20 
LAND & WATER 
November 30, 1916 
having been twice wounded just as he would have rejoiced 
at dying at the same time as Captain Belval. On his side, 
the captain rewarded this humble, dumb devotion by un- 
bending genially to liis companion ; he treated him with an 
ironical and sometimes impatient humour whic|i heightened 
the negro's love for him. Ya-Bon played the part of the 
passive confid nt who is consulted without being regarded 
and who is made to bear the brunt of his interlocutor's hasty 
temper. 
" What do you think of all this Master Ya-Bon ? " asked 
tilt captain, walking arm-in-arm with him. " I have an 
idea that it's all part of the same business. Do you tWnk 
so too ? " 
Ya-Bon had two grunts, one of which meant yes, the 
otlier no. He grunted out : 
•' Yes." 
" So there's no doubt about it," the officer declared, 
" and we must admit that Lit'.le Mother Coralie is threatened 
with a fresh danger. Is that so ? " 
" Y'es," grunted Ya-Bon, who always approved, on principle. 
" Very well. It now remains to be seen what that shower 
of sparks means. I thought for a moment that, as wc had 
our first visit from the Zeppelins a week ago . . . Are 
you listening to me ? " 
" Yes." 
" I thought that it was a treacherous signal with a view 
to a second Zeppelin visit . . ." 
" Yes." 
" No, you idiot, it's not yes. How could it be a Zeppghn 
signal when, according to the conversation whicii 1 over- 
heard, the signal had already been given twice before the 
war. Besides, is it really a signal ? 
"No." 
" How do you mean, no ? W'hat else could it be, you 
silly ass ? You'd do better to hold your tongue and hsten to 
me, all the more as you don't even know what it's all about 
. . . No more do 1, for that matter, and I confess that 
I'm at an utter loss. Lord, it's a complicate! business ; and 
I'm not much of a hand at solving these problems ! " 
Patrice Belval was even more perplexed when he came to 
the bottom of the Rue de la Tour. There were several roads 
in front of him ; and he did not know which to take. More- 
over, though he was in the middle of Passy, not a spark shone 
in the dark sky. 
" It's finished, I e.xpect," he said, " and we've had our 
trouble for nothing. It's your fault, Ya-Bon. If you 
hadn't made me lose precious moments in snatching you 
from the arms of your beloved, we should have arrived in 
time. I admit Angele's charms, but, after all . . ." 
He took his bearings, feeling more and more undecided 
The expedition undertaken on chance and with insufficient 
information was certainly yielding no results ; and he was 
thinking of abandoning it when a closed private car came out 
of the Rue Franklin, from the direction of the Trocadero, 
and someone inside shouted through the speaking tube : 
" Bear to the left . . . and then straight on, till I 
stop you." 
Now it appeared to Captain Belval that this voice had 
the same foreign inflection as one of those which he had heard 
that morning at the restaurant. 
" Can it be the beggar in the grey hat," he muttered, 
" one of those who tried to carry off Little Mother CoraUe ? " 
" Yes," grunted Ya-Bon. 
'>>Yes. The signal of the sparks explains his presence in 
these parts. We mustn't lose sight of this track. Off with 
you, Ya-Bon." 
But there was no need for Ya-Bon to hurry. The car had 
gone down the Rue Raynouard ; and Belval himself arrived 
just as it was stopping three or four hundred yards from the 
turning, in front of a large carriage entrance on the left- 
hand side. 
Five men alighted. One of them rang. Thirty or forty 
seconds passed. Then Patrice heard the bell tinkle a second 
time. The five men waited, standing packed close together 
on the pavement. At last, after a tliird ring, a small wicket 
contrived in one of the folding-doors opened. 
There was a pause and some argument. Whoever had 
opened the wicket appeared to be asking for explanations. 
But suddenly two of the men bore heavily on the folding- 
door^^which gave way before their thrust and let the whole 
gang through. 
There was a loud noise as the door slammed to. Captain 
Belval at once studied his surroundings. 
The Rue Raynouard is an old country road which at one 
time used to wind among the houses and gardens of the village 
of Passy, on the side of the hills bathed by the Seine. In 
certain places, which unfortunately are becoming more 
and more rare, it 'has retained a provincial aspect. It is 
skirted by old properties. Old houses stand hidden amidst 
the trees ; that in which Balzac lived has been piously pre- 
served. It was in this street that the mysterious garden lay 
where Arsene Lupin discovered a farmer-general's diamonda 
hidden in a crack of an old sun-dial.-* 
The car was still standing outside the house into wliich 
the five men had forced their way ; and this prevented Patrice 
Belval from coming nearer. It was built in continuation 
of a wall and secmi-d to be one of the private mansions dating 
back to the First Empire. It had a very long front with two 
rows of round windows, protected by gratings on the ground 
floor and sohd shutters on the storey above. There was 
anotlier building farther down, forming a separate wing. 
" There's nothing to be done on this side," said the captain. 
" It's as impregnable as a feudal stronghold. Let's look 
elsewhere." 
From the Rue Raynouard, narrow lanes, which used to 
divide the old properties, make their way down to the river. 
One of them skirted the wall that preceded the house. Belval 
turned down it with Ya-Bon. It was constructed with ugly 
pointed pebbles, was broken into steps and faintly lighted 
by the gleam of a street lamp. 
" Lend me a hand, Ya-Bon. The wall is too high. But 
perhaps with the aid of the lamp-post . . ." 
Assisted by the negro, he hoisted himself to the lamp 
and was stretching out one of his hands when he notice 1 that 
all this part of the wall bristled with broken glass which made 
it absolutely impossible to grasp. He slid down again. 
" Upon my word, Ya-Bon," he said, angrily, " you might 
have warned me ! Another second and you would have made 
me cut my hands to pieces. What are you thinking of ? 
In fact, I can't imagine what made you so anxious to come 
with me at all costs." 
There was a turn in the lane, hiding the light, so that they 
were now in utter darkness ; and Captain Belval had to grope 
his way along. He felt the negro's hand come down upon hia 
shoulder. 
" Whatdo you want, Ya-Bon ? " 
The hand pushed him against the wall. At this spot, 
there was a door in an embrasure. 
"Well, yes," he said, "that's a door. Do -you think I 
didn't see it ? Oh, no one has eyes but Master Ya-Bon, 1 
suppose ! " 
Ya-Bon handed him a box of matches. He struck several, 
one after the other, and examined the d ior. 
" What did I tell you ? " he said between his teeth. "There's 
nothing to be done. Massive wood, barred and studded 
with iron. . . . Look, there's no handle on this side, 
merely a key-hole . . . Ah, what we want is a key, made 
to measure and cut for the purpose ' . . . For instance, 
a key like the one which the commissionaire left for me at 
the home just now ..." 
He stopped. An absurd idea flitted througli his brain ; 
and yet, absurd as it was, he felt that he was bound to per- 
form the trifling action which it suggested to him. He 
therefore retraced his steps. He had the key on him. He 
took it from his pocket 
He struck a fresh hght. The key-hole appeared. Belval 
inserted the key at the first attempt. He bore on it to the left ; 
the key turned in the lock. He pushed the door ; it opened. 
The negro did not stir a foot. Patrice could understand 
his amazement, for he himself was equaUy amazed. By 
what unprecedented miracle was the key just the key 
of this very door ? By what miracle was the unknown 
person who had sent it him able to guess that he would be 
in a position to use it without further instructions ? A 
miracle indeed ! 
But Patrice had resolved to act without trying to solve 
the riddle which a mischievous chance seemed bent upon 
setting him. 
" Come along in," he repeated, triumphantly. 
Branches struck him in the face and he perceived that he 
was walking on grass and that there must be a garden lying 
in front of him. It was so dark that he could not see the 
paths against the blackness of the turf ; and, after walking 
for a minute or two, he hit his foot against some rocks with a 
sheet of water on them. 
" Oh, confound it ! " he cursed. " I'm all wet. Dcunn 
you Ya-Bon ! " 
He had not finished speaking when a furious barking was 
heard at the far end of the garden ; and the sound at once 
came nearer, with extreme rapidity. Patrice realisd that a 
watch-dog, perceiving their presence, was rushing upon them ; 
and, brave as he was, he shuddered, because of the im- 
pressi\eness of this attack in complete darkness. How was 
he to defend himself ? A shot would betray them ; and yet 
he carried no weapon but his revolver. 
The dog came dashing on, a powerful animal,' to jndge by 
(Continued on pa^e 22) 
'The Confessions of Arserf Li-hj?- By M.-iiirice Leblar-- Tran»- 
lated by Alexander Teixiira de Mattos, III." Tke 5ign of Iha 
Shadow. 
