The Bamberg herald. (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, August 21, 1919, Page 7, Image 7
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IV NOVELIZED F
SYNOPSIS.
John Davis and Hawk Morgan, ex*
eeutors of the estate of John Carr.
* miner, disagree over the disposition of
the profits of the mine. Morgan seeking
the gold and Ethel, Carr's adopted
daughter, for himself, and unsuspected
*by Davis whom Ethel really love9.
makes several attempts on the life of
Davis, assisted by an accomplice named
Spider Bellas. Suspicion is diverted to
a mysterious hermit. They go to San
Francisco to get machinery to work
the mine. Morgan seeks the assistance
of Ram Chunder, an Indian fakir, who
plots to kill Davis by means of the
casket of death.
-
trisuut ?.
* k
THE IRON CLUTCH.
? ^ , ?
' John Davis, lured by the sight of
jthe vanishing Ethel Into the room
:where the conspirators had left the
: Casket of Death of the Hindu god,
Siva, and seeing the note lying upon
it, grasped the casket by its handles
to open it Immediately the terrible
power of the casket asserted itself,
r and unable to release the horrible
thing John stood swaying, his vitals
paralyzed by the mysterious force;
which the casket injected into his j
body like venom from the fangs of a '
deadly serpent Swaying and gasp- j
ing, his consciousness gradually leaving
him, for a minute he managed
to retain his feet then with a gasp
collapsed to the carpet At that mo-j
iment Ram Chunder, appearing upon ;
'the scene with a murderous, curvededged
East Indian knife, came steal-;
... ing upon him.
v - < "To make sure," he muttered as he
/ approached.
Then In the act of administering j
the coup de grace he paused as though
petrified,' lifted his head turtlewise,
listened for an instant, then wheeling
like a flash vanished into the next
loom.
"That mrsed Indian." srotvled Mor
gan who had also ,heard the sound.
"We've got to beat it now." With
one accord they rushed to the fire
f " escape with the exception of Ram
Chunder, who, pausing only long
ienough to make a few mystic passes:
.. -over the head of the trance-walking 1
gill, hurriedly joined them.
Awaking in the middle of the
i night, Rainface, wholly devoted to the
W.'' tgjrl, had listened for a moment at
her door to make sure that she was
?sleeping undisturbed. Not hearing
' 'her breathing he cautiously stole a
glance within only to see that her
'bed was empty, the coverlet lying
half upon the floor. Suspecting mis-,
chief and a quick examination of
the suite showing that she was notj
there, he stepped out into the hall,<
.his nose at once becoming aware of j
the presence of the smell of the in- j
v !cense. Convinced that could he fol-1
low the trail of the strange odor to j
.its source he would solve the mystery I
of the girl's disappearance, he traced
it as a setter does the track of a
partridge, a minute later finding himself
standing before the door behind
which she had gone. Throwing it
t open he entered tne room, gun m
hand.
His first glance showed him John
lying upon the floor, the mysterious
casket in his hands. One powerful
kick from the Indian sent the thing of
death flying from the clutch of the
onei who held it, bursting it apart
and scattering its contents over the
Spv floor.
Springs, wires and a pair of electric
batteries went rolling about
Bewildered by it all, Rainface stood
staring stupidly first at the uncoiled
springs and tangled wires, then at the
form of the unconscious John. Instinctively
he had brought one of
Ethers wraps across his arm, and as
his wits slowly returned he laid it
upon a chair and peered from the
window. In the courtyard below the
party was just disappearing around
v a corner, the turbaned Ram Chunder
following in the rear with one hand
raised as though in malediction. Real- j
izing that the escaping ones must j
have made their exit from the ad- j
Joining room he tried the knob. The j
door was locked, but stepping upon a j
Chair he shattered the transom with
the butt of his pistol. Ethel, In the
room beyond, aroused from her trance
by the sound, gave a little scream,
then looking up saw the honest countenance
of Rainface staring down at
her. Obeying his signal she came
unsteadily to the door, unlocked it
and stood upon the threshold. Her
w ' next glance falling upon the prostrate
form of her lover she ran to
him, sinking npon her knees at his
side.
"Bring me water and spirits of am-i
monia from my room," she command;
ed, and the Indian rushed away in
swift obedience. Possessed of those
articles she quickly revived the unconscious
one sufficiently to enable
him to sit up.
"Thank God!" she breathed. "John,
what are you doing here?"
"Something awakened me and I got j
up. I euw you crossing the hall and j
entering a room. I did not know j
what it meant, but feared that some- J
p?
V;-\ *
ii v:
riL5mMv<
ROM V1TAGRAPH f
tiling was wrong and followed. When
I came In you had vanished, but I
saw a casket and a note. I lifted
the box. received a terrible shock and
remember no more." Ethel passed
her hands across her brow.
"And I had a terrible dretm. I saw
a horrible old face, brown and fiendish
and it was calling me. I had to
obey." Rainface, bringing them what
tvfic left nf the box. held it out with
out speaking*
"Storage battery," said John with
a faint grin.
Back in the inner temple of Ram
Chunder's shop, Morgan and the Spider
were engaged in a heated discussion
with the old fakir, who was defending
himself vigorously. The dispute
ended by the Hawk saying:
"All right. We will get him here
in the morning." Ram Chunder bowed
to the god Siva.
"The god will bring him here with
the rising sun."
"He'd better," growled the other.
The fakir pointed to a couch.
"Will the sahibs sleep under Siva's
protection?" Morgan shook his head.
"The sahibs will not. It Is safer
to keep awake when dealing with
you and your gods." Hating both
the Hawk and Spider venomously fou
their blasphemy of his gods, Ram
Chunder bowed ironically to the other.
"I go to avert their wrath from the
sahibs," saying which he left the
room.
Seating himself at a desk in the
next room, Ram Chunder began la-,
borlously writing. Having finished his
note, he sprinkled incenJse over it
and addressed it, "To Sahib Davis, at
thp "MWlrprnrfp FTntpl " thpn Ipaniner
back looked at it malevolently.
"The gods will bring him here with
this," he murmured.
He tapped a gong, and the next moment
Shallum accompanied by a big
Hindu in native costume appeared.
The fakir handed the packet to the
second Hindu.
"Deliver this, Joost Singh," he commanded.
John, having retired to his own J
room after his rescue by Rainface,
found himself unable to sleep. Getting
up he put on his slippers and |
dressing robe and entered the room
across the hall. Once there he began
to make a careful exploration of the
place and its contents. Next seeing a
paper rolled up, he noticed its water
mark, then holding it to the light, read:
" dar Hyderab "
Noting that the label on the batteries
was "San Francisco Electrical
Supply Co. he returned to his own
room and sat down to think it all
over. With the first break of mornVng
he dressed himself for the day
and went to the place of business of
the electrical company, arriving there
Just as it was being opened. Ap* j
proaching a clerk he showed him the
battery and asked if it would be pos- j
sible to trace it to its original purchaser.
The clerk smiled.
"No. We sell hundreds of these, j
Any particular one could not be identified."
"But do you remember having sold
?n*? to anvbodv from India?" pursued
the visitor. The salesman thought |
"I sold a dozen of them last week j
to a wrinkled old Hindu. But I never !
saw him before and don't know his j
name."
"Thanks," replied Davis. Leaving j
the store he stepped into a Hindu j
restaurant and ordered his breakfast, j
engaging the native servant in con- j
versation as he did so.
"Do you know any Hindu fortune j
tellers? I have a fancy for trying I
one." The attendant bowed.
"Many, Sahib, will try to tell your
future. There are Holkar and others,
but the greatest of all is Ram Chunder,
the Holy Yogi."
"Where did he come from?" pursued
the listener.
"From Hyderabad, I think, most
worshiped sir."
Dismissing the other by paying him,
John drew the paper from his pocket
and looked at the watermark again.
" dar Hyderab " he mused.
Thrusting the paper back into his
Via Iciff tba nlonp onrl (TrtinO
AIU v\?j cr~ -?ry j
to the nearest drug store consulted
the city directory.
Ethel, meanwhile, had finished hex
toilet for the day. Going into theli
living room she asked Rainface where
John was, whereupon the old Indian
handed her a note.
"Him gone. He leave this talking
leaf." Quickly she ran her eye?
over it.
"I am going to solve last night's
mystery," it read. "I have a good
clew, and do not worry, for I wili
be in no danger. Enjoy the day. I
may return at any time. Devotedly
yours, John."
Still a trifle uneasy notwithstanding
the assuring words of the note, the
girl thrust It in the bosom of her
dress, and ringing the bell ordered
her breakfast from the waiter who
answered. Rainface, saying that he !
had an errand of his own to per- |
k Cyrus lov
'HOTO PLAY
Full Upon the Throat of
| form, received her permission to de!
part and she was left alone. Shortly
j after the waiter entered with his tray,
1 Joost Singh, following a few paces
behind. The waiter spoke.
| "This foreign party says he has a
note for this apartment, Ma'am," and
at her no?l the Hindu laid his mesI
sage before her with a salaam.
"For the Sahib Davis," he said respectfully,
and turning left the room.
CToe+Urr fhck frfrl tnro thp Tint#* onpn. It
ULUOV44J VUV/ &**-* VWAV VMW ?
! read:
| "If you seek to solve the mystery
j of the night, knock twice and then
once at the rear door of number 27
, Horton street. Tour conductor will
! appear and bring you before the gods!
! May Vishnu and Siva guard you."
| Wondering what it could mean?
| whether John was again in danger
i and who the writer could be, she
! quickly ate a few mouthfuls and left
: the apartment, hurrying lest she be
too late.
Shallum, dressed in American
I clothes and on watch outside the
shop of Ram Chunder, <saw Davis
drive up in a taxi and hastened In|
side, locking the door behind him.
Briefly he told his master of the coming
of the other man, and the fakir,
giving Shallum rapid directions,
stepped to the inner room where the
Hawk and Spider were.
"Siva has summoned him. He Is
here," was his announcement.
Throwing their cards out of sight
the pair arose. Ram Chunder, leading
them to a side of the room, opened
a sliding door by pressing on a spring,
disclosing a grating. Obeying his
wave of command they entered, drawing
the curtains together but leaving
a crack through which they could
both see and hear. Passing to the
other side of the room Ram Chunder
opened another concealed door, and
at the clap of his hands four Hindus
in native costume appeared. Addressing
them In a low tone he began filling
the incense bowls so that their
smoke slowly commenced to arise.
While this was being done, two of
the newcomers placed a large chair
of teakwood at the upper end of the
table.
"We will now admit the Sahib,"
announced the fakir.
Having knocked at the outer door
a number of times and received no
response. John on the point of turning
away discouraged, was confronted
by Shallum, who with a low obeisance
LilUlIUJJtU 1.UI Xllli-l IV CULti.
Rainface, returning to the hotel,
caught a distant view of Ethel as she
.hurried on her way. Instantly he followed
her. Seeing her board a trolley
car, the Indian took the one next
behind it, standing on the front platform
where he could look ahead.
Arriving at Number 27 Horton
street, the girl promptly knocked at
the door. Joost Singh appeared, and
though he was surprised to see a
woman instead of the man he expected
standing before him. he salaamed
and indi<fated that she was to go
with him.
"Where Is Mr. Davis?" she demanded
as sh? hesitated. The Hindu
.spread his hands in a gesture to indicate
his ignorance, and finally deciding
that her only chance of finding
her lover was to trust herself to the
other's guidance, she started down the
side street on foot. Rainface, who
had not lost sight of her, at once followed
npon their trail.
\
/i\send Br*
CbtWflEt, 1910. bg Vltagrapb "
Ram Chunder It Landed.
.ToIili. entering the room of Ram
Chunder, glanced about. Undor each
of the four corbels that supported the
roof beams a motionless, statuelike
Hindu stood. Even to the sharp eyes
of the incomer the figures seemed to
be integral parts of the wall, so perfectly
did their brown bodies and costumes
match the place. As the door
closed behind him, Davis stepped before
the fakir and addressed him
sternly.
"Ram Chunder." The Hindu bowed.
"What were you doing at the Mackenzie
hotel last night. Ram strewed
a handful of incense in a bowl before
an Idol.
The Sahib mistakes. I was not at
any hotel. Last night I communed
with the gods. Behold!"
With an expression of disbelief and
disgust, John drew forth the batteries
and piece of paper.
"What about these? They are
yours."
"Yes, protector of the poor, but
stolen from me by a low dog of an
imposter?a pariah. Will not the
Sahib sit and listen to his servant explain?"
Thrown off his guard by the friendliness
of the other's manner and
smile, Davis complied.
The room was now heavy with incense.
Waiting only till the white
man had seated himself in the big
chair. Ram Chunder pressed a spring.
Instantly four steel bars shot out
from the upper back and lower front
of the chair, the first two crossing
the trapped man's breast and the
other pair firmly gripping his legs.
John's pistol had seemed to leap into
his hand at the first pressure of the
bars, and as it exploded a small image
" ? XV- ??/ln /nil
01 oue ujl iue guiis leu w ?.*?*, uw.
with a crash. Ram's escape had been
a narrow one, but John had been an
instant too late.
No sooner had the bars clamped
down upon their victim, holding him
securely, than the four living statues
stepped forward from their places
against the wall and approached the
fakir. Laying the revolver upon the
table, they stood submissively before
their master as they awaited his orders.
Ram pointed to the shattered
idol.
"This foreign dog has blasphemed
the gods and has tried to kill their
faithful Yogi. He must die."
At a sign from the fakir one of the
Hindus advanced and pressed the
back of the chair down and the front
up, so that John, still held fast by
the bars, lay as one upon a surgeon's
table ready for an operation. Crossing
his hands they bound his wrists
together, a moment later doing the
same with his legs. Then removing
the restraining levers the four men
raised the body of the helpless one,
two taking his shoulders and two his
knees. Clapping his hands, Ram motioned
to two more Hindus who had
silently entered at the signal.
"Gag him and wrap him firmly in
the ropes," was his command. Round
and about the prisoner they drew the
bonds until he was powerless to move.
At a signal from the fakir the six
men raised the helpless form straight
into the air. As they did so, six
other brown arms suddenly appeared
from some mysterious place in the
ceiling, and seizing the prisoner instantly
drew him out of sight, while
the ones who had bound him again
bowed their heads in submissive si
Kg
ience. Motioning for them to leave
his presence. Ram looked up at the '
ceiling just as the leaves of a trap
through which the body of Davis had '
been dragged fell hack into place,
j He bowed low to the image of Siva.
"So perish the offenders of the j
j gods."
From behind their grille where they ;
had been watching it all, the Hawk i
and Spider grinned at each other ap- j
i provingly. Then Morgan laughed,
j "I'll be cursed if he didn't put It,
over." Seizing: the grating with his j
hands he began shaking it, but it re- j
slsted all his efforts. His voice arose !
in anger, as he drew his revolver.
"Let us out of here quick, you old
fraud, or I'll let daylight out of you."
Carefully keeping to the side of
the wall and beyond the range of the
other's gun, Ram Chunder made his
reply.
"The god has not yet directed your
release, oh worthy protector of the
poor." Shallum stepped into the room.
"The Mena Sahib you called last
night, Master, has come again," he
announced. The fakir again addressed
Morgan.
"You little know the power of the
gods, oh foreign born. The maiden
is here also. Siva called." Cursing,
the Hawk cried.
"I don't know anything about your
infernal gods, but don't you hurt that
girl or the whole bunch of you will
have to reckon with me. You can do
what you like with the man, but "
"Bring her in," commanded the
fakir.
We left Ethel and Joost Singh going
down the street together. Arrived
'at the outer door the Hindu
^ 1 H ^,1
knocked, wnereupon onanum upcuni
it, expressing his satisfaction as he
admitted them. Rainface, coming up
on a run, found himself locked out j
and cast his eyes about as he mentally
decided upon his plan. Seeing a building
close at hand in course of con- j
struction with scaffolding surrounding'
it and no one at work, he at once
decided that by means of the scafj
folding he could get upon the roof of
j the next building, and from thence to
j the top. of the place inhabited by the
. TTindu. Off he went as fast as his
; legs could take him to carry out his
1 plan.
Within his room, Ram Chunder
bowed to the girl as she came in.
"You seek the aid and counsel of!
Holy Siva, maiden, pearl of beauty?" :
Straight up to him Ethel walked.
"I want Mr. John Davis. Is he i
here?"
With a nod Ram threw another |
handful of incense into the brazier,!
and once more the back of the room i
became clouded with smoke. Three
times he struck a gong, and from the
ceiling a gigantic image of Siva, the
lower part of which was carved to
represent drapery, slowly descended
through the smoke/ Down upon a
dais at the end of the room it settled, j
| while Shallum running to it began j
! making mystic motions, while Ram
; stepped to the wall opposite the grating.
Before him was a graduated quadrant
of metal marked in places and!
with a perpendicular reversible aym
which could be swung along the arc j
to points on either side. The skinny,
bony hand of the fakir seized the ar-!
mntnrp and heean to move it, while j
the other hand pointed at the idol.
"BEHOLD!" he cried
Slowly, silently the front of the
figure opened and John stood revealed'
| within. He was fastened to the back
of the image by an iron collar about
his neck, while iron bands bound his;
waist, arms and legs; holding him
erect, rigid and motionless. His mouth
was still covered by the cloth. His
eyes were open, and he was apparently
conscious of all that was taking
place. The voice of the girl arose in
great distress.
I "John! Merciful heaven! What!
have they done?" She sprang toward
him, but Ram seizing her with a j
strength that was astonishing in one
of his age, held her back.
"Wait. He has not suffered yet. j
Siva is sometimes merciful. Perhaps
"
Shallum, approaching, bowed low.
"Oh, reverend and beloved Master!
Your elixir of life lacks but one thing."
"Continue," commanded the fakir
as the other paused. Shallum lifted
a curious drinking cup.
"This, filled with blood from the
heart, drawn from beneath the left
breast of a pure maiden and mixed
with the other ingredients, will give !
back your youth, if holy Siva wills."
Turning upon the girl, Ram pointed !
to her heart with a long finger.
"Dost hear?" he said. "Here's life!
for my youth through thy blood!" j
Appalled, she shrank back.
"It cannot be."
For a moment he looked at her with
an evil smile, then swung the arm j j
of the quadrant and pressed it into I :
a slot. As he did so from each door
of the idol rows of spikes which had \ 1
been lyiig flat sprang out at right j <
angles to the door, pointing inward. ]
Should the front of the idol now be j
closed, rhe sharp pointed iron teeth
would be pressed into the man
within.
As the terrified girl uttered a
scream. Ram Chunder moved the lever
again and the two doors closed about
half way. Ethel's arms stretched
themselves forward in an appeal to
the old Hindu.
"Take off the handkerchief and let
him speak for himself," was his com- ^
mand to Shallum, and the latter
obeyed. Instantly John's voice arose,
anger filled, defiant.
"Let me die ? thousand deaths,
Ethel, before you permit that vile dog
to touch you." From behind tne gracing
the voice of the Spider addressed
Morgan in a low tone.
"Let's put a stop to this nonsense."
The Hawk shoved him aside.
"Wait. There Is time enough yet
Let's see what she will do. We won't
let them put anything over on her."
Weapons in hands, they awaited the
outcome of the tragic scene in the
room beyond.
Ram Chunder spoke again.
"You both refuse? Very well, we
shall see. Siva must persuade you a
little further it would seem."
Again he moved the lever, and lower
doors almost closed. A look of
pain shot across the face of the in>
prisoned man. Quickly he mastered
it and smiled at the girl, who stood
petrified by terror. Calmly his voice
filled the room.
"It will soon be over. You must
not give away, dearest girl." Ram
Chunder leered at him.
"No. Not so swift as you would
desire. See!"
Very slowly, watching their faces
with a cruel smile, he again turned
the lever a bit and slowly the upper
doors began to move. Nearer and
nearer the body of the man the dead- '
ly fangs of steel drew until they almost
touched his person. The face
of the threatened one uia 1101 umugr
as it looked at them through the evernarrowing
aperture. Suddenly Ethel,
unable to endure the torture of suspense
longer, screamed.
"Yes, yes. I will grant anything you
may ask. For God's sake stop. You are
not human?you are fiends." Before
the words had fairly left her mouth
she had torn open her dress at the
breast, standing before them white as
death and weaving upon her feet in
her mental agony.
Upon one side of her Shallum
raised a cup. The fakir, drawing a
small but very bright bladed knife
such as surgeons use, thrust it slowly
toward her breast.
Rainface, having reached the door
of a room on the floor above, stood
listening a moment with ears that
were as keen as a wolf's. Then as a
peculiar sound from within reached
them, he noiselessly drew his gun
with one hand and began opening the
door with the other.
Stepping into the room with the
tread of a cat, he saw six Hindus
upon their knees on the floor looking
through an open trap into the room
below. Approaching them from behind
he jabbed one of them with the
muzzle of his weapon, and at that
they sprang to their feet with low exclamations
of surprise. One look into r
bis fierce, grim old face was enough,
and at his gesture their hands flew
on high. Driving them silently to a
corner of the room where they hud'
(lied bejfre the threatening muzzle,
Rainface stretched himself upon the
floor and keeping one eye upon his
victims, peered into the room below.
His first glance showed him the girl
with her dress torn open across her
bosom, Shallum with the cup upon one
side of her. Ram Chunder with his
glistening blade upon the other.
Casting his eyes upward, Morgan
saw the face of the old Indian at the
opening, glowing with hatred upon the
Hindus below. He seized the Spider
by the arm with a grip so fierce that
the other winced.
"See that cursed Indian up there.
He is going to spoil everything."
And even as he spoke the Indian
acted. Still covering the Hindu gang
with his gun In his left hand he raised
himself a little, whipped out a long
and keen hunting knife and raised it
on high, then hurled it into the rcora
below.
Spinning through the air with a
vicious whistle it came hurtling as a
bolt of lightning from the heavens.
Full upon the throat of Ram Chunder
i~^nnirf fircf hnrrine' itself
II lUUUCll {Wim. "?"V| o
there. And Ram with a gasping cry,
dropped his lancet and staggered
back. Dropping his bowl, Shallum
sprang forward to catch him.
"He's done it;" cried Morgan from
behind the grille.
Thrusting the muzzle of his gun
against the lock, the Hawk pulled the
trigger and as the heavy bullet tore
the bolts apart he seized the grating
and wrenched it open. With weapons
raised threateningly, he and the Spider
burst into the room just as Ram
Chunder sank to the floor in the aims
of Shetlrrn and at the feet of the terror-stricken
girl.
(END OF EIGHTH EPISODE.)