cigar close to his ear and squeezed it to make it crack.
Immediately he uttered a cry of surprise. The cigar had yielded
under the pressure of his fingers. He examined it more closely,
and quickly discovered something white between the leaves of
tobacco. Delicately, with the aid of a pin, he withdrew a roll of
very thin paper, scarcely larger than a toothpick. It was a
letter. He unrolled it, and found these words, written in a
feminine handwriting:

"The basket has taken the place of the others. Eight out of ten
are ready. On pressing the outer foot the plate goes downward.
From twelve to sixteen every day, H-P will wait. But where?
Reply at once. Rest easy; your friend is watching over you."

Mon. Dudouis reflected a moment, then said:

"It is quite clear....the basket....the eight compartments....
From twelve to sixteen mean from twelve to four o'clock."

"But this H-P, that will wait?"

"H-P must mean automobile. H-P, horsepower, is the way they
indicate strength of the motor. A twenty-four H-P is an
automobile of twenty-four horsepower."

Then he rose, and asked:

"Had the prisoner finished his breakfast?"

"Yes."