Evening star., 1917-09-09
BY
SAX
ROHMER

my ear. so closely as almost to toaca
it-and struck with dull thud the van
beyond.
''Bristolr' I whispered.
But. as raised my eyes to him ho
seemed to crumple up. and fell loosely
forward into the patch Of moonlight
spread upon the nor,
In a cold sweat of fear I crouchsd
therefor 1t had become evident to me
shadow.
There was . rustIing in the buaAss
on the left: but before could tmu In
claimed elsewhere. Over into the
loggia leaped an almost naked brown
figure.
1t was that of a small but stroaely
built man. who carried q short 81
ceedingly thick bamboo rod In his
hand with some kind OF leather thong
or loop attached to the end
The panic fear of the supernatural
was strongly upon me. and I was un-
able to realize that this eastern ap-
blood. With my nerves strung up to
swapping point 1 crouched watching
him. He entered the room. bending
over the body Of Bristol.
A hot breath famed my cheek.
At that. my overwrought nerves be-
trayed me. 1 utter q stided CRY, lock-
ing upward-and into a pair Of glsam-
ing eyes which looked down into minel
For a second the brown man (who
must have entered by one OF the win
dows overlooking tho shubbery) was
bending over me.
Scarcely knowing what did. fa1Dsd
my revolver and blazed straight into
the dimly seen face. Down upon ms
silently dropped a naked body. and
something warm came flowing over my
hand But knowing my foes to be flesh
and blood, feeling myself at handgrfps.
now, with a palpable enemy. I threw
off the body. leaped up and fired.
though blindly, at the flying shape that
flashed across the loggia and was lost
in the shadow pools under the elms.
Upon the din of my shooting fell
silence like a cloak moment I
listened. tense. still: then ] turned TO
the table and lighted the lamp.
In its light ! saw Bristol lying like
big heavy lump OF clay. 1t had bssa
shaped like a ball. but now it was nat
tened out curiously. Bending over my
unfortunate companion and learning
that. though unconscious. he lived. 1
learned, too. how the Hashaehin oon-
trived to strike men insensible without
approaching them. l learned that the
one whom I had shot, who lay in his
blood almost on the spot where Prof.
Deeping once had lain. was an expert
singer
The continuance which, in common
with the other who had escaped. he
carried was a sling of ancient Persian
type. In place of stones. heavy Jumps
of clay were used, which operated
much the same as sandbag while
enabling the operator to work from
a considerable distance.
1t had been a divine accident which
had caused me TO drop my revolver.
and. STOPPING to recover 1t. unknow-
ingly to Illustrate the design OF the sec
ond singer upon myself The light of
the lamp fell upon the face of the dead
Hashishin- He lay forward. upon his
hands crouching almost. but with his
face. his dreadful. featureiess face.
twisted up at me from under his left
shoulder.
And then. as stood between that
horrid exultation which is born Of kill
ing and the panic which threatened me
out OF the darhness, ! saw something
advancing - slowly y-slowly-from the
elm shades toward the loggis.
1t was shape-it was n shadow.
Silent it came-on-and on. Where
the dusk lay deepest. it paused-unde.
fined: for l could give It no name Of
man o. spirit. But a horror seemed
to proceed from it as light from a
lamp.
sroped about the table near to me.
never taking my eyes from that sinister
form outside. AS my fingers closed
upon the telephone. distant voices and
the sound of running footsteps to>
those who had heard the shots) came.
welcome. to my ears.
The form stirred, seeming TO raise
phantom arms in execration-and
stray moonbeam pierced the darkness
shrouding it. For fieeting instant
before it was gone something flashed
venomously.
The sounds grew nearer. / could tell
that the ewcofners had found Morris
lying at the gate Yet still 1 stood.
frozen with uncanny fear. and watch
ing-watching the spot to which that
stray beam had pierced: the spot whore
7 had seen the moon gleam upon the
Ring of the Prophet.
Copyright, 1916. by the Mcclure Newspaper
Syndicate
The next story in the series will -
The Hand OF n Thief.