Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-05-16
L MYSTERIOUS MARX,

" Roll on, thou deep and dark blue ocean
roll p shouteda cheerful-looking passen-
ger, casting pauonizing glance at a
billowy waste on whose heaYing bosom
our good ship was tossed like plaything.
d" Roll and be hanged to it !" grumbled I,
" if only it wouldn't roll me-"
It was my first acquaintance with Nep-
tune, and we didn't get on well together.
To say the truth, I was in no amiable
mood. ] had disagreed with the steward
about the quality of the steak he had sent
me for breakfast, and finally had disagreed
with my breakfast itself, and had parted
company with it. 1t was while leaning
over the tatlrail al this point, that my feel
ings were narrowed by the p0etcal passen-
gers quotation.
You're seasick." he remarked.
" sec am, replied gruffty, intending
no pun, but slight criticism on the self
Obviousness of the statement.
I've q sovereign specific for that mai
ady, said the stranger.
&c You're lucky man. groaned |.
90 l would be happy to furnish you with
it," he replied, have an abundant sup
Anything. I-Plltake anything-eyen
arsenic enough to put me ont of my
misery"
Come below, said he, taking my arm
Where is your state-room p he in
quired, when we had descended the stair
way.
] led the way to il.
Now lie down, said he, land I'll fix
you up directly"
/ threw off nay coat and tumbled into my
berth. The benevolent gentleman went ont
and returned quickly with something
which he put into glass with some water
and gave me to drink. | swallowed il
without q question. The effect was almost
instantaneous. A gentle languor stole over
me, and then followed what a little before
! should have hailed as the acme of bliss
complete Inconsistencies. Whether it
was the effect Of medicine, or because the
Weather-much obliged to the weather.
know not, but when | aWoke ! tound NY
self, if not recovered, at least cOnya!escent
Next day | gained my sea legs and felt no
inconvenience Mr.. Rollickson-bv which
name l learned TO know my Byronic
benelactoT-and myself grew to be in
innate friends. The truth IS. he had q
kl..z .Hlaking friends. He was an
incT1.S4B talkcr. With men, he
was an agreeable companion with ladies
he vas captivating, fascinating. We had
an exquisite young creature on board,
scarcely out Of her teens, on her way 10
Join an elderly maiden aunt, in an inland
English town, said to have testameutary
designs upon her, which, II carried out,
would place her in the front rank OF matri-
monial prizes To this young lady Mr.
Rollickson paid especial court. He read,
talked and quoted poetry to her, tn her
pretty little head was turned and before
the voyage was over, their engagement be
gan 10 be the talk OF the snip Stress of
weather made the passage slow one II
was more than two weeks after We lost sight
OF the highlands Of Neyersink before We
landed at Liverpool.
I had hardly set foot on shore, and
hadn't had time 70 congratulate myself ON
the fact, when q hand wGs laid bTiskiy on
my shoulder.
You must 60 with me" said deter
mined voice in my ear.
! turned about quickly and found my
self confronted by man who might have
sat for a Dickens portrait of Inspector
Bucket
The fewer words here the better, he
added as l was about 10 speak. VIII
You come quietly, or shall / summon as
sis:ance2'
] demanded on explanation
You shall have it in due time was the
answer DO you intend to come peacea-
oily or not25
a short staff, surrounded By q crown,
produced by the speaker, convinced me he
had authority to~enforce my obedience
and walked along by his side.
Your name is Roach" said a thin,
sharp man, into whose presence J was
ushercI
1t is not, I answered.
Probably you Will also deny having
three stars tattoOel uu the back of your LETT
arm, Just below The elbow ?" He added
sardouically.
4 do deny it. sac, Il bear no such
mark
Turn up his sleeve, Jarvis"
The assistant obsycd.
u think We have the right man, said
the latter.
Quite sure Of 1t, -" said the sharp man,
after giancing at the exposed member.
! twisted my arm 80 as to gain q view OF
the part In question, and was utterly
amazed 70 ind the mark described by the
officer,
I-Inever saw It before ! stammered
confuSedly.
Such statements viii do YOU but little
good, said the officer First you deny
your name, aud next the existence of
mark, which 1t is impossible you should
nave borne upon your person without
knowing 1t. K SO happens that this is the
very mark 10 which We are instructed 70
identify Roach, the famous bank robber.
for whose arrival We hive been for some
time watching. 1t further happens that
your appearance tallies with his description
IN other respects
lessly.
Except on the theory that we've got the
right nam, the other answered.
was a total stranger-had no friends to
call for assistance If I could only find
Rollickson A thought flashed upon mo
He had gone ashore before me. and had
seen him in private conference with man
whom l now identified with the one who
arrested me. I remember, too. that after
awakening from the sleep into which
had been cast by the drug with which ne
had relieved me of sea sickness, my arm
had felt sore and stiff for several DAYS
Might not Rollickson be the real Roach
and might he not have taken advantage of
my stupor to place upon me q mark
similar 10 that borne by himself; and had
he not on landing pointed me out TO the
detectives as the object of their search, for
the purpose of averting attention from
himsef2 To this conclusion my mind
came by one of those sudden intuitions
which Oft-time inStantaneously produce
deeper conviction than the most careful
process of reasoning.
Just then q cab passed the windSv, and
in il came Rollickson himself.
Stop that man exclaimed, starring
MP and pointing him out.