The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1870-07-09

L
shabby dressed fellow said,
So the detective followed the other.
Burt was conducted to q small wooden house
| few blocks mp the street. A rotten, tumble.
| down looking shanty it was.
The two entered q small room on the first floor
The room was lighted by single candle stuck In
| bottle The windows were all securely fast
| ened up by heavy wooden shutters, so that no
ray of light could penetrate either into or from
The room.
SNOW" said the Unlocking fellow-who was
known as Tim Hays-after they had entered the
| room, sit down, Mr.. Butt, and let me see if |
understand clearly what you want to know"
The detective took a seat.
"You want to know what has become of child
| whose mothers name was Kate German"
Eyes"
"She was the widow of sailor, named Rich
ard German He was lost at sea, and six months
after his death she died in her lodgings at No.
81, Mulberry street, of grief starvation, prob
ably the latter The child that she left was
taken care OF by woman by the name of Debo-
rah Gwin."
Exactly" said the detective
swell, now, myself and pardner know jest
where that child is, but we want to know your
little game afore we plays into yeur hand, and
we want to know how much are YOU a-goin- TO
come down for the information"
cts none of your business why want to
know about the child" said Burt coolly; "but,
tell me where the child is to be found and will
pay you literally for the information"
Then you won't say why you want the
kid?
"No"
| "Then I'll tell yer" said the shabby-looking
fellow with dry chuckle. "'Cos Richard Cor
wrecked and made slave of; COS he's now come
to New York rich, and he's willing to pay hand
some for his kid. You I read the whole
thing in the papers tother day-miraculous es-
cape OF New York boy, ETC."
"Then if You know as much as do, our con-
versation is ended" said the detective coolly,
| rising from his chair.
"Oh. no, it ANTI" calculated Hays "Jest
hold on bit" Then, with sudden motion, he
taken by surprise, grappled Justify with his as.
sailant; but second rufiian entered the room
and fastened to the assistance of the first. He
| evidently had been watching from the door,
The detective was quickly overpowered; bound
hand and foot, and laid upon the floor.
do you remember me z" asked the second ruff
fan, looking with malicious smile into the face
of the helpless man.
"Yes; jim Tighe, the burglar" answered the
detective, coolly, though he knew full well he
could expect no mercyifrom the man who glover.
ed over him.
The man who was sentenced to ten years i'm.
prisonment at Sing Sing on your evidenced"
cried the ruftian fiercely. "But you see Sing
Sing couldn't hold me. / swore that I'd have
your life for that job, and I'm going to keep my
word. Can you guess what l am going to do
with you ?"
xiii me, 1 suppose" SAID the helpless detect
i've, and he spoke calmly, although he knew that
death was nigh.
"Not exactly" replied the burglar, while
fierce light shown in his eyes-"I have been il
Sing Sing prison ten months, and every day of
that ten months | thought of you, and swore that
one day would make you suffer what was
then suttering-a living death. But in your
the ten months will be compressed in the
same number of hours. Now, just listen to your
fate am going to gag you and leave you here
to die. You can't stir-can'e give an alarm you
will die in agony-die by inches. The rats here
are large, hungry fellows. First they will
galop over YOU then they will bite and finally
they will eat you
Then the two ruffians bound the gag in the
mouth Of the detective, AID, locking the door
behind them left the helpless man to his fate
left him to that death that it was agony even to
think Of
But the detective was cool, brave man. He
had faced death often before, in the dangerous
vocation by which he earned his bread but
angry men. Now it came in silence and in gloom,
for the Pickering candle but made the darkness
visible, AS the old saying has it.
Then to the ears Of the doomed man came
slight, scratching noise.
The rats were coming.
Such was the thought that passed through the
mind of the helpless man. The hair upon his
head rose in horror mt the thought. Cold drops
of sweat trckled down his forehead In antiai-
patton he died thousand deaths.
The noise Increased.
Vanly the detective strove to free himself
The attempt was useless. He was in iron bonds
He could move neither hand nor foot.
The detective felt that his hour had come. lie
closed his eyes to meet his death.
"Well, cap, you're in a fix"
Astonished Burt opened his eyes and beheld
Bob, the Sootblack, bending over him. A board
displaced from the floor showed where the boy
had entered the apartment from the cellar.
Quickly Bob unbound the detective, and once
again he stood upon his feet. free.
Bob, you've saved my life!"
"Jes 40, hoss," responded Bob, gleefully.
How did you know that was here z" asked
Burt.
why, arter left you, saw Jim. down the
street In doorway, watching you; 80 jest kept
my eye peeled, and follered after you This
here cellar is my roosting place: an knew that
through the holes in the floor that could hear
all that was said in this room. So slid in
through the hole in the wall an Jest listened.
tell you, cap, they went for You lively. They
jest double banked you. now. Why, cap, you
can fax either one on 'em with half a show. I'd
bet my stamps on you every time"
"Let's get out of this Bob" said the detective,
with shudder, an he looked around the little
room that had 80 nearly proven his grave.