The Ely miner., 1915-05-14

knocked. The footsteps ceased. Then
the door opened slowly and l could
see q cold blue automatic.
Its all right, Michael" reassured
Craig calmly. "All right. Walter" he
added to me.
The gun dropped back into the foot
mans pocket. We entered and MI
chael again locked the door. Not
word had been spoken by him SO far.
| Next Michael moved to the center
of the room and, as l realized later.
brought himself in direct line with the
open window. He seemed to be over
coTne With fear at his betrayal and
stood there breathing heavily.
Professor Kennedy" he began, "I
have been so mistreated that / have
made up my mind to tell you all
know about this Clutching-"
Suddenly he drew a sharp breath
and both his hands clutched at his
own breast. He did not stagger and
fall in the ordinary manner, but
seemed to bend at the knees and
waist and literally crumple down on
his face.
We ran to him. Craig turned him
over gently on his back and examined
him. He called. No answer. Michael
was almost pulseless.
Quickly Craig tore off his collar and
barred his breast, for the man seemed
to be struggling for breath. AS he did
so he drew from Michaels throat a
small, sharp-pointed dart
whats that?" / calculated, horror
stricken.
"a poisoned blowgun dart, such as
is used by the South American In
dians on the upper Orinoco," he said
slowly.
| He examined it carefully
What is the poison?" asked
"Curari," he replied simply "It acts
on the respiratory muscles, paralyzing
them and causing asphyxiation."
The dart seemed to have been made
of quill with very sharp point, hol-
low, and containing the deadly poison
in the sharpened end.
Look out!" / cautioned, as he
handled it.
ooh, that's all right" he answered
casually. "If don't scratch myself, 1
am safe enough. l could swallow the
stuff and it wouldn't hurt me-unless
l had an abrasion of the lips or some
internal cut"
| Kennedy continued to examine the
dart until suddenly ] heard low ex-
clamation of surprise from him. In
side the hollow quill was thin sheet
of tissue paper, tightly rolled. He
drew it out and read
ITO know me is Death.
Kennedy-Take Warning"
Underneath was the inevitable
Clutching Hand sign.
We jumped to our feet. Kennedy
rushed to the window and slammed it
shut, while seized the key from Mi
chael's pocket, opened the door and
called for help.
moment before, on the roof of a
building across the street, one might
have seen bent, skulking figure.
His face was copper colored and on
his head was a thick thatch of mat
ted hair. He looked like a South
American Indian, in very dilapidated
suit of cast-off American clothes.
He had slipped out through a door
way leading to flight of steps from
the roof to the hallway of the tene-
ment, and, like one of his native ven-
omous serpents, worked his way down
the stairs again.
My outcry brought a veritable bat
talon of aid. The hotel proprietor,
the negro waiter and several others
dashed upstairs, followed shortly by
portly policeman.
Craig took the policeman into his
confidence, showing him the dart and
explaining about the poison. The off,
Ger stared blankly.
Il must get away, too," hurried on
Craig, "Officer, / will leave you to
take charge here. You can depend on
me for the inquest"
The officer nodded.
Come on, Walter" whispered
Craig, eager to get away, then adding
the one word, "Elaine!"
followed hastily. not slow to un-
derstand his fear for her.
Nor were Craig's fears groundless.
In spite of all that could be done for
her. Elaine was still in bed, much
weaker now than before.
More than that, the Clutching Hand
had not neglected the opportunity,
either.
Suddenly, just before our return, a
stone had come hurtling through the
window, without warning of any kind,
and had landed on Elaine's bed.
Below, as we learned some time aft
erwards, car had drawn up hastily
and the evil-faced crook whom the
Clutching Hand had used to rid HIM
self of the informer, ''Limpy Red" had
leaped out and hastily hurled the
stone through the window, as quick
ly leaping back into the car and
whisking away.
Around the stone was wrapped a
piece of paper on which was the ON
inous warning, signed as usual by the
Hand:
Michael is dead
Tomorrow, you.
"Then Kennedy.
"Stop before it is too late"
Elaine had sunk back into her pill
lows, paler than ever from this Sec
ond shock.
It was just then that Kennedy and
arrived and were admitted.