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Show rara Ur4suk $&3MRCIN BARBER, , fefep rntj t.iffww im wnmii-pm , .. in pi m mi hi ii riwiiii mil mm "omi "Hurt Much?" Asked tht Detective Coolly. at the other, am! they stood pulling in opposite directions, thus tlrhtiulrijr the loop ahout the pistol. When the grip of the tub on the weapon was firm enough, It wa comparatively easy to swing the revolver from the tab! to the rhlfrnler. Hrltz gripped the gun with n Intake of breath that betokened satisfaction. "Now, then, doc," he snld briskly. "I.et'B see If we can't put the reverse English on that (iarden of Eden episode. epi-sode. Here's where the need of the woman ti mines the serpent with bis heel." "I would ad vine you to do your bruising at long dlHtancc," said Fitch, "and unlcHg you have more cartridges about you, I wouldn't waste a shot. You won't find It easy to Lit him." Hrltz in a moment or two realized, the doctor spoke true. The swaying, neutral-tinted body was no easy mark for the most practiced inarksmnn. Ills first shot went wide. The bullet Imbedded Ititelf In a leg of the tablo with a rasping sound that only Infuriated Infuri-ated the cobra the more. Hrltz lil:i nerve slightly shaken by tho miss, fired again quickly, shivered the bowl of the narghlleh, and caused tho snake to oscillate more and more violently. vio-lently. It became apparent he would gain nothing by aiming at Its head. "I'll have a try at lilm 'midships," he said. Only three loaded cartridges remained re-mained in the revolver, and as Iirlti found no extra ones In any of hht pockets, he knew he must make the most of those he had. A third time the pistol cracked. The bullet grazed the serpent's flesh. It did not injure the spine. Quickly the upraised part of the body innk upon the coll, but it reared itself again In an Instant, and the furious darting of the tongue revealed re-vealed that the reptile was more enraged en-raged than ever. "Want to take a crack at It, doc?" asked the detective, handing the weapon to the physician. ' Fitch had no poor Idea of himself as a fancy shot, but ho found his muscular control too sadly sunken by his narrow escape from the cobra to shoot straight. Ills shot the fourth was a wider miss than any of the detective's de-tective's had been. He banded the pistol back to the Headquarters man and shook bis head. "You're the man to stay on the firing fir-ing line," he said. flrlt eyed the revolver grimly. In Its blue-steel chamber were four empty cartridges and only one that held the potentiality of release from their dangerously uncertain refuge on -the chiffonier. Crooking his left arm, he used the sngle made b'y bis elbow as a rest and leveled the long blue barrel of the blgcallbered weapon steadily. Pausing until the swaying of the serpent diminished as much as It apparently was going to do, he fired. A writhing, twisting snarl was the result. The cobra colled and uncoiled with electric rapidity, traveling In circles cir-cles all over the space between the chiffonier and the tablo whence Hrltz had lassoed tht pistol. Dainty the reptile was hit mortally wounded, he thought, but as he started to descend Impatiently, Fitch seized him and literally lit-erally flung him back on the chiffonier's chiffon-ier's smooth top. "Not yet," said the doctor, nervously. nervous-ly. "Lot's wait a minute." It was profitable patience. For after probably a minute of terrible strugg'e, the cobrs. returned to its coll nnd once more reared Its head. The gray body throbbed fiercely, but closer scrutiny showed the man the snnke had not been hit with fatal result. Suddenly the physician seized Hilts' arm In a nervous grasp. "Hy Juptter!" he exclaimed. "You've shot out Its tongue!" (TO RE roNTINCBn.) SYNOPGtS. Tim storv nofn with a acrenm fmm Porothy March In the opera ho of Mm. MlMSloll.T, ft wealthy Wld'lW. It In OC-raslnncd OC-raslnncd whi"n Mm Mission) r' neck lacs breaks, muttering the diamond nil over Ilia flour. Curtis Urtswnhl hiiiI Hrut'-n Hands, siwdcly nien In lova with Mrs. M:s- miier, ituihi-r up the Kenis. (irlnwohl li a on what Is supposed to hy tint c l- tinned Mahurnnce nml crushes )! A Hindoo Hin-doo declares If wm not the ge.iulne. An npi'rt luier pronounces nil ttia stoning ; ffiltut)' for tho original. (Jim of the mlns'nif diamonds la found In the room f Klinor Hoh'ointj, conlldrnli.l companion compan-ion of Mrs. Mlsslnner, Ktie Is arresi.il, notwithstanding Mrs Mlsshmer's belief In tier Innocence. Meantime, In in uptown up-town mansion, two Hindoos, who are In Amcrlit to recover thn Maharanee, discuss dis-cuss the nrrcMt. Hetecllve lirils takes mi the ciisB. Ho nska the co-operation of IT. Fitch, Elinor's fiance, In rininlnK down Iho real criinlniil. Hi MX learn that duplicates of Mrs Mtssluii'-r's diamonds were tiuulo In 1'nrls on thn order of timer llolcnnib. ill In WHlklnif Hrlts Is seized, bound and winvi' tv Hindoos. He ts iinprlsoiifil In deserted house, but makes his escape. Hrlls discovers an Insane In-sane rilnuiood expert wtiom he believes was riiili-ynl by either Hands ef flrls-wold flrls-wold to make counterfeits of the Mlsslon-rr Mlsslon-rr sr-tux. (lilswold Inlluiates thst Hinds Is on Iho vcran of fulliire. Two Hindoos (lurnlurly.e the noma of Bnds slid nra raptured by lirils. On nun of them bo finds a note signed by "Mllhci nt" and ad-drcs"d ad-drcs"d to "f 'urtls." Hrlls locates a woman wo-man named M'Micent I'claroche, to whom , Orlswold hns been pavlmj niiirked atten tions. Tim Hwaml attends a hall st Mrs. Hierli niT's borne, but learns nothlm; fur-Cher fur-Cher alieut the dlaitiiinds. Hrlts disunited ss a lli cf, vls'ts the Hpirtmcnt of Milll- etit. Iln finds a box thn once con-lalio-d the inlHsInt: Ulauiomls, hut It Is rniily, CHAPTER XXII. (Continued.) "To head off the Hindoos," cried fritz. "Let's get a cab." Hut the last taxlcab on the lienalssance stand bid been chartered an hour before by a swarthy man who seemed to be In great haste. That much Hrltz learned from the Inspector In charge of tho stand. Hrltz ami Filch rounded round-ed the coiner of the hotel. Close to lib' curb stood a private coupe. The ronchnvw doubtless on a long wait, was noi'dlng sleepily. Hrltz Jerked open door of thn carrlnge. "Juirp in, quick!" he cried, and Fitch, who loug s?o had learned to cirry out Hrltz" suggeatlons without slopping to tihk niiestlona, sprang Into the cab. Hrltz slHtntiied the door with a violence tint awoke the coHchm:in. Ik-fore the driver could titter a word of protest the athletic detective reached the box beside him In a slnffle bap, pushed hlm off with a shove that landed the. amazed Jehu on his ti ri h inds and knees on the sidewalk, """ eized the reins, , snatched the whip, and put the horse to a gallop. As he sped away, he hatttlly changed the whip to the hand that held the rib- I boits, and, whirling from his pocket a card that read, "Detective Lleuten- ant Hrltz, Police Headquarters," he i flung it st the prostrate coachman I with the words: "Call there tomor- ' row for your rig." i Then, with tho horse straining at i tho traces In Indignant surprise, Hrltz drove at breakneck speed down the I aenue. turning sharply at the first I convenient comer and heading east tow ard the mysterious brown stone 1 dwelling wherein he bad held his In- foresting Interview In regard to the I ways of the Orient with the Eastern i sage. 1 The galloping horse and the sway- I Ing carriage shook tho echoes or the i silent streets, and at several avenue crosfilngs traffic policemen started to I halt the Central Oilice man. Hut In ' each Instance the detective shouted: I "I'm Hrltz, of Headipiarters!" and I thnt averted interruption as ho dashed 1 on toward the Swaml's bouse at top I speed. Arriving there, be hastily handed the ribbons to a patrolman ( who chanced to be at that end of the i beat, and, followed closely hy Fitch, 1 be ran up the steps and pushed the I button of tho eU-cric bell, inside the i house, the burr-rr of the little gong " sounded piercingly. Iirlti and Fltcn i listened impatiently at the outer door i of the vestibule for responsive steps, but none came. Then the detective recalled the thickness of the rugs and ( carpets In the house, and did not at once conclude no one was within. I'ntll he bad rung the bell several times In vain he did not accept the t fact that the house either was untenanted, unten-anted, or was occupied by persons t who did not see fit to answer. A word 1 to .the bluecoat on the sidewalk, sc- companled by a flash of a shield on I the detective's waistcoat, had told 1 him the visit was matter of pollre -business. Then Hrltz ran down the steps and tried the basement door. 1 The detective was equally unsuccess- I ful In bis demands to obtain a re- I sponse to bis ring of the lower bell, t He ran up the steps again and once t more pushed the button of the elec- t trie csll. No answer come. Hrlts I turned the handle of the door. To his i astonishment. It turned freely, and I st a gentle push the door swung In- t ward. The Inner door of the vestibule i was ajar. Hrltz and Fltcb entered I cautiously. Their feet fell silently on the heavy Oriental rug. They found I themselves In complete darkness. ! The glimmer from the street lamp did i of penetrate more than a foot or two I beyond the inner door. Hrlts whisked out bU electric torch and turned Its I miniature besdllgbt on the passage 1 and on the area leading to the upper i part of tbe house. "Hello!" be railed. "Is anybody i mr i Bl'.ene as heavy and oppressive as I the darkaeu byoo4 tbe radiance of his little pocket lamp answered him again. The two men, the detective slightly In advance, walked quickly along the hall to the door at the rear, where Hrltz parted the portieres aud looked Into the big room in which he hud Interviewed the Eastern scholar. Its appearance was much the same as It had been on bis preceding visit, save that as bis practiced eye dwelt more persistently upon It, he noted the disappearance of many small articles, arti-cles, particularly a porphyry Huddha that had sat within a little shrine upon the wall. The spartmtnt bad the seeming of having been subjected to a surface stripping by persons about to leave it In a hurry. Few of the solemn sol-emn books that had been scattered about the room remained. Among the Oriental objects still In tho room was the narghlleh from which the sage was fond of drawing a smoker's consolation. con-solation. "Gone, eh?" said Fitch, in an undertone. un-dertone. Hrltz nodded. "Think we had better look upstairs?" up-stairs?" asked the doctor. With another swift nod the detective detec-tive turned on bis heel and led the way from Poor to floor until they reached the lop of the house. They glanced into every room aud explored the larger apartments thoroughly. All were empty. Here and there they found evidences of hasty packing. In various rooms were queer jumbles of tbe Fast and West linen collars with single hairline stripes of delicate tints lay besldo Oriental scraps of manifest mani-fest fineness. On one rack hung a Derby hat, on ano;hr a turban like that worn by the Swam!, and like the kerchief Hrltz lad found on th fire ei-capo of the 11 itel Kemilsrance. One of the innxt In'erestlr.g finds was a sclmlisr with a Jeweled hilt and a blade of wondi rful keenness. Hrltz drev It from Its scabbard and was about to feel the edge when Fitch stopped him with a swift gesture. "Ikm't touch It, lieutenant," said tho doctor. "One never knows what criminal tricks thene beggars play with their weapons." As tho detective looked at him Inquiringly, In-quiringly, be added: "A sword or dagger Is as likely to be poisoned as not. in fact, they prefer pre-fer poisons to straight fighting." Convinced there was no one in the upper part of the house, the two men descended to the main floor and reentered re-entered the reception room at the rear. "This was their den," said nrltz explanatory, ex-planatory, as he began a closer search i nf the room. "We may find a trace of Ihetn In some of their papers. It's i s'orth a few minutes to make a hunt 1 Get busy, doc!" And the detective i rummaged through drawer after draw-rr, draw-rr, Fitch following bl example. They i found many unusual articles, but nothing that gave an Inkling of the dl- I rectlon of thn Hindoos' flight for It i was certain the Orientals had depart- I d hastily, having gained their object ; In getting possession of the Mlssloner necklace. Hrltz had no smallest doubt ' tbe Easterners had anticipated him ; In the burglary of Mrs. Delaroche's I ipartmcnts. He did not believe any i if the low-caste Hindoos would have i tiecn skilful enough to get Into the somtn's rooms, so near the top of the Imlldltm. In his opinion, the gems bad been filched from Mlllleent's pillow ( by either the Swam) or the I'rlnce , It was typical of the clever cunning if th hlnh caste Orientals to take sn'y the Jewels and leave the casket ,inder the pillow, so that Mrs. Dela- , roche shnulil not miss the stones tin- 111 the last moment possible. They must have picked the lock. , Hrltz had ended his exploration of i Ihe last table drawer, and wss turning I to a lacquered desk, when Fitch, with i i cry of unmistakable alarm, gripped i tils wrist and dragged him toward the i llvan, and with a bound stood upon Its yielding surface. i "Jump up, quick!" said the doctor, plucking at the detective's arm as he i r.poke Hrlts had experienced too ninny niergencles in his csreer to waste lime in qunestlons. When anyone of -sbose friendliness he felt sure told film to Jump, run, or duck, obedience ; to the command was his first Instinct , time enough for explanation after- si'ard. He leaped to the springy sofa ; beside the physician, and turned to , tlnd the doctor's arm stretched tense- i ly, ending In a quivering forefinger :hat pednfed at something moving icross the space between the divan ind door. Even as the two looked at i t, the motion of the creature ceased, ind two beady eyes were turned in their direction. Fitch dragced the letectlve to the other end of the sofa , ind began climbing to tbe top of a tall chiffonier that stood against the wall. Hrltz needed no further word from his friend. The physician's haste wss sufficient Indication that tbey were In grave peril, and though Ihe tall chest of drawers made slippery slip-pery climbing, he was beside the doctor doc-tor with marvelous quickness. When both were safely on the top of tbe chiffonier, Fitch lowered a foot and with a powerful shove sent the divan i yard or more away. Then he drew his feet to the top of their perch, and bade Hrlts do tbe same. That done. Fitch mopired his brow with a hand j "That's what It looks like," assented Fitch. "I'nleBH," Hrltz continued, "we can get that gun" 'And use It effectively." put In Fitch. "I'm something of a shot," the detective detec-tive ventured, meditatively. "Maybe I could hit It, and maybe I could get that gun." His eyes, ranging the room in t'r.e Immediate neighborhood of the chiffonier, chif-fonier, had alighted upon the water pipe. The long, flexlblo rubber stem of the narghlleh was stretched across tho tablo an. I the mouthpiece hung over the back of a chair within a few feet of the top of the chiffonier. "I'll try It," said the detective decisively, decis-ively, "(live a hand here, doc!" Fitch hooked one arm about the ornamental or-namental knob at the back of the chiffonier, chif-fonier, and with his free hand gripped the detective's left wrist. Hrltz, his left hand clutching the doctor's sleeve, the toe of his left boot thrust between the chiffonier and the wall, leaned far out In an attempt to reach the tube of the water pipe. Ho withdrew his arm quickly, however, and gnve a little nervous cough as the drab death that lay coiled In the middle of the floor straightened Its sinister length and glided swiftly across the room, then coiled Itself once more directly under the spot where the detective's stretching stretch-ing fingers had been. Once more tbe head arose with that strange, sinuous, swaying motion, and It began to move slowly back and forth, while the glistening glis-tening eyes seemed to shoot sparks toward to-ward the man who hung at such fearful fear-ful hazard above It. "Gee!" said Hrltz. "This Is getting a little too close for comfort. How far can tbut thing stretch, doctor?" "No higher than that," answered Fitch, "at least. I think not. I understand under-stand the cobra can strike only straleht forward." ".Sure It can't make an upper cut?" Inquired" tho sleuth. "I'm not going to say positively. I'm not sure of anything with that kind of a brute," Fitch answered. "Tho best way Is to take no chances. Let me have a try for the gun." A bifurcated scarlet thread, the slender forked togue of tho reptile, darted in and out of Its gaping jaws In a treuzled way. It was apparent to anyone be be scientist or layman that the serpent was In a white heat of fury. Woe betide the human flesh that came within reach of that eager, death-dealing death-dealing venom. Hrltz, though he was known the length and breadth of the department as the coolest proposition under Manning's Man-ning's command, frankly shuddered as he watched the undulating menace of the serpent's body, and the staccato play of the tongue that seemed to mock him with the deadly humor of a llend. He was willing to risk his life. If need be, to prevent the escape of the dark, subtle enemies whose demoniacal de-moniacal Ingenuity had caught him In uch a trap, for trapped he seemed to be beyond the possibility of escape. That they had matched their cunning .gainst his cold, hard. Occidental skill and common sense, only made him the more determined to outwit, outplay, outfight them. "No, doc," said the detective firmly. "It was my fool carelesness that left that gun on that table, and It's up to me to get It. Yon hold me fast and sit tight, and if anybody gets stung. It'll be me." Once fcgaln Hrltz, warily watching the snake, stretched forth his arm. stretched his fingers until he could almost al-most feel them crack and strained tils muscle almost beyond endurance. Ihe while his nerve was subjected to Ihe severest test of all his experience. At last he nipped the smtsith amber of Ihe plpestem's mouthpiece between Ihe tips of his first and second fln-fters. fln-fters. It was the slightest of grasps; but so steady were the nerves of the Headquarters man that although the ;obra In its swaying seemed to approach ap-proach ever nearer the arm anil naked wrist that shrank Involuntarily from Ihe fanoled deaththniBt of those gleaming fangs, still he did not flinch. He clung to the plpestem. his fingers iteadlly drawing It toward him until tie bad a firm clutch on the rubber tube. Then wiU a powerful upward ind backward heave, he regained his position on tbe chiffonier, the twisting bose gripped In his hand. The other nd of tbe plpestem still was attached to the bowl of the narghileh. As the tube festooned between the table and the chiffonier. It went close to the lead of tbe cobra. Lightning like, the lead dashed toward It. fangs bristling, ind only a quick twitch of the detec-ilve's detec-ilve's fingers snatched the stern be-roml be-roml the rvach of those olon freight-id freight-id Ivory needles. That Jerk freed the other end of the tube from the pipe bowl, and Hrltz quickly looped It In his hsnds. Holding both ends of the long stem, he knotted a single loop In the middle mid-dle and flung It like a double lariat upon the table beside the pistol. Slow-ly Slow-ly dragging tbe plpestem back, ho pulled It, after several trials, about the chamber of tbe weapon. Then, handing one end of the tube to tbe doctor, Hrlts Uok bold of the other. Fiplalnlng bis purpose to Fitch In Urn words. Tim tfeteclit stretcitasj bis arm away from the chiffonier at one end; the (hriU-Ian did tbe same kerchief, which, crisp one Instant, was limp the next. "I'retty close call," he said, when speech was restored to him. "What Is It?" asked Hrltz. "What Is It?" exclulnied the doctor. "Well, only tbe most dangerous thing Infinite wisdom has seen fit to place In that wonderland of the East." "Snake?" asked the detective. "Snake!" cried Fitch. "That's not the word, man. It Is the most poisonous poison-ous serpent known to scientists the terrible cobra dt capello, of Hlndo-Btan. Hlndo-Btan. A single touch of its fangs Is Ihe beginning of the end the way to s swift finish. " "Hurt much?" asked the detective, coolly. "It Is said to be the most frightful torture man can experience death by I cobra's poison. Science has not yet found an antidote. If a rattler bites von, you may save your life with whisky If you get It soon enough. When a cobra sets his teeth lu you, ,ou don't have time to drink the whls-ty. whls-ty. even If tbe glass Is at your Hps, in.l nobody knows whether It would do uiy g(xd If you had time to drluk It." A long low whistle was the detec-ive's detec-ive's only expression ef bis apprecla-lon apprecla-lon of their predicament. His study if Oriental lore did not acquaint hlm ith the characteristics of tbe cobra, lint the doctor was a scientist, and Hrltz was willing to take the Informs-ion Informs-ion on trust. It was a situation In which he felt he could afford to dispense dis-pense with experimental knowledge. Tbe thick, beautifully rounded snake, ishcn In color and sinuous of movement, move-ment, appsrently was- not alarmed by he scramble of the doctor and the de-lectlve de-lectlve to the top of the chiffonier, nor ?ven by the swing of the divan under the vigorous push of Fitch's foot. It lowered the head It had lifted a few inches from the floor, and continued Its passage across the room; but a ihort, dry laugh from the sleuth evl-lently evl-lently angered It more than any louder noises. It stopped midway of the room, turning Its head once more toward to-ward the men on their narrow perch. n Involuntary shiver ran through Fitch, ami even Hrltz felt a little un comfortable under the serpent's glittering glit-tering gaze. The creature colled Itself In the centiT of the floor. Its head lifted, lift-ed, and those beady eyes twinkling rurlously. Then began a motion of the head like that of a waterspout to point at least knee high of a tall man. The bead bent forward slightly, and the neck on both sides distended slow- I ly until the loose fle.ih formed a sort of hood behind and slightly above both sides of the na'row, wicked forehead of the serpent. "Iook!" cried Fitch. "That Is tbe unmistakable sign of a cobra, the dead ly hooded snake of India. It Is like no other member of the serpent family. When you see that hood commence t.j come out don't wait to see the rest. "About how long do you think t will stay there, Joctor?" asked the ."etee-tlve. ."etee-tlve. "Until It either gets us or forgets os." answered the physician. "The distension dis-tension of the skin about the neck In thst wsy means thst the beast Is angry. an-gry. Once It is thoroughly aroused. It never gives up until it strikes Its victim, vic-tim, or is killed unless something more startling happens to distract Us attention." "Uather looks as If we were trapped," trap-ped," Hrltz said. "Somewhat," rejoined Fitch. "We're be to stay unless that reptile goes." A'an we kill It, do you think?" asked the detective. "We might if we had a machine gun , have you got a pistol?" "I brought one Into the room." answered an-swered Hrltz, feeling In his pockets, "but I laid It on that table w hen I was going through those drawers. I'retty careless, eh?" Fitch nodded. He was racking his wits for some means of escape which meant, so far as he could see, a method meth-od of killing the snake. It seemed useless use-less to expect help from outside the house. The door between tbe hail and the room In which they were was closed, and before It hung portieres , heavy enough to m utile their loudest shouts. Their only probable chance of ' relief lay In the hope that the blue- i coat would become sufficiently anxious at their failure to return and would enter the house In quest of them, i Even In that rather remote contingency, contin-gency, however, it was far from cer- 1 fain tbey could warn him before the i cobra could glldo across the room and i strike him to death. No, they were i thrown utterly upon their own resources. re-sources. Hrltz agreed with the doctor on that point, as In low tones, so that ' they might not further Inflame the ser- i pent, tbey discussed their situation. i "Guess there's nothing accidental I about this little sunshine being In the ' room," said Hrltz musingly. "Those I Oriental strong armers probably fig- , ured it out that one or both of us I would come here, and so they arranged I this pleasing little surprise party. I i think It Is worthy a place in the society I columns as one of the successes of the 1 season." He made light of the danger because that was his wsy when he was In a ' particularly tight place; but he rea- I llzed the peril by this time as fully as i did tbe doctor. There was nothing hu- I morous In the fact that all the time i they were held prisoners atop the chif- I fonler by the gray death before them, I the Hindoos were doubtless making the i most of the time thus gained for es- cape. True, be had asked that all the I ordinary avenues of escape from the city be watched, and although he took I It for granted Chief Manning would I carry out the request conscientiously, I he was not at all confident the men I sent from the Central Office and from I the various prexinct headquarters i would be proof agalnrt the adroitness I of Indian noblemen, adepts, and thugs. : Moreover. It was es good as certain thst the Swaml, the I'rlnce. and their followers would not seek to flee the 1 city by any ordinary route. Hrlts himself. him-self. hal be been free to continue tbe pursuit, would have looked first to the I mot extraordinary modes of flight compatible with practical conditions. From what he knew of the men, by this time it would not amaze hlm greatly to find they had left the city ; by airship or submarine, slightly lru-I lru-I probable as eltner means of transit might have been a few years be- fore. "Bottled np. doc!" be exelalmed gloomily. , |
