A Servant of Satan: Romantic Career of Prado the Assassin — page 178: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

170 A SERVANT OF SATAN. colonel’s neck, which was fully exposed to view as he bent over the latter, Frederick, with a swift downward motion of his hand, buried this novel kind of a stiletto to the very head between the first and second vertebre of the spinal column. Without a cry, without a sound, the unfortunate officer fell forward on the table as if he had been struck by lightning. Death had been instantaneous, the spinal mar- row haying been touched by the unerring and steady prick ~ of the tiny weapon. This was but another instance of the dangerous knowl- edge which Frederick had acquired from the natives during his sojourn in Java. All the more dangerous, as when death has been brought about in this way no trace of vio- ‘lence remains except the minute puncture at the back of the neck produced by the pin. ‘This is almost certain to escape observation unless specially looked for, and the death is attributed to a sudden failure of the action of the heart. Frederick, having ascertained that the colonel was quite dead, took from his contracted hand the letter he had been, reading, replaced it in the portefeuille with the others, and . then restored it to his pocket. Bending once more over the lifeless form of the colonel he drew the pin from the almost . invisible wound, which had not even bled, and replaced it in his tie. Then, taking the body in his arms, he dragged it to the lounge, on which he carefully laid it, closing the wide-open eyes and arranging the pillows under the head. Lowering the lamp, he went softly tothe door, and, after — listening intently for some minutes to hear if any one was about, he stepped out of the room, andclosing the door after him, walked down stairs and into the quiet, lonely street. comicbooks co a ) ® e — eo - wy" A > ae ~ = <. ft