The Teeth of the Tiger

Teeth of the Tiger, The

The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Teeth of the Tiger, by Maurice
Leblanc This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and
with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away
or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net
Title: The Teeth of the Tiger
Author: Maurice Leblanc
Release Date: July 30, 2004 [EBook #13058]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE
TEETH OF THE TIGER ***

Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Mary Meehan and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team.

THE TEETH OF THE TIGER
An Adventure Story
BY MAURICE LEBLANC

Author of "Arsène Lupin," "The Hollow Needle," "The Crystal
Stopper"
1914

CONTENTS
CHAPTER
I.
D'ARTAGNAN, PORTHOS ... AND MONTE CRISTO II. A MAN
DEAD III. A MAN DOOMED IV. THE CLOUDED TURQUOISE V.
THE IRON CURTAIN VI. THE MAN WITH THE EBONY
WALKING-STICK VII. SHAKESPEARE'S WORKS, VOLUME VIII
VIII. THE DEVIL'S POST-OFFICE IX. LUPIN'S ANGER X.
GASTON SAUVERAND EXPLAINS XI. ROUTED XII. "HELP!"
XIII. THE EXPLOSION XIV. THE "HATER" XV. THE HEIR TO
THE HUNDRED MILLIONS XVI. WEBER TAKES HIS REVENGE
XVII. OPEN SESAME! XVIII. ARSÈNE I EMPEROR OF
MAURETANIA XIX. "THE SNARE IS LAID. BEWARE, LUPIN!"
XX. FLORENCE'S SECRET XXI. LUPIN'S LUPINS

The Teeth of the Tiger
CHAPTER ONE
D'ARTAGNAN, PORTHOS ... AND MONTE CRISTO
It was half-past four; M. Desmalions, the Prefect of Police, was not yet
back at the office. His private secretary laid on the desk a bundle of
letters and reports which he had annotated for his chief, rang the bell
and said to the messenger who entered by the main door:
"Monsieur le Préfet has sent for a number of people to see him at five

o'clock. Here are their names. Show them into separate waiting-rooms,
so that they can't communicate with one another, and let me have their
cards when they come."
The messenger went out. The secretary was turning toward the small
door that led to his room, when the main door opened once more and
admitted a man who stopped and leaned swaying over the back of a
chair.
"Why, it's you, Vérot!" said the secretary. "But what's happened?
What's the matter?"
Inspector Vérot was a very stout, powerfully built man, with a big neck
and shoulders and a florid complexion. He had obviously been upset by
some violent excitement, for his face, streaked with red veins and
usually so apoplectic, seemed almost pale.
"Oh, nothing. Monsieur le Secrétaire!" he said.
"Yes, yes; you're not looking your usual self. You're gray in the face....
And the way you're perspiring...."
Inspector Vérot wiped his forehead and, pulling himself together, said:
"It's just a little tiredness.... I've been overworking myself lately: I was
very keen on clearing up a case which Monsieur Desmalions had put in
my hands. All the same, I have a funny sort of feeling--"
"Will you have a pick-me-up?"
"No, no; I'm more thirsty."
"A glass of water?"
"No, thank you."
"What then?"
"I should like--I should like--"

His voice faltered. He wore a troubled look, as if he had suddenly lost
his power of getting out another word. But he recovered himself with
an effort and asked:
"Isn't Monsieur Desmalions here?"
"No; he won't be back till five, when he has an important meeting."
"Yes ... I know ... most important. That's what I'm here for. But I
should have liked to see him first. I should so much have liked to see
him!"
The secretary stared at Vérot and said:
"What a state you're in! Is your message so urgent as all that?"
"It's very urgent, indeed. It has to do with a crime that took place a
month ago, to the day. And, above all, it's a matter of preventing two
murders which are the outcome of that other crime and which are to be
committed to-night. Yes, to-night, inevitably, unless we take the
necessary steps."
"Sit down, Vérot, won't you?"
"You see, the whole thing has been planned in such an infernal manner!
You would never have imagined--"
"Still, Vérot, as you know about it beforehand, and as Monsieur le
Préfet is sure to give you full powers--"
"Yes, of course, of course. But, all the same, it's terrible to think that I
might miss him. So I wrote him this letter, telling him all I know about
the business. I thought it safer."
He handed the secretary a large yellow envelope and added:
"And here's a little box as well; I'll leave it on this table. It contains
something that will serve to complete and explain the contents of the
letter."

"But why don't you keep all that by you?"
"I'm afraid to.