Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1895-06-19

DC eHecUudlly COHcedleu, Wnlle dt tHt
same time I could have her at few
hours notice"
''That seems simple enough"
st is just these very simple things
which are extremely liable to be over
looked. However, determined to act
on the idea started at once in this
harmless seaman's rig and inquired at
all the yards down the river. drew
blank at fifteen, but at the sixteenth
Jacobson's-I learned that the Aurora
had been handed over to them two
days ago by a wooden-legged man,
with some trivial directions as to her
rudder. There amt naught amiss
with her rudder,' said the foreman.
There she lies, with the red streaks.
| At that moment who should come down
but Mordecai Smith, the missing
owner? He was rather the worse
| for liquor. / should not, of course,
have known him, but he beloved
out his name and the name of his
launch 4 want her tonight at eight
o'clock, said he at eight o'clock sharp,
mind, for have two gentlemen who
won't be kept waiting. They had evil
IDENTIFY paid him well, for he was very
flush of money, chucl1ing shillings
about to the men. followed him some
distance, but he subsidized in an ale
house; SO went back to the yard, and,
happening to pick up one of my boys
on the way, stationed him as sentry
over the launch, He is to stand at the
waters edge and wave his handkerchief
| "a 10 10
! lying off in the stream, and it will be a
strange thing if we do not take men,
treasure and all"
'You have planned it all very neatly,
whether they are the right men or
not said Jones; shut if the affair
were in my hands should have had
a body of police in Jacobson's yard, and
arrested them when they came down"
(Which would have been never. This
man Small is pretty shrewd fellow.
He would send a scout on ahead, and if
anything made him suspicious he
would lie snug for another week"
''But you might have stuck to
Mordecai Smith, and so been led to
their hiding-place, said I.
''In that case I should have wasted
my day. / think that it is hundred
to one against Smith knowing where
they live. AS long as he has liquor
and good pay, why should he ask ques-
tions? They send him messages what
to do No, thought over every pos
sible course, and this is the best"
While this conversation had been
proceeding, we had been shooting the
long series of bridges which span the
Thames. As we passed the city the last
rays of the sun were gliding the cross
upon the summit of St. Paul's. 1t was
twilight before we reached the tower.
THAT is Jacobson's yard" said
Holmes, pointing to a bristle of masts
and rigging on the Surrey side.
"Cruise gently up and down here under
cover of this string of lighters" He
took a pair of night glasses from his
pocket and gazed some time at the
shore. II see my sentry at his post"
he remarked, ''but no sign of hand
kerchief."
Suppose we go down stream short |
way and lie in wait for Them" said
Jones, eagerly. We were all eager by
this time, even the policemen and stok-
ers, who had very vague idea of what
was going forward.
''We have no right to take any
thing for granted" Holmes answered.
1T is certainly ten to one that they go |
down stream, but we cannot be certain.
From this point we can see the en-
trance to the yard, and they can hardly |
see us. It will be clear night aiel
plenty of light. We must stay where
we are. See how the folk swarm over
yonder in the gaslight."
They are coming from work in the
yard
''Dirty-looking rascals, but I sup
pose every one has some little immortal
spark concealed about him. You
would not think it, to look at them.
There is nd a priori probability about
it. A strange enigma is MANI
''Some one calls him a soul concealed
in an animal" suggested.
"Winwood Reade is good upon the
subject" said Holmes. He remarks
that, while the Individual man is an
insoluble puzzle, in the aggregate he
becomes a mathematical certainty.
You can, for example, never foretell
what any one man will do, but you can
say with precision what an average
will be up to- Individuals
vary, but percentages remain constant.
So says the statistician. But do see
Surely there is white
futter over yonder."
eyes, it is your boy" cried. II can
see him plainly"
''And there is the Aurora exclaimed
Holmes, land going like the DEVIL Full
speed ahead, engineer. Make after that
launch with the yellow light. By
heaven, I shall never forgive myself
f she proves to have the heels of us!''
She had slipped unseen through the
yard entrance and passed behind two
or three small craft, so that she had
fairly got her speed up before we saw
aer. Now she was flying down the
stream, near in to the shore, going at
rate. Jones looked gravely
vt her and shook his head.
''She is very FAST" he said. IT doubt !
f we shall catch her,
'sWe must catch her!'' cried Holmes,
his teeth ssHaan n on