Clifton High School - Rotunda Yearbook (Clifton, NJ)

Page 30 text:

THE REFLECTOR They separated, and Casey went up to his ofhce. He got out a book of maps and turned to China. He found Chang-sha on a tributary of the Yangtze River, about five hundred miles from Nanking. Casey called up the police doctor, asked whether having two different colored eyes was hereditary, and received an afhrmative answer. Next, he sent a cablegram to the British Consul at Nanking inquiring about Chang-sha, a missing person by name of Ah Sen who belongs to a family which has one brown and one blue eye, and if any Oriental poison is known which stops the heart action for a few hours, and how this poison is adminis- tered. Dunn entered just as Casey was hanging up the receiver of the telephone. He spoke at once. Nothing yet. Mac exhausted all his methods of solving the mes- sage except the one, two, three, four. You know that one. He gave me the telegram. Thought you and I could dope it out. Mac Went home. Said if the one, two, three didn't work to call him up.', l'Well, all we can do is to have a try at it. Sit down there, Dunn, and let me have the telegram. You can make a copy of it and we will work separately. Here's some paper. Huh, it's from Nanking. Iill read it to you.', This is what Casey saw on the familiar yellow blank before him: TOME MADE RAKE HERE. IS AT. TEAR MOP. SAM. SAUL. VIVIAN BULL KILLED BUTCH CATARET MORNING JONSONIA CONSERVATORY. SWASTICA. TWIST BEND BELL WIRE BRINGING HORROR AETERXVARD LOLLILOP AL- LELUIAH. JOIN BOB TERMONT. CAN SAIL SURE SUAVE MATTER BEARER. ALL STAND. NOW TELL MOWER. YELL YOUR THROAT BARK. FRED SOWED BARLEY. OMELET BREAD FED VEGETABLES STEER STAKES. SWASTICA. TEN CHAINS CREAKED. SWIM HERE EOR REAP HARVEST EN- TWINED GUILLOTINE. Say Dunn, just what are the characteristics of the One, two, three, four. I'm a little hazy on it at present. Well, inspector, each group of words separated by a period should denote one word of the message. A word that is used more than once alone usually denotes the end of a sentence. Now take one group of words in the message. The second letter of the second word is the second letter of the word in the message, and so on. Now let's try it on this one. It may run according to form, and then again we may have the Wrong method altogether. Inspector Casey copied the message onto a piece of paper and then underlined the first letter of the first word, the second letter of the second, etc., until it looked like this: TOM MADE RAKE HERE. IS AT. TEAR MOP. SAUL, VIVIAN BULL KILLED BUTCH CARTARET MORNING ,TON- SONIA CONSERVATORY. SWASTICA. TWIST BEND BELL WIRE BRINGING HORROR AFTERWARD LOLLILOI3 ALLE- Twenty-nine

Page 29 text:

THE REFLECTOR ed the stairs. He encountered Sergeant Dunn, who was bursting with ex- citement. Come along with me and look out for this box, ordered Casey and tell me what you discovered as we walk along. He-he-heis not deadf, stuttered Dunn, as he walked along breath- lessly. 'KThey think he was only in a trance, but his mind's been af- fected and he just mutters incoherently. He was searched thoroughly, but all they could find was a telegram written in code. I sent it to Mac. He can dope it out if anyone can. What else did you find? gruffly asked Casey. What does he say? Where is he now?', We found that he has one brown and one blue eye. He just says- 'Ah Sen, Chang-sha., He also has a small mark on his right thumb. It looks like a snake bite. I left him at the hospital with a police guard. XVhere're we going, inspector? Golly, I'm hungry. I ain't had any supper yetf' Stick around, Dunn, stick around. Looks to me like we're going to have a full night. Listen, Dunn, we're headed for Moniker's, you know, the guy at the Zoo. I think something alive is in this box! Here we are, in through this gate. Hello, Casey. You and your friend come into my office here. I have facilities for taking care of your box. Put it on this table. Casey put the box on a marble table in the center of the room. Moniker placed a framework covered with wire netting over the box, and by means of a small door in the box and a long-handled knife, he cut the string tied around the box and knocked off the cover. A hissing sound came from within, and the head of a large rattlesnake showed it- self. XVell, Iill be -lv gasped Inspector Casey, and to think that I near- ly opened that box! Xvonder where the thing came from. UA very good specimen, Casey. Er-suppose I keep him for you until this thing is cleared up? Moniker spoke cautiously, with an eye for business. Good idea, Reggie, good idea. You may keep him, for the present. Come on, Dunn, we've plenty to do on this case. As Casey spoke he opened the door and, with a hearty farewell, went out into the darkness, followed by Dunn. As they walked back, Casey was lost in deep thought. However, he roused himself as they passed a restaurant, much to Dunnis gratification. They entered, and, while waiting for their order, Casey outlined his plan of action. When we get back to headquarters you beat it up to Mac's oiice. See if he's got any dope on that telegram. I,m going to look up that 'Ah Sen, Chang-sha.' Maybe it's a town. Also that two-colored eye busi- ness. Hastily they finished their meal and again headed for headquarters. Here we are, Dunn, see you laterlv Twenty-eight J

Page 31 text:

THE REFLECTOR LUIAH. JOIN BOB TREMONT. CAN SAIL SURE SUAVE MAT- TER BEARER. ALL STAND. NOW TELL MOWER. YELL YOUR THRAT BARK. FRED SOWED BARLEY. OMELET BREAD FED VEGETABLES STEER STEAKS. SWATISCA. TEN CHAINS CREAKED. SWIM HERE FOR REAP HARVEST EN- TWINED GUILLOTINE. He then collected the letters and they formed this message: TAKE IT TO S. S. VULCANIA. TELEGRAPI-I JOE CARVER AT NEW YORK FOR ORDERS. THE SERPENT. I've got something here, Dunn. It makes sense except for the last part. Listen while I read it. He read the message eagerly. That must be right, Casey. I got the Hrst sentence the same as that. But what is the 'it?' Maybe it's the snake. And what is the Serpent? I think maybe that's the name of the leader of a gang. He may be in China. That reference to Joe Carver in New York makes it look like an international affair. I'm going to send a follow-up cable to Nanking, asking if any gang with a leader by that name has been working there. Come to think of it, Casey, that Chink had a little green serpent tattooed on his left shoulder. Maybe it's the sign of some secret organiza- tion. Casey sent the cable, adding that the serpent might be the insignia of some organization. He then had an inspiration. l'Listen, Dunn, I think Iill send a telegram to this Joe Carver in New York and sign it Ah Sen. I can tell him to send the return to one of the Constable's houses. I'l1 try and squeeze as much information as pos- sible from him without exciting his suspicions. XVe might discover some- thing, and I don't think much can be lostf, Following this, Inspector Casey dispatched a telegram to Joe Carver, asking for further instructions. He also asked whom he should give the snake to on board the Vulcania. This message was sent in the same code as the one which was found on the Chinaman. Guess that's all for tonight, Dunn. I want to have a look at that Chink first thing in the morning. Those telegrams ought to be here by that time with some information. Casey locked up his safe and the two men departed for their re- spective homes. It was about ten o'clock when Casey arrived home. He went straight to bed, hoping to get a good night's rest. The fates destined otherwise, however, and he lay restlessly in bed for two hours. Finally he decided to go back to the ofhce. The telegrams might be there, and if so, he could plan his course of action before morning. Casey entered the building, spoke to the officer in charge of the desk, and went up to his office. He entered and, as he was about to switch on the light, his attention was drawn to the window by a slight sound. A Thirty