The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1918-11-14
THE
TEETH OF THE TIGER
MAURICE LEBLANC
TRANSLATED BY
DE MATTOS

ran the risk of being buried under
the rubbish. 1t was not a ques
ton, therefore, of Staying the
villain, but Of saving Florence or
the spot.
lie was halfway cross in two
or three seconds. But here, in
one Of those mental flashes which
are even quicker than the mad.
dest rush, he became aware that
the tracks of trampled grass. did
not Q the central circus and
that the scoundrel had gone
round it. Why? That was one
OF the questions which instinct,
ever suspicious, puts, but which
reason has not the time to answer.
Don Luis went straight ahead.
And he had no sooner set foot on
the place than the catastrophe oc-
cured.
1t all happened with incredible
suddenness, as though he had
tried to walk on space and found
himself hurdled into it. The
ground gave way beneath him.
The clods of grass separated, and
he fell.
lie fell down a hole which was
none other than the mouth of a
we'll four feet wide at most, the
curb Of which had been cut down
level with the ground. Only this
was what took place: as he was
running very fast, his impetus
flung him against the opposite
wall III such a way that his fore
arms lay on the outer ledge and
his hands were able to clutch at
the roots Of plants.
So great was his strength that
he might just have been able to
drag himself up by his wrists.
But responding to the attack, the
scoundrel had at once hurried to
meet his assailant and was now
standing at ten PAGES from Don
LUIS, threatening him with his
revolver:
Don't novel he cried, "or
I'll smash your
Don Luis was thus reduced to
helplessness, at the risk Of re-
celvlng the enemy's fire.
Their eyes met for a few sec
onds. The cripple's were burning
with fever, like the ewes Of a sick
man.
Crawling along, watching Don
Luis's slightest movement, he
came and squatted beside the
wall. The revolver was leyelled
In his outstretched hand. And his !
internal chuckle rang out again:
Lupin! Lupin! That's done
it! Lupin's dive!
What a mug you must be! III
warned you, you know, warned
you In blood red ink. Remember
my words: eThe place of your
death is chosen. The snare is laid.
Beware, Lupin!' And here YOU
are! So you're not in prison9
You warded off that stroke, YOU
you! Fortunately, l fore
saw events and took my precau-
tons. What do You say. to it,
What do you think of my little
scheme2 | said. to myself, All the
will come rushing at my
But there's only one who
capable Of catching me, and
that's Lupin. So we IL show him
the way, we'll lead him on the
leash all along a little path
scraped clean by the victim
victim body.
And then a few landmarks,
scattered here and there. First,
the fair damsel's ring, with "a
blade -of grass twisted round it;
farther o n a flower without its
petals; farther on the marks Of
five fingers in the ground; next,
the sign of the cross. No mis-
taking them, was there? Once
you thought me fool enough to
give Florence time to4play Hop
o'-Thumb's game, it was. bound to
lead you straight to the mouth
of the we'll, to the clods of turf
which I dabbed across it, last
month, in anticipation Of this
wind fall.
Remember The snare Isl
laid. And a snare after my own