South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-12-13
THE GREAT CIPHER
Bcyin Here Today.

IL was evening and a group CT
men were seated on the porch OF
the Executive Mansion listening 20
". JONQUELLE. greatest OF French
detectives. tel tie story OF
CHAUVAN5NE.S. the explorer who
was killed IN Africa, and who
left the record that caused every
one 10 believe he was mad.
tBuf nc was not mad" exclaimed
Jonqueiie, turning to the chief
Executive.
Then Jonquelie told how Chau-
vanneS had gone into the Congo
with three worthless white raen.
had found the precious emera d.
and had then begun 20 write the
diary wh!chscaused every reader TO
doubt his ALPHABETICALLY when
no wrote OF the creature which
entered his tent-that strange crca-
ture which he alone could see.
Go on With the story.
CHAPTER III 800. $500.
ct was on the third night, after
the two men had departed and he
was alone in the tent with the sleep
ing Letu-. that Chauvannes saw
this creature. lie says il was about
3 o'clock in the morning. he had
been awake through the entire
night, his eyed usually closed. He
does not know how he happened to
open them. II was precisely II
minutes 10 8. by the watch which
he wore on his wrist.
lie opened his eyes precisely at
the moment when the creature en-
tered the tent-a thing Il did with
out disturbing the flap and without
making any sound whatever
''Chauvannes says that he saw u
distinctly. II paused for a moment
after II had entered. remaining for
some seconds quite m0tionless. he
says that in proportion to the other
parts OF the creatures body tho
head was enormous. II was Cubical
In contour. The outline was per-
fectly clear, but what we would call
features were hardly dlstlnguishable.
The thing seemed 10 lack features.
That was one OF the distinguishing
horvors of ia head big i'm proper
tion to its body, cubical I'm outline
and lacking features, The chest
and abdomen were also big, es-
timating the creature by its own
proportions The limbs were long,
narrow and joined. The whole
creature was Of a repulsive, reddish
color, and without any Of the usual
covering of animals with which the
] human race is familiar The body
/ seemed to be some some hard. red
| substance. Chauvannes said-frozen
and polished flesh, after the skin had
| been removed, Was the idea he gor.
The creature remained only Il
moment visible to him; then it dis
/ appeared. II seemed to Chauvannes
that it disappeared merely by turn
ing about. He was unable to see it
again. although the doorway where
il entered was clear In the moon
light. and there was only the grass
floor of the tent"
Monsieur Jonquelle stopped here
in his narrative, like one who would
, wish a hearer 20 grasp the whole
went on. But he did not seek a
/ comment. The man beyond him
\ waited for him to so or, and he
\ presently continued:
/ Il shall not follow the detail OF all
> the experiences noted down by
/ Chauvannes, and which, finally,
brought him TO the conclusions az
I which he at length arrived lie
was able, after this night 20 observe
Z the creature and a number OF its
/ companions. although the man L.
. turc who was always with him,
! seems never 10 have observed It,
He was also able TO discover. al
though he does not give all the de.
tails Of that discovery n the jour
nal. that these creatures lived I'M
| foreground. and that one OF their
/. underground cities was very close
TO the camp. lie had. in fact. 10y
sOmc sinister hazard, put down his
/ camp almost at the doorway OF the
underground habitat e these eX-
| traordinary beings-.f one could
call n creature OF this CHARACTER a
being IN our sense.
/ Now these are among the dis
I tinguishing incidents Of Chauvannes
! journal that led Your ExcellenCv
I AMI the Paris authorities. 20 believe
that Chauvannes was mad. The
elimination OF events seemed 10
establish Il.
You know how the journal goes
on. giving tho minute details shat
ChaUvannes observed during the
week tina; hc was alone with Le.urc
while the American heachcombe.