Year: 1859

'nc roau along the river. towards Aup5


ht the end OF half an hour came to the
slopes of the Barjols mountains, and soon after.
wards entered the wood. l now began to be
very careful, and keep my eyes about me.
Will not say that was wholly without fear.
iOr the mysterious manner in which the muir
ders mad been done, verged 50 closely upon the
marvellous. that a sort of superstitious dread
attached to 1T. Had the victims been shot, or
run through with a sword, or had their throats
cut, should have felt no sort of dread. But
this was new ground. Death had come hero,
nobody knew how. 1t might have come from
an invisible hand, and in dead silence. Yet
when reasoned upon the subject felt sure
,hat the murderer must approach very near to
his victim ere tho blow was struck, since it
must be some direct and powerful agent that
could cause death in So strange a manner.


had crossed the little cascade of Saint ES-
prlt, and was descending a short, steep hill
side, when saw boy by the roadside. at the
foot of the descent, engaged in whipping n
mule lie was slightly built fellow, not more
than fifteen years Of age and his coarse gar
ments were covered with meal. [ knew that
there was mill upon branch Of the Verlon
not far back, and supposed he might be the
miller s boy. As L came nearer | saw large
sack upon the ground close by where the mule
stood.


whats the matter, my boy ?" asked, as
drew up near him.


This ugly mule has thrown both me and my
Dag OF corn from his back, A." the boy answered


Are you hurt ~ I continued


MY left shoulder is hurt" he said, sand I
cant lift this sack. If Monsieur would help
me, would be very grateful


untli THIS moment the idea of suspectine the
boy had not entered my head; but the s1spi-
elon flashed upon me now. He was altogether
too Keen looking fellow for miller 3 appren-
tlce. lilo gave me glance from pair of Quick
ms mt l., L
ken. And then, if l had not been very much
mistaken, L had seen him holding his mule
firmly with that left hand


leaped from my saddle and moved towards
the boy, being careful to watch his every move
ment


Now" said he, ''if you will take hold of
that end, We will put it on" lie lifted at the
other end, and pretended that it hurt his shoul-
der; and he begged of me to lift it OH alone


professed To be willing to comply, and
stopped down for that purpose keeping my
head in such position that could watch him
by sidelong glance. AZ bent over and took
hold OF tho ssck. saw him carry his hand to
his bosom, and draw something out. saw his
dark eye flash, and heard his quick eager
breathing. In an instant L seized his wrist.
and bent il upward. and did go. heard
sharp report like the explosion Of a percussion
cap. and saw tiny wreath of smoke curl up
from the hand held. He struggled to free
himself from my grasp, but held him with
grip of iron, and fastened my gaze upon him.


I've found you, have ~ said, drawing
one of my pistols and cooking it. Il will sim
ply inform you that L am an officer of the Pre-
lecture. and that have been looking for YOU
Just offer particle more of resistance and
bullet goes through your brain Now give me
that weapon"


The boy was frightened. and trembled vic
lently.


1T is only a tobacco pipe" he said, rs he
handed it to me


Ad certainly it looked like nothing more:
but had seen enough of it to know that evil
was in it. 1t appeared to me to be an ordinary
meerschaum pipe, the bowl being colOred as
though by long use, only the amber mouth
piece was missing. L did not stop to examine
u then, but turned my attention to its owner
l saw that he WAS still trembling with fear and
L knew that now would be the time to work
upon him.


80 you are selling your soul to Monsieur
Louis CaEaGbOn;' / remarked. by way of let
ting him know that WAS thoroughly Informed


He started, and L saw very plainly that he
knew just what meant; but he tried to re-
cover himself, and clumsily asserted that he
did not know anything about the individual !
had named.


You needn't lie to me" I sternly replied,
. for know all about it. Louis Cazaubon has
been watched by me when he didn't dream of
such thing He thought l was tradesman
But you are young, and | would save YOU
Confess everything to me. and promise you
that your life shall be spared


saw that the boy wayered, and L follow cd
up my advantage; and ere long had him bent
TO my wishes. 1 made him understand that
held his life in my hands; that could protect
him from the vengeance Of any one whom he
might criminate; and that he had everything
to gain and nothing to lose, by full confes-
sion. He came to it gradually and reuc .antly;
but my wit finally triumphed, and gained the
secret.


His name, he said, was Henry Dupin. He
was born in Paris, but never knew who his
parents were. He went to live with Cazaubon
when quite young, and had been with him ever
since. He said CaEaubOn used to be chemist
and did some business in that line; and it was
in Paris that he invented the Internal machine
which they had since used with such fatal Of
feet. About two years previous to the present
time they left Paris together, and spent nearly
year in travelling over the kingdom murder
ing and robbing for living. Finally they
came to Castcllanc, where the master obtained
his present situation, while the boy went into
mill close at hand. Cazaubon marked the
victims that were to be robbed and the boy
then did the work. He used various artifices
in carrying out his plan, but the usual one was
the same that he had tried upon me.


The boy then explained to me the secret of
the plpc Only the outer surface WAS as meerS
chaum. Within it was u pistol of the finest
steel, and Of the most exquisite workmanship.
The stem was the barrel, and the lock was con
cealed within the bowl, and covered with to
baccO. A thin plate Of metal protected the Gu
riously cOntriyed lock. and upon this the tobse
co rested. pressure of the thumb or finger
upon this plate discharged the weapon. In
order to cock it, the plate had to be removed
And now comes the internal feature of the con
triyance. The powder used in the little barrel
was CaZaubOn's own manufacture and very
powerful. For wad piece of felt was used
and on the top of this was placed the missile
which did the mischief. The boy had two OF
them with him, stitched up in the lining of his
cap. He took them out and showed them to
me. This projectilc was tiny arrow, not lar
ger than n cambric needle, with one end sharp.
and the other beat down to a thin feather. 1t
was Of fine steel, but coated with n greenish
yellow substance. which was the most yirulent
and speedy poison that the chemist S art could
concOct. That needle once within the course of
the blood, and death was already ut the heart
It's wounds no mortal eye could detect. Ii
punetured the skin not 50 palpably rs the pick
Oi pin. lie who sent il on its fatal errand
made sure of his aim, generally striking the
neck. and the victim would fall into insensbili-
ty ere he could comprehend what had hurt