THE EXPLOSION OF THE NORD-SUD
The Empire clock on Juve's desk struck half-past eleven. The detective,
having gone over in his mind the course of events just narrated, rose
abruptly and tapped Wulf on the shoulder.
"Monsieur Wulf, if you are to remain here you are very welcome to do so;
as for me, I'm going out."
Wulf, wakened out of a doze, sat up and stared at Juve, an expression of
dawning suspicion in his eyes.
"Where are you going?" he inquired.
Juve, absorbed in his thoughts, did not remark the strange behavior of
his colleague. He had settled on a plan of action, which was simply to
arrest the Marquis de Serac.
"Oh, I'm just going ... for a walk."
"All right, get your hat."
A few moments later the two men hailed a taxi and drove to 247 Rue de
Monceau.
During the trip Juve pumped Wulf about his relations with Fandor, and it
appeared that the latter had pursued the policy of making Wulf drunk
upon every occasion. Doubtless, the detective reasoned, it was thus
that Fandor was enabled to escape for an hour, during which time the
substitution had been effected. Wulf explained how he had found the King
near the fountains in the Place de la Concorde, and Juve realized that
in some way or other the King and the fountains were mysteriously
connected.
In his turn, Wulf plied Juve with questions as to what he had done
during his stay at Glotzbourg.
What sort of welcome had he received from M. Heberlauf?
How had the arrest of Fantomas been effected?
How had the monster died?
The detective, naturally, had no intention of enlightening Wulf as to
the truth.
He therefore answered in monosyllables, annoyed by the turn the
conversation had taken. In fact, as the questions became more pressing,
it flashed through Juve's mind that the stupid officer was actually
beginning to suspect him of being Fantomas. As the taxi neared its
destination Juve suddenly put his head out of the window and cried with
an oath to the chauffeur:
"Follow that automobile which is just starting and don't lose sight of
it!"
Wulf turned inquiringly:
"It's the Marquis de Serac."
"Well, what of it?"
"Why, is he the man we are after?" Then turning again to the chauffeur:
"Have you plenty of gasoline?"
"Enough to run a hundred miles, Monsieur."
The chase began at the Boulevard de Courcelles, continued through the
Place de l'Etoile and the Avenue de la Grande Armee. The two taxis, of
the same horsepower, kept an equal pace, but the Marquis de Serac's
chauffeur seemed the smarter man. At any rate, he was the more daring.
He dodged in and out of the traffic and began to gain on his pursuers.
"He's taking us to the Bois," growled Juve, as they made a turn to the
left after passing the fortifications, before the Barriere de Neuilly.
The pace increased in the back streets and then, suddenly, the taxi of
the Marquis de Serac disappeared!
It had turned sharply down a narrow street.
At the risk of his neck, the detective sprang out of his taxi and rushed
round the corner, just in time to hear a door bang to.
Wulf now joined him.
"We have wasted our time, my dear Juve. The taxi we have been following
was empty. It made a circuit and passed me just now."
"Just what I expected!" cried Juve, "our man got out of it ... he is
still here."
Juve took out his revolver, and then an exclamation of surprise escaped
his lips. Fifty yards away, a figure appeared, vague and dressed in
white.
"What the devil does that mean? I've been following the Marquis de
Serac, of that I'm sure, and now I find this other one." Then turning to
Wulf, he gripped him by the arm. "You see that individual, well, he is
the Primitive Man Ouaouaoua."
* * * * *
Taking the utmost precaution, Juve and Wulf followed the enigmatic
Ouaouaoua for over an hour. The singular meeting had given the detective
food for thought. This man had figured prominently at the ceremony of
the Singing Fountains; again, he had been foremost in the demonstration
of the mob against the King outside the Royal Palace. It was now that a
suspicion came to Juve's mind, that this venerable beard and white
woollen robe concealed the person of the Marquis de Serac.
"Whatever happens," he muttered, "I must get to the bottom of this.
While it would be quite easy to bring him down with a shot from my
revolver, yet, once dead, I could get no information from him."
They arrived at the corner of the Boulevard Malesherbes and the Avenue
de Villiers, and Juve's excitement grew, for he knew that not far away
was the America Hotel, where Lady Beltham had put up under the name of
the Grand Duchess Alexandra. Ah! If it were possible to connect the
Primitive Man with her! In that case he would not hesitate to arrest
them both, although he suspected that Fantomas's mistress would be more
ready to give him up than to shield him.
But Ouaouaoua brusquely made a right-about face and headed toward the
Boulevard des Batignolles.
"Are we going to keep this up much longer?" inquired Wulf, who by this
time was breathless and weary.
"You can go if you like," growled Juve without turning his head. In his
intense absorption, Juve failed to notice the menacing and ironical look
the officer directed at him.
Ouaouaoua now turned down the Rue Notre-Dame-de-Lorette hastening his
speed. The two men had some difficulty in keeping up with him. Suddenly
he disappeared at the corner of the Rue Saint Lazare and the Rue
Lamartine. Juve sprang forward just in time to see the white draped
figure vanish down the stairs leading to the underground Station of the
Nord-Sud.
The Station was lighted and the ticket windows open. The morning's
traffic had begun.
"Have you just seen a queerly dressed man?" he asked one of the porters.
"He has just bought his ticket, Monsieur."
Juve flung down a coin, seized two coupons and without waiting for the
change hurried onto the platform. The first morning train was waiting,
due to start in five minutes. A quick search through the carriages
disclosed the object of Juve's search. He was standing in the first
carriage by the door of the driver's compartment. While Juve eyed him
eagerly, the Primitive Man in turn was watching the detective.
The conductors and employes were standing gossiping by the ticket
office, and the station was almost deserted at this early morning hour.
Juve remained on the platform with Wulf. As a preliminary to making his
arrest, he took out his revolver, and held it in the palm of his hand.
Suddenly he gave a yell and sprang forward. Ouaouaoua, taking advantage
of the engine driver's absence, had entered his compartment and pulled
the levers.
In a moment the train was under way. As Juve made a jump on board, Wulf
tried to restrain him, and in the scuffle knocked the revolver out of
the detective's hand. To the consternation of the train's crew left
behind in the station, the train was now gathering speed. Their shouts
in turn alarmed the few passengers, who regarded the precipitate
entrance of Juve in amazement. Finally a cry from the powerful lungs of
Wulf was heard above all the other noises. A name shouted in terror:
"Fantomas!"
A rush was instantly made to seize the fool or the madman who had
started the train, but a revolver shot quickly drove back the passengers
and Juve, furious with the imbecile Wulf for having disarmed him, was
obliged to take cover with the others.
The train passed through the Station de la Trinite, shot through Saint
Lazare without heed to signal and tore along at headlong speed. And
then, in a moment, the train was plunged into total darkness and a cry
of rage escaped from the Primitive Man. The detective understood in a
flash.
The Nord-Sud had had the happy idea of cutting off the power, and Juve
noticed that this occurred just as the train had passed the Station de
la Concorde and entered the tube beyond. Ah! this time the Primitive Man
was in a tight corner. His revolver would be less dangerous in the
darkness.
Juve rose carefully, prepared to advance, when a spark was seen,
succeeded by a terrific explosion. A shower of matter fell upon the
train, shattering the windows and throwing the passengers pell-mell
upon each other.
Then ... silence....
* * * * *
The red lights of torches gradually lighted up the tunnel in which the
tragic accident, still unaccounted for, had occurred. Juve, unconscious
for ten minutes, came to his senses and realized with a sense of relief
that he was unhurt, and that the men directing the rescue were the Paris
firemen. Many persons had been wounded, but by an apparent miracle not
one had been killed.
The Primitive Man had disappeared.
Juve, in quest of clues which might lead to the discovery of the
explosion, climbed upon the train to where an immense hole in the roof
of the tube had showered down bits of asphalt and broken earth. He
noticed quickly that communication had been opened with the Place de la
Concorde. By dint of hoisting and scrambling he succeeded at length in
gaining the surface of the ground.
Vague groanings came from the mass of stones piled not far away. As he
approached these noises, they became more distinct. Finally, he
discovered the body of a man wedged between two large blocks and covered
with a piece of gas-pipe.
The body was begrimed with soot and mud. Juve, after hauling his burden
to the open air, where he was greeted with cheers by the crowd, dipped
his handkerchief in the water from the fountain and wiped the man's
face. Suddenly, he dropped to his knees with a cry:
"Fandor! It's Fandor!"