their way to Headquarters at the head of the little column
of subordinates who, understanding that Juve had not found what he
sought, were cursing inwardly at the failure of their expedition....

The moment Juve realised that Michel had allowed Vagualame-Fantomas to
escape, he had called off his men. He did not wish the Russian
revolutionaries cornered and arrested at present.... Possibly
Vagualame believed Juve and his men had come to find the Nihilists,
and, having failed, had left the premises in a rage!

Sophie would report to the bandit--but she had not heard everything!
Thought Juve:

"He will hardly guess that I entered the assembly below by the secret
door and made them believe I was Trokoff!... It leaves a way open for
future transactions!... Some day, not so far ahead, I may return, may
find that devil's Will o' the Wisp of a bandit there and nab him at
last!"... Did Michel suspect there were Nihilists on the premises?

"Tell me," questioned Juve: "Did you overhear any suspicious talk?...
This Sophie did not say anything interesting?"

"Nothing whatever, Chief."

"Your men, Michel, do not know what individual we are after?"

Michel laughed.

"Oh, they are a hundred leagues off the truth!... That they were out
to arrest Fantomas!... Just imagine, Chief! This afternoon, a
complaint was lodged at Headquarters with reference to the theft of a
bear! The theft was committed at Troyes, at the fair.... Our men are
persuaded that to-night's search has to do with this bear-stealing
case!... All the more so because, just as we started on this
expedition, one of my men, whose home is at Sceaux, told us that his
brother, a driver down there, had been ordered to go in five days'
time, with two horses, and at five in the morning, on the road to
Robinson, and take a gipsy van twenty kilometres from there!... He
thought there was something very queer about such a rendezvous as
that!"

Juve's interest in this piece of news was keen!

XXX

APPALLING ACCUSATIONS

"But, Commandant, you cannot possibly maintain that I am not Jerome
Fandor, journalist!"

The interview between Commandant Dumoulin and Fandor had already
lasted an hour. It was unlike that which had taken place six days
before, when Dumoulin had dealt summarily with the Fandor-Vinson case.
Since then Fandor had occupied cell 27, and had had no communication
with the outside world. Fandor had raged furiously against things in
general, against Du