Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1917-08-03

so spaces, and at every third space
was a slender copper pin, which
the end of the second hand
touched in passing. Two wires, one
connected with the second hand,
the other presumably with the
copper pins, ran from the clock
down to the heavy batteries on the
floor. Every three seconds the cir
cult was automatically closed, and
a long flash sent along the con-
Quoting wire out into the air. Mar
beau stood listening for a moment
longer, then loosened one of the
wires. The signals stopped.
"Now let us see the aerial" he
said, and led the way outside.
But there was no aerial in sight.
Then Orchards finger pointed
out a series of wires among the
trees to the left of the hut. Walk
ing directly beneath them, Mar
beau saw that there were three
wires parallel with each other, and
that they were stretched between
two trees about so feet apart.
From each of them dropped a lead
wire which led into the hut. An
arm of wood had been secured to
each Of the trees, and to these the
wires were fastened by means of
porcelain i%nsulators.
But such an aerial would not
be effective!" Marbeau protested.
cit would be muffled and dead
ened by the leaves and branches
all about it."
"There are no branches in front
of it," said Crochard. eff you will
look, you will see that they have
been very carefully cleared away
in / at single direction. AS l un-
derstand wireless, the waves fe-
leased from those wires up yonder
permeate the atmosphere in every
direction"
"That is true"
with equal intensitye"
"No; they would be most in
tense in the direction in which the
wires extend"
"Ah!" said Crochard. "And,
as we may perceive from the way
in which the trees are trimmed, it
was only in that direction that the
builder of this affair desired them
to penetrate. Can you not guess
what that direction is? If you will
climb this tree and look along the
wires, you will find that they point
directly toward the wreck of La
Liberte."
For a moment, the three stared
at Crochard without speaking,
then Marbeau threw off his coat
and started up the tree. 1t was
not an easy climb, but he was an
agile man, and at last he reached
the arm to which the wire were
affixed. He remained for some
moments looking out along them;
then he slowly descended.
"It is true" he. said, in a low
voice, as he resumed his coat.
"The wires could hardly have
been so placed by accident"
cit was not by accident said
Crochard.
"And yet" went oh Marbeau,
II do not e what all this can
have to do with the disaster"
"Nor l." agreed NJ. Delcasse.
"And yet as M. Gro as our
friend here says, all this was not
done by accident"
II would suggest" said Croch-
ard, "that we return to NJ. Del
casse's apartment. We can talk
there without fear of being over
heard-a thing that is not possible
among all these trees"
Marbeau took a7last look at the
wireless apparatus; then Orchard
locked the door of the hut, and
gave the key to the minister.
"Where did you get this key,
my friendi" asked Delcasse, look
ing at it curiously.
"About that there is no mys-
terry" smiled Crochard. 81 pur-
chased it, together with that lock
yonder, this morning. I found it
necessary to break the original