The Bowbells tribune., 1900-03-02

inspector, very pointedly, II accept
your assurance that you will, in the in
terests of Justice, proceed at once to
Scotland Yard with Mr.. Vanston and
the boy. There is no mention Of es-
cort in your case" he added, with quf"
ct humor.
"very well," I answered, "you have
Dirk?"
"Why, Of course" assented Dirk,
good-homordly. s'l'm game for escort
duty, if it comes to that"
>
Inspector Traill received me some
what coldly, whereat was not at all
surprised. However, as I had scored
all the tricks, was inclined to be gen.
erous, and endeavored to bring him
back to our former friendly terms.
I readily supplied him with such facts
in the case as he required. Dirk and
Billy answered all the questions put
to them. And 1 thought that he had
exhausted his inquiries, for the pres
ent, at all events, when he took me
somewhat aback by asking me how
long l had been acquainted with Tom
Webbs wheabouts.
,,!Abe About tive, twenty-four It, hours" an
"Well," he explained, "it must sure
ly strike you as a rather perilous thing
to do to keep back such information
from the police. Remember that, inn
plicitly as you may believe in his in
nocence, this man has been branded by
the coroner'S jury as a murderer. And
remember, also, that, although you
may be the cleverest of inquiry agents,
you are playing with edge-tools when
"You are permitting yourself the use
of very forcible language. Mr.. Traill,"
1 rejoined, rather warmly. Il have
conducted my case in my own way,
and am quite prepared to justify my
every action before the proper trlDun-
al. AS regards Tom Webb, I certainly
discovered his abode lost night; and l
refrained from giving him into cIstO-
dy for several reasons. Apart from my
belief in his innocence, he has become
semi-idiotic, remembers nothing OF the
past, and is under careful guardian
ship. Moreover, had acted as you
say, might have been detained to-
day. giving evidence, and so forth"
"And so have missed your grand
coup this EVENING"" he put in, with a
nafu llCtle HuSn.
Quite so," l assented, curtly.
"Oh! We could have seen to that on
your information" he rejoined, cynic-
ally. Besides, after all, you only fore
stalled Bradshaw"
"Do you think so? had no inten-
ton, at all events, of making Scot
land Yard a present of my work; and
so I left Tom Webb in perfectly safe
hands"
'.He is in perfectly safe hands now,
1 can assure you," interrupted the de-
tective, icily ''He is in the Bow Street
lock-up!'
Dirk Vanston started to his feet. 1T
sa great shamev' he exclaimed, In
dignantly.
There was another man with with
him." continued Trail, ignoring this
outburst, "described as of feeble in
tellect, who behaved so violently that
he, also. was taken into custody, upon
a technical charge Of resisting the po-
lice. but, in reality, for his own pro-
lection"
"That's another big shame" groWled
Dirk, though, perhaps, after all, it
was best not to part them. Are they at
Bow Street now? You see, they're un-
der my charge; at least, I'm the only
sort of guardian they've got.'
"Yes," said Trail, relenting some
what, for, despite his present ill-hu-
NOR, he was good-earted at bottom;
"but think I can arrange bail for the
other, if you wish it. AS for Webb, he
is under warrant, and bail is impos-
sible." d
In the end, we all three went to Bow
Street, and my bail being accepted,
Neddy (as Dirk still called him) was
liberated, to the latter's great Joy.
Webb, we learned, was sleeping SO
sounuly that the gaoler could not prop.
erly awaken him, and we deemed 1t
best to let him sleep on, in happy
oblivion Of his surroundings. Dirk
then took his charge home
"How did you chance to hear OF
Webb's whereabouts" inquired of
Trail, when we were alone.
CTo Be Continued)