St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-11-01

was the objective. Was 1t to take place
soon? That could not yet be discovered.
In any case the chiefs OF the Sen0ussts
were still in the southern viayets and it
was not likely that any enterprise would be
undertaken without their being present to
direct it, The result of this was that the
Electrics were ordered to cruise in the Syr-
tic sea and reconnoitre the coast of Cyrenaic
and Tripoli, and that of Tunis up to Cape
Bon.
The defenses of the island, as we know,
were still incomplete. But if it was not
possible to finish them in time, at least pro-
visions and stores of all sorts abounded in
the arsenal.
Antekirtta was about twenty miles from
| the Cyrenaic coast, and would have been
| quite isolated in the gulf, if it had not been
for an islet known under the name of Ken
Graf, which measured about three hundred
yards round and emerged from the sea
about couple of miles to the southwest.
The doctors idea was that this islet would
do for the prison if any of the colonists
were sentenced to be imprisoned after con-
viction by the regular judicial authority of
the standard which event had not yet
happened. And few buildings had been
erected for this purpose.
But Kencraf was not fortified, and in
kirtta, its very position constituted dam
ger. In fact the islet would easily become
a solid base of operation. With the facility
of landing munitions and food, with the
possibility of establishing battery. it
would afford an aSSailant an excellent
CENTER and all the more because there was
now no time to put it into proper state Of
defense.
The position of this island and the adj
vantages it would give to an enemy of
Antekirtta made the doctor uneasy. Think
ing matters over he resolved to destroy it,
but at the same time to make its destruction
serve for the complete humiliation of the
pirates who risked its capture. The project
was Immediately put in execution. Gal
leries were driven in the ground. and Ken
Graf became an immense mine united to
Antekirtta by submarine cable. All that
was wanted was current through the wire,
and not trace of the island would remain
on the surface of the sea.
For this formidable effort of destruction
the doctor had not used ordinary powder,
nor gun-cotton, nor even dynamite. He
knew the composition of recently-discov-
cred explosive whose destructive power is
so considerable that it may be said it is to
| dynamite what dynamite is to gunpowder.
More manageable than nitro-glycerine and
more portable. for it only requires two iSO-
lated liquids whose mixture does not take
place until the moment of using them, it is
refractory to congelation down to six below
zero, while dynamite turns to jelly at ten
below freezing, and is only liable to explode
from violent shock, such as that from
Illuminating capsule. How is it obtained?
Quite simply by the action of protoxide of
nitrogen, pure and antydrous, in liquid
state on different carburets, mineral oils,
vegetable oils, or animal oils derived from
fatty bodies. Of these two liquids, which
are harmless when apart and are soluble in
each other, can be produced in the desired
proportion as easily as mixture of water
and wine, an explosive without any danger
in manipulation. Such is panclastile,
word meaning smashing everything, and it
does smash everything.
This panclastile was buried in the islet
in the form of several fougasses. By means
of the cable from Antekirtta which led the
spark into the charges of illuminate with
which each fougaSs was furnished the eX-
plosion would take place instantaneouSly.
AS it might happen that the cable was cut
and put out of action, by excess of precau-
ton a certain number of electric batteries
were buried in the ground and joined by
subterranean wires, so that they had only to
be trOd upon accidentally to bring the wires
in contact, make the current, and cause the
explosion. If many assailants landed ON
Kencraf it would thus be difficult for them
to avoid utter destruction.
These different works were well advanced
by the early days of November, when some
thing occurred to take the doctor away
from the island for some days.
On the Sd of November, in the morning.
hui,
Cardiff dropped anchor in the harbor of
Antekirtta. During the voyage she had
had to put in at Gibraltar. There at the post
office, waiting ito be called for," the cap
tain found letter addressed to the doctor,
a letter which the coast offices had been
sending after him from time to time with
out being able to find him.
The doctor took the letter, the envelope
of which was crowded with pOstmarks-
Malta, Catania, Ragusa, Ceuta, Otranto,
Malaga, Gibraltar.
The superscription-in large. shaky
hand-was evidently that of somebody who
was not accustomed or perhaps had not the
strength to write many words. The envel-
ope bore but the name of the doctor
with the following pathetic recommend
alton:
cdr. Antekirtt,
| ITO the merciful care of Cod"
The doctor tore open the envelope,
opened the letter-a sheet of paper now
yellow with age-and read as follows:
doctor: May God bring this letter to
your hands! l am very old 1 am going to
die! She will be alone in the world! In
he last days of Ii fe that has been so sor-
rowful have pity on Madame Bathory!
Come and help her! Come!
| h11r, h 10 mi
''BoRIK."
In corner was the word Carthage"
and below it Regency of TuDis."
| The doctor was alone in the saloon in the
| Stadthaus when he received this letter. A
cry of Joy and of despair escaped him-of
| joy at having come on the track of Madame
| Bathory-of despair, or rather of fear, for
the marks on the envelope showed that the
letter was nearly month old.
| Luigi was Immediately summoned.
| 'Luigi," said the doctor, tell Capt Kos
| trik to get the Ferrato under steam in two
hours"
| 'sIn two hours she will be ready for sea-"
answered Luigi.
SIS it for your service, doctor?"
'sYes."
SIS it to be long vOyage?"
''Three or four days only"
'tAre you going alone?"
mo! Find Pierre and tell him to be
ready to go with me-"
pierre is away, but he will be back in
an hour from the works at Kencraf."
81 also want your sister to come with US.
Let her prepare to do so at once"
cat once.''
And Luigi Immediately went out to exc
cute the orders he had just received.
An hour afterwards Pierre arrived at the
Stadthaus.
''Read," said the doctor.
And he showed him Borik's letter.