The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-02-19
CHAPTER XII.
HOW CAPTAIN sHANNON's AUToGRAI
CAME I,STO NV POSSESSION

from causing me TO abandon my search
for Mullen, only nerved nue. to fresh en-
deayor, though how to go to work
could not for some time determine. To
threaten Hughes that l would report
him TO the authorities unless he made
terms for himself by telling me all he
knew about his mysterious visitor was
not course which commended itself to
me. | might, as n last resource and III
thesevent of everything else failing, be
compelled TO so bold a step, but for the
present / felt that the wisest thing l
could do would be to trace Quickly s
movements after he had started to shad-
ow the person who had come ashore
from the hulk This would however,
necessitate my leaving Canvey, and in
the meantime it was of the highest i'm
portance that an eye should be kept up
on the Cuban Queen.
1t was quite within the bounds Of
possibility that Mullen might yet re-
turn, in which case he would probably
do so by night. Hence it was at night
that ] kept my keenest watch upon the
hulk, and in order to do this thought
it advisable to leave the inn and to in
stall myself in small furnished cot
tage, which, by an unexpected stroke
of luck, was able to rent very cheap
ly. But, as / could not pursue my i'll
quiries in regard to the fate of Quickly
and keep an eye at the same time upon
the Cuban Queen, decided to send for
friend of mine named Grant, whom l
could trust implicitly.
| Grant took the next train to Benfleet,
the nearest station to Canvey, on re-
ceiving my telegram, and after hearing
my story assured me of his readiness
and willingness to cooperate in the
search for Mullen. He promised to keep
an unwinking eye upon the Cuban
Queen while l was away and to let me
know should any suspicious stranger
come upon the scene. The matter being
thus satisfactorily arranged, / started
off to see what could learn about the
i'll fated Quickly.
My theory was that that luokless
wight had so clumsily performed the
work Of 'shadowing as to bring himself
under the notice of the person Swallowed,
who would then have reason to believe
that the secret of his hiding place was
known, at all events to one person. Un-
der such circumstances Mullen would
in all probability decide that, in order
to insure the return Of the secret to his
own keeping, Quickly must be dispatch
ed to the limbo of the "dead folk" who
tell no tales" and felt tolerably GER
tain that ON discovering he was being
Swallowed he had led the way to some
secluded spot, where he or his accom-
plice had made an end of the shadower.
How set to work to collect and to
sift my evidence need not here describe
in detail, but will sum up briefly the
result of my inquiries.
Quickly had reached the station some
minutes before the arrival of any other
passenger, and in accordance with my
instructions had gone at once to the
general waiting room, where he remain
ed until the train started. Some few
minutes afterward woman, carrying
bag, had entered the booking Office and
taken a third class single ticket to Step
ney. When the train drew up at the
platform, she had seated herself in an
empty carriage near the center, and
Quickly had entered smoking carriage
at the end. When the train reached
Stepney, she passed through the barrier.
followed at some distance by man an
swering to the description of Quickly.
The woman had then bought an even
ing paper from newsboy aud, crossing
the road slowly, had turned down by.
street which led to the river. The man,
after looking in a tobacconists window
for half minute, had taken the same
turning, but upon the other side of the
road.
There l came to dead stop, for not
one jot of evidence as to the subse-
quent movements of either of the two
could discover, and, reluctant though
l am to admit myself beaten, the fact
could no longer he disguised that in
that direction, too. was checkmated.
"Another throw back, Grant," said
when entered the cottage at Canvey
after this fresh reverse.
"Well, what are you going to do
now?" inquired my friend and collabo-
rator when he had heard my story.
"Give it up. as we did the other riddles
OF our schoolboy days?'
give it up! What do you take me
for? But. hello! For whom is that let
teri" l said, pointing to an envelope
which was lying OH the table.
For you. Hardy Muir brought it
over. 1t was sent under cover to him
from London.
"At last!' said, breaking the seal.
ITS from Green. the detective whom I
put on to ferret out Mullen's past.
told him that il he wanted to write he
was TO slip the letter into an envelope
addressed to Muir at the Hogarth club
in Dover street. He's been long enough
finding anything out. Let's hear what
he has to say, now he does condescend
to write. 1t is dated from Baxenham,
near Yarby. knew the place we'll
years ACCUSED to yacht round there as
lad. Nasty coast, too, with some
curious currents and very dangerous
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