The stayer. (Canyon City, Tex.) 1896-1903, 1901-10-24


AS he spoke he pointed to red streal
which, starting from the left side oil
the dead mans coat, extended down.
ward and marked the course of the tiny
stream in which the life blood had
I flowed to little pool on the floor of the
cab.
shot" exclaimed the policeman
who turned Immediately to Que of his
brother officers, Keep your ~. on the
cabman, Jim. Well have to take him
in. And look out FOR the other man,
quick!"
Then, addressing the cabman, upon
each of whose shoulders policeman S
hand was Immediately placed, he asked,
roughly:
WHO is this man?"
The cabman was completely sober
now. He stood, pale and trembling, be-
tween his two captors, as he replied SOL
EMMY:
Before God, ! don't know, boss.
never saw him before"
The policeman locked at the man in
blank amazement for an instant. Then
he turned ava. contemptuously.
"All right, young feller," he said,
you don't have to confess TO me. But
l guess you'll have II chance 10 tell that
story 10 Il judge and jury
Then he proceeded to examine the
dead mans pockets. They were empty
Looks like robbery" he murmured
What is it, jim? Haven't you got the
other mani"
Jim had not found the other man;
for the pale young fellow in the seal
skin cap had disappeared.
The reporter was STOPPING over the
body, while DR.. Thurston cut through
the clothing and laid bare a small,
round wound.
Here is another bullet wound" said
Sturgis, turning over the body slightly,
and pointing out n second round hole
in the back of the dead man.
He seemed to take great interest in
this discovery. He whipped out q
steel tape and rapidly but carefully
took n number of measurements. as If
to locate the positions of the two
wounds. Then he stepped into the cab;
and. striking match after match, he
spent several minutes apparently in
eager search for something which he
could not find.
That is strange" he muttered to
himself, as he came out at last.
What is it?" inquired Thurston,
who alone caught the words.
But the reporter either did not hear
or did not care to answer. lie at once
renewed his search on the brilliantly
lighted pavement in the immediate Vi
cinity of the cab; examining every
stone, investigating every joint and
every rut, prodding with his cane every
lump of frozen mud, turning every
stray scrap of paper.
well, doctor" he said, when at
length he rejoined his companion, IF
you have done all that you can we may
as well 90. 1t is one of the prettiest
problems / have met; but there is
nothing more for ne 10 learn here for
the present. BY the way. as was say
ing when ! interrupted myself little
while ago, are you sure the cabman is
drunk? Iwish you would take another
good look at him. The question may be
more important than it seemed at
first"
\ few minutes later the physician
and the reporter were hurrying along
to make up for the time they had lost;
the cab and the eabman had djsap-
pearet in the custody Of the police,
and the cabman's grewsOme fare was
jolting through Twenty-sixth street,
in the direction Of small building
which stands near the East river. and
in which the stranded waits Of the new
world metropolis can find rest at last,
upon 4 stone slab, in the beginning If
their eternal sleep
Broadway had resumed it's holiday
aspect; the wizened bag at the corner
stu! patiently ground ont hes plaintive
1iscords; the fearful newsboy, with
his slowly diminishing a-miul Of news
papers, continued 20 SILVER ia the cold
wind. as he offered his stock to the
aErrying pedestrians; She big police
nlGa again pi.oted lis fair CHARGE
the mass of moving vehicles,
and the clan giHg cable cars started
1nce more On their ruIubiing course,
~ IL the swapping Of q thread in the
'abric Of ? cicy's life were thing Of
occurrence and IL no mo-
ment.
4 few tiny dark red stains upon the
pavement were all that remained 20 tell
the story Of the scene which had so
recently been enacted in the busy
thorougffare. Presently even these
were oblIterated by the random stroke
VI q horses hoOf.
The ripple had disappeared from the
The streaIn Of life was flow
ng steadily once more through the
arteries Of the metropolis.
CHAPTER TT