Rocky Ford enterprise., 1894-01-04
CHAPTER VII.

SaAflEh VII.
81 DON'T THINK YOU HAVE GOT THE RA-
JAH'S RUBY"
The following morning, when the two
sepoys appeared on the front porch of
the Wingfeld hotel, Max Manson was in
the act of saying goodby to the landlord.
81 must take the next train to New
York." said he; "the distance to the sta
ton is SO short I'll walk, but have no
time to lose."
Nevertheless he stood a few minutes
after one of the aliens started in the
direction of the station. When the de-
tective reached that point, the fellow
was lounging among several waiting
passengers. Without seeming to pay
attention to him Max observed that he
bought no ticket. There could be no
doubt that he had gone thither to watch
Manson.
The latter bought with some ostenta-
ton ticket for the metropolis and en-
tered the smoking car of the train, which
drew up few minutes later. The
glance which he cast at the platform
showed the East Indian still there, where
he doubtless staid until after the cars
had steamed away.
York." reflected Manson, land is sure
that will go straight through, but I
have some doubts on that point"
Tho first station at which the train
drew up was about 10 miles away.
There the detective disembarked and
half hour later boarded the cars
in the opposite direction. Before they
came to halt he took a cautious survey
of the platform. If the Asiatic was there,
he intended to stay on the train, for it
was necessary above everything that his
return to Wingfeld should be unknown
and unsuspected by those fellows.
The coast seemed to be clear, and he
stepped out, number of other people
doing the same, to say nothing of several
who took their departure from the place.
Manson was specially anxious to get
back to the inn without detection by the
foreigners. He made his way along and
through the street with the greatest pos
sible precaution. It was to be supposed
that the peddlers would be absent by
that time retailing their knickknacks
through the neighborhood. Manson was
confident, therefore, when he ascended
the steps of the hotel, without having
caught the first glimpse of them, that he
had nothing to fear in the way of dis
covery.
The landlord naturally showed some
surprise at seeing his late guest again,
but the latter, shaking him heartily by
the hand, said:
''Strange that should have forgotten
something. With your permission
would like to go to my room for few
minutes"
"Of course, Of COURSE" was the re-
sponse; "jes make yersef at home. I'll
be glad to have you stay week."
They were neat and tidy at. the hotel,
for, though the hour was quite early,
Manson found that his bed and room
had been put in good order. The land
lord had given him key with which he
admitted himself, setting his valise on
the floor. Listening for some minutes
and cautiously surveying his surround
ings, he was convinced that no one was
in sight. He inserted the key in the ad-
joining door, where the peddlers had
spent the preceding night. He could not
help smiling when he found that the
lock responded as readily to the key as
did his own.
GIVE no doubt it will fit every door
along the hail." was his conclusion as
he relocked his own door after setting
down his valise in the room he was
about to inspect.
In case any one should come upon
him while engaged in this apartment he
could mako the reasonable plea of
mistake quite natural under the circum-
stances.
The detecti'7e lost no time. The ap-
pearance Of the room showed that the
late occupants expected to return, for
considerable of their trumpery lay about
the floor, and some of their extra clothing
was suspended from the hooks in the
closet.
Recalling where he had heard that Pc
culiar noise when listening the night be-
fore, Manson began careful examina-
ton of the surbase running along the
side of the room next to his own.
"They were at work somewhere near
that spot" he said, looking keenly at the
portion near the corner of the apart
ment. 81 heard them using their knife
for good while. They are cunning
workers at that sort of thing and have
concealed their work we'll"
w WHeu Soiue lulluteS pdsscu WiIiout
any discovery, feeling of doubt crept
into his mind, and he asked himself
whether it was not some trick, after all.
which they were playing upon him.
eff it was, can't suspect its nature.
but I'll find out"
There was so little light in tho corner,
despite the two windows, that he struck
a match, and STOPPING down passed it
slowly along the wood. Using his vision
the best he could, he finally detected
tiny bit of chipping on the cheap, in
grain carpet close to the wall. 1t re-
sembled fragment from a match that
some one had dropped, but it was the
clew for which he was searching.
A rectangular ridge two or three inches
in length extended along the surbase SO
family marked that only the closest
scrutiny could detect it.
Inserting the point of his knife, he ex-
erted a steady and increasing pressure.
Soon there was u slight yielding, and
then shell of wood resembling the thin
lid of a small box fell out on the floor,