Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1915-09-02

who had let him In: the East Indian
had garroted Poe; sven now the silk
cord was cutting closer into POe's
neck. He saw 1t all In the dizzy sec
ond that he reeled before all grew
black. Then he felt himself failing.
falling through the trap-door IN the
wall that had slid back silently be-
hind him when Horton had signaled
for assistance, and enabled the cat
like servant with his ready cord to
take him unaware.
With the first ray Of light that came
with returning consciousness Chris
TOPPER Poe dimly saw Burns's face
anxiously peering into his own. He
couldn't remember what had happened.
no couldn't place himself. All that be
came evident to him In the following
FIVE minutes, as he lay with eyelids
trembling open, trying to remember.
was the fact that he was lying on .
heavy silk rug and somebody strange
was working over him. But Burns was
present.
Suddenly wiry black form skulked
through the room, blue-coated officer
clutching the thin black neck. Then
Poe suddenly remembered, and looked
around to make certain that he was
still in the strange apartment belong
ing to Horton.
He moistened his throat with great
effort, and managed to articulate:
well? Did you get--"
"Yes, we got him." Burns voice
came clearly, as he kneeled beside the
silk rug. we got him right Just in
time, too. He and his black minion
were trying to destroy the counter
feiting plates when we managed tc
break through that heavy front door
We got him with the goods; he waa
just jumping through the window, but
we had a man below. He's confessed
1t all-bully for you! Horton used te
be an engraver on bonds for the Brit
ish Government; he was located Ii
Calcutta"
$50 they found the plates and
Better not talk" put In voice
strange to Poe, and he suddenly real
lied the stranger was physician.
A strained silence ensued. In ten
minutes time Christopher Poe had be
come quite himself, though he still
passed his hand over his bruised mech
mechanically, curious half-smile IL
Illuminating his otherwise drawn face.
He finally reached into his vest-pock.
ct. and brought out the bit OF prepared
paper (evidently overlooked by Hcr
toni containing the counterfeiters
right forefinger imprint. He handed II
to Burns. and watched him musingly.
In answer to his friends anxious
questioning and enthusiastic praise
| over the capture, Poe finally managed
to sketch the whole thing to him, just
what had happened when he was alona
| with Horton.
How the devil did you spot the
fellow?" burst out Burns.
1T was easy from the minute no
ticed that misspelled 'labour,' and saw
the duplicate Of that fnger-print you
| hold in your hand" he explained. III
youn stop to think, you'll remember
that Englishmen stick to the old form
OF spelling honor armor,' labor and
the like. They always put In the letter
u making it honour ARMOUR,
| and Ia-b-o-u-r.'
Well, the minute I saw that word
spelled la-b-o-u-r' / knew an English
man had done the work, and evidently
had been an engrayer on English
stamps or securities of some sort in
which the word labor also appeared,
and that the spelling of it had become
second-nature to him.
Then came across the finger-print
on the bill; you and Mitchell didn't
seem to take account of the fact tina,
the hnger.print showed in light greer
Ink. identical with the ink used on
the back OF the note. That proved
that the counterfeiter himself had
touched 1t while 1t was still wet. on
while he had little of the fresh ink
| on his finger; he smeared his light
mark on 1t without noticing. On ex.
aiming that ffnger-mark under the
microscope / was doubly cure the
counterfeiter was the one who had
ieft hl9 mark, for found that the
ridges on the finger-print, which were
loops approximating tented arches. aa
they classify them in the print identi
heavy calluses. As these were on
hcation system, showed calluses
the foreffnger OF the right hand / i'm.
mediately knew that the man was an
engraver, for only the continuous usa
OF the graver could have left such 4
mark"
Poe paused for breath, and Burns
suggested:
But that didn't give you the idenu-
| ty of the man"
No. Then found the two scare
close together on the finger print. /
figured out. by the process az elm.
nation, about the only thing thew
could have been caused by. Then I
suddenly recalled seeing twin scars
on the finger OF snake.charmar ,aft
ny a cobra's fangs, l immediately felt
these must have originated tha same
way Having the facts that the man
was English. had been bitten bv :
COBRA, and that the snake was ! tamo
4 h - T.