Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1910-04-02


ton or two
CcqueDiI was studying his adverse
~. That heard? Could IL be false?
And the hands, the arms2 He had
watched these from the first, noting
every movement. particularly the left
hand and the left arm. but he had de-
| tected nothing significant.
81 wonder II you have anything
against me personality inquired NJ
/ Paul.
"On the contrary" declared the 9th
er. I'VE admire you and wish you
we'll"
-But you threaten my dogT'
If necessary, yes"
And my mother27
I eff necessary
The decisive moment had come. for
| just then there shot around the corner
from the Avenue Montaigne n large
red automobile. which crossed the
Champs Ulysses slowly, turning into
the Avenue Gabrielle, and stopped un-
der the chestnut trees Like a fash Il
came into the detectives mind that
the same automobile had passed them
once before some streets back. On the
front seat We're two men. strong look
ing fellows. accomplices, no doubt
Il ask because began NJ Paul
with his Indifferent drawl; then, swift
ly drawing his whistle. he sounded a
danger call. The stranger sprang
away, but Coquenll was on him I'm a
bound. The bearded man. with a great
heave OF his shoulders. broke the de-
tective's grip, then suddenly he attack
cd, shifting for the neck with the open
hand held sideways in the treacherous
cleaving blow that the Japanese use
CoQuenil ducked forward He struck
with his right thought NJ. Paul.
At the same moment he felt his ad-
versary's hand close on his throat and
rejoiced. Tor he knew the deadly jitsu
reply 20 this. Hardening his neck mus
cles until they covered the delicate
parts beneath like bands OF steel. the
| detective seized his enemy's extend
| ed arm In his two hands. one at the
wrist, one nj the elbow. and as his
trained fingers sought the painful pres
sure points his two free arms started
| a rcsistless torSiOu movement on the
captured arm. There IS no escape from
this movement, no enduring its excru-
ciating pain. Slowly the stranger felt
the tendons stretching. the bones crack
ing, i'm this helpless right arm. A few
seconds more and the end would come.
n few seconds more and-then a crash
ing. SCATTERING pain drove through Co
quenilS lower heart region. and he
sank weakly 20 the ground His en-
envy had done an extraordinary thing
had delivered a blow not provided FOR
In jitsu tactics. In spite Of the torsion
torture hc had swung his free arm I'M
der the detectives lifted guard. not IN
Yokohama style. but I'm the best man
ner OF the old English prize ring. his
clinched fist falling fun on the un-
guarded solar plexus nerves. And Co
quenl dropped with this thought: "It
was the left that spoke then"
As he sank 10 the ground NJ Paul
tried to save himself and. Selling his
opponent by the leg, he held him des-
perately, but the spasms OF pain over
came him. and he felt the clutched leg
Slipping from his grasp. Then as con-
seriousness faded ne rallied in a last
fierce effort. and he bit the man deeply
under the knee.
When COquenil came TO himself he
was lying on the ground and several
policemen were bending over him. He
lifted his head weakly and looked
about him The stranger was gone;
the automobile was gone. And sud
denly 81 flashed through his mind that
he had been outwitted from the first:
that the mans purpose had not been at
all what it seemed 90 be: that n hand
TO hand conflict was precisely what
the stranger had sought and planned
for, because-because- In feverlsh
haste COqueIin felt In his breast pocket
for the envelope with the precious
leather fragments. IL was not there
Then quickly he searched his other
pockets. IL was not there. The en-
velope containing the woman's name
and address was gone.