Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1915-02-25

the lowest quarters of the city in
stead of going home to bed. See
They are stopping"
They had reached tract of waste
ground, in the middle of which was a
low house almost in ruins. Smith
knocked on the door.
ut looks like some bandits den,"
said Paul.
The door Of the hut was opened.
Smith went in with his companion.
How can We find out what they
are doing in there ?" said Paul.
"They've shut the door Let us get
as near as we can. We might be able
to see inside somehow"
They reached the little hut. Not a
sound could be heard from inside.
They walked around it.
eve must find out what is going on
inside" said Paul. even if we can't
hear them, we ought to get look at
them.
"Give me your shoulder" whisper
ed Jacques. "l'm going to climb to
the top"
Paul bent down, and in a moment
Jacques had clambered on the straw
roof which covered the shanty.
There was a tiny skylight in the
|
wisps of straw and peered in.
"Can you see anything?" asked
| Merseins softly from below.
Eyes. Come up. I'll give you a
hand"
Soon they were both lying on the
roof and able to see clearly what was
passing inside. They were looking
down into a fair-sized room which
was hung with mating. From the
front door three steps led down into
the room. The floor was of earth.
Smith and his companion were
standing before a Hindu who was
squatting on some cushions. The
walls were covered with strange OBJ
jects-bones and skulls and all the
usual paraphernalia that the Hindu
fakirs show in their dens.
"If l saw room like that in Paris
I should say that it belonged to
fake fortune teller" whispered Paul.
Eyes; it's the same sort of thing"
answered Jacques, "only they are
more numerous and exercise more in
| fluence over people here than they
do in Europe. The poor place i'm
plicit faith in these men,"
"Also rich Europeans, from the
look of it," remarked Merseins dryly.
"They have not come to have their
fortunes told. These men sell terrible
poisons. That is what makes them so
feared-their knowledge of various
poisons against which no physician
can do anything"
perhaps they have come after
some poison tonight"
The conversation between the Hin
du and his two visitors became very
animated. From the roof it was i'm
possible to hear what they were say
ing, but it could plainly be seen that
they were asking the Hindu for some
thing that, for some reason or other,
he seemed loathe to give.
They continued to argue. Finally
the Hindu took small vial from be-
meath his robe and showed it to his
visitors. Smith stretched out his hand
to take it, but the Hindu drew back
the bottle and held out his other
hand. Again there was discussion
between the three men.
"He's driving bargain. He's a
smart business man." whispered
Jacques.
But it was not the price to which
Smith was objecting; he hesitated to
purchase the contents of the vial sole
ly on the Hindu's word. The truth
was that he wanted to have what was
in the bottle demonstrated.
At first the Hindu was stubborn.
Then, after further talk, he got up
from his cushion and called to little
dog that had been sleeping near him.
Smith handed the Hindu some money;
this was evidently the price of the
dog. The Hindu took a small pan
and put small piece Of dough in it,
and poured out a few drops of the
liquid which the bottle contained.
The dog swallowed what was given
to him; in few moments the animal
sions. The attack passed.; the Hindu
dogs mouth; it had another attack;
then rolled over, dead.
"That's conclusive enough" whis-
pered Merseins.
"Id give something to know what
he wants that for" replied Jacques
in the same low tones.
Smith then paid for the bottle of
poison, and he and his companion left
the hut. Jacques and Paul remained
lying flat on the roof for few mo-
ments. They waited until the two men
had turned into the narrow street
with its miserable dwellings, and then
jumped down. They ran to the top of
the street, but Smith and his COM
panion had disappeared.
"He's gone" said Paul.
"Bah! We have made some prog
ress," Jacques answered. eve know
where his office is situated, and the
cafe he frequents. We also know
that he buys poison from Hindu fa-
kir, and that he pays we'll for it. He
knows nothing whatever about US; so
we have the advantage"
"What good is that?"
"Why, we are going to get well
acquainted with him. think he is a
downright scoundrel, and we can put
him in the same class as Andre Ca
lesse. Rogues are as big fools as any
one if you hold out snare to them
by putting a prey within easy reach
of their claws"
"Are YOU going to begin that trick