Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1917-12-27

oHS ~ was tHC PIlIlCc VINO
stood there, though it had not
been the princes voice. A second
glance undeceived him. There was,
1T is true, a certain puzzling re-
semblance to the prince, but this
man was more strongly built, more
graceful-and the prince could
never smile like that! And then.
with a little bow, the newcomer
removed the broad brimmed hat
which Swallowed his face, and,
with a sudden feeling of sickness,
Pachmann recognized him.
But the admiral was a brave
man, with a nerve not easily shak-
en-; besides, the odds were all in
his favor! Yet he realized the
need for all his resource, all his
self control. AT the end of a mo-
ment, he rose slowly, almost are
lessly.
"Who are you, sir?" he de-
manded.
"Do you not know meY"
laughed the stranger. "Surely,
yes! l saw your eyes penetrate
this slight disguise. Icrossed with
you on the Ottilie, admiral, as An
Dire Chevrial. 1 believe you even
did me the honor to convince your
self that that was really my name.
l am, however, better known in
Paris as Crochard, L'Invincible! 20
"Ah," said Pachmann, with a
tightening of the brows, ga spy,
then?"
"No, admiral; a patriot like
yourself"
"And your business here?"
81 have already stated it: to ac-
cept for France the services of this
incompatible man."
Something flashed in Pach-
mann's hand, but even as he
jerked up his arm, there was a
soft impact, and a revolver clat-
tered to the floor. Crochard sprang
for it, seized it, and slipped it into
his pocket.
II was expecting that" he said,
still smiling. CHOW we can talk
more at our ease," and he came in
to the bedroom, closed the door,
placed a chair against it, and sat
down. "Pray be seated, NJ.
Vard," he added c%ourteously to
the inventor. "And you, adj
miral."
Pachmann, white with pain, was
nursing a numbed and nerveless
hand. He sat down slowly, his
eyes on the face of his antagonist.
"You should admire this weap-
on, admiral" Crochard went ON,
extending for his inspection what
looked like an ordinary revolver.
ut is a most useful toy, of my
own invention-or, perhaps, 1
would better say adapted by me
from an invention of that ingeni-
Gus Sieur Hyacinthe, who was pis-
toll maker to the Great Louis.
Should you ever visit Paris, l
should be charmed to show you
the original at the Carnavalet.
This 'embodies some improvements
OF my own. II can, as you have
seen, discharge, almost noiselessly,
a disabling ball; it can also, not
quite so noiselessly, discharge a
bullet which will penetrate your
body, and which no bone will stop
or turn aside. Should you open
your mouth to shout, l can, still
with this little implement, fling
into your face a liquid which will
strike you senseless before your
shout can come, or a poison a
single breath of which means
death. And l assure you, my dear
admiral, that 1 shall hesitate no
more than you to use any Of these
agencies which may be necessary"
Pachmann listened, glowering;
but, he told himself, he was not yet
defeated; and he sat rubbing his
hand and measuring his adversary.
What do you imagine to be
the exact nature of the services Of
which you speaki" he asked, at
last.
"Their naturei Why, their ma
ture will be of the same sort as
those already offered to your EN-.
peror."
"Yesf"