Rocky Ford enterprise., 1893-12-28

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them, but 1t never went to the point Of
interfering with their movements.
"Dr. Maidhoff told me that those
two men were arrested and subjected to
rigid examination without proving any
thing against them. What could his OBJ
ject have been in deceiving me7"
It was hard to answer the question.
After all 1t did not seem of special i'm
portance, and he soon dismissed it from
his thoughts.
The agent at Ellenville remembered
that the two men had bought tickets for
| Q point about 20 miles away. Tho fact
| that it was in the direction of New York
caused Manson some uneasiness, for his
fear was that they might elude him by
going straight to the metropolis and SELL
ing for Europe. He decided that If he
should find they had gone directly to the
city he would telegraph to Chief Varick
and set him at work.
Leaving the train at the point fndf-
Gated, he quickly gained tidings Of the
fellows. They had left the town only
two days before, still proceeding in the
direction Of New York. Their tickets
would carry them alarmingly close to
the metropolis, and Manson's misgivings
increased.
A surprise awaited him when he once
more left the train and succeeded after
some inquiries in gaining track Of the
men. That morning they had bought
tickets for Wingfeld, whittier they had
undoubtedly gone with their packs and
trinkets.
The curious feature of this last move
was that Wingfeld, instead of being to
the westward, lay in directly opposite
course. The East Indians had turned
back over their own trail.
"That's queer" reflected Manson, "but
those people are as cunning as the cobras
of their own country, and probably they
are indulging in this deEberation for the
purpose Of throwing off all possible sus-
picion."
It was past II o'clock when the detect
i've stepped upon the platform at Wing
field, which, as far as he could tell with
the aid of the moonlight and few oil
lamps, was of about the same size as Ell
lenville. and, like that primitive town,
contained but single house for the en-
tertainment of man and beast. Making
his way thither, he found the landlord
smoking his pipe in tho barroom and on
the point Of retiring. His visitors had
departed, and of his guests only q couple
were visible to the belated arrival. They
were the East Indians whom he was
seeking.
There could be no mistake on that
point, for single glance was sufficient
to identify them, with their swarthy
skins, their jet black hair and eyes, their
white, CLASSY teeth and their half orien-
tai garb.
They were seated in chairs in one cor
ner Of the room talking in their native
tongue. Naturally they glanced up at
Manson as he came in, and nodding to
them as we'll as the landlord he regis
tered and stated that he would probably
spend several days in the village.
It was vast relief to the detective to
find thnt he had run down the couple in
such brief time and with comparative
ly little trouble. He fully believed that
one of them at that moment had the ra-
jah's ruby about his garments, for it
was not 10 be supposed that after once
getting their hands on it they would take
the risk Of forwarding 1t to India, OF in
deed Of allowing it to pass out Of their
possession unless compelled as a matter
of precaution to take the step.
Quite confident on this point, the strug-
gle, as the detective now viewed it. mar
rowed down to a conflict Of wit and cum
ming between him and these swarthy
miscreants, who had Travelled 80 many
thousand miles to commit the robbery.
His theory, as intimated elsewhere,
was that the fellows arriving in Ellen
vile had carefully looked over the ground
and decided that the safer course for
them was to bribe DR.. Maidhof to secure
the gem for them. Doubtless they came
prepared to pay large price, for it could
not have been the intrinsic value of the
ruby, great as it was, which gave it such
worth in the eyes of the descendant of
it's first owners.
The physician had secured the prize,
as he could readily do, and the detective
was inclined to suspect that he had not
hesitated at the crime of murder in order
to carry ont his part of the bargain. He
had received the wages of his treachery,
and the messengers of evil were making
their way homeward with the priceless