Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1917-08-02

"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 that single direction. AS | I'M
derstand wireless, the waves re-
leased from those wires up yonder
permeate the atmosphere in every
direction"
"That is true"
with equal intensity!"
"No; they would be most in
tense in the direction in which the
wires extend"
"Ah!" said Orchard. "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 isl 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.
1T is true" he said, in a low
voice, as he, resumed his coat.
The wires could hardly have
been so placed by accident.
1T was not by accident" said
Crochard.
"And yet," went on Marbeau,
Il do not e what all this can
have to do with the disaster"
Nor l." agreed M. Delcasse.
And yet as M. Gro as our
friend here says, all this was not
done by accident"
Il would suggest" said Croch-
ard, THAT we return to M. 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 a last look at the
wireless apparatus; then Crochard
locked the door Of the hut, and
gave the key to the minister.
Where did you get this key,
my friend?'' asked Delcasse, look
ing at it curiously.
about that there is no mys-
terry" smiled Crochard. "I pur-
chased it, together with that lock
yonder, this morning. I found it
necessary to break the original
lock before [ could enter the hut.
1t may be well to station a guard
here" he added, "until you are
ready to dismantle the place"
Delcasse nodded, and slipped
the key into his pocket; and to-
gether they made their way to the
waiting carriage.
The trip back was a silent one.
Delcasse and Lepine, their brains
aching with the effort, were try
ing to understand; Marbeau, con
WINGED that the explosion could
not have been caused by wireless,
was marshaling his reasons; and
Crochard-Crochard sat with
placid countenance gazing
straight ahead of him-but that
placid countenance masked SUI
preme intellectual effort.
At last the carriage stopped.
You will wait here" said Del
casse to the driver, and, as soon
as he reached his office, summoned
his secretary and directed that a
guard Of four marines be sent by
the carriage to the hut in the
grove. Then he sat down, rolled
a cigaret, and passed tobacco and
paper to his companions. "And
now,' he said, looking at Gro
chard, let us hear what you have
to tell u.s."
There is.not much to tell. sir"
answered Grochard. II learned of
the existence of this hut yesterday
evening. Some children, search
ing for mushrooms for a friend Of
mine, who is a restaurateur, hap
pened to see the wires among the
trees, and told him Of their dis
covery. He thought it so curious
that he at once sent word to me-"
And You, of course, sent word
back that he was to tell no one
else, said Delcasse, with a smile.
Yes, I thought that best. I
paid a visit to the hut as soon as it
was light this morning, entered
it, examined it, and convinced NY
self that it was really a wireless
station. Then / made certain in
quiries. The grove, it appears, is
owned by a gentleman IF Mo-