Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1914-05-21

very simply said NJ. Pigot coldly.
Death came to Drouet and NJ. Van
tine because the maid Of madame la
duchesse mistook her left hand for her
right. The drawer which contained
the letters is at the left Of the cabinet
see" and he pressed the series of
springs, caught the little handle and
pulled the drawer open. You will no
tice that the letters are gone. The
drawer which Drouet and NJ. Vantine
opened" and here his voice became a
little -strident under the stress of emo
ton. lis on the right side of the cabi-
net, exactly opposite the other and
opened by Il similar combination. But
there is one great difference. About
the first drawer there is nothing to
harm any one; the other is guarded by
the deadliest poison the world has ever
known. Observe me. gentlemen
AS he spoke he bent over the desk
and pressed three fingers along the
right edge. There was a sharp click
and a section of the inlay fell out
ward, forming a handle, just as I had
seen it do on the other side of the
desk.
NJ. Plgot hesitated an instant. Then.
catching the handle firmly with his
armored hand. he drew it quickly out.
There was a sharp clash as Of steel
on steel and the drawer stood open.
M. Pigot. cool and imperturbable.
held out to us. with a little smile, a
hand which showed not a culver of
emotion-his gauntleted hand; and l
saw that on the back of it were two
tiny Impressions. At the bottom Of
each depression lay a drop of bright
red liquid. What nerves of steel this
man possessed!
THAT liquid. gentlemen" he said in
his smooth voice, lis the most power
full poison ever distilled by man. Those
two tiny drops would kill a score Of
people. and kill them instantly. It's
odor betrays its origin"-and. indeed.
the air was heavy with the scent Of
bitter almonds-''but the poison or
dinarily derived from that source is as
nothing compared with this. Its dis
tlllatlon was supposed to be one Of the
lost arts. but the secret was rediscov-
cred by this nan Crochard. No secret.
indeed, is safe from him. No man can
stand against him. Even the secret
of this drawer was known to him. and
he availed himself of it when need
arose"
M. Pigot paused. his head bent in
thought.
Nov. Nj. Simmon.'' he said briskly
in an altered voice, eff you will have
the kindness to hold the drawer for a
moment in this position. I will draw
the serpent's fangs. There is not the
slightest DANGER" he added. seeing
that Simmonds very naturally hest
tated.
Thus assured. Simmonds grasped
the handle of the drawer. and held 1t
open. while the Frenchman took from
his pocket a tiny flask Of crystal.
"a little farther" he said; and as
Simmonds. with evident effort. drew
the drawer out to it's full length. a
tiny. two tined prong pushed itself
forward from underneath the cabinet.
There are the fangs," said NJ. Pigot.
He held the mouth Of the flask under
first n and then the other, passing
his other hand carefully behind and
above them. The poison is held in
place by what we in French call at
traction capillaire-I do not know the
English: but | drive it out by intro
ducing the air behind it-ah. you seer
He stood erect and held the flask up
to the light. 1t was half full of the
red liquid.
Enough to decimate France" he
said. screwed the stopper carefully
into place and put the flask into his
pocket. Release the drawer, if you
please. monsieur he added to Sim
monds.
1t sprang back into place on the in
slant. the arabesqued handle Swapping
up with a little click.
You will observe it's ingenuity said
NJ. Pigot. 1T is really most clever.
For whenever the hand. struck by the
poisoned fangs. loosened it's hold on
the drawer, the drawer sprang shut as
you see. and everything was as before
except that one man more had tast-
ed death. Now | open it. The fangs
fall again; they strike the gauntlet;
but for that. they would pierce the
hand, but death no longer follows. By
turning this button. lock the spring,
and the drawer remains open. The
man who devised this mechanism was
so proud Of it that he described it in
a secret memoir for the entertainment
of the Grand Louis. There is a copy
of that memoir among the archives OF
the French National library; the orig
inal is owned by Crochard. 1t was he
who connected that memoir with this
cabinet. who r~ediscovered the mech
anism. rewound the spring. and re-
newed the poison"
), "This Croshar-or whatever his name
is-seems to be a 'strordinary feller.'
observed Grady. relighting his cigar.
:. Gle is" agreed M. Pigot. quietly: "a
most extraordinary man. But ever he