Part 3 (2/2)
”He'll either strike first, so as to kill us both and do the looting afterward-and in that case I think it will be easier to break his neck than his ar and thin;-or-”
His eyes feigned sleep so successfully that the native turned away at last
”Thought so!” He dared open his eyes a mite wider ”He's pukka-true to type! Rob first and then kill! Rule number one with his sort, run when you've stabbed! Not a bad rule either, from their point of view!”
As he watched, the thief drew the sheet back froers that could have taken spectacles frolide in and out a theers searched Hyde's body They found nothing So they dived under the pillow and brought out the pistol and a gold watch
After that he began to search the clothes that hung on a hook beside Hyde's berth He brought forth papers and a pocketbook-then -papers and pocketbook into another And that was evidence enough as well as risk enough The knife would be due in amoved 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 (that being much the safest position an unarmed man can take and much the most aard for his eneroping wildly for his pistol and not finding it
King sat up and rubbed his eyes The native drew the knife, and-believing himself in command of the situation-hesitated for one priceless second He saw his error and darted for the door too late With awas there ahead of him; and with another , he threw his sheet as the retiarius used to throw a net in ancient Rome It wrapped round the native's head and arlehold
In another half- had his knife-wrist in two hands and was bending it backhile he pressed the man's stomach with his knees
”Get his loot!” he panted between efforts
The knife fell to the floor, and the thieffor him He seized the knife himself, slipped it in his own bosouessed what he was after Then he kept a tight grip while Hyde knelt to grope for his s, and held therip very gradually The native noticed-as Hyde did not-that King had begun to see up, trying to divine his next intention Suddenly the brakes went on, but King's grip did not tighten The train began to screa (the absent-rinned
”If I weren't in such an infernal hurry to reach Bohed aloud then, for the thief knew English, and was listening with all his ears, ”-et off at this station and wait to see that scoundrel brought to justice!”
The train jerked itself to a standstill, and a an to chant the station's na to Bombay to act censor I can't wait-they want ether ceased the heat shut in on them as if the lid of Tophet had been slammed The prickly beat burst out all over Hyde's skin and King's too
”Al to fan hi hold still further, and King ood pretense of pain in his finger-ends as the thief burst free The native made a dive at his bosoious effort, just too late, to clutch theloose a piece of shi+rt; but the fleeing robber must have wondered, as he bolted into the blacker shadows of the station building, why such an iron-fingered, wide-awake sahib should haveat the end
”damn it!-couldn't you hold hi to dress hi leaned out into the laeant of native infantry passing down the train He ht the man to him on the run
”Did you see that runaway?” he asked
”Ha, sahib I saw one running Shall I follow?”
”No This piece of his shi+rt will identify him Take it Hide it! When a man with a torn shi+rt, into which that piece fits, one on, see that he is allowed to send any telegrams he wants to! Only, have copies of every one of the, care of the station-master, Delhi Have you understood?”
”Ha, sahib”
”Grab hiht afterward-but not until he has sent his telegrams!'