THE STORY-TELLER.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 3178, 5 November 1892, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE STORY-TELLER.

A PHANTOM AT CHESS,

Some years ago I related a part of the following incident in a daily paper; but even a writer's selfesteem fails to convince me that, in the form in which it appeared, it found many readers. Just now the prominence of Hinduism, in the mysteries of the occult makes it more to the point. It was long ago in India. I wai connected with the British press as war correspondent, and nlso, to some extent, with the Government,

I was in Bombay, ongaged upon a secret Government commission, and waa being entertained by a wealthy native, occupying a twostorey bungalow in the most aristocratic quarter of Malabar Hill. He was entirely ignorant, however, concerning my mission, as my only hope of success lay in absolute secrecy. My own room was as secluded as possible. It was a storey above the ground, with a single window_ opening upon an extensive garden behind the house. A single door opened upon the inner eorridor, and, as a precaution, while I was in the room I always kept the door securely bolted. The room was a luxury of Oriental magnificence, but business made such constant demands upon my time that I poorly appreciated its temptations to oase. One night there remains as vividly upon my mind as though it were but four and twenty hours ago. The moon shone as it shines only in India. The night wind trom the sea came in a tempting breeze through the window, scented by the grove of sweet limes and almonds through which it had passed on the way. Just under the window was an open space of about three hundred feet with the proverbial bathing pool in the centre. It was so light that I could even see the night moths fluttering about the fountain. Farther away, in the outskirts of the grove, the fireflies were darting, and the night was so still that I could not only hear the flapping wings of the bats in the grove, and the rustle of the plaintain leaves, but the musical groans of some belated boatmen as they pulled for the shore from some fishing trip down the harbour. Over the grove I could see the moonlight lying like a sheet of burnished silver upon the subtle undulations of the beautiful bay —the broad, blue Harbour of Bombay. For several hours I had been working upon a weekly report of what had thus far proved a thoroughly unsuccessful missionI know of nothing more vexing and exhausting than making up such a report, and thoroughly tired I placed the report in an official envelope and carefully sealed but did not addrese it. Then I left the precious, inlaid ebony writing table and turned to the window.

How long I had stood there, watching the scene just described, Ido not know. It was peculiarly quieting after my nervous employment. I was just beginning to think *f the tempting couch, under its cloud of gauze drapery at the opposite end of the room, when I heard the cry of the night watchman in front of the house, announcing that the clocks were striking twelve and that he was wide awake. It was midnight. What a glorious night! Why could it not always be midnight ? Why should it soon be followed by a sultry, suffocating Bombay day ? Midnight! Hark! There was the distant cry of the watchman away down by the old fort. Who would have thought that a human voice could be heard so far off ? He, too was saying that it was midnight. Had the breeze suddenly grown cooler ? Something like a shiver ran down my back. My hands were icy cold. A moment before I was drowsily thinking of the shortest possible way of placing myself upon that tempting couch. Now I was suddenly restless and undeniably nervous. I lit a cigarette to quiet myself, but stood with my face intently toward the window. For some unaccountable reason I did not dare to turn about The room behind me was as still as death. What was the matter? Shiver after shiver crept along my back. Was it simply the fact that it was midnight ? Was it the premonition of a fever ? Was someone creeping up behind me ? Nonsense ! I shuddered and with a startled motion in spite of my effort to be composed, threw the cigarette out the window and turned sharply about. The swing lamp moved slowly in the breeze, but the room was empty. Of course I was alone. Yet I knew very well that I was not alone. I tried to walk slowly across the room, but my feetmoved withsudden jerks. Despising myself for doing it, I cast a searching glance into every corner. I even tried the door though I could see with my eyes that it was bolted, and hear the heavy breathing of my servant asleep on the rug outside. I lifted the gauze about the couch, though I O3uld see through it without. There was not a place in the room where a cat could have hidden. There was Hot a living creature the size of a mouse in the room, and yet I knew that I was not alone.

1 am no spiritualist. I know as little as possible, for a man of the world, about the occult and the phantasmagoric theories. I am p rone —too prone, perhaps—to believe in what I see and hear, and

not to believe in what I do not see and hear. Upon this occasion, however, I saw nothing, heard nothing, snd yet, shivering and —I confess it—thoroughly frightened, I believed, I absolutely knew that there was someone beside myself in that room. I was on the point of going to the door and waking my servant that he might come in and keep me company. Nothing but shame prevented me. I drew a light divan and .1 carved ivory table into the centre of the room, lit a taper held in the mouth of a grim bronze dragon, the only object upon the table, and, throwing myself upon the divan, took up the evening paper. Midnight! The word kept ringing in my ears. The rustle of the paper startled me. I fully realised the absurdity of my position and laughed at myself as I threw the paper on the floor, but it was exquisitely painful and wholly at my control. Remembering my favourite hookah, I determined to try an Oriental smoke, sure that if anything could quiot my nerves that would do it. The bowl wae empty. The boy had forgotlon to fill it. Had it not been a longer walk to the door than (0 the table where the tobacco was kept, 1 shoulil have made the empty hookah an excuse for calling the sleeping rascal. As it was, I was literally afraid to cross the room again. It was only half as far to the table. I cast a quick glance all about the room, then hurriedly rose, reached the table, took up the tobacco case and turned about. Let me say one word in justice to myself. Here, in my quiot home, in all the realities of very real New England, in the sceptical atmosphere of painfully realistic Boston, I am j relating an actual incident, as far as I can make it from being sensational; a simple experience through which 1 certairly passed when assuredly 1 was wide awake and as little inclined to accept the mysterious as anyone ever was in all his life. That is all that I can say for myself. You may take it —you will take it just as it pleases you. As I turned about, the divan from which I had just risen was occupied by as handsome a Persian as ever I saw. He was lying there, a perfect picture of oriental ease, quietly examining the bronze dragon holding the lighted taper. My back had not been turned four seconds, yet he was not only there, he was also smoking my hookah. The bowl was empty and cold when I left the divan, and strong lungs, with a good light, required several seconds, at the least to produce any appreciable smoke from a Hindoo hookah, yet about the Persian's head there floated little wreaths of curling smoke as though he had been smoking for half an hour.

There was nothing frightful about him. He was as delicate as a boy. I was much less nervous than I had been five minutes before and, after the firsc shock I stood for a minute, at least, silently surveyiDg my unceremonious guest, assuring myself that I was awake, running through a little sum in mental arithmetic, to test the action of my mind, and then turning again to consider what was evidently a most astonishing reality upon my divan. He was surely a Persian of the Persians. His mass of black hair was surmounted by the garnet fez of the aristocracy. His dress was costly and perfect. With one delicate hand he held the hookah stem to his lips ; with the other lie daintily touched the bronze dragon. One pearl of enormous size was held by a delicate silver setting upon his finger. With a sigh, he left off his examination, and, speaking in faultless English, said : "Imperial Caesar, dead and turned to clay ! Here is the god of my fathers, holding a candle for a degenerate infidel to read his evening paper." Then, as though we had already been spending a long evening together, he added : "Come, let us have a game of cards, to kill, if wo can this unbearable monotony." There was something so commonplace about it that I almost forgot the mystery and replied as I would upon any other occasion : " You Persians have too many tricks at cards. I am not fond of being beaten in that way. He leaned back wearily upon the divan, blew a little wreath of smoke through a larger one, and languidly asked : " Are the only tricks you understand those of a Government spy ?" I started and doubtless turned pale. My ostensible profession was one of war correspondent. The success which I had hitherto met with as a Government detective had been greatly due to the fact that except the Viceroy, his Secretory and the Chief of the Police Department not a living soul knew of my connection with that business. In the present case such knowledge, especially in the hands of a native, would utterly frustrate the end. It was not a pleasant discovery, but, gathering myself together, I endeavoured to ignore his insinuation, and replied : " Chess is a better game, and is the pride of you Persians. I would beat you at a game of chess if I had the men and board." " One game is as good as another," he muttered languidly. "Sit down and have a game of ohess." I could not take my eyes from the beautiful pearl upon his slender

hand as he motioned me to a chair on the opposite side of the table. It was less than ten minutes before that I had drawn that divan and table into the centre of the room. I knew that they stood alone there. The chair, which I now noticed for the first time, was the only one of its kind in the room. It was of curious construction, as much like an English chair as anything to be found in nn Oriental home, and had been placed in the room by my courteous host in deference to my English blood. It invariably stood at the head of my bed, which was in the furthest corner of the apartment. I had never used it and never touched it in my life. More than that, from the moment when I rose from the divan, I had been directly between the divan and the bed. I was determined noc to show my astonishment, and, anxious to convince myself that the chair was a reality, without a moment's hesitation I deliberately seated myself. There was no doubt about the the chuir, but a new surprise awaited me. The Persian lay at length upon the divan, carelessly blowing wreaths of smoke directly upward. He could not have brought his hand within two feet of the table since the time he had thrown himself back upon the divan, before I had suggested a game of chess. Indeed, ho had not moved except to motion me to a chair. The table was a light bamboo frame, supporting a carved ivory top. I noticed that the Persian's eyes rested constantly upon me, but not intently. The lids dropped over them, as though it required all his energy to keep himself awake. For my own eyes, except for an occasional glance, or what I could see without looking directly, I could not take them from that great beautiful pearl. Now, however, drawing my chair to the table, I noticed an elaborate chess-board laid upon the table and beside it a box of exquisitely carved chess-men, in white and stained ivory. Rousing a little, the Persian remarked, with evident disgust : " The white man is as slow as life's monotony. Let us begin the game. I long to see the spasm of joy that will come into your marble face when you have vanquished me. Victory— victory is the only accident that thrills the English heart with joy."

With a sigh, he raised himself upon one elbow and gracefully emptying the men upon the board, began by arranging them. That done, he looked up, and with utter indifference asked : '* What are the stakes." I took refuge in bravado and sullenly replied : " Name your own and I will double them against you." He smiled as he replied with the utmost courtesy : " You seem to trust your skill, and it makes me timid. Till we know upon what we are venturing fortunes, let us make a mild wager. Let it be something novel and amusing, instead of expensive. Put it that when you have won you shall ask a favour of me and I must grant it, or that if by any accident, the victory should rest with me, the favour be reversed. "That would depend upou what you asked," I replied, doubtfully. " And as for me, there is no favour that I can ask of you." He smiled, iiiapatiently, and responded : •' Englishmen are bold as this dragon when they hold the candle in their jaws. Let me help you to see with those blind eyes, and then note how voraciously you will devour the wager. If you win, nay, you have said it, you will win. Well, when you win, think of the the two months you have spent in trying to locate the counterfeit rupee stamp upon Mobarak, the Ethiopian. Do not let me vex you. We are quite alone. Think of the sealed packet lying there upon your writing-desk, in which you have told the Viceroy but the tithe of truth where you say that your progress has been slow, difficult and doubtful. Do not let me disturb you so. I am speaking to no ear but yours. If you fail, as you surely will, at present, you will have to leave Tndia in disgrace. If you succeed, as you surely can, you may ask and receive what you will from the Government. Your sluggish instinct, with unusual cunning for a white mun, has fixed upon Mobarak, but Mobarak has more shrewdness in his one black skin than could bo distilled from every drop of English blood in India. Why should my poor words trouble you 1 Are we not members one of another % Can the ear hear and not acquaint the eye ! "Were you so dull of comprehension a? to believe that you could live and move and no one know your occupation ? Had I supposed your blindness prided itself on such a hope I would not have obliterated the stupid self esteem. I only thought to suggest to you that when you had vanquished me, you ask, as a favour, of one from whom you say that there is nothing you can ask, that he lift you from disgrace to victory by opening Mobarak's secret and showing you the rupee stamp." " Yon know it! " I cried, springing to my feet. The smile had not time to leave his lips when he continued ; " But we have not yet begun the game. Perhaps you have over-estimated your ability, or by some accident I

may win. If you accept the wager let us begin." Discretion was always my better part of valour, and I replied : '• If you should win ?" He smiled again as he answered ; " I hardly know what favour I could ask of you. Nothing for myself, at least. Only this ; At live o'clock this coming morning, at the tualo of the temple adjoining yonder grove, there will be a helpless girl, sadly in need of such protection as only one i:i your position can afford. This is the favour I should ask, that at four o'clock you lie secreted near the tulao. If you fear treachery take a dozen British soldiers with you, only prevent their being- seen. If you see nothing that appeals to you within one half-hour, then go your way. if you see what docs appeal, then do as you would be done by if the cases were reversed, and you will have performed your pledge to me. There. That is the favour I shall ask if by any possibility I win. May we play the game ?" Without a word I moved my queen's pawn two. The Persian placed his queen's bishop's pawn beside it. To check a game of. bravado at the outset, I took it. The game moved slowly, but every step was in my favour. I had not overestimated my ability at my favourite game. Three times the Persian avoided a check-mate only at a desperate sacrifice. His queen, castle and knight fell without exchange. Then I exchanged a pawn for his black bishop. Yet in every plot that I attempted 1 felt myself weak and found myself frustrated. I had more than double his strength, upon the board, yet it was clearly absorbing every energy to meet the intricate designs which he was constantly developing. In spite of me the field seemed his. His men fell, but his position did not weaken. Neither of us spoke from the moment I oponed the game. Nearly three hours went by and still we played. I was desperate. With all the strength and all the men, I realised that I was still being driven at every stop. The Persian was half asleep. He was still smoking my hookah. Ic had not required refilling. He would make his move instantly; then lie again at length upon the divan with his half-closed eyes resting languidly upon me until I had carefully studied and deliberately moved.

My own attention was divided between the incomprehensible board and that incomprehensible pearl. From the appearance of the board as it stood at the end of three hours I should have said I must be able to check-mate in four moves at most, but study the" game as I would I could not find one plot that would force him, anywhere. A dozen moves and we had exchanged a bishop and a knight. Still I was helpless. It seemed impossible for him to prolong the game much longer, yet I knew that he was driving me. He was evidently playing only to delay my victory, but his continued success in delaying it, enraged me. I was leaning heavily upon the table, nervously encircling the board with both hands He lay listlessly upon the divan, and sighed with the exertion each time that he rose sufficiently to touch a piece with the tip of his fingers. After a long pause I made a move. This time the Persian did not rise. He blew a wreath of smoke upward and quietly remarked, "You are playing badly for one who began so well. Your bishop is unguarded. I shall take it with mine, and your king, uncovered, is left in check and mated." "Your bishop is black!" I exclaimed, " and both my bishop and my king are—" I sprang to my feet. They were both on black! "It is Heaven or hell to the Englishman to lose or win," observed the Persian, yawning. " I have not lost!" I cried, and proceeded to demonstrate the impossibility of my bishop being on black. " You have a good memory," said the Persian carelessly. " Mine, too, is good—but for nothing. It is too much exertion to rememberanything. You certainly did not change the pieces. Do you think I did ?" The absurdity of auoh a thing was too evident. I could only answer: « No." "An accident," he continued calmly, still without rising. " You may have jarred the board. You were holding it as though you would have eaten it if possible. Pray arrange the pieces as you feel sure they should have been," I hesitated. He continued: "An Englishman is rampant after victory but he is the soul of honour. Hβ would scorn to force me to take an advantage of an incident which he himself would repudiate." Without a word I rearranged the two pieces. "Are you fully satisfied that they are all as they should be ?" he asked without looking at the board. I examined every piece and answered : " I am satisfied." From where his head lay I am sure that he could not have distinctly seen the position of the men upon the board at all. He was apparently wrapped in luxurious contemplation of the curling clouds from the hookah, yet I felt that through them his drowsy eyes were still resting upon mine. He waited a moment and remarked ; " My arm refuses to lift me up again. Will you move for uie my bishop to my king's five ?"

" I am checked and mated !" I gasped and made the more for him and gaaed in blank astonishment upon the little board, •;

" Was it fnirly done ?" lie asked with a sigh. 1 studied every piece again and replied ; " It was fniily done' " Then you have lost your wager ; but if you' prove true to your plcdye you will find that in reality you have iiot lost, but won." r looked up. Tlie tube of the linokah lay across the divan pillow. where [ had left it. more than three hours before. 1 looked about me. T!ic room was empty : empty but for one little wreath of smoke that was curling in and out about itself and gradually fading ns it drifted toward the swi'igin- lamp. J spring to the door. It was securely bolted. As J turned from it I noticed the chair in its usual position beside tho bed. I hurried to the window. Down upon the open space the stately rook? were slowly promenading in the first gray light of (lie morning. Had anyone performed the feat of leaping from (lie window and crossing the lawn within the last few minutes, they would not have been there. 1 sounded the walls of my room for a secret door, but there wns none. I turned to move the divan and hookah out of my way and wns startled to find the bowl' of the hookah empty and coll and the. water below perfectly fresh and clean. 1 looked on the table. Tlie chess men and board were gone. Throwing myself upon the divan J burst into a laugh, exclaiming •' " What a fool I bave been ! There must have been opium in my cigarette. 1 have been asleeo and dreaming! I have " What! Tho taper was spluttering and dying in the dragon's jaws. What was that, beneath it, on the ivory table. I caught it up. A great, beautiful pearl a round, perfect, gleaming pearl, set in a slender, silver ring. I looked at my watch. In fifteen minutes it -would be four o'clock. I looked at the pearl. I recalled that game of chess. "With a queen, two rooks, two knights, a bishop, and six pawns, I had been checkmated by a rook, a bishop, a pawn, and—a phantom. I had lost a wager. There was no doubt of it. Taking a revolver from my desk and my hat I went out, through the grove, and stood among tho shrubbery close to the open space, in the centre of which was tho tomple tulas.

In ten minutes a young woman came to bathe. Sbe was alone. Surely she needed nothing. Not a soul was in sight. As she bent over the water I suddenly noticed an almost prostrate figure creeping stealthily towards her. It was a man of giant proporlions, but I could not see his face. Nearer and nearer he crept. Whatever his intentions were they were evil. I paused for a moment to oonsiaer whether to speak, to warn the girl, to spring from my hiding-place and sino-le-handed attempt to grapple ■with the fellow or to shout for help. , , . Suddenly she looked up, saw him and uttered one shiiek of terror. He sprang upon her with a savage curse and bore her under the water, holding her there with his powerful arms. He was drowning her. At that fatal instant I remembered the pistol, aimed, and fired without a moment's thougLt, only to be careful not to kill the man. With a cry of pain he fell writhing in the water. Hurrying forward, I dragged the senseless body of the girl to the bank and then turned towards the man. Fortunately the noise had called others to the scene, for seeing me he sprang from the tulaswith wonderful energy and, ■with the blood flowing from a wound that rendered one arm helpless, he bore me to the ground with tho Other, and in another moment would doubtless have killed mo, when two soldiers dragged him off. I caught one glimpse of his face as he sprang upon mo. It was Mobarak, the Ethiopian. Still savagely cursing he was carried off, under arrest. I should find him later. For the moment, being only bruised, I turned my attention to the girl. She had recoverod consciousness and before I left her I had learned enough to know that she was Mobarak's wife. She had fled from him because he had threatened to kill her. He had threatened to kill her because she had discovered an opening in the floor of their house, leading into a subterranean chamber. She was bathing betore she said her prayers in the temple for the last time. She meant to fly for her life, after that, and could hardly understand it when I told her it would be perfectly safe for her to go home. Beforo the sun was more than risen I was in that secret chamber ■with Government officers, the rupee stamp was in my possession, and one of the most perfect plots for counterfeiting, that ever vexed a Government was unearthed, all by —what? Our accident?

Ido not know. I can offer no explanation, simply because I have none, I claim no credulity from those who do not wish to be credulous. If you do not find this incident of interest, I beg you aimply to consider that it was not prepared for you. I do not know that I played a game of chess that night, though I think I did. I think that I lost a wager, and I know that in proving true to the pledge I made I found that in reality I had not lost, but won. B6yond this I only know that 1 still possess a pearl as beautiful as ever lived under Oman's green •water, and that it came to me upon the delicate hand of a phantom.— W. H. French in the Detroit Free Press.