Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1915-02-10
CHAPTER XIV.
CHE M1cHAELov1TcH DIAMONDS

NJ. Pigo'. COOL and imperturbable. held
but TO us. with a little smile, a hand
showed not u CULVER Of emotion-his
gauntleted hand: and / saw that, on
the back of it. were TWO tiny depres-
sions. AT the bottom of each depres-
SION lay a drop of bright red LIQUID
blood red. | told myself, as l stared at
It. fascinated. And what nerves of steel
this man possessed. A sudden warmth
Of admiration for him glowed within
me
That liquid. gentlemen, he said i'm
his smooth voice, lis the most power
ful poison ever distilled by man. Those
two tiny drops woul kill a score of
people. and kill them instantly. It's
odor betrays it's origin'-and, indeed,
me air was heavy with the scent of
bitter almonds-.but the poison or
nothing compared with this. This poison
dinaiily derived from that source is as
is said TO have been discovered by Remy,
the remarkable man who brought about
the death of the Due d'Anjou. Its dis
eliiatlon was supposed to be n of the
lost arts, but the secret was redis-
covered by this man Crochard. Nc Sc
cret, indeed. is safe from him: criminal
history. criminal memories-the mys-
terles and achievements of the great
confetleracy of crime which has ex-
listed Tor many centuries, and whose
existence few persons even suspect
ali this is to him an open book. 1t is
this which renders him SO formidable.
No man can stand against him. Even
the secret of this drawer was known to
him, and he awaited himself of it when
need arose"
M. Pigot paused, his head bent in
and j seemed 10 be gazing
with him down long emu of crime.
extending far into the past dismal ave.
e like those OF Pere Lachaise, where
tombs elbowed each other; where, at
every step. one came face to face with
q mystery. a secret or a tragedy. Only,
here, h mysteries were all solved, the
secrets all uncovered, the tragedies all
understood. But only to the elect. to
criminals really great, were these ave-
nues open: to all others they were for
hidden. Alone of living men, perhaps.
Crochard was free. to wander there un-
challenged.
some such vision as this, / say, pass
that M. Pigot shared in it: but after
an instant, he turned back to the cab
met.
Now. NJ. Simmon.' he said briskly.
In AN altered voice. If you will have
the kindness to hold the drawer for a
s%erpent's fangs. There is not the
slightest danger" he added, seeing that
Simmonds very naturally hesitated.
Thus assured, Simmonds grasped the
handie Of the drawer, and help It open,
while the Frenchman took from his
pocket q tiny flask of crystal.
"A little farther" he said: and as
Simmonds. with evident effort, drew
the drawer out to Its full length. q tiny
two-tined prong pushed itself forward
from underneath the cabinet. There
are the fangs." said NJ. Pigot. He
neid the mouth OF the flask under first
one and h the other, passing his
other hand carefully behind and above
them. The poison is held in place by
what we In French call attraction
capillatreEI do not know the English;
put drive It out by introducing the air
penlnd it--ah. you see!"
lie stood erect and held the flask up
TO the light. It was, half full OF the red
liquid.
Enough to decimate France"
ne said screwed the stopped care
rllly. into place, and put the flask
IN his pocket. Release the drawer, IL
you please. monsieur" he added to
Stmmonds.
It aprang back into plpce on the In
slant the Arabesqued handle swapping
Mp with . little click.
"You will Observe it ingenuity" said
=: Figot. .It.is really most clever. For
Whenever the hand, struck ~ the pois-
saed fanss. loosened 10 hold on he