his eyes.
The native drew the knife. and-be-
lieving himself in command of the
situation-hesitated for one priceless
second. He saw his error and darted
for the door too late. With a move
ment unbelievably swift King was
there ahead of him; and with another
movement not so swift, but much
more disconcerting, he threw his
sheet as the retiarius used to throw
net in ancient Rome. 1t wrapped
round the natives head and arms, and
the two went together to the floor in
twisted stranglehold.
In another half-minute the native
was groaning, for King bad his knife
wrist in two hands and was bending
it backward while he pressed the
mans stomach with his knees.
Get his loot" he painted between
efforts.
The knife fell to the floor. and the
thief made a gallant effort to recover
II, but King was too strong for him.
He seized the knife himself, slipped
1t in his own bosom and resumed his
hold before the native guessed what
he was after. Then he kept tight
grip while Hyde knelt to grope for his
missing property. The major found
both the thief's bags, and held them
up.
IT expect that's ALL" said King. loos-
ening his grip very gradually. The
native noticed-as Hyde did not
that King had begun to seem almost
absent-minded; the thief lay quite
still. looking up, trying to divine his
next intention. Suddenly the brakes
went on, but Kings grip did not tight
en-. The train began to scream itself
to standstill at wayside station,
and King (the absent-minded) very
nearly grinred.
"If I weren't in such an internal
hurry to reach Bombay -" Hyde
grumbled; and King nearly laughed
aloud then, for the thief knew Eng
fish, and was listening with all his
ears, may I be damned If l would
not get Off at this station and wait to
see that scoundrel brought to justice"
The train jerked itself to a stand
still, and a man with lantern began
to chant the stations name.
Damn it!-I'm going to Bombay to
act censor. I can't wait-they want
me there"
The instant the trains motion alto
gether ceased the heat shut In on
them as if the lid of Tophet had been
slammed The prickly heat burst out
all over Hyde's skin and Kings too.
Almighty Cod" gasped Hyde, be-
ginning TO fan himself.
There was plenty of excuse for re-
Taxing hold still further, and King
made full use of it. A second later he
gave a very good pretense of pain in
his flnger-ends as the thief burst free.
The native made dive at his bosom
for the knife, but he frustrated that.
Then he made prodigious effort, just
too late, to clutch the man again, and
he did succeed in tearing loose piece
of shirt; but the fleeing robber must
have wondered, as he bolted into the
blacker shadows of the station build
ing, why such an iron-fngered, wide