The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1901-01-19

private detectiveg" / cried, with a
great laugh.
i may venture to remind you that
you have just succeeded to a vast for
, tune. h heirship of the McFaught
property must be worth several mif-
lions to you. and-and-so Sarabands
desired me to CALL
rs 1t part of a rich man't duty or
business to keep a private detectivea p,
l was still laughing, but 1 found no
response on the portentously solemn
face of my visitor.
That's as may be, Captain Wood.
Some do and some don't. Those who
didn't have come to wish they had;
so might YOU
and what would happen If 1 were
so foolish as to refuse the obliging
offer OF your people?'" I asked smil-
ingly.
Il beg of you to be serious, Mr..
ploy some one. Do not. for heavens
sake, attempt to run alone.'
He spoke with such evident earnest
ness and good faith that l began to feel
a little uncomfortable.
DO you imply that l need protection,
that l am In any danger-any personal
danger-that unless I am taken care of
l shall fall a victim to somewhat
Shall say-some plot?"
IA that and more. I cannot at this
stage be more explicit in my warm
ings. 1t would be giving way our
business. But there are ample grounds
for I say. l indicated something
OF the sort of thing when 1 spoke to
you this morning. There are those who
grudge you your newly acquired for
tune, who deny our right to it or
even the testator's right to it. They
are ready to employ any means-se-
cret, fnsidfous, even violent nj
Wrest 1t from you. Let me tell you, sir,
that even now, at this moment, you
nay be. l believe you are. in imminent
peril-you and your life"
But this is a matter for the police!"
l cried holly. springing to, my feet.
Your police cannot help you in this.
1t is too private and particular, and
they are of little good till after the
event. What you want is prevention.
anticipation. You must meet guile
with guile, plot with counterpart, al
ways %supposing there is time
Where is the hurry"
I'VE have reason to. know that every
thing was planned sometime SINCE
why, the news is not a day old yet"
1T has long been expected that the
Mcknight millions would come to
England, but the name OF the real heir
was only disclosed a week ago. Every
thing was ready. and the campaign
was to ommenc directly it was
known who should be attacked"
l looked at this lleavy-featured, slow
speaking Yankee wondering whether
he was in earnest or only thought me a
fool. l knew, of curse. that l had now
become fai: game for the black,nailers,
and l was inclined to imagine that Mr..
Snuyzer's soiicitude was only u trans
parent attempt to eXtort money.
And what would 1t cost me to Sc
cure the good offices of Messrs. Sara
band & Sons?" I asked, seeing en-
lightenment as to his probable de-
mands.
Our charges, sir, are no more than
out of pocket expenses n q small re-
a week. After that a pro rata pres
MUM. according to the risks"
risks? ! do not understand"
1.-The perils, sir, from which you are
saved, whether by premonition, guard
ianship or actual rescue. We have q
graduated scale. | shall be happy to
leave the 'skedool' with you. Here
are some of the items: Divorce pro-
ceedings, either side; sequestration,
false charges, wounding. loss of limb,
DEATH
Murder, in short?' 1 still spoke in
a hippant tone. What is the rate of
insurance against that?"
Ills laCe uld llOl lefdS, ana he an
swered %gravely:
From 10000 up to any sum, ac-
cording to the nearness Of the risk"
well, l will think over your obiig-
Ing offer. Possibly, If l find l cannot
take care of myself, / may come to you.
For the present / shall trust. to Scot
land Yard and my w endpavors."
You are wrong, cir, entirely wrong,
believe that said my visitor darkiy
as he rose to take his leave You are
in conSiderabl danger, sir, and it will
Increase hourly. And you have given
points against you. The chief aim Of
these big 'bunco steerers' is, of course.
to pouch our dollars. but it is known
that you are concerned with the diff
ferences between u two great coun-
tries. 1t is supposed that you hold
important military information. state
secrets that might be got out OF you,
squeezed out OF you, If they put you
in a tight place. You may decline our
offer. That is your own affair. But,
sir, let me c%onjIre o to carry a six
shooter on all occasions. Go nowhere
well, to no strange or unusual places
alone
Il trust it is not quite SO bad as all
that, Mr.. Snuyzer, Still. I am grateful.
and ! shall certainly remember you If,
if
You survive? Yes, sir, but do not
icdfe IL luO ldle. LOU nave Deen
marked down, captain, and they will
strike at you, somehow, soon; today,
tomorrow, at any time. They contend
that the McFaught millions were ac-
CURED by spoliation and sharp Hrac-,
tice." Il
rs there any truth in that?' I broke
in hurriedly.
Billy McFaught was q smart man,
and struck some close things, but he
was no more entitled TO state prison
than those he fought with on Wall
street, Any stick is good enough to
beat a dog with, and our enemies
will talk tall about surrendering ILL
gotten gains because it is a good show
card. | do not think o need lie awake
restitution to the widow n the faith
erless-anywa:, not till it's forced upon
you, as 1t may be-"
And you can save me from that?"
"Or worse. We think you will be well
advised to consider our offer. If we
can be of any service to you, remeIn-
Der u telephone number is 2S7, 1856, and
! shall reply personally or by proxy at
any time, day~or night. You have also
my address, 20 Norfolk street, Strand.
i reside there, on the premises. ] shall
be proud to receive your Instructions,
and-1f not too lale-to come to our
assistance or the shortest notice. Good
day, captain. hin we'll of what /
say"
Hoy was I % take all this? Serious
aly? had read in every school book
of the snares and pitfalls of great
wealth, but had never d~reamed-who
could?--of dangers so strange and ter
rible as those that now menaced me, if
| We're to give eredence to this extra |
ordinary tale.
Some n hailed me as l passed down
Piccadilly, and. turning. I recognized
a man l new. Lawford by name, a |
big, burly, fat-voiced man, with jet
black beard so Enthusiastically dyed that |
it increased his years and gave an I'M
wholesome tinse to his pallid complex
ion. He had greasy, fawning manners
-an assumption of bonhMnie that you I
instinctively d%istiust. I never cared
for him much, but he always pretended
TO be devilish fond of me.
I had met this Lawford on the other !
side of the Atlantic, in the South
American city where I had spent some
time in a recent mission. He gave it
out that he vas prospecting for gold
in those parts, but many believed thai |
he was a spy and secret agent of the
American goyarnplapt Than VIC n q M