The Red Cloud chief., 1907-09-27
away thoughtfully.
ut Is over this affair" shasaid to
herself. "Carl knows everything"
CHAPTER XXXvIi

htll vi hlS lllllSIOf lol. lfiu
Just changed for dinner andkas light.
ing u cigarette d'appertt' when,
without waiting to be anndnced, the
Nicomte de Bergillac enteretthe room.
Spencer. with lightning-lik& intuition,
knew that his time was cont
Ion with your coat, mao and get
your code books out. am going to
give you, the most s~ensatical story
which has ever appeared i'd your pa.
PERI he exclaimed. "Only remember
this-it must appear tomoIrw morn
ing. | am arranging for o. French
papers to have 1t. Yours SD be the
only English journal. Glauc through
these sheets. They contain the story
Of 1'affaire Poynton.'"
Spencer was master of H. gist Of
the thing in a very few moib'nts. His
eyes were bright with eXcitknent.
''Nho guarantees this p Inc asked
quickly.
my uncle has signed it,luenri de
Bergillac answered, land at tie bottom
of the page there you will be n still
more distinguished signature You I'M
derstand 'raffaire Poynton' bw? 1t ia
very simple. That English Wy actual.
~ witnessed q meeting bAyeen the
car and the emperor and TINS up in
Paris, with a loose sheet a a treaty
between the two relative td I'm attack
upon England. Our people 1T hold of
him at the Cafe Montmarth, and we
have hidden him way ever knce. Our
friends. the Germans, who Eeemed to
have had some suspicious p)out him,
have filed the city with Ipies. but
from the first we have kcIt them off
the scent. We had Il little dficulty in
convincing our friends, yotr country
people, but we managed I'd borrow a
few papers from the German ambas-
sador while he was stayingilt a coun-
try house In England. which were suf-
ficient."
Spencer was already writing. His
coat lay on the floor whet. he had
thrown It.
Don't go for a moment, lie Bergil.
lac" he said. IL want to ask you a few
things. l can talk and code Mt the
same time. What about Miss Poyn-
ton?'
well. we had to take care of her,
too" De Bergillac said. "Of course all
her inquiries over here would have led
to nothing. but they knew about her ut
the English embassy, so we walked her
Off from the Cafe Montmartre one
night and took her to u friend Of mine,
the Marquise de st. Ethol. We told
her n little of the truth and a little,
I'm afraid, which was an eXaggera-
ton. Anyhow we kept her quiet. and
we got her to go to England for us
with Toquet. They had a very narrow
shave down at Runton, by the bye"
After this" Spencer said, with a
smile. "the secret service people prop
er will have to look to their laurels. 1t
Is n triumph for the amateurs"
The vlcomte twirled his tiny black
mustache.
Yes" he said, 1--WE have justified
ourselves. 1t has cost us something.
thought"
IN. Louis!'
Spencer stopped writing.
ut was an affair of a million francs"
the vicomte said. ~ hope he has got
the money"
Spencer resumed his work.
The baron a traitor" he exclaimed.
where is he?"
"In England. We are not vindictive.
If the Germans paid him a million
francs they got nothing for it. He
has been watched from the first. We
knew of it the moment he came to
terms with them. He only knows bare
facts. Nothing beyond. He is going
TO Brazil, l think. We shall not inter
fere."
''rell me why" Spencer said, 'you
We're so down on all of us who joined
in the search for the Poyntons?"
I'VE could not afford to run any
risks of your discovering n clew," De
Berglllacanswered, "becauseyou in your
turn We're closely watched by German
spies, hoping to discover them through
You. That Is why we had to strike
hard ut all of You who interfcred. |
was sorry for little Flossle. but she
knew the risk she ran. We had to
stop you, induce Duncombe to leave
Paris and knock on the head n fool of
an English detective for fear he might
discover anything. NJ. Pelham was
getting into danger, but OF course 1t Is
all over now. Tomorrow we are bring.
Ing Guy into Paris"
Spencer nodded.
"Where il DuncombeT' he asked.
Back In Paris" De Bergillac answer