Latest / The Three Just Men / The Death Tube

Transcript

The Death Tube · The Three Just Men

• 0:00
  Chapter thirty four of The Three Just Men by Edgar Wallace. This LibriVox recording
• 0:06
  is in the public domain. The Death Tube. Later, Manfred explained to
• 0:13
  an interested police chief Auberzon secured the poison by taking a snake and extracting his
• 0:18
  venom. The simple process. You have but to make him angry, and
• 0:22
  he will bite on anything. The doctor discovered a way of blending these venoms
• 0:27
  to bring out the most deadly qualities of them all. It sounds fantastic,
• 0:32
  and from the scientist's point of view, unlikely, but it is Nevertheless,
• 0:37
  the fact the venom was slightly diluted with water and enough to kill a dozen
• 0:42
  people, was poured into a tiny mold and frozen. Frozen, said the
• 0:47
  chief in astonishment. Manfred nodded. There is no doubt about it, he
• 0:53
  said. Snake venom does not lose its potency by being frozen, and this
• 0:58
  method of molding their darts was a very sing one. From their point of
• 1:00
  view. It was only necessary for a microscopic portion of the splinter to pierce
• 1:06
  the flesh sufficient instantly melted to cause death, and if the victim rubbed the
• 1:11
  place where he had been struck, it was more certain that he would rub
• 1:15
  some of the venom which had Milton on his cheek into the wound. Usually
• 1:19
  they died instantly. The cigarette holders that were carried by Girth and the other
• 1:25
  assassin, Feifer, were blowpipes. The cigarette a hollow metal fake. By
• 1:30
  the time there blew their little ice darts, it was in a half molten
• 1:34
  condition and carry sufficient liquid poison to kill, even if the skin was only
• 1:40
  punctured. And of course all that did not enter the skin melted before there
• 1:45
  could be any examination by the police. That is why you never found darts
• 1:49
  such as The bushmen use slithers of bamboo thorns from trees. Buberjon had the
• 1:56
  simplest method of dealing with all opposition. He sent out his snare men to
• 2:00
  intercept them, and only once did they fail, when they aimed at Leon
• 2:05
  and caught that snake proof man of Elijah Washington. What about miss Lester's claim
• 2:10
  to the gold fields of Biscara, Manfred smiled. The renewal has already been
• 2:16
  applied for and granted. Leon found that heavy Tree Farms some blank sheets of
• 2:22
  notepaper signed with the girl's name. He stole one during the ant's absence and
• 2:27
  filled up the blank with a formal request for renewal. I have just had
• 2:30
  a wire to say that the lease is extended. He and Poacard had to
• 2:35
  walk the best part of the way to New Cross before they could find a
• 2:38
  taxi cab. Leon had gone on with the girl. Quacart was worried about
• 2:45
  something and did not speak his mind until the providential cab appeared on the scene
• 2:49
  and they were trendling along the New Cross road. My dear George, I
• 2:53
  am a little troubled about Leon, he said at last. It seems almost
• 2:58
  impossible to believe. But but what asked Manfred Good humoredly, and knowing what
• 3:05
  was coming. You don't believe, said Pocard, in a hushed voice,
• 3:08
  as though he were discussing the advent of some world cataclysm. You don't believe
• 3:14
  that Leon is in love, do you? Manford considered for a moment.
• 3:20
  Such things happen even to just men, he said, and Poorquart shook his
• 3:23
  head sadly. I have never contemplated such an unhappy contingency, he said,
• 3:30
  and Manford was laughing to himself all the way back to town. End of
• 3:35
  chapter thirty four, End of the Three Just Men by Edgar Wallace,