The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-19

Ai'NSf ~ SIltt OIL all SUPERVISION, man
aged to smugg!e the gems outside, where
the l. d. b. would give them price, and
by some means get the stones conveyed e
Europe, where, once landed, a market was
easily found
Df. Jacobs was watching me
i can see it's a bit of a facer," he said
not unkindly But If you won't take the
JOB another fellow will, you know, and
why should the other fellow have you1
! luck. Think il over, there's no hurry"
nodded and was silent. but before five
minutes Were over 1 had made up my
mind.
Il accept, Doctor, but If am found out
you Will hear no more of me- There are
those at home who would not think 1
could sink so low"
Couldn't wish anything better" was
the unexpected reply. Dead men tell no
tales. Read that"
took the piece of newspaper he handed
me 1t was headed Capture of an !. D..
b"
Joe Coates, our able detective, was for
tunate enough to capture an /. D. b. on
the stage yesterday. The prisoner had
about $500 worth of gems hidden under
meath layer Of matches in a Bryant and
Mays box. The stones are safe, but the
unfortunate man, as soon as he saw the
game was up, shot himself dead. Coates
IS to be congratulated upon his capture
the second in the last three months. 1t is
time more stringent measures We're taken
and the !. D. BIS put down with a strong
hand. Nothing has as yet transpired to
give any clue to the identity Of the dead
man.
| put down the paper, and the doctor
glanced al me.
''Well?'' he said.
replied.
so we understand each other, then. Now
Tor business. You start for Capetown to-
morrow. There you call at the office of
the Castle Company and find a saloon pas
sage taken for you in the Walmer Cas-
Tie. Your name Is Seton; here's your
voucher. You are travelling inlet me see
an, yes-corrugated iron for your firm
Hunt d Staples, of Great st. Peters Lane
London, II. c. Upon reaching England,
you VIII at once report yourself to them
Iney VIII receive your credentials and give
you the first instalment of your salary.
Ihen you can 90 home and await further
orders. Here is money. Be liberal with
II, but not too liberal. Don't make many
friends an the passage home, but be civil
TO an. And for heavens sake keep clear
of the women"
NO fear. l am a married man"
Worse and worse" he interrupted. RE
member you've been warned"
L can take care of myself" I replied,
Hope 50, I'm sure. Stay, I may as
well tell you there will be a detective on
on board the Walmer on the lookout for
your goods. Your own shrewdness must
teach you how to avoid him; but we know,
never mind how, that the man will probe-
bly, have the nail of the third finger of
his right hand missing"
AT the side of the room there was
glass door shrouded by am orange colored
curtain ! noticed that whenever the doc
tor said we" he glanced in that direc-
ton and l felt sure there was some one
behind it watching me. Several times,
when 1 was looking away, l fancied l
saw the curtain move, yet l never could
be certain; it was most uncomfortable
sensation.
BE sure I'll spot the fellow" 1 said,
with a confidence l was far from feeling.
where is the parcel l am 10 have charge
of?"
Jacobs rose and passed into the other
room. Was L mistaken, or did 1 catch
voices?
He returned alone, bringing with him
what looked like a box of candles, but
when he opened it it was not full. third
of the candles having been used; and all
that were left had seemingly been burnt
a little
THAT is to bind the customs" he said,
pointing 10 the burnt wicks.
Il suppose the candles are SHAM"
answered. Hollow, of course"
yes and No" he replied. See"
And he lit one of them, which burnt per-
fectly, then taking up another pulled
sort of plug out by the wick, and a stream
of gems were flashing upon the table.
1t was very cleverly done, and the SHIN
mer of the stones in the lamplight took my
breath away.
Pretty, aren't they" he said, carefully
replacing them in their hiding place.
Now you see what you've got. Get
with a glass shade, interview
the doctor of the Walmer, declare you
suffer from-what you like, and can't sleep
without a light I'll give you a certificate
TO bear our your story, and there you are"
"How am l to tell which candles 10
burn?" 1 asked anxiously.
Jacobs smiled and showed me that sew
eral of the candles had what is called a
shroud, i. e, blob of grease that had
guttered down them. as If they had been
standing in a draught.
BE careful only to light these" he said
pointing them out. well, I've no more
to say. You'll start early tomorrow; If
anything fresh turns up I'll write to the
company office. BY the way, this is our
code. Study it and keep it locked up,
mind. Time you were off now. Goodbye
and good luck"
Another minute, and / was in the streets
feeling as if / had had a bad dream. But
the brown paper parcel under my arm
was a convincing fact that l really had
embarked upon the calling of an l. ID. B.,
that l, so proud of my name, was under
taking post [ at least had the grace to
be ashamed Of.
l reached CapetoWn without adventure
and lost no time in calling at the office.
where the first little hitch occurred. And
l received a hint all might not be such
plain sailing after all There was a wire
awaiting me from Jacobs. 1t ran thus:
Don't come. Charles gives new camp
stool"
1 read it stupidity three or four times,
when at last it dawned upon me that the
key lay i'm my red book. l hurried to the
hotel, and found it easy enough to trans
late the word. the corresponding one in
the code always beginning with the same
letter. The message ran thus:
Detective changed; can give no clue"
A nice kettle of fish, but il was lunch
time, so l locked up the code, and went
down. After all, forewarned was fore
armed, but my lunch would have been a
dreary one, only a nice sort OF fellow was
sitting next me, and we got talking. and
were mutually pleased to find we were to
be fellow passengers by the Walmer Cas-
tie.