The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1918-01-18
Thought sow He dared open


Thought sol" He dared open
eyes mite wider. "He's pukka-true
to type! Rob first and then killr
AS he watched, the thief drew the
sheet back from Hyde's face, with
trained fingers that could have taken
spectacles from the victims nose with
out his knowledge. Then as fish glide
in and out among the reeds without
touching them, swift and soft and UNI
seen, his fingers searched Hyde's body.
They found nothing.
King moved In his sleep, rather
noisily, and the movement knocked
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 nm
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 move
ment unbelievably swift King was
there ahead Of him; and with anotheT1
movement not so swift, but much sno2/
disconcerting, he threw his sheet
the retiarius used to throw a
ancient Rome. It wrapped roy4
natives head and arms, and the two
went together to tho floor in twisted
stranglehold.
In another half-minute the native
was groaning. for King had his knife
wrist in two hands and was bending 1t
backward while he pressed the mans
stomach with his knees.
The knife fell to the floor. and the
thief made gallant effort to recover
it, 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 The train screamed itself to a
standstill at a wayside station, and
man with 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
Tophet had been slammed. The prick
ly heat burst out all over Hyde's skin
and Kings too.
There was plenty Of excuse for re-
Taxing hold, and King made full use Of
it. A second later he gave very good
pretense Of pain in his finger ends as
the thief burst free. The native made
a dive at his bosom for the knife, but
he frustrated that. Then he made a
prodigious effort, Just too late, to
clutch the man again, and he did sue
coed in tearing loose piece Of shirt:
but the fleeing robber must have Won
dered, as he bolted into the blackcr
shadows Of the station building, why
such an iron-fingered. wide-awake
sahib should have made such truly
feeble showing at the end.
Slang it!-couldn't you hold him7
Were you afraid Of him, or what?" de-
manded Hyde, beginning to dress him
self. Instead Of answering, King leaned
out into the lamp-lit gloom. and In a
minute he caught sight of sergeant
Of native infantry passing down the
train. He made sign that brought
the man to him on the run.
ibid you see that runaway" he
asked.
"Ha, sahib. saw one running. Shall
I follow?"
"No. This piece of his shirt win
identify him. Take it. Hide it When
man with torn shirt, into which
that piece fits, makes for the telegraph
office after this train has gone on, see
that he is allowed to send any tele-
grams he wants to! Only, have copies
of every one of them wired to Captain
King, care Of the stationmaster, Delhi.
Have you understood"
"Ha, sahib."
"Grab him. and lock him up tight
afterward-but Lot until he has sent
his telegrams!"
"Atcha, sahib."
snake yourself scarce, then"
Major Hyde was dressed, having per-
formed that military evolution In some
thing less than record time.
"Who was that you were talking
TOT" he demanded. But King did not
seem to understand until the native
sergeant had quite vanished into the
shadows.
The engine shrieked Of death and
torment; the heat relaxed as the en-
CINE moved-loosened-let go-lifted
Mt last, and trainload of hot passen-
gers sighed thanks.
'What are you looking at?" Hyde
demanded at last, sitting on Kings
berth.
"Only knife" said King. He was
standing under the dim gas lamp that
helped make the darkness more I'M
bearable. He slowed the knife away