The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1906-12-07
THE
BrangW .yn Mystery

complete? His fear. my friend! His
fear!" 4
Eyes. yes, yes" said Holt, Impatient.
". "But didn't you give him some
hope or understanding IN return ?ns
II did," said Ribot. Hollis face dark
ened and hardened curiously. II had
hold on him in another direction. /
promised him that would not inter-
'fere with him there. Do you per-
ceive?" +.
Eyes," Holt turned away and charg-
ed his pipe with great elaboration;
you left him under the Impression
that you wouldn't NEEDLE with him
that he was to get of scot-free 30 far
as you were concerned?"
Certainly, most certainly, that Is
the construction he will put upon it.
But made him no promise apart
from the other affair. He is blackmail-
ing somebody; and I undertook not to
interfere with him in respect to that
particular enterprise
"But you're going to interfere with
him in respect to that particular enter
prise? You're going to send him to
the guillotine?"
"Assuredly," said Ribot.
Then I'm hanged if they do these
things better in France" cried Holt,
putting fiercely at his newly-lighted
pipe, and facing round on his compan-
ion. Send the poor wrech to the
guillotine by all means. He deserves
it, but he doesn't deserve to be be-
trayed and trapped in that way. No,
no. We've got to use guile for guile,
and strategem for strategem; but
when it comes to making understand
ings that are meant to be broken, and
promises that are just so many bare
faced lies-if that's the French method,
well and good. can only say 1t amt
the British"
Monsieur" said Ribot, speaking
with frozen dignity, and reverting
to his own language, II am perfectly
willing to leave my professional repu-
tation in the hands of my official SUI
periors."
"Quite so," Holt answered, "but l
can tell you this, there isn't judge on
the British bench who wouldn't make
a British officer wish himself dead and
buried II thing like that were proved
against him. If your authorities think
well of it, why that puts you right.
You're acting up to the principles of
your profession as they're understood
in your own country. But you won't,
find anybody on this side Of the chan
mel to think they do things better In
France. No; fairs fair. I'll CANNON
my man with anything short of false
promises, but there draw the line"
'I am not Qufxote, II" said M. Ribot.
II am, all simply, a poor officer in thea
secret service Of the police Of the
French republic. am paid to detect
crime, and do not count it unfair to
use false coin in dealing with a fraud
ulent coiner."
The two old friends and colleagues
parted in some heat on either side and
they were cool for day or so. But
Ribot had work and interests Of his
own, and he found himself moving so
prosperously that he forgot his pique.
He had forwarded to headquarters the
evidence with which Lepelletier had
supplied him, and one fair morning
Paris was supplied with sensation
in the news that one of its wealthiest
and most respected tradesmen had
been arrested on charge of having in
stigated the theft of the Bercy dia-
monds; and at the hour at which the
arrest took place the English police
laid hands on the most desperate
French criminal of his day in the per-
son of Victor, Lepelletier, alias Leroux.
It was Ribot who appeared to demand
his extradition, and the criminal be-
haved like mailman in the dock. He
yelled curses at his accuser, and but
for the Intervention of half dozen
stalwart men of the Metropolitan po-
lice he would have leapt the rail and
would have torn the detective piece
meal with his hands. 1t took the half
dozen all their time to hold him, for
he fought with a demoniac force and
fury. using nails and teeth and feet,
snarling and bowling beastlinke, until
he failed from sheer exhaustion, and
had not even strength to leave the
dock without the violent assistance his
guardians gave him.
It so CHANGED that the Daily Record
had a special man in court that day.
engaged upon the descriptive report
of another case. It came natural to
him to make much of this unexpected
scene, which to working journalist
was quite a scoop" in its way. His
work came out under half-a- dozen FAR
ing headlines on one Of the central
pages Of the paper, and amongst scores
Of others Alexis Brangwyn read 1T OF
his breakfast table. It brought him q
mingled fear and hope. There was just
possibility that wretch 80 sdesper.
ate might feel q malicious satisfaction
in involving others in his own ruin,
and might make SO clean q breast OF It
as to expose everybody to whom he
could impute crime or even an en-
Sbarrassing wrong doing. on The other
side II might be that he the last ct
the dragons tooth crop was extlrpa-
[ ted. and that henceforth Alexis might