The Savannah morning news., 1902-12-14
WHEN THE SWANS
WENT SOUTH
Copyrighted, 1902, by Henry S. Harrison.
BY HENRY S. HARRISON.

to Jamaica, and only got nine cents.
hey?"
You're drunk" said Tappan pleas
antly. I'm a bachelor and have no
desire to go to Jamaica. But there's
burglar in this house and / want
you to help me get him out"
'Burglarl" exclaimed the brisk
young man. Burglar my aunt. Wot
graft are you givin' US now?"
Simple fact" rejoined Tappan.
There's a burglar up there. and Ill
tell you how l know"
Whats the row." said voice from
behind.
Burglars in the house." answered.
a thin dark man in a Fedora hat. "A
free-for-all chance to do a little Old
Sleuth work.
Tappan turned and saw that already
a small crowd had gathered. Gentle
men," said he, firmly, you are just
in time Tor a generous act in keeping
with the spirit of the Christmas sea.
son. This house belongs to j. Elmer
Swan, the banker, and it's closed up
now because his wife and daughter
are in Florida. L saw Mr.. Swan to-
night and he told me there wasn't a
soul in the house. Now a moment
ago in passing distinctly saw light
in that upstairs window. 1 ask"
There it is now!" cried the young
man, pointing upward excitedly. The
crowd turned as one man. Sure
enough they could plainly see the yell
low glimmer of light through shut
ter on the third floor. Tappan faced
the men again very solemnly.
Gentlemen said he, you have I'M
expected confirmation of my words.
Nothing more need be said. 1 wish
60 know who will go in with me and
pull that burglar out?"
I'll go YOU" said the brisk young
man, at once
Then there was a silence, during
which uneasy looks were exchanged,
and two men deliberately walked
away into the darkness At last q
somewhat reluctant consent was
wrung from the others, and the five
men departed on their perilous errand
amid faint huzza from the remaining
bystanders.
The elegant residence of the ]. FL
mer Swans stands but two doors from
the Hodges at the corner and behind
the Hodges there Is a a long board
renee that runs down the side street
IL you climb over this at the proper
point, you find yourself on a cross
renee, which in due time becomes the
rear boundary for the Swan backward
here Tappan paused for a moment
to explain the situation to his trusty
band of comrades, and to exhort them
all to be noiseless and of good cheer
Then the brisk young man gave him
a leg up, and he started on his dam
gerous passage, while behind him, one
by one, the men filed slowly and ST
lently along. Two feet from the fence
| top there was a ledge a couple of
| inches broad, and upon this they cau-
tlously picked their way, bending low
ana grasping the fence for support.
IT was inky black. Tappan, his mind
full of the work of adhering to the
fence by means of his digits, planted
| his foot full upon a doing cat, which
forthwith gave out a series of blood
curdling yells. A window shot sud-
denly UP and a tolerably solid object
came whiZzing through the air and
| collided with the knee of the third
man in line. This gentleman, already
| heartily sick of the venturesome en-
terprise, could not repress a groan,
whereat there was bloodthirsty
| You hear that soak7' said a voice glee-
fully. II guess 1 did, for the brute
| that time!" And then the window
went down.
The housebreakers got over the sec
ond partition without mishap and
dropped safely into the grass plot of
the Swans. Tappan led his men
stealthily to the little wooden stair
case hat leads from the ground to the
two-story extension, and found the
door at the top unlocked.
This was the way the rascal got
in" said he, and pushed open the door.
And as the gang of marauders stood
thus staring with quaking hearts into
the pitchy hall, they heard very clear
ly the sound of muffied voices from
the dark regions
There's two of them" whispered
Tappan with chilly feeling coursing
up and down his spine. An audible
tremor ran through the little band, and
the man in the Fedora hat firmly de-