FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141  
142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   >>   >|  
ith so many financial irons in the fire, and with agents in every European capital, is bound to receive visits from all sorts and conditions of people who bring him information for profit. When one deals in colossal sums as he does, one has to cultivate people of all classes," Hambledon said. "Personally, I don't think the woman's information had anything to do with your mysterious friend's hurried departure," he added. "I do. I'm highly suspicious. There was some motive that he did not attack me, as he could so easily have done, for he's a most desperate character and has committed several murders when cornered. His explanation was really wonderful, and I admit that I was so completely deceived that I actually apologized to him! But," I went on, "we may perhaps know more when we learn the truth from Professor Vega." Hence at noon next day I called at the great hospital in the Calle Alberto Aguilera, and was ushered into the Professor's room. "Ah, my dear monsieur!" he exclaimed in French, knowing that I spoke Spanish only with the greatest difficulty. "I am very glad you have called. Those brass-headed pins which upholsterers often use, and which you have submitted to me, are most interesting from a toxicological point of view." "What?" I gasped. "Were they poisoned?" "Undoubtedly," replied the grave-faced old expert. "And by somebody who is _au courant_ with the very latest and undetectable poison. I searched for alkaloids and glucosids, and used Kippenberger's process, and then the tests of Marne, Meyer, Scheiblen and Dragendorff. Since you brought the three pins to me I have been active all the time, for the problem much interests me. At last--though I did not think that the substance could possibly contain so subtle, deadly, and as yet unknown poison--I applied Sonnenschein's reagent--phosphomolybdic acid--and then I obtained a result--only an hour ago indeed!" "And what was the result, Professor?" He looked me straight in the face, and replied: "You have had a very narrow escape from death, monsieur--a very narrow one. Had you placed your foot upon one of those upturned points you would have fallen dead within five seconds!" "Why?" "Because each of the points of those three pins, left there as though by accident by some upholsterer employed by the hotel, was impregnated by one of the most deadly of all newly-discovered poisons. It is called by men of my profession orosin, after its discoverer O
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141  
142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
called
 

Professor

 

deadly

 

result

 

points

 
narrow
 
monsieur
 

information

 
people
 

replied


poison

 

Undoubtedly

 
poisoned
 

active

 
gasped
 

substance

 
interests
 
problem
 

brought

 

Scheiblen


courant

 

latest

 

process

 

Dragendorff

 

alkaloids

 

expert

 

Kippenberger

 

searched

 

possibly

 

undetectable


glucosids

 
accident
 

upholsterer

 

Because

 

fallen

 
seconds
 

employed

 
orosin
 

discoverer

 
profession

impregnated
 

discovered

 
poisons
 
upturned
 

obtained

 

phosphomolybdic

 
reagent
 

subtle

 
unknown
 

applied