The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1912-07-25

you 10 raEb- nen IEOS-SAIers ID
devils"
should stand In need of q trusty as
sistant | consented TO TaIbot's plea.
| had a presentiment that the work
In front OF me was going to prove az
duous-for. needless TO say, should
not consider that had accomplished
my task until the plot had been frus-
trated. Proudly Talbot set of beside
me and. the moment that we left the
house, the old relations of master and
servant were. by a traditional under
standing. abrogated.
Hot work on hand. old mann" said
my erstwhile servant. cheerfully.
Pretty warm, Talbot" / answered.
my hand stealing toward the automatic
Colt that | always carried In my belt
holster. Talbot saw the acticn and
grinned. | knew that grin. | had seen
Talbot grin that way over a dead At
CHAN. while parrying strokes from
mounted horseman preparatory to ad-
ministering the browning mercy" with
his own pistol Sc felt that II our
plans miscarried somebody would be
greatly to blame for 1t.
We arrived at Paris the following
morning, the train steaming up to the
outskirts Of the city, whence an "omni-
bus" barge conveyed us through the
, streets on top Of the food. | learned
that the Seine had risen to height al
most unknown: that the sewers were
filling with water and an epidemic
threatened. And still the rise contin-
ued. 1t was with some difficulty that
| obtained an interview with President
70 display his majesty's card. The
president was seated in large room
In the Elysee, and was haggard and
pale-from having devoted all his time
to the food victims, sympathetic at
tendant whispered. I smiled at this
naive Interpretation.
Well Monsieur, how can I assist
you?" asked the president, brusQuely.
1T is rather q question of how | can
| assist YOU" l answered. With Napo-
leon master of subterranean Paris, how
long do you expect to uphold the re-
public?"
He looked at me Indignantly, then
burying his face between his hands.
IF we knew where he hides" he
| muttered. But we are helpless. And
the troops are not to be relied on. And
1t would take days to bring loyalists
| from the frontier, for half of France is
under water"
l placed the map in his hands.
His majesty King Edward VII.
sends you this, and bids you use it for
the protection of the republic"
He looked at the map dumbly, as
though not compromising; then rose
to his feet, his face flushed.
1T Is map"
"Of the catacombs," answered. by
the aid of this you will defeat his
night"
YES" said the president. ST know
What shall do? This and the flood
the responsibility-and nobody knows
or dreams"
| Let me see the map" said, seeing
that President Fallieres was no longer
master Of himself; and for half an
hour studied 1t. At the end of that
time its meaning was clear to me.
Tbare were three main entrances To
the catacombs within the walls oil
Paris. One Of these three was In the
Quarter Latin; q second close beside
the north wall; third within q street
not FIVE minutes walk from the Elysee
And 1t was here, obviously, that the
revolutionaries would emerge.
DO you know what these entrances
are?" asked the president.
It was easy to dnd out, for In the
room was q food map showing the
sewerage system. The entrance under
the north wall had evidently become
sealed since the map was made, for Il
was now under the flooring Of some
large railroad yards. That In tn.
Quarter Latin was apparently con
nected with the cellar Of a baker
shop - such establishments bein,
marked red on this map. The third
was not to be found.
Il have it," cried the president
THAT street exists no longer. It Il
now q city park. And I remember
there Is an iron grating under which
drain was believed to run"
Send company of sappers to blocl
up the basement of the bakers sho]
with masonry, ostensibly as . 400,
precaution," I said. Now We hav,
stopped all the fox's earths but one
How many companies Of loyal troop
: can you reckon ON"
Two" replied the president. "The
| are Alsatians"
} Let them be marshaled under cove
} Of darkness at the entrance to the cats
combs in the city park. Let then
: have a cannon commanding it" ha,
formed my plan. Looking along tn
r chart had discovered that In a Gel
: tain spot the catacombs opened on
into q vast subterranean area. It wa
doubtless here that the conspirator
: were enc0mned I communicated m