Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1908-01-24

resounded and re-echoed from the courts.
Something told him of his danger. He
stopped and looked up at name on the
corner house, just legible in the dingy
lamp light. To what part of Paris had
he wandered? He was in the Rue Brodier
lnvoluntarily he turned to retrace his
steps, only to find himself confronted by
a half score of sturdy ruffians. He grasp
ed his stick the tighter and backed closer
to the wall. His face was very pale /;
but he did not show any sign of fear.
You will go on" he answered. defiant
ly, 'or l will call the police"
THE police But few of those cattle
make their beats in the Rue Brodier, even
in the daytime" retorted the leader Of
the ruffians. Come, your money, young
master"
D'Auburon put his hand in his pocket
and flung into the air what silver and
gold he had about him. 1t fell upon the
pavement under the street lamp. They
rushed at it like beasts. Then D'Au-
buron lost his nerve. He thought he saw
his opportunity. He sprang into the
middle of the street and ran like deer.
The mob rushed after him. He would
have distanced them all, perhaps, he was
so very feet. when the leader put his
hand to his mouth and uttered peculiar
cry. Immediately from the alley ahead
OF him sprang two men. He was upon
them before he knew it. He raised his
heavy stick and struck one down. The
other jumped at his throat and bore him
to the ground.
Even while he was thus fighting and
struggling for his life he became con-
scious that something was being done in
his favor. He saw medium sized, thick
set man standing over them and heard
him speaking in tones of authority. I'm
mediately the fellow with whom ne was
fighting relaxed his hand on his throat.
On his dirty face alarm was plainly visi-
Bile. With a muttered apology TO the
thickset man he rushed to meet the mob
of his fellows, exclaiming:
Back, you fools. 1t is Monsieur Cas-
sagne"
Quietly they all sneaked away from the
man whom of all others they dreaded. He
had been known to go in among them,
and at the point of the pistol pick out
some desperate criminal and deliver him
over to justice. That's how Alfred Cas-
sagne and Charles D'Auburon became &C.
quainted.
Profoundly grateful to NJ. Cassagne,
D'Auhuron not only did not lose sight
of him, but visited him often. The
friendship of the detective was the others
salvation. Merely curious at first, DAu-
buron ultimately became completely fas-
cinated in the character and career of his
friend.
Thinking that he, D'Auburon, had seen
and exhausted everything, he was aston
ished to find these new fields of adven-
ture and occupation which this man had
titled to such perfection that they yield.
ed an abundant harvest. Ina gining he
knew it all, he stood humbled in the pres
ence of that genius, whose unequaled pen
etration of the thoughts and methods, and
whose extraordinary knowledge of the
ways of men and women, astonished while
it enthralled him.
With an ardor which he could not have
believed he possessed he willingly placed
himself and his fortune at the disposal Of
the great master in that most difficult of
professions. D'Auburon, as Cassagne be-
fore him, succumbed to the fascinations
of pursuit which the ignorant despise,
simply because they do not comprehend
it D'Auburon became first the pupil,
and finally the assistant of the great de-
tective. And D'Auburon and "Cliquot"
were one and the same man.
1t was nearly ten o'clock one morning
when D'Auburon jumped out of bed. He
had worked late the evening previous on
a pet literary project-Lives of Great
Detectives. On the table of his sitting
room the manuscript upon which he had
been engaged still lay. Scattered near it
were half dozen volumes, all relating to
the same subject. D'Auburon stepped
| lightly from his bedroom into a small
kitchen at the back of the fiat. He struck
a match, lit his gas stove and put on his
chocolate. Going to his bathroom he
turned on the cold water. Then he went
out and stood for moment in his dress
ing gown and slippers looking out through
the lace curtains into the street. He was
perceptibly bored. Active service was
what he was longing for. Failing that.
for things had been dull Of late, he had
fallen back upon his book
He was aroused from his reverie by
the sound of the water boiling over in
the kitchen. Passing quickly through the
other two apartments he busied himself
in the preparation of his chocolate. This
done, he took two rolls from small cup
board, put them on a plate and carried
them into his sitting room, where he de-
posted them on the table. Then while
his chocolate was cooling, he went to the
bathroom, where he threw aside his dress
ing gown and undergarment, kicked off
his slippers and disported himself for
minute or two in the water. He was
plunging around, enjoying the icy con-
tact as only thoroughly robust man
does, when loud knocking at the door
of the sitting room was heard. He OPEN
ed the bathroom door without stepping