The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1906-12-01
Il3 lXTNl0IY

AaA'o u a di5Ld4tt Vi sOiiit tAli ~
miles.
On the opposite bank OF the river
from Dead Mans Cave and hanging
to the side of the great ridge, was the
hut OF Uga. the Indian.
The Bald Eagle" was a hos-elry
which enjoyed an unenviable reputa-
tion, II having been the scene of many
atrocious crimes and the home of
many plots The building was large
/ frame structure, with the main en-
trance opening directly upon the
street, and over the doorway OF which
stuffed eagle. with outstretcned
wings, WAS perched.
Victor Deneau knew the character OF
this house. but it suited his purpose;
and as its location was favorable to
his plans, he had without asking any
questions made his temporary home
within. Deneau was not a man to be
driven from lis plans by the knowl-
edge that he would he compelled to
come in contact with men of moe
turnal professions"
The table in front OF him was liter
ally covered with documents. letters
and maps. and numerous newspaper
clippings. pasted upon sheets of white
paper. These showed exact creases,
| indicating that they had been care
| fully folded together, and save for
slight discolorations, were well pre-
served. A lamp sat in the center of
this table. and by its feeble light
Deneau was carefully reading one pa
per after another, and as each was fin
t.I,,
order at his side.
In giving a description OF Deneau,
1t need only be said. that he was a
compound being. made up from
French. Hebraic and Italian types of
humanity. Though he. as his name
would indicate, was a Frenchman, he,
nevertheless displayed Semitic and
Italian traits. which were indeed very
misleading.
His brow was low and thickly sur
| mounted with stiff black hair. His
eyes, black as midnight, were small
and piercing, while his nose and chin
were of a truly Semitic type, and he
was so slender that his weight could
not have exceeded a hundred and
twenty-five pounds. With his caday-
erous countenance. bead-like eyes,
beak-like nose, shadowy form. long
arms. and talon-shaped hands, he re-
| sembled a huge vampire as ae sat
gloating over his papers.
| Occasionally he would stop his re-
| searches to make note On a memo
randum which lay at his side. This
| human sleqth-hound was at one time
| the most noted detective in Europe
Single-handed he had brought to the
snillotine a gang, consisting of thirty
| of the most desperate and most sue
/ cessful "stranglers' in the city OF
s., Paris. For this service he had re-
ceived an enormous reward, and like
| Byron he awoke to find himself IA
| nous. His name soon became the ter
ror OF the criminal element Of that
| great city. Every man and woman
| who had guilt upon his or her soul,
| tremuled at the name of this willy and
mighty man. and. to add to the terror
with which his name inspired the
guilty, he shortly afterwards made a
capture that exceeded in its daring his
previous achievement.
"All things come to him who waits"
was one of Deneau's fayorite express
sious. He never jumped at conclu-
| sions, but calculated the minutest de-
tails Of his plans with striking pre-
cision. He was man of extraordi-
nary daring. and his views Of life were
| composite. He might be Roman
Catholic. Unitarian, Swedenbor
gian, or a No-Heliist, but was pro
nouncedly an Anti-Credulist. His
origin could never be traced. but he
was probably the off spring of an un-
fortunate accident.
The first recollection he had was not
very agreeable one, He found him
| self in the care of an old hag who.
when he was ten years old, carried
him to great newspaper establish
ment. and handing him few small
coins, told him to buy a certain num-
Der of papers. This done. she led him
back into the street, and said:
Each morning, brat, you can go and
buy more papers: now. take those
you have, and scream out until they
are sold. But. listen, boy. take care
of your money. for you will need it, ;"
and with this she was gone.
Little Deneau, looking around him,
was confronted by a sea OF strange,
cold faces. strange streets, strange
sounds, and strange houses. Tears
welled into his black eyes, as he look.
ed from one Indifferent face to anoth-
er. The rumbling of vehicles, the
shout of pedestrians the cries of fruit
vendors, the whistle Of steam engines
all broke upon his young soul like a
horrible nightmare. and rendered his
loneliness complete.
At last the poor little waif raised
his wee voice. and was crying out with
all his might, when there came before
his vision the towering form of a gen
| darme, crying in stentorian voice
Move on, move on!" and the little fei
| low WAS nuShed on like a grain nj