The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1918-08-08
CHAPTER THIRTEEN. (coatinued.)

"That will do, l say!" repeated
the Project harshly. IF you're
afraid, you can take advantage Of
the order which l gave you and
60 off after Don Luis"
M~azerroux clicked his heels to-
gether and, old soldier that he
was, saluted:
~ shall stay here, Monsieur lie
Prefet."
And he turned and went back to
his place at a distance.
Silence followed. M. Desma-
Lions began to walk up and down
the room, with his hands behind
his back. Then, addressing the
chief detective and the secretary
general:
"You r Of my opinion, l
hopef" he said.
why yes, Monsieur lie Pre-
fet."
".Well, Of course! 70 begin
with, that supposition is based on
nothing serious. And, besides,
we are guarded, aren't wei Bombs
don't come tumbling on ones
head like that. 1t takes some one
to throw them. Well, how are
they to comet By what wayf"
"Same way as the letters the
secretary general ventured to
suggest.
Whats that Then you ad-
mit-?"
The secretary general did not
reply and M. Desmalions did not
complete his sentence. He him
self, like the others, experienced
that same feeling of uneasiness
which gradually, as the seconds
sped past, was becoming almost
intolerahly painful.
Three o'clock in the morning !!
-. The words kept on recurring
to his mind. Twice he looked at
his watch. There was II minutes
left. There was 10 minutes. Was
the house really going to be blown
up, by the mere effect Of an in
fernal and all-powerful Wilt
Its ~senseless, absolutely sense.
less!" he cried, stamping his foot.
But, on looking at his cOmpan-
ions, he was amazed to see how
drawn their faces were; and he
felt his courage sink in a strange
way. He was certainly not afraid !;
and the others were no more
afraid than he. But all Of them,
from the chiefs to the simple de-
t~cctives, were under the influence
OF that Don Luis Perenna whom
they had seen accomplishing such
extraordinary feats, and who had
shown such wonderful ability
throughout this mysterious adj
venture.
Consciously or uncOnsciously,
whether they wished it or no, they
looked upon him as an exceptional
being endowed with special facul-
ties, a being Of when they could
not think without conjuring up
the image Of the amazing Arsene
Lupin, with his legend Of daring,
genius, and superhuman insight.
And Lupin was telling them to
fly. Pursued and hunted as he
was, he voluntarily gave himself
up to warn them Of their danger.
And the danger was Immediate.
Seven minutes more, six minutes
more-and the house would be
blown up.
With great simplicity, Maze
roux went on his knees, made the
sign of the cross, and said his
prayers in a low voice. The &C,
ton was so impressive that the
secretary general and the chief
detective made a movement as
though to 90 toward the Project
of Police.
NJ. Destinations turned away his
head and continued his walk up
and down the room. But his
anguish increased; and the words
which he had heard over the tele-
phone rang in his ears; and all
Perenna's authority, his ardent
%entreaties, his frenzied conviction
all this upset him. He had seen
Perenna at work. He felt it borne
in upon him that he had no right,
in the present circumstances, to
neglect the mans warning.
"Let' S CO." he said.
The words were spoken in the
calmest manner; and it really
seemed as il those whe heard them
regarded them merely as the sensi-
bic conclusion of a very ordinary
state Of affairs. They went away
without f.rry or disorder, not as
fugitives, Dut as men deliberately
obeying the dictates of prudence.
They stood back at the door to
let the Project go first.
NO. he said. "go on; I'll fol-