Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-01-28
CHAPTER NXIII.
WE MEET NJ. PIGOT.

WE MEET NJ. PIGOT.
l was Just getting ready to leave the
office when Godfrey called me up.
How are you feeling today, LESTER
he asked.
Not as fit as I might" I said.
Have you arranged to start on that
vacation Thursday?"
7 don't think that's a good joke,
Godfrey"
1T isn't a joke at all. l want you 10
arrange it. But meanwhile, how would
you like a whiff of salt air his eve
ning?"
First rate. How will 1 get it?"
The Savoie will get TO quarantine
about 6 o'clock. I'm going down on
our boat to meet her. l want to have
a talk with Inspector Pigot-the French
detective. Win you come along?'
will Il" l said. where shall 1 meet
you?"
AT the foot of Liberty street at 5
o'clock"
I'll be there" I promised. And I was.
The boat was cast loose as soon as
we got aboard, backed nut into the
busy river, her whistle siieking shrilly,
then swung about and headed down
stream. 1t was a fast boat-the Rec
ord, which prided itself on outdistanc-
ing its contemporaries in other direc-
tions, would of course try to do so
In this-and when she got fairly into
her stride. with her engines t%hrobbing
rhythmically. the shore on either hand
slipped past US rapidly.
The New York sky line. as seen from
the river, is one of the wonders of the
world, and l stood looking at it until
we swung out into the bay. There were
two other men on board-the regular
ship reporters. / suppose-and Godfrey
had gone into the cabin with them to
talk over some detail of the evenings
work: so l went forward to the bow.
where l would get the full benefit of
the salt breeze. with the taste of it on
my lips. The statue of Liberty was
just aheaG, and already the great
s~earchlight in her torch was winking
across the water. Craft innumerable
crossed and recrossed, their lights re-
tlected in the waves, and far ahead, a
little to the left. I could see the white
glow against the sky which marked the
position of Coney Island.
Godfrey Joined me presently. and we
stood for some time looking at this
scene in silence.
Its a great sight. isn't it," he said,
at last. Hello! look at that boat" he
added, as a yacht, coming down the
bay. drew abreast Of us and then slow
ly forged ahead. "She can go some,
SLOUGH. you know; but just ook how
thai one walks away from us. [ Won
der who she is? What BOAT is that,
captain?' he called to the mar on the
bridge.
Don't know, sir" answered the cap
tain, after a look through his glasses.
Private ~yacht-can't make out her
name-there's a flag or something
hanging over the stern. She's flying
the French flag. There come the other
press boats behind us. sir" he added.
! And there's the Savoie just slowing
down at quarantine"
Far ahead we could see the great hull
of the liner, dark against the horizon,
and crowned with row upon row of
glowing lights.
"One doesn't appreciate how big
those boats are until one sees them
/ from the water" 1 remarked. isn't
she immense?"
; And yet she's not an especially big
| boat, either" said Godfrey. ITO swing
4 IN under the really big ones-like the
) Olympic-is an experience to remenl-
Der"
The Savoie had by this time slowed
. down until She was just holding hel
own against the tide and one Of heI
lower ports swung open. A moment la
ter, a boat puffed up beside her, mad5
J fast, and three or four men lambereC
aboard II disappeared through thu
o port.
0 There go the Doctors said God
j. y s1l1SA " Il lIdl SlIn Duh
: going alongside"
! The tug from quarantine dropped
!. astern and h French yacht took hel
Y place. After a short colloquy, one mai
from her was helped aboard the Savoie
linen 1T was our turn. and after wha
seemed to me a tremendous swishinf
: and SWirling at imminent risk of col
hslon. we swung up to the open port, 1
line was flung out and made fast, ant
a m later Godfrey and | and tn,
other two men were aboard the liner
: My companions exchanged greeting:
e with the officer in charge of the opel
!, port, n then we hurried forWart
!; along a narrow corridor. smelling o
: rubber and heated metal, then up stat
, after STAIR, until at last we came t,
> the main companionway. Here the tw,
men left us. to seek certain distin
guished passengers. l suppose, who's
e views % the questions Of the da,
: were presumably anxiously awatte;
|" by an expectant public. Godfrey stoppe,
in front of the purser's office and pass
d ed his card through the little window
n to the man inside the cage.
: I SHOULD like to see M. Pigot. of tn
a Paris Service du Surete," he said
Perhaps you will be SO kind as t
have a steward take my card to him?
a That is unnecessary. SIR" replie
I; the purser, courteously. THAT is M
Pigct ynnder-the gentleman with tn
WLile ualT, WIFI MS DaCk 10 us. 70
will nave to wait for a moment, how
ever: the gentleman speaking with hir
le is from the French consulate. n ha
e but this ome came aboard"
n l could not see Inspector Pigot's fac
but l could see that he held himsel
ne very erect. In a bespeakin
@ military training. The messenger fror
i the legation was a youngish man, wit
waved moustache and wearing an eye
glass. He was greeting Nj. Pigot at tn
g moment. and. after a word or two, pro
duced from an inside pocket an officia
is looking envelope, tied with red tap
and secured with an immense red sea
i M. Pigot looked at it an instan
while his companion added a sentenc
er IN his ear: then. with a nod of assen
he the detective turned down one OF tn
le passageways. the other man az hi
heels.
1 Official business. no doubt" com
er mented the purser. who had also bee
watching his little scene. m. Pigot
f. one of the best OF our officers, and yo
will find 1T a pleasure to talk with hin
or He will no doubt soon be disengaged
Yes, but meanwhile my esteeme
~ contemporaries will arrive" said Goo
frey, with a grimace. They are on NJ