The Washington times., 1932-05-14

vention that was called THE
Scorpion!"
"Tell me about this" urged
Thatcher Colt. II had never
understood that the bite Of q
scorpion was necessarily fatal"
The old scientist wagged his
head to one side and his eyes
cleaned with the pride of SUI
perior knowledge.
But this is not the ordinary
insect" he explained with a
bland air. 1T caused me a
great deal of trouble before
could identify it. Seven Co
lumbia professors have been
here this morning to help me
out. Fortunately one of them
had this perfect specimen-and
then I knew I was right"
A Fine Specimen
Over Colts shoulder I looked
at the dead creature in the
bottle. 1t was .light-colored,
long-tailed, and was about two
inches long, with two enormous
feelers at the head, flat at
their ends.
There is. an even finer Speci-
men in the Bureau of Entymol-
ogy, in washington, so I am
informed" continued Prof.
Luckner. Il have a photo
graph"
But where are these crea-
lures found?" interrupted Colt.
particularly in Durango, Mex
ico." Prof. Luckner replied.
They cause about 40 deaths a
year in that region"
Colt glanced at me quickly.
and at once I began making
notes on the professors re-
marks.
What are the symptoms
when one is bitten, professor"
"A singing, burning sensa-
ton like a hot needle being
plunged into the flesh. 1t is a
peculiar sensation and is always
recognized, even by those who
did not see the alacran, as the
Spaniards call the scorpion.
Within a few minutes the bitten
place becomes red, followed by
a severe pain in the part az
fected. In a little wilhelm
some cases it is three or four
minutes, often second or so
that part becomes numb. The
tongue becomes thick and it IS
impossible to pronounce words
clearly"
Colt glanced at me. Our
thoughts must have been the
same. Again we were living
through those moments OF ag-
ony when he had found Lola
Carewe in anguish on the floor
The Explanation
go on" urged Colt in a low
voice.
For quite a while there is a
coma, Then spasmS or conVul"
sions of the entire body begin.
They are more marked in the
legs and back. They are accom-.
panied by a straining and
grunting sound. There is more
or less paralysis of the reSplra-
ton. Croup-like sounds come
from the throat. These convul-
sions ~ome in waves and IN
crease in severity. There is a
livid pallor to the face. just
before death the pulse is very
rapid. the eyes bloodshot-and
often tn, patient splits up
blood"
Colts somber eyes fingered on
the specimen of the dead Scor-
pion in the bottle.
at all tallies," he remarked.
"Therc is no doubt, as you say,
that these two women died from
the bite of this insect. But
where is the rest of its body?
You found only these two legs"
mo more, Herr Commits
sioner," replied Luckner incon-
solably.
And why is it that the scor-
pionS, living or dead, were not
found?" added Colt, peering I'm
der contracted brows at Prof.
Luckner.
The old savant grinned.
"They die when they bite
human beings" he explained.
Then the murderer must
have recovered the dead scor-
pion-"
Pleased With Himself
Prof. Luckner laughed aloud.
"All except those two little
legs" he boosted, with undigni-
fled glee.
And where did it bite Lola
and Christine-when there were
no wounds on the body?"
1T is not for me to answer
that -"
Not for you-but for me-"
said Colt in solemn accents.
There was no mark on her
body, except"
Il think I could give you a
hint!" cried the old scientist
surprisingly. Look here what
I have also done-all for the
honor and the glory of your
appreciative police department."
On another table at the far
ther end of the room lay the
clothes in which Lola Carewe
and Christine Quires had
been clad when we found
them. From out of the bundle
one piece lay exposed-the
bathrobe about which Thatcher
Colt had been so curious, Lola's
garment that had been buttoned
the wrong way.