The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1898-05-26

Dlu any VI IuOSc tulCC SAoIS ldhc
effect?" inquired Gould.
"No. I guess not" said Peter, truth
fully.
"Now, whatll we do with the man?
Do you suppose he is dead?"
"Oh, he's not dead. Here you get
up" And pulling at the handouts,
Gould administered a kick to the pros
trate thief.
The prisoner sat up with some diff
Guilty. Peter took him by the arm, while
Gould grasped the other, and they rails
ed him to his feet.
A number Of windows had been open
| ed at the noise of a revolver, and it
was obviously best to be off without
delay.
well take him to station H." said
Peter, proudly, and away they went.
The prisoner was quite cowed, and
he allowed himself to be led along
| quietly enough. Peter was not especial
ly pleased with either of his new &C.
quaintances.
Gould he had often heard Of as the
richest and stingest man in the neigh
borhood, and it was hard to have al
charitable opinion Of the prisoner. AS
to Gould, he kept looking at Peter. 1t
seemed to him that this little policeman
who had rescued him was the most Pc
culiar looking policeman he had ever
beheld. For a man perhaps 5 feet 3
inches tall to have boots a foot and a
quarter long was something he had
never before. The young police
mans face, too, looked, if the dim gas
light did not deceive him, like the face.
of a child.
"How long have you been on the
force? asked the money lender.
Peter reflected. If he said that this
was the first day the prisoner would
see that he was a novice and might try
to escape. So instead of answering the
question he asked another.
els your name Gould?" he inquired.
EYES,"
"Well, Mr.. Gould, if fellow asked
you how much money you had in your
safe inside the store, what would you
say"
Mr.. Gould was silent.
you'd say, None of your business"
Peter continued. "And that's what I
say now"
Gould took the hint and asked no
more questions.
Peter was jubilant. He did not feel
lonely a bit now, although his COM
panions were not very good company.
What luck he had had! He had not
been a policeman for half an hour and
yet he had made an arrest. When they
reached the station-house he hauled the
prisoner up the steps, with Gould's as
sistance, in true policeman style.
When they entered the captains room
the only person there was Fitzgerald
in citizens clothes, sitting at the cap
tain's desk. Peter pulled his helmet
over his eyes and changed his voice into
a kind of grumble.
where's the ~captain"
Fitzgerald did not look at the little
policeman. His attention was wholly
absorbed by the prisoner.
"Good heavens, you've got Faxonw
he exclaimed. "I've been laying for
him for the last six months.
He rang the bell and two officers
came in.
Take him downstairs" he said, and
the officers went out with the prisoner.
Then, for the first time. Fitzgerald
turned his attention to the self-made
He looked at the boy hard |
er and harder, and Peter, in spite of all
his efforts, could not help smiling.
who in thunder are you anyway"
asked at last.
Peter pulled down his helmet so that
his face was completely invisible.
"Tve been taking Fitzgerald's place
for the last half hour" he said.
Fitzgerald laughed aloud and brought
his fist down on the desk.
81 should say you had, and we'll, too.
You little rascal, you're Peter Burke,
you arew
A step was heard in the hallway and
the captain came in. He was a tall, |
broad man, with a long red beard.
TOO bad you had that long swim
for nothing, Fitzgerald" he said, as he
entered. but you might have known
one was drowning. By the way,
says FaXon's arrested. Who
got him?"
Fitzgerald pointed to Peter. Peter
took off his helmet and saluted the cap
tain. The captain and Phineas Gould
at him in amazement.
"You?" cried the captain, at last.
why, where did you get the clothes?;
They're my Clothes" said Fitz.
He explained to the captain how
Peter had gained temporary possession
Of them.
you see," said Peter as he sat down
On a chair and pulled off his blue trous-
ers, they was heavy, and I put them
on so as to carry them. And then /
found a couple of fellows jumping on
Mr.. Gould and 1 jumped on them. One
of them "a away, but we tackled the
other, didn't we, Mr.. Gould?"
By this time he had the trousers off,
and looked funny enough in FitZger-
AIDS long blue coat and his own short
trousers.
The three spectators looked on in