Demonic aan Bellefonte, Pa, May 6, 1921. Bull Dog Drummond (Continued from page 2 Col. 3). fon’s face. “It isn’t his thumb that concerns me,” he continued; “it's his general condition. What's the matter with him?” The doctor pursed his lips and looked wise, while Drummond woz: dered that no one had ever passed a law allowing men of his type to be murdered on sight. “His heart seems sound,” he an- swered after a weighty pause, “and I found nothing wrong with him con- stitutionally. In fact, I may say, Captain Drummond, he is in every respect a most healthy man. Except —er—except for this peculiar condi- tion.” Drummond exploded. “Damnation take it, man, what on earth do you suppose I asked you to come round for? It's of no interest to me to hear that his liver is working properly.” Then he controlled himself. “I beg your pardon, doctor; I had rather a trying evening last night. Can you give me any idea as to what has caused this peculiar condition?” His companion accepted the apology with an acid bow. “Some form of drug,” he answered. Drummond heaved a sigh of relief. “Now we're getting on,” he fried. “Have you any idea what drug?’ “It is, at the moment, hard to say,” returned the other. “In a day or two, perhaps, I might be able to—er—ar- rive at some conclusion a “Which, at present, you have not. Right; now we know where we are, As you don’t know what the drug is, presumably you don’t know either how long it will take for the effect to wear off.” “That—er—is, within limits, rect,” conceded the doctor. “What about diet?” “Oh! light. Not too much meat. No alcohol kd He rose to his feet as Hugh opened the door; really the war seemed to have produced a distressing effect on people’s manners. Diet was the one question on which he always let him- self go. “Not much meat—no alcohol. Right. Good morning, doctor. Down the stairs and straight on. Good morn- ing,” The door closed behind him, and he descended to his waiting car with cold disapproval on his face. “Excuse me, Sir.” The doctor paused and eyed a well-dressed man who had spoken to him uncompro- misingly. “Am I right in assuming that you are a doctor?” “You are perfectly correct, sir, in your assumption.” cor- The man smiled: obviously a gen- tleman, thought the practitioner, with his hand on the door of his car. “It’s about a great pal of mine, Captain Drummond, who lives in here,” went on the other. “I hope you won't think it unprofessional, but I thought I'd ask you privately, how you find him.” The doctor looked surprised. “Cap- tain Drummond, so far as I am aware, has never been better. I—er—cannot say the same of his friend.” He stepped into his ear. “Why not go up | and see for yourself?” The car rolled smoothly into Pie- cadilly, but the man showed no signs of availing himself of the doctor's suggestion. He turned and walked rapidly away, and a few moments later —in an exclusive West End club— a trunk call was put through to Godalming—a call which caused the recipient to nod his head in satisfac- tion and order the Rolls-Royce. Meanwhile, unconscious of this sud- den solicitude for his health, Hugh Drummond was once more occupied with the piece of paper he had been studying on the doctor’s entrance. Beyond establishing the fact that the man in the peculiar condition was Hiram C. Potts, the Amedican multi- anfllionaire, he could make nothing out of it. “If only I'd managed to get the whole of it,” he muttered td himself for the twentieth time. “That dam’ fellah Peterson was too quick.” The scrap he had torn off was typewrit- ten, save for the Americans scrawled signature, and Hugh knew the words by heart. i plete paralysis ade of Britain months I do the holder of of five million do desire and carl necklace and the are at present chess of Lam-p k no questions btained. AM. C. POTTS. At length he replaced the scrap in his pocket-book and rang the bell. “James,” he remarked as his Serv- ant came in: “You'd better know that as far as I can see were up against a tough proposition.” “Indeed, sir,” murmured his servant, “The gentleman is asking for you, slr.” Mrs. Denny's voice from the door made them look round. Hugh walked quickly along the pass- age to the room where the million- aire lay in bed. “How are you feeling?” said Drum- mond cheerfully. The man stared at him uncompre- hendingly, and shook his head. “Do you remember last night?” Hugh continued, speaking very slowly and distinctly. Then a sudden idea struck him and he pulled the scrap of © Rbk paper out of his case, “Do you re- member signing that?” For a while the man looked at it; then with a sudden cry of fear he shrank away. “No, no,” he muttered, not .again.” Hugh hurriedly replaced the paper. “Bad break on my part, old bean; you evidently remember rather too well. aw in Mysess f i l d | I a i gli ill i i i) a t “No, No,” He Muttered, “Not Again.” It's quite all right,” he continued re- assuringly; “No one will hurt you,” Then after a pause—“Is your name Hiram C. Potts?” The man nodded his head doubtful- ly and muttered “Hiram Potts” once or twice, as if the words sounded familiar. “Do you remember driving in a motor car last night?” persisted Hugh. But what little flash of remem- brance had pierced the drug-clouded brain seemed to have passed; the man only stared dazedly at the speak- er. Drummond tried him with a few more questions, but it was no use, and after a while he got up and moved toward the door. : “Don’t you worry, old son,” he said with a smile. “We'll have you jump- ing about like a two-year-old in a "couple of days.” Then he paused; the man was evi- "dently trying to say something. “What Is it you want?’ Hugh leant over the bed. “Danger, danger.” Faintly the "words came, and then, with a sigh, he lay back exhausted. With a grim smile Drummond watched the motionless figure. “I'm afraid,” he said half aloud, “that you're rather like your medical ‘attendant. Your only contribution to ‘the sphere of pure knowledge is something I know already.” He went out and quietly closed the door. And as he re-entered his sit- ting-room he found his servant stand- ing motionless behind one of the cur- tains watching the street below. “There's a man, sir,” he remarked without turning around, “watching the house.” For a moment Hugh stood still, frowning. Then he gave a short laugh. “The devil there is!” he re- marked. “The game has begun in earnest, my worthy warrior, with the first nine points to us. For posses- sion. even of a semi-dazed lunatic, is nine points of the law, is it not, James?” TWO. At twelve o'clock precisely the bell rang, announcing a visitor, and Drum- ‘mond locked up, as his servant came into the room. “Yes, James,” he remarked, “Il think we are at home. I want you to ‘remair within call, and under no cir- curastances let our sick visitor our of your sight for mere than & minute. | | | in fact, I think you'd better sit 1 1s room.” James, with a curt “Very goon sir,” left the room. Almost at once he returned, and flinging open tbe door, announced Mr. Peterson, Drummond looked up quickly and rose with a smile. “Good morning,” he cried. “This is a very pleasant surprise, Mr. Pefer-