"I've
signed the slip for them, sir."
He deposited the books on a desk, a huge pile of them, which
reached from his outstretched arms to his chin. As he did so the
pressure of his arms released the pile of books and the column
collapsed.
From a book entitled "New and Old Peru," which fell with the pile,
slipped a plain white envelope. Kennedy saw it before either of
us, and seized it.
"Here's one for me," he said, tearing it open.
Sure enough, in the same rude printing on a quarter sheet were the
words:
"BEWARE THE CURSE OF MANSICHE ON THE GOLD OF THE GODS."
We could only stare at each other and at that tell-tale sign of
the Inca dagger underneath.
What did it mean? Who had sent the warnings?
Kennedy alone seemed to regard the affair as if with purely
scientific interest. He took the four pieces of paper and laid
them down before him on the table. Then he looked up suddenly.
"They match perfectly," he said quietly, gathering them up and
placing them in a wallet which he carried. "All the indentures of
the tearing correspond. Four warnings seem to have been sent to
those who are likely to find out something of the secret."
Norton seemed to have gained somewhat of his composure now that he
had been able to talk to some one.
Pages:
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50