Self Acting Weapons

A comraon story was to the effect that a Mnramasa sword was once on a time pledged to a pawnbroker. The fellow thought this a fine opportunity to parado himself as a gentleman, and, according]y, on a festival day he wore the eword. Quarreling with some idle fellows, he essayed to ose the weapon, bnt his nnfamiliarity with it excited the derision oí the bystanders, who uninercifully ridiculed his bnngling manner. But the merriment of these individuáis was short lived. The sword itself took the matter in hand, as thongh the tannts impugned its own skill, and soon laid low all its traducers. Then it turned against the nnfortnnate pawnbroker and killed him. Another story is the basis of a popular Japanese drama, and tells of the adventures of a samurai with a strange sword V?hich he had borrowed from a pawnbroker. He lightly hit a man with the blade without appare:itly wonnding him in the least, gome time after the man suddenly dropped dead, and it was found that the sword had inflicted a mortal wound eveu when it had scarcely drawn blood. Upon examiuation this ■was found to be a Muramasa, which, though coming from the dishonor of a pawnshop and carried in the hands of au incompetent, had thus made