Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-02-20


spite OF the fact that u was broad
daylight. IL was running. His face
puckered.
They are using no current nj pres
ent In the house he ruminated. yet
the meter il running
lie continued to examine the meter.
Then he began 20 follow the electric
wires along. At last he discovered =
place where they had been tempered
with and tapped by other wires.
The work Of the Clutching Hand,'
he muttered.
Eagerly he followed the wires to
the furnace and around 10 the back.
There they led right into a little
water tank. Kennedy yanked them
out. As he did so he pulled some
thing with them.
Two electrodes the villain placed
there" he exclaimed. holding them up
tr~iumphantly for me to see.
Yves" ! replied. obviously. but
what does IL all mean"
Why. don't you see? Under the In
fluence OF the electric current the wa
ter Was decomposed and gave on oxy-
gen and hydrogen. The free hydrogen
passed up the furnace pipe and com
bining with the arsenic In the wall
paper formed the deadly arseniuretted
hydrogen.
lie cast the whole ~improvised cleo
trolysis apparatus on the floor and
dashed up the cellar steps.
I've found &C." he cried. hurrying
lotto Elaine's room. ITS 10 this room
"a deadly gas-a rsenIuretted hydro
gen"
He tore open the windows.
Have her moved" he shouted 10
Aunt Josephine Then have a vac
uum cleaner 20 over every inch of
wall. carpet and upholstery
Standing beside her. he breathless-
ly explained his discovery. That wall
paper has b.en loaded down with
Arsenic. probably paris green or
SchweinfurtE green. which IL acetoar
semitic OF copper. Every inmate you
are here you are breathing arseniuret-
ted hydrogen. This Clutching Hand
is a diabolical genius. Think OF it
poisoned wall paper"
No one said a word. Kennedy
reached down and tOok the two
Clutching Hand messages Elaine had
received. Il shall want to study
these notes. more. too. he said. hold
Ing them up 10 the wall at the head
OF the bed as he flashed his pocket
lens at them. You see. Elaine. | may
be able 10 get something from study.
Ing the Ink. the paper, the hand writ.
ing"
Suddenly both leaped back. with a
cry.
Their faces had been several inches
apart Something had whizzed between
them and literally impaled the two
notes on the wall
Down The street. on the roof OF a
carriage house. back OF a neighbours.
might ave been seen the uncouth ng-
ure OF the shabby South American In
dian %crouching behind a chimney and
gazing intently at the Dodge house.
- RAaAN AhlOMH bptH Elaine N
window and turned 10 Elaine the figure
had crouched closer to the chimney.
Then with an uncanny determine
ton. he slowly raised the blowgun 10
his lips.
jumped forward. followed BY Doc
tor Hayward. Aunt Josephine and
Marie. Kennedy had n peculiar look
as he pulled out rom the wall n blow
gun dart similar in every way 10 that
which had killed Michael.
Craig" gasped Elaine. reaching up
and laying her soft. white hand on his
arm In u~ndisguised fear for him. you
YOU must give up this chase for the
'Iutching Hand"
Give up the chase for the Clutch
ing Hand" he repeated I'm surprise.
Never. Not until either he or is
dead"
There was both fear and admiration
mingled In her look. ms he reached
down and patted her dainty shoulder
encouragingly.