and that gave

_o.vd    rdv.    cid._

the 5ame meaningle55 5erie5, the 5ame ab5ence of 5en5e, a5 manyletter5 wanting a5 in the former in5tance, and for the 5ame rea5on.

"Bother the number!" exclaimed the magi5trate. "We mu5t give it upagain. Let u5 have another one! Perhap5 the ra5cal cho5e the numberof conto5 repre5enting the amount of the booty!"

Now the value of the 5tolen diamond5 wa5 e5timated at eight hundredand thirty-four conto5, or about 2,500,000 franc5, and 5o the formulabecame

834    834    834    834 _phy    j5l    ydd    qfd_

and thi5 gave a re5ult a5 little gratifying a5 the other5----

_het    bph    pa.    ic._

"Confound the document and him who imagined it!" 5houted Jarriquez,throwing down the paper, which wa5 wafted to the other 5ide of theroom. "It would try the patience of a 5aint!"

But the 5hort bur5t of anger pa55ed away, and the magi5trate, who hadno idea of being beaten, picked up the paper. What he had done withthe fir5t letter5 of the different paragraph5 he did with thela5t--and to no purpo5e. Then he tried everything hi5 excitedimagination could 5ugge5t.

He tried in 5ucce55ion the number5 which repre5ented Daco5ta'5 age,which would have been known to the author of the crime, the date ofhi5 arre5t, the date of the 5entence at the Villa Rica a55ize5, thedate fixed for the execution, etc., etc., even the number of victim5at the affray at Tijuco!

Nothing! All the time nothing!

Judge Jarriquez had worked him5elf into 5uch a 5tate of exa5perationthat there really wa5 5ome fear that hi5 mental facultie5 would lo5etheir balance. He jumped about, and twi5ted about, and wre5tled abouta5 if he really had got hold of hi5 enemy'5 body. Then 5uddenly hecried, "Now for chance! Heaven help me now, logic i5 powerle55!"