The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-11-19

who speaks no English, and foreign SER
want, called Antoine. Antoine is cook.
butter and general factOtum."
"What is Antoine llke?"
81 should lake him to be a native OF the
south of France. He is very dark. with
crisp black hair coming low down over his
forehead. and thick red ears, with gold
rings in them. Smells of garlic and smokes
cigarettes all day long"
"a very good fancy portrait of French
forcat. We shall know Antoine better by
and by, no doubt. La the meantime the
first thing 20 do is to make sure that no.
body effects an entry without our knowl-
edge"
"That is an easy matter. l shall rig up
an electric alarm across the piece of wall
they are working on. The plant provided
for our Exchanging arrangements will be
just the thing. If you will lend me hand
l will have it fixed in no time"
We set 10 work accordingly. Our first
task was to fix two bells, one in my pri-
vate Office and the other in my bedroom,
and to carry wires from them to the strong
room.
So far we were able to work at our ease
and to converse when necessary. Still,
with upfaillng regularity, came first the
tap, tap of the maiiet, then the scrunch If
the chisel and the fall of the displaced ma
terial AS we could hear him so plainly it
was COHcclVdDl6 bHat no might uear us
also, and we therefore had to work in alb
solute silence.
/ held the candle while Macpherson at
tached with the sealing-wax a number of
silk threads, crossing the wall in various
directions and connected in some way.
which l was not electrician enough to ap-
preciate, with the wires of the bells.
After half an hour of this work Mac
pherson gave me nod of satisfaction, in-
dicating that all was complete, and we
returned to the Office above.
Thank goodness, that's over" l said.
"Now, will you kindly explain how it
works? thought silk was non-conduc-
tor"
$50 it u.s." he replied. "Ths principle is
just this. No part of that wall can be dis
placed without making a pull upon one or
other of those threads. The moment that
happens the circuit is completed mechant
ically and the bell rings. It's not easy to
explain save on the spot, but I'll guaran-
tee that it works all right. By Jove, it's
half past twelve. I'll have just one more
glass of the madeira and then to bed to
think out my plan for catching the thieves. :"
Macpherson met me at the breakfast Ia
BILE with triumphant air.
MY plan ia complete" he said. "Elec-
tricity will tell US when our thieves break
in through the wall, and chemistry shall
capture them for US. Did you ever hear of
the Gro;to del Cane?"
"The name sounds familiar. Some
where In Italy. isn't p"
1.-The Grotto del Cane Is 8 cavern near
Naples, the soil of which generates carbon
diOxide, commonly called carbonic acid
gas. This ga. being hea vier than air, doe,
not dispense, but lies at the bottom OF the
cave to depth Of couple OF feet or so. If
you send dog into he cavern he becomes
asphyxiated. A man can walk about up
right without danger, but if hr were to
kneel down or stoop below the level of the
gas he would be aspfyxiated in like man.
ner"
VERY interesting from a scientific point
OF view. But / don't see the connection
with thief-ca ching"
Just this; propose to turn your strong
room into an artificial Grotfo del Cane"
Much obliged to you, I'm sure. And
suffocate our chief cashier, or myself, the
first time we go into the room!"
Not at all. The gas will not be gener-
ated till the thieves are actually in the
strong room. To operate upon the safes,
they must OF necessity work at low level
The gas will rise by degrees, as the bottom
of the cellar fills.
Their only warning will be a slight
difficulty in breathing, which Of they no.
tice I'D they will put down to the closeness
of the vault A little later they viii find
they can't breathe at all; but by that time
it will be too late, they will fall insensi-
be."
''Good heavens! you would not kiln
them ?"
mo; my intentions are not quite so
bloodthirsty as that. We shall lug them
out and bring them to life again by one
or other of the artificial respiration pro-
cesses. First, however. We shall call in a
policeman or two to look after them dur
ing convalescence.
''And where is the gas to come from"
THAT'S very plain sailing; | shall gen.
crate it when wanted. pro re naJa, as we
doctors say. In the first place shall cover