Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-06-19
ONE distance, so that could not see him


round the interior of the hat We are
in pursuit of criminal and have traced
him to this spot. Have you seen any
, stranger here?"
I" | have not been here all the evening,
! said but no one has been here except
-Billr' l exclaimed to nay supposed
mate, 81 have you seen any fellows hanging
about here?
"Bili" turned half round; hut the peak
of his cap being drawn down over his face,
and the collar of his coat being turned up,
as was natural on such night, he was
efIectually disguised, especially as his APP
pearlnce was, as have described, so com
pletely changed. lie spoke with his pen
in his mouth and said !; " About three
hours ago there was fellow at the gates
that didn't like the looks Of
I'VE have seen our man, or he has been
seen, since then" returned the speaker.
Then addressing those behind he said
" He may be hiding in those trucks .
pointing ID some on the other side of the
line.
At that moment man was really heard
to leap from one of the trucks and to hurry
along the road. ! knew who it was, and
that Il was his duty to see to certain arrange
ments before the train came through which
standing apart also heard the noise and
called to the others; then. without another
word, they all hurried to where the trucks
were standing.
"A near chance that" L said, turning to
the Captain, but stopped in my speech from
the shock his changed appearance gave me.
He was deathly pale.
| began to feel more uneasy in my new
undertaking than | had hitherto been,
especially when | heard another step APP
preaching, and saw that some one bearing
a light was coming to the hut.
| thought it was a second search, and felt
that we could scarcely expect to repeat our
success. However, it was only Charley
Pearse, the night-goods foreman, who had
come down to send the trucks off, and had
crossed over to my box to tell me of q
rum go' he had had with some queer
looking strangers who had insisted on
searching the trucks If they had been
and nod, evidently directed at my COM
panion, Il might have told them some
thing good but they were previously un-
civil, talking to me as if | was Niger ol a
convict, so | sent them to the Pike and
Perch"-this was beer-house some two
miles Off" and SO, you know, if any gents
il trouble and wants TO clear out, now's the
time
1t was at once clear that Charley knew.
or pretty closely guessed, what was afoot.
The Captain looked anxiously at me. By
a sudden inspiration | saw how to make a
benefit of this new danger Charley /
exclaimed, this is Captain Laurenston
who thrashed the Major. You know all
about him am certain, for we have often
talked about the affair"
Charley nodded.
d" Ii he does not get away tonight" I
continued, lac viii be caught, for there are
spies about him everywhere"
We'll, what is the Captain going to do?''
You can help him, Charley" ! said.
Your brother goes down with The night
goods and | know his wiie's brother is
steward aboard the French packet Get
the Captain down with the goods and
smuggIe him aboard Here this will
make it worth while" As ! said this, |
drew out the watch and chain from my
desk and pushed them toward Charley.
His eyes sparkled, and | saw the business
was as good as done.
Charley made feeble objection to taking
such valuables but there was no time for
fencing of this kind, so he picked the treas
ures up and left, telling the Captain TO 60
outside and wait under the signal, as dang
erous eyes might be upon the box.
The Captain took his advice after shak-
ing my hand and saying: +" But what are
you going to have yourself, Waitress
Well, never mind, | will see to that you
know l will do so, hope"
lone thing is quite certain" | replied,
=" that | would not rob Miss Cleahyrn OF her
valuables, if they were hundrcdfold as
valuable. Now, don't argue, Captain, but
90 and wait where Charley tells yon."
With another clasp of my hand he went
and | was more nervous than | ever re-
member to have been before in my life,
until the engine came and commenced
"shunting,n and then il was actually worse.
Every moment l fancied | could hear a
struggle, and | thought the engine had
never been so long over its work. But it
went away at last, and its pulling was still
family heard in the distance when, with
out the slightest warning. the door of my
hut was thrown open, and there were the
strange men again.
The leader exclaimed fiercely; Now
you, sir, where is the man who was here
just now? We are up to your tricks.
Where is hep
Hush p said one of his companions,
and whispered to him.
NO proofln he exclaimed: The scoun-
drels are all in league together. A woman
with man was seen coming toward this
box, and where are they? We will have
them, and you too. Mr.. Signalman, if you
attempt any tricks upon us.
i could see that half-measures or timid
words would not do, SO | boldly-in APP
pearance at any rate, although was good
deal frightened him. | told him
point blank that if | did know, or could
know, where the persons he wanted were,
| should not tell him.
This course was the best | could have
adopted the party were convinced | knew
nothing of the fugitive, and so went away.
But after they were gone / felt horribly
nervous it had been SO near thing that
would not have passed through the same
excitement again for any money.
Charley and his friends were true to their
trust. This was greatly to their credit, as
there was a large reward out, which they
could have earned by few words, and
they had not been in love with the Cap
tain's sweetheart, as | had been. Charley
brought me note on the next day. writ
ten by the Captain on board the French
boat, and on the day following | got an
other from France. SO Captain Laurenston
was safe.
took an early opportunity of seeing
Miss Cleabyrn rs she was walking near her
home, when l told her how had disposed
of the watch and chain. She looked at me
with her old smile which remembered 81
Iwell-remeuibcred then why, have not
forgotten il COW land said | must have
my own way but she would tryto find a
mode OF concilialinS even my disinierested
ness, aud she did SO.
/ heard nothing for some few weeks ol
eny of the parties in the affair which had
been SO exciting to me; indeed, Miss Clea-
byrn must have left home directly after the
interview | have just spoken OF, for never
saw her again-not for years, at any rate
But / had letter from her, thing | hao
never dreamed would happen TO me. Il
was dated from Boulogne, where she bat
arrived. she said, the previous day, and
after thanking me for my services, and say
| ing that Messrs. Primer, her solicitors, hao
instructions to write to me, the letter wa:
! signed-I could hardly believe my eyes !
| Oswald Laurenston and Beatrice Lauren
ston So the secret was out-they wer,
married.
| When | recalled the little scene in my
| hut, her passionate, unrestrained farewell
/ felt that | ought to have known it then
but, if | may indulge in philosophical re
| Election, / would say that all through lii,
you are always looking back and blamins
yourself for no. having seen more plainly
the things which were passing before you
eyes.
! Well, this was nearly the end of my al
venture with Captain Laurenston: yet ont
| or two incidents which remain TO be TOLD
were perhaps as important to me as any
that had gone before. There was at the enc