The Tupelo journal., 1915-08-20

cord was cutting closer lntq
neck. He saw it ali in the did
ond that he reeled before a
black. Then he felt himself
falling through the trap-door
wall that had slid back silef
hind him when Horton had s.
for assistance, and enabled Il
like servant with his ready
take him unaware.
With the first ray of light tn
with returning consciousness
TOPPER Poe dimly saw Burns
anxiously peering into his ov
couldn't remember what had ha
he couldn't place himself. All
came evident to him In the fo
five minutes, as he lay with
trembling open, trying to rem
was the fact that he was lyiD
heavy silk rug and somebody
was working over him. But Blu
present.
Suddenly a wiry black form
through the room, a blue-coatec
clutching the thin black neck
Poe suddenly remembered, and
around to make certain that
still in the strange apartment
ing to Horton.
He moistened his throat with
effort, and managed to articulat
We'll? Did you get"
Yes, we got him." Burns
came clearly, as he kneeled bes
silk rug. 1--WE got him right.
time, too. He and his black
were trying to destroy the G
feiting plates when we mana
break through that heavy from
We got him with the goods;
just jumping through the windc
we had a man below. He's col.
it all-bully for you, Horton
be an engraver on bonds for I'll.
,ish Government; he was locsl
Calcutta"
so they found the plates al
Better not talk" put in e
strange to Poe, and he suddenl.
lied the stranger was a physical.
A strained silence ensued. {
minutes time Christopher Poe I
come quite himself, though b
passed his hand over his bruise.
mechanically, a curious half-srl
Eliminating his otherwise drawn
He finally reached into his yes.
ct, and brought out the bit of pr
paper (evidently overlooked b,
tom containing the counteri
right forefinger imprint. He hal
to Burns, and watched him mu.
In answer to his friends 8
questioning and enthusiastic
over the capture, Poe finally ms
to sketch the whole thing to hir
what had happened when he was
with Horton.
How the devil did you sp'
fellow" burst out Burns.
1T was easy from the minute
ticed that misspelled 'labour,' ar
the duplicate of that finger-pril
hold in your hand" he explaine.
you'll stop to think, you'll rem
that Englishmen stick to the OLD
of spelling honor armor,' 'labo
the like. They always put in the
u making it honour arm
and '1-a-b-o-u-r.'
We'll, the minute / saw that
spelled 'l-a-b-o-u-r' l knew an E
man had done the work, and evi
had been an engraver on E
stamps or securities of some s
which the word labor also apr
and that the spelling of it lad b
second-nature to him.
Then l came across the finge
on the bill; you and Mitchell
seem to take account of the fac
the fnger-print showed in light
ink, identical with the ink us
the back of the note. That
that the counterfeiter himsel
touched it while it was still v
while he had a little of the fire
on his finger: he smeared his
mark on it without noticing. I
aiming that finger-mark undo
microscope l was doubly SUI
counterfeiter was the one VIII
left his mark, for l found tn;
ridges on the finger-print, which
loops approximating tented arcf
they classify them in the print
heavy calluses. AS these we
fication system, showed ca
the forefinger of the right hand
mediately knew that the man '
engraver, for only the continue
of the graver could have left
mark"
Poe paused for breath, and
suggested:
But that didn't give you the
ty of the man."
mo. Then l found the two
close together on the finger-pr
figured out, by the process Of
nation, about the only thing
could have been caused by. 7
suddenly recalled seeing twin
on the finger of a snake-charmt
by a cobra's fangs. l immediate
these must have originated the
way. Having the facts that tn