Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1891-09-18


somewhat embarrassed me, and the bur-
glar profted by it to pull out sharp knife
He had worked himself round on his back,
and before | realized what he was after he
was hacking furiously at me with his keen,
1aggerike blade. Then | realized that we
were going to have a fight for it, and pre-
pared myself. He tried to run the knife
into my side. | warded it off, but the
blade caught the fleshy part of my left arm
and felt a warm stream of blood squirt
out
That maddened me, and seized one Of
the steel drills lying near at hand and hit
my man such blow over the temples that
he collaped at once and lay as if dead.
put the handouts on him instantly, and,
to make matters still more certain, | Sc
cured his ankles. Then | rose and looked
at my arms. The knife had made nasty
cash, and the blood was flowing freely,
but it was not serious; and when the house.
keeper, who had just then appeared on the
scene, had bandaged it, | went out and Sc
cured the help of the policeman first met
in conveying Light Toed Jim to the Office
felt proud man when made my re
port to the inspector.
Light Toed Jim?" said he "What.
James Blandy Nonsense, Parker" But
took him to the cells where Jim was being
attended to by the doctor.
you're right, Parker" he said "That's
the man. Well, this will be a fine thing
for you"
After time, feeling little exhausted,
went home to try and get some sleep The
surgeon had attended to my arm, and told
me it was but a superficial wound. 1t felt
sore enough in spite of that.
had no sooner reached my lodgings than
l saw sitting in my easy chair the strange
man who had called upon me earlier in
the evening. He rose to his feet when |
entered. | stared at him in utter astonish-
ment.
"Well, Euv'nor," said he, 81 see you've
done it. You've got him square and fair,
l reckon?"
Yes" said
"Ahp' he said, with n sigh of complete
satisfaction. "Then I'm satisfied. Yes,
don't know as how there's ausht more |
could say | reckon as how Light Toed Jim
an me is quits"
was determined to find out who this
man was this time. 'Sit down." said
"There's a question or two must ask you"
Just let me get my coat off and I'll talk to
you" took my coat off and went over to
the bed to lay it down. "Now then" | be-
gan. and looked around at him. said no
more, being literally struck dumb The
man was gone!
! began to feel uncomfortable. I ran
hastily down stairs, only to find the outer
door locked and bolted, as l had left it
few minutes before. | went back, utterly
nonplussed. For an hour pondered the
matter over, bnt could neither make head
nor tail of it.
When | went down to the office next
Il al.
wanted to see me. went to his cell, where
he was lyingin bed with his head bandaged.
had hit him pretty hard, as it turned out,
and it was probable he would have to lie
on the sick list for some days. "Well,
guv'nor" said he, you'd the best of me
last night. You hit me rather hard that
time"
81 was sorry to have to do it, my man."
answered. you would have stabbed me
if you could"
YES" he said, 81 should. But ! say,
guy nor come bit closer; | want to ask
you question. How did you know | was
on that little job last nighti For, s'elp me,
there wasn't soul knew a breath about it
but myself hadn't no pals, never talked
to anybody about it, never thought aloud
about it, as | knows on. How came you to
spot it, guv'norf"
There was no one else in the cell with us,
and thought | might find out something
about my mysterious visitor of the night
before at was a pal of yours who gave
me the information" said
Cant be, guv'nor. No use telling me
that. | amt no pals-leastways not in this
job"
did you ever know a man like this?" l
described my visitor. As proceeded, Light
| Toed Jim's face assumed ali expression of
real terror. Whatever color there was in
it faded away. | never saw a man look
more thoroughly frightened. yes, yes, he
said eagerly. "In course | know who it is.
/ Why, it's 3arksea Bill, as | paid with at
one time-and what did he say, guy nor
that he owed me grudge? That we was
| quits at last? Right you are, COS he did
owe me grudge. treated Bill very shabby
very shabby indeed, and he swore solemn
he'd have his revenge Only, guv'nor, what
you see wasn't Barksea Bill at all, but his
ghost, COS Barksea Bills been dead and
buried this three year"
was naturally very much exercised in
my mind over this weird development Of
the affair, and | used to think about it long
after Light Toed Jim had once more re-
tired to the seclusion of Portland. While
he was in charge at Westford tried more
] imam once TO worm some more information
out of him about the defunct Barksea Bill,
but with no success. He would say no
more than that bill was dead and buried
this three year" and with that | had
to be content. Gradually | came to have a
firm belief that | had indeed been visited
by Barksea Bill's ghost, and ! often told
the story to brother officers, and some
times got well laughed at. That, however,
mattered little to me; | felt sure that any
man who had gone through the same ex-
perience would have had the same beliefs.
OF course | got my promotion and was
soon afterward married. Things went
well with me, and | was lifted from one
step to another. In my secret mind was
always sure owed my first rise to the
burglars ghost, and l should have con-
tinued to think so but for an incident
which occurred just five years after my
capture of Light Toed Jim,
! had occasion to travel to Sheffield from
Westford and had to change trains AT
Leeds. The carriage l stepped into was
occupied by a solitary individual, who
turned his face to me as ] sat down
4 l. IL.