"That lion hasn't a tooth in its head. They dragged in a dead horse in the night. You wrote a good story, though. Cleaned your pistol yet?"
X
THE SECRET CAVE OF HYDAS
Chapter I.—The Fight and Theft in the Museum
A tall, muscular, black-bearded, dark-eyed, beak-nosed native strolled into the Lahore Museum, in the Punjab; he carried a massive five-foot-long stick with a crook handle, and studded with short brass-headed nails from handle to ferrule. He sauntered about until he came to a case containing ancient daggers and swords, which arrested his attention for some time.
About a dozen other visitors were in the room, and of these a couple strolled together from one object of interest to another; they were fine stalwart natives, and each possessed a stick of ordinary size.
These two men quietly walked about exchanging opinions on the various curios until they came face to face with the solitary man gazing at the antique weapons.
"What! art thou here, thou badmash (scoundrel)?" exclaimed one of the two.