Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-02-27

Vail, eil'l IOl d 1uOutu VI. ~. OOutlH
ued to appeal to his late fellow traveller
also in vain. but at the end of that time
his patience was rewarded by the appear
ance of an advertisement, telling him
if he really meant business to write tc
''B. H." at given address.
The letter I wrote at the dictation Of
Inspector Bland was more caution:
than discriminating, but as it produced
a reply which the inspector deemed sat
isfactory it was followed by others less
carefully worded, until I stood pledged
to personally deliver, for a considera.
tion of e2, 900, the stolen jewels to one
Benjamin Hurst, whom I was to meet
at public house in Chillingham.
Now, don't pretend to be drawer than
the average man of peaceful and seden-
tary habits, and when / saw what sort
of a house the Spotted Dog was 1 began
to wish / had refused to have anything
to do with Inspector Bland's scheme.
The little company of disreputable
looking loafers hanging about the bar
eyed me curiously as / entered and
asked the landlord if Mr.. Hurst was
in.
"Mary, show the gentleman Mr..
Hurst's room. said the landlord
I found Mr.. Hurst decidedly surly
rascal. He began by grumbling at the
hardness of the bargain l was driving
with him and swearing at his luck gen.
orally. Then, being perhaps emboldened
by the conciliatory manner thought it
prudent to adopt, he tried to make bet
ter terms, Offering me first $500 less,
and finally insisting that he ought at
least to be allowed to deduct from my
92, 900 the sum I had used to pay the
men.
Inspector Bland had allowed me a
quarter of an hour for negotiations. At
the end of that time he proposed to make
raid upon the house.
"And mind" he had said in his joe
ular way, 1--WE don't find the property
still i'll your hands, Mr.. Corner. 1t
would be pretty kettle of fish if we
had to prosecute you for unlawful pos
session, wouldn't it?''
In accordance with these instructions,
haggled with Mr.. Hurst little while
and then allowed him to have his way,
whereupon he, having satisfied himself
that the bag which I restored to him
still contained his spoils, handed me
81, 900 in what afterward turned out to
be very creditable limitations of Bank
of England notes.
81 suppose you don't want no re-
ceipt?'' he growled.
''No, thank you," said; 81 think
we may mutually dispense with that
formality. Good morning"
I turned to leave the room as spoke,
but before l could unlock the door it
was burst open from the outside, not,
unfortunately for me, by the police, but
by the man whom the landlord had call
ed Bill, powerful ruffian, who prompt
ly knocked me down and knelt upon my
chest
"Quick, Ben, get out of this he
cried. ''It's plant. No, no. The win
dow, you fool, he added as Mr.. Hurst,
bag in hand, made for the door. '"The
police are in the bar already"
As Mr.. Hurst opened the window he
cursed me with much .volubility and
bitterness, and as soon as he was outside
on the leads he did worse.
"Stand clear, BILL he cried, and
his friend obeyed him. I scrambled to
my feet, but Immediately dropped
again, with a bullet from Mr.. Hurst's
revolver ip my shoulder.
am nor at all sorry that Mr.. Hurst
fred at mp, as Inspector Bland says it
was much easier to convict him of at
tempted murder than to prove he actual
~ stole those jewels, and the inspector
doubts, too, whether he would have got
Is years if merely charged with receiv-
ing them. But do wish he hadn't hit
me.
However. even the pain my wound
still gives me is not without its COM
pensation. 1t prevents me from feeling
any twinges of conscience when reflect
that my furniture cost Mr.. Hurst his
liberty, for Lord Yerbury took it for
granted that he was the thief and paid
me the extra reward he had offered for
his apprehension.
Inspector Bland won the promotion
he coveted and is now stationed at Ling
ton. His wedding present was charac-
.teristic. 1t was black bag, with my
initials on either side in white letters
about 6 inches long. the Year
Round.