sed its head to strike.

Barclay struck it sharply with the cane, and it fell writhing on the bed,
its spine broken. The coils wound and unwound vigorously, the tail
convulsively lashing the sheet. He raised the stick to strike it again,
but, paused with arm uplifted, for the snake could not move away or raise
its head.

Seeing that it was powerless the young Superintendent swung round to
Dermot.

"Have you a pistol, Major?" he whispered.

Without a word the soldier unlocked his despatch-box and took out a small
automatic.

"Loaded?"

The soldier nodded.

"Give it to me."

Taking the weapon he tiptoed to the door, listened awhile, then opened it
sharply. But there was no one there.

"Bring the lamp," he whispered.

Dermot complied, and together they searched the ante-rooms and passages.
They were empty. Then they looked into the small room in which the zinc
bath-tub stood. There was no one there.

The Deputy Superintendent closed the door again, and, as it had neither
lock nor bolt, placed a heavy chair against it. Taking the lamp in his hand
he bent down and carefully examined the dusty floor under and around the
bed. Then he put down the lamp and drew Dermot into the centre of the room.

"Has your servant any reason to dislike you?" he asked in a low voice.

Dermot answered him in the same tone:

"I have not brought one with me."

The D.S.P. whistled faintly, then looked apprehensively round the room and
whispered:

"Have you any enemies in the Palace or in Lalpuri?"

Dermot smiled.

"Very probably," he replied. Then in a low voice he continued: "Look here,
Barclay, do you know anything of the state of affairs in this province? I
mean, politically."

The police officer nodded.

"I do. I'm here in Lalpuri to try to find out things. The root of the
trouble in Bengal is here."

"Then I can tell you that I have been sent on a special mission to the
border and have come to this city to try to follow up a clue."

The D.S.P. drew a deep breath.

"That accounts for it. Look here, Major, I've seen this trick with the
snake before. Not long ago I tried to hang the servant of a rich _bunniah_
for murdering his master by means of it, but the Sessions Judge wouldn't
convict him. If you look you'll see that that brute"--he pointed to the
cobra writhing in agony on the bed and sinking its fangs into its own
flesh--"never got up there by itself. It was put there. Otherwise it would
have left a clear tr