The Havre herald., 1908-05-13

30 rery fleet, when the leader pus 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 lis life he became con-
scious that something vas being done in
his favor. He saw medium sized, thick
set man standing over them and heard
him speaking in tones of authority. In
mediately the fellow with whom he was
fighting relaxed his hand on his 1hroat.
On his dirty face alarm was plainly vsi-
BE. With muttered apology 70 > 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 ac
quaintad.
Profoundly grateful to NJ. Cassagne
D'Auburon 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. D'Au-
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
tilled to such perfection that they yield
ed an abundant harvest. Imagining 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 q 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 'Clieuot"
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
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 a 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 SOunQ or tne water D0lllng over IN
the kitchen. Passing quickly through the
other two apartments he busted himself
in the preparation of his chocolate. This
done, he took two rolls from a 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 a
minute or two in the water. He was
plunging around, enjoying the icy con-
tact as only thoroughly robust man
does, when a loud knocking at the door
of the sitting room was heard. He open
ed the bathroom door without stepping
from the tub, and shouted Justify:
"Wait minute; am bathing
II can't wait. Hurry up" replied a
voice on the outside of the door, There's
letter for you, monsieur"
Ito be continued)