New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1917-11-16

StiuhS'it NitlIout hlthiiS Va III SiioCS,
drew n sheet up over his shoulders. On
the opposite berth Hyde covered his
head, to keep dust out of his hair, and
presently King heard him begin to
snore gently. Then. very carefully he
adjusted his OWL position so that his
profile lay outlined in the dim light
from the gas lamp in the roof. He
might almost have been waiting to be
shaved. Long after midnight his
vigil was rewarded by a slight sound
at the door. From that instant his eyes
We're on the watch, under dark closed
lashes; but his even breathing was
that of the seventh stage of sleep that
knows no dreams.
the appearance of n hand. With skill,
of the sort that only special training
"A develop, a man in native dress in
simulated himself into the carriage
without making another sound Of any
kind. Kings ears are r'rt of the
equipment for his eXacting business,
but he could not hear the door click
shut again.
For about five minutes, while the
train swayed headlong into Indian
darkness, the man stood listening and
watching Kings face. He stood so
near that King recognized him for the
n who had accosted him on Rawal-
Pindi platform. And he could see the
outline Of the knife-hilt that the mans
fingers clutched underneath his shirt.
He feigned sleep so successfully that
the native turned away at last.
Thought sol" He dared open his
eyes a mite wider. Hes pukka-true
to type! Rob first and then kill !"
AS he watched, the thief drew the
sheet back from Hyde's face. with
trained fingers that could have taken
spectacles from the victims Ose with
out his knowledge. Then as fish glide
in and out among the reeds without
touching them, swift and soft and un-
seen, his fingers searched Hyde's body.
They found nothing.
King moved In his sleep, rather
noisily, and the movement knocked a
book to the floor 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 Chat
being much the safest position an I'M
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 it.
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 a net In
ancient Rome. 1t wrapped round the
natives head and arms, and the two
st~ranglehold.
In another half-minute the native
was grooming, for King had his knife
wrist in two hands and was bending it
backward while he pressed the mans
stomach with his knees.
The knife fell to the floor, and the
thief made a gallant effort to recover
it. but King was too strong for him.
He seized the knife himself, slipped it
in his own bosom and resumed his hold
before the native guessed what he was
after. The train screamed itself to a
standstill at a wayside station, and a
man with n lantern began to chant
the stations name. The instant the
trains motion altogether ceased the
heat shut in on them as If the lid of
had been slammed. The prick
~ heat burst out all over Hyde's skin
and Kings too.
There va plenty of excuse for re-
laxing hold, and King made full use of
t. A second later he gave a very good
p~retense of pain in his finger ends as
the thief burst free. The native made
4 dive at his bosom for the knife, but
he frustrated that. Then he made a
)rodigiOus effort, just too late, to
the man again, and he did sue
iced in tearing loose a piece of shirt;
out the fleeing rObber must have won