The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1918-07-11
THE
E OF THE TIGER
MAURICE LEBLANC
TRANSLATED BY
TEIXEIRA DE MATTOS

quences Of a defeat seemed to him
worse than death.
Through the window on the
landing he saw the detectives
guarding the courtyard. He
counted six of them. And he also
saw the deputy chief at one of the
windows of his study, watching
the courtyard and keeping in
touch with his detectives.
"By Jove" he thought, "he's
sticking to his post. 1t will be a
tough job. He suspects something
However, let's make a start"
He went through the drawing.
room and entered his study.
Weber saw him. The two enemies
were face to face.
There was a few seconds 81.
lence before the duel opened, the
duel which was bound to he swift
and vigorous, without the least
sign of weakness or distraction on
either side. 1t could not last
longer than three minutes.
The deputy chiefs face bore an
expression of mingled joy and
anxiety. For the first time he had
permission, he had orders, to fight
that accursed Don Luis, against
whom he had never yet been able
to satisfy his hatred. And his de-
light was all the greater because
he held every trump, whereas Don
Luis had put himself in the wrong
by defending Florence Levasseur
and tampering with the girls por-
trait. On the other hand, Weber
did not forget that Don Luis was
identical with Arsene Lupin; and
this consideration caused him a
certain uneasiness. He was obvi-
ously thinking:
"The least blunder, and I'm
done for"
He crossed swords with a jest.
81 see that you were not in
Mile. Levasseur's lodge, as your
man pretended"
my man spoke in accordance
with my instructions. 1 was in
my bedroom, upstairs. But /
wanted to finish the job before l
came down"
"And is it done?" :
cts done. Florence Levasseur
and CASTOR Sauverand are in my
room, gagged and bound. You
have only to accept delivery of
the goods"
"Gaston Sauverand! cried
Weber. "Then it was he who was
seen coming inf"
Eyes. He was simply living
with Florence Levasseur, whose
lover he is"
"Oho!' said the deputy chief,
in a ~bantering tone. "Her lover!''
eyes; and when Sergeant
Mazeroux brought Florence Lee
vasseur to my room, to question
her out Of hearing of the servants,
Sauverand, foreseeing the arrest
Of his mistress, had the audacity
to join us. He tried to rescue her
from our hands"
and you checkmated himf"
eyes"
1t was clear that the deputy
chief did not believe one word of
the story. He knew through M.
Desmalions and Mazeroux that
Don Luis was in love with Flor.
ence and Don Luis was not the
man even through jealousy to
hand over a woman whom he
loved. He increased his attention.
"Good business he said.
"Take me up to your room. Was
it a hard struggled"
"NOt very. l managed to dis.
arm the scoundrel. All the same,
Mazeroux got stabbed in the
thumb"
Nothing serious7"
ooh, dear, no; but he has gone
to have his wound dressed at the
CHEMISTS"
The deputy chief stopped,
greatly surprised.
What! Isn't Mazeroux in
your room with the two prison.
ers?'
Il never told you that he was.'
"NO, but your butler"
"The butler made a mistake.
Mazeroux went out a few minutes
before you came"
cts funny" said Weber
watching Don Luis closely, "but
my men all think he's here. They
haven't seen him 60 out"
"They haven't seen him &C
QUIT" echoed Don Luis, pretend.
ing to feel anxious. "But, then
where can he bef He told me he
wanted to have his thumb seer
to-"
The deputy chief was growing