The Indiana State sentinel., 1879-04-30
black underclothes

it, seem to see only an ordinary brow,
nose and mouth. l fancy 1t was the set of
markable. But what makes this matter in
teresting to your
81 believe your complaining patient to be
the principal in the late. robbery, concern
ing which have come down here"
replied. "Can you give me any idea as to
what became of the man, after you were
done with him?''
The doctor looked at me in amazement.
ST think he went towards Ems" he re-
piled.
1 lost no time in going IN. the same
direction. An old tree, which forked at the
top, and carried bell in that division,
stood on the height near the shore. Here
those who wanted to be ferrled across the
river must stop and ring for the boatman,
whose house stood in sheltered nook at
hand. I shirked preliminaries, and made
at once for the dwelling. Here found
gigantic person, who declared herself the
daughter of the ferryman. and the custom
ary rover when, as now, her father was alb.
sent. l sought to gain the confidence OF
this damsel.
"a friend of mine went over here. 1
think, not long SINCE" I said. He was
in great haste, being on his way to Holland,
in order to escape serving here in the army"
The popular antipatay to the enforced
military training loosed her tongue at once.
Yes! yesl" she replied. "a young man
in great haste did surely go over little time
back"
He wore blue blouse and black hose?'
"Maybe; but it seems to me he had Others
with him, or others OF his party"
Very probably, two others, suppose?"
"This was how it was. One man came to
me in the early dawning. put him across
An hour or SO later there came a second,
and asked anxiously about the first When
told him he was beyond, he seemed con-
tent enough and followed. The third. your
friend with the blouse, asked if he were the
first who had wanted me that day. He
asked me particularly about the two had
already rowed over, and then seemed right
gay, and JUMPED into the boat himself"
"Ah! ooe of the three carried TIN box?''
1 said, slipping COIN into my new acquaint-
ance's palm.
ST never noticed" answered the girl.
"But saw that the third man carried
round bundle or parcel wrapped in red
handkerchief under his arm"
"Did he give you good reward for taking
him over?"
Nothing more than all the world-lO
with his right hand?''
"Why not?"
'Wasn't his right hand tied up?'
mot that 1 saw. 1 only know that he
kept one hand in his pocket; whether the
right or left couldn't say, now"
I could have embraced the tall ferrywo-
man, in spite of her forty summers and her
uncertainty upon minor points. 1t was
plain that the three ruffians, for BE- tier secu-
rity, had separated, and that the last conner
was the leader in the crime which had been
committed. During his confab with the
doctor, no doubt he had hidden the spoils
in some hedge. was upon his track now.
But 1 had soon to cry '1ost" 1t was
grievous disappointment to me. Beyond
Ems the clew was nowhere to be followed. 1
labored in vain in this neighborhood for
days. made friends with all sorts of peo-
pie, letter-carriers, porters, walters, and
walked many a mile in the hot sun, but all
to no purpose. l was bafflsd and wholly at
fault, as much as though 1 never had a hint
at all to follow.
Nine days had gone by since had come
to T. I turned into q beer-garden in
the neighborhsod of the town one evening,
and sat down near a well lighted bowling
alley, in which about 10 gentlemen were
busy at game. My seat was rather In the
shade. l paid little attention to the players,
but leaned my head upon my hand and re-
viewed the defeat / had sustained, and the
small estimation in which should be held
By my colleagues and chief at home, feeling
altogether extremely out of hunor. Sud-
denly an ill-thrown ball rolled almost to
my feet , ,
together, while one cried:
Why, Bottcher, is your hand not even
yet recovered? You ere not complaining
of it still?'
felt like a huntsman in forest who sees
the game at his guns end. was on the
alert that second. lost no time in finding
out Herr Bottchers antec 1ents. He was q
continual guest at this place OF entertain
ment. L brought the doctor here next
evening and set him to work stealthlly con-
| sIdering my game. My discontinue was
great when he fatty refused to identify
Herr Bottcher and his patient as one and the
same person. They might be one, he con-
fessed, but then-they might not.
If the medico turned rusty, like this, it
seemed to me utterly useless to bring hlth.
er the ferrywoman ION like errand. L
| must trust to myself alone. We officials
have two methods of doing business of this
| sort. / determined to try one after the
other. In order to put Bottcher quite off
| the scent l went now to the host of this
house of entertainment and introduced my
self to him as Hamburg agent for the for
bidden lotteries. / begged him to keep this
close, but saw very plainly by his facs that
he intended doing nothing of the sort. Next
morning, to my great contentment found
myself under the supervision of the town
police, and generally regarded by the public
as shabby individual.
], meantime, was busy as ever, but 1t was
little 1 discovered. Herr Bottcher was GER
talnly not in good repute among his fell
lows. Nevertheless / could hear of no par
ticuiar difficulty into which he had fallen
OF late, although did learn that he had
three weeks since, made a hasty journey.
One little fact, however, seemed 70 me oil
great worth. Herr Bottcher these times
slept badly, and was won't to rise often by
night and pace up and down through the
garden.
I lay lurking for two entire nights under
bushes in this same plot; but during all
those weary hours whoever did come to this
place, Herr Bottcher did not and In the
garden could find no trace of any hidden
treasure, or any likelihood of such. fell
into greater despair than before. One after
noon 1 walked up and down my room con
sldering, when the post brought me brie
but concise and decisive dispatch from my
chief:
"Return Immediately unless all natter
are in train. Give up. Your presence here
is necessary"
This order was like thunder clap in my