The Washington times., 1919-02-05
CHAPTER v.
The GAp Hand.

The GAo Band.
Comte DADazoli-Viscosa was right
in saying that in Paris everything
was known. In fact. no one was
ignorant that he was the guardian
OF a part Of the treasures Of the
Maharajah OF Pandhukurrah.
In the dTawing-rooms OF the fash
ionable circles he frequented. the
fame OF having in his residence
fifty millions OF jewels gave him
the little halo which surrounds per-
sons of note, and attracted atten-
tion, in a very flattering manner,
to the handsome, agreeable, dis
tinguished looking fellow.
Weary of eVading all the ques-
tiOns asked concerning the wonder
ful gems, he had finally yielded,
without too much urging, gave a
description Of the splendor OF these
marvels, worthy Of an Oriental tale,
and did not even refuse to permit
the most curious inquiries to see
the safe in his home which contain
ed them, an iron-cased chest nearly
two yards high, closed by a large
number Of impTegnable locks. So,
in spite Of what he had told Baro1
Plucke, the comte could sleep quiet
ly without fear Of burglars.
But when he was asked to afiow
just a glimpse, II il We're only for
an instant, of these famous jewels,
he drew back, smiling, behind the
professional discretion to which he
was pledged.
There are only two persons who
know the secret OF the safe" he re-
piled: "His Highness and myself.
So, whatever desire I may have to
oblige you. il is evident that I can
not use il without his formal au-
thorization."
This was speaking like an hon
est man and it was useless to in
sfst
But 1t was not only fashionable
society that this enormous fortune
aroused legitimate curiosity; il had
excited the greed also of the world
Of thieves.
More than one robber, on the
watch for some profitable job, had
thought of getting possession OF it:
but hitherto, the most sllillful, as
well as the bo1dest, had failed: the
safe had remained inviolable. and
the HindOO servant placed by the
prince at the service OF his repre-
sentative who. every evening slept
in the room where it stood, had dis
covered the criminals even before
they had had time to reach him.
So the report had gradually
spread among them that there
was nothing to be done in that
quarter. and that the Rajah's we'll
guarded Jewels must be let alone.
Yet all had not utterly deter
mined to give up this fine booty,
and so some were still waiting,
with tireless patience, a favorable
moment to make an attempt.
Among their number was the ga"
band. What was the meaning Of
the name? Were they the Apaches,
the Aristos, or the Aminches OF
some distant Belleville or vague
Grenelle?
An Edipus would probably have
lost his way in seeking the etymol-
ogy, yet nothing was more simple
than the truth.
The three scoundrels who had
united to pillage. in partnership,
the property of others, had noticed
that, through a singular coinci-
dence, their Christian names COM
menced with the same letter, the
first of the alphabet
From that day they called them
les the "A's."
These. however, were no ordinary
criminals, knights Of the knife, as
sailants OF drunkards or watchers
for belated pedestrians; their aims
were higher. They attempted only
certain and productive operations,
and their feats were perpleXing
through the cIeverness with which
they were planned and executed.
There was the jewelry shop in
the Boulevard SebastOpOl, rifled
one night by burglars who had
entered through the cellar, cut
ting a hole in the floor, and retired
with their booty without permitting
the proprietor, who slept on the
floor above, to hear the least
sound; the safe in the Turco-Italian
bank, which between two rounds
OF watchmen, was blown up with
dynamite: and in the provinces, the
theft of the treasure or the Cath
edral OF Caen, carried of in broad
daylight by masked bandits, IN an
automobile. unseen by anyone.
All these and many other ex-
ploits, no less audaciOus, were the
work of the "a" band.
These three men, besides, COM
pleted one another marvelously,
uniting the qualities Indispensable
to the dangerous trade they pur-
sued, one contributing 70 the part
nership his strength, the second
his skill, the third his intuition.
The first, AIphonse, an e.
wrestler, was sort OF Colossus,
capable OF bursting open the
strongest door with a thrust OF his
shoulder, of twisting a bar OF iron
between his fingers like wisp o.
straw, and OF coping with four de-
termined men.
Augustus the second, formerly
locksmith, possessed incredible deX-
tertty, peerless ingenuity. He
found means OF battling the
closest watch, of entering easily
the best defended places, and OF
setting at defiance the most COM
plicated locks, making, when neces-