Norton shook his head gravely, however.
"No," he said, "there were four of us got warnings. They are a
desperate, revengeful people."
I looked at him quickly. Did he mean the de Moches?
XXI
THE TELESCRIBE
I decided that discretion was the better part of valour and that I
had better go slow that day and regain my strength, a fortunate
decision, as it turned out.
Kennedy, also, spent most of the time in the laboratory, so that,
after all, I did not feel that I was missing very much.
It was along in the afternoon that the telephone began acting
strangely, as it will do sometimes when a long distance connection
is being made. Twice Kennedy answered, without getting any
response.
"Confound that central," he muttered. "What do you suppose is the
matter?"
Again the bell rang.
"Hello," shouted Kennedy, exasperated. "Who's this?"
There was a pause. "Just a minute," he replied.
Quickly he jammed the receiver down on a little metal base which
he had placed near the instrument. Three prongs reaching upward
from the base engaged the receiver tightly, fitting closely about
it.
Then he took up a watch-case receiver to listen through in place
of the regular receiver.
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