San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-12-29

they moved again. Then atl was hushed
and he waited patiently and without any
sort of reward for nearly an hour. Then
he undoubtedly heard the bolt shift in the
lock of the front door. IL was long way
off, but he heard it plainly. He waited
again and wondered if that was the way
they had effected an entrance the other
! times. lie waited and presently he saw
that same figure recross the vacant lot
| from the main street and go out of sight
among the shedsand lumber piles at the
railroad.
He wondered if the burglary had al
ready been committed. He was getting
cold in the night air and more nervous .
than ever from the continued suspense.
He moved little, and tall box, set in
securely on the top of the pile, rolled off
and fell to the ground with q crash.
Bang went revolver inside the store,
and he heard bullet strike the wooden
shutter at his ear. With shrek that
sprang more from his nervous strain than
from his fear he pushed over his whole bar
ricade and leaped out into the alley. There
was another shot and then another. Mems
voices were raised in commanding tone,
and other voices were beseeching, as if for
mercy. He heard doors broken open and
many feet running to and fro on the street,
and then he saw the back door forced out
ward and man spring down the steps.
Pittston was not brave man, but before
he knew what he was doing he had
wrapped both arms about that fleeing fig
ure. and was rolling over and over on the
ground with-the detective.
Help came to him in a moment, and then
the neighbors found that Pittston had rec
ogniZed the man who had thrown himself
into his arms, and had liberated HIM Far
down the macadamized street they could
hear the sound of mans running, ami
the first fellow out of the back door paused
just long enough to cal Pittston pud-
ding dolt, and then he was off and away
like flash, calling on all those behind hinA
to get horses and come after as fast as pos
sible. And this leader of the chase was the
sewing machine agent.
The butcher ran to his stable at the rear
of his shop, and in moment he was
astride OF his horse and galloping down
the street Pittston sat down ON his back
step and tried o get his wits together
Through the chatter made by dozen citi-
zens who had been aroused and were walk
ing about with lamps and canyassing the.
situation, the dry goods man heard in a
listless sort of way the whistle of the night
express.
That's the train" said Ludlow Docs
she stop here for water now"
"No," some one told him, and still Pitts
ton applied himself TO the problem: Who,
was the detective and who was the burglar:
The butcher caught sight of the two fly
ing footmen. They had turned north from
the main street and were running along
parallel with the railroad Then. rs he
uoinc1 II tbnu, Z how I'm aI
and tho leader darted across the track
ahead of the laundering engine. turning.
to shout defiance at the very instant when
the butcher, fearful lest he might escape
fired az him with his slaughs cring gun.
In the crash of that terrible instant even
the butcher was Mortified for the lone foot
man, pursuing that flying wretch so close
ly, had strained his nerves to the highest.
tension and tried to leap across the track
in front of the engine. lie seemed TO know
that the advantage of a whole train he.
tween him and the figure he was so rapidly
overhauling would result in the escape of
the criminal. and he riskcd his lifc-andi
lost it-iu one mighty effort TO rheckmate
the move. The butcher saw the flying
body caught by tho pilot, tossed high in
the air, and he heard above all the roar OF
the train one wild cry of mortal pain and
terror.
A moment later the express had passed,
and almost before the butcher rot there
crowd had gathered about two men, lying
close together, and both quite dead. The
one who had been known in the town as
gambler YVES pierced through the heart
with the butchers bullet, and the one who,
had been known as sewing machine agent
was crushed and bleeding from hundred
wounds, and lis heart was still forever.
"Didn'u you know which one was the
detective" csEcl Ludlow as Pittston, the
problem still rnsolved, came W to the
group.
''No, and don't know now" replied tbs
dry goods merchant.
And neither did anybody else in River-
ton, and neither would they to this day had
it not been for the fact that the next time
Pittstoa went to the city he called on
Searchcm G. Findem, and told them all
about the curious case. He was afraid at
first tAcy would begin suit against him for
the value Of tho detective thu. had beer-
killed in his town, and found himself won.
dering in vague sort ~ way how much
city detectives were worth on the market
He was very much relieved when Mr. Find
EN- said:
my dear sir, you have been very much
imposed O.. We sent you no detective,
for VIC were searching up here for the
goods that had been taken from yourstore-
down there at Rivcrton. We found most
of them, end by that means were able to
say for certainty even before we left the
city just who was doing the mischief. You
have undoubtedly killed by accident the