The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1899-06-15

week, until one day, WnSn some us
tance out of the town, came across my
basket-man standing ruefully at the
side of the road, surveying with chagrin
the back tire of his bicycle, which was
punctured; while every now and again
he looked up and down the road, and
then up into the cloudless sky, as
though fearing bad weather.
Haloa!' | exclaimed, on riding up.
Got puIcture? Can l be of any as
sistance t6 you?
mo, thanks he replied, nervously,
looking into the sky again. i can
manage quite well by myself and he
moved forward with his bike, to show
plainly that he did not wish to converse
with me.
"But | was not to be shaken off so
easily and said: Afraid it's going to
rain? No such luck, | fear; glass is
too firm. We want rain badly, though,
for the roads are aw-'
81 beg your pardon he interrupt
er, but when / want your opinion of
the weather and roads | will ask for it.
Until then, kindly keep it,
THAT was nasty, and it made me
nasty, too. He seemed to have got out
of the wrong side of the bed that morn
ing, or else he had something about him
he didn't wish me to see. That aroused
my detective instincts at once, and
resolved / would know why he was so
nervous, and what IL was that he ex-
pected in the sky.
80, nonchalantly whistling tune,
l leant my bike against the hedge and
pretended to examine the tires, but
kept a sharp eye on my man all the
time. My action appeared to make him
desperately anxious, and, taking his
bike into the road, he tried to mount, in
spite of the punctured tire; his sole OBJ
ject seeming to be to get away from the
spot as quickly as possible, as though
he had Just started an internal machine
and didn't wish to be near when it ex
ploded
''But riding bicycle with a pune
tured tire is not easy, and his hurried,
nervous attempt to mount his bike re-
suited in his falling off on to the road,
and just at that moment heard flap
ping of wings, and looking up saw a
large black bird in the air, and after
sircling round once or twice it alighted
on the ground near my naughty com
panion. There ii stood, giving vent to
funny little croaks, and then it hoped
round and gazed up into the mans face
with indescribable impudence and cum
ming; but he was strangely alarmed at
the birds sudden appearance, and
stared at it in most bewildered man
ner. It's tail was long and graduated,
and beautifully iridescent with glori
Gus blues, greens and purples, but the
rest OF it's body was black. The shape
of the bird seemed familiar, but | could
not recall where | had seen a similar
one, nor remember its name. Its bold
ness in thus venturing so near us was
certainly astounding. My basket-man,
however, apparently had pressing
engagement, for making another des-
perate attempt to mount his disabled
bike he succeeded in riding away, while
the bird, lazily rising in the air, flew
away too, in the same direction. =.
Il watched both till they were cut of
sight, and then turned to my bicycle,
but as did SO, something bright on the
ground where the bird had stood at
tracted my attention, and STOPPING
down picked up--a diamond ring, set
with large brilliants! | gave low
whistle of surprise as the truth sudden
ly flashed across my mind; / had solved
the mystery of the robberies, and dis
covered the thieves!
Swiftly mounting my bicycle pur-
sued my late companion with all my
speed, and some distance on found him
standing in a carriage-drive, putting
the bird into his basket Dropping my
bike / made dash and collared him
before he could escape, and said: i am
detective, and arrest you on a charge
of completely in the robberies which
have taken place in this district. |
must caution you that anything you
may say will be used against you at
your trial
lie OlleTtu no
he turned as pale as death, but came as
quiet as a lamb with me to the local
police station, pushing his bicycle while
/ pushed mine, the bird in the basket
giving vent to self-satisfied little
croaks as we walked.
''At the police station we opened the
basket, and found several articles of
jewelry reposing at the bottom while
the bird hoped out and surveyed us all
in comical inquiry. Now the whole plot
was laid bare. The thief was none
other than the bird, a mischievous mag
pie, whose love Of bright articles and
passion for secreting them is well
known. His scoundrelly master, we
found, had brought the birds failings
to fine art, and trained him to f1y
through the open windows of houses,
pick up all the bright things he could
see, and bring them to his master, who
cruised about the outskirts of the town
in the meantime, recalling the magpie
by a peculiar whistle. When the bird
returned it was put in the bicycle
basket, and SO. taken about from place
. II g.,