Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1902-11-13
CHAPTER III.
IcnNTINItEn

what. Ill go up ana sort size up
the house aud keep watch, whilo you
| 60 and see the cap'n. If the cap'n
thinks there's anything i'll it, he'll
give you some men. Anyhow, y'ud
better tell him where ! am, so that I
won't get fred for not being round
when Rounds comes along
'I'll fix that. What's your name
and number?"
Jim Sykes, Number 1922"
"All right. Look out for the bent
tree aud tape" 1 said, as / turned to
leave him.
had not gone many steps when I
heard the rattle OF carriage. /
called Sykes, and he came ploddin9
back to meet me.
What do you want now?'
'See if that carriage ia empty, will
you, I prefer riding TO walking just
now.
Yer right. young Teller faint no
fun walking from here to headquar-
tiers this time of night. Hey there!
Hey there, tell yer!'
What yer want? I amt no t'ief. "
This from the driver Of the carriage,
which by this time got opposite us.
Have yer got passenger"
Nav. Don't want none. Coin to
the stable"
"Not yet, Pete. Come here and
drive this gentlemen to headquarters.
See?"
"Sykesy, you make mo tired"
grumbled pete. as he slowly turned
the heads of his horses toward the
curb.
| stepped into the carriage, and the
tired horses plodded away with me on
my errand. Officer Sykes tramped up
Bank street and was soon lost i'll the
darkness.
BY the aid of match 7 looked at
my watch. 1t was half-past two.
In twenty minutes | was at police
headquarters. A burIy doorman adj
mitted me and demanded my erraud,
told him ] wanted to talk privately
with the officer highest in command.
This way" he said Captain
Watson is in the Office
Captain Watson was n grim, gray
old veteran. He seemed to mo to be
an ideal man to hold watch and sway
over the peace OF great city i'll the
mysterious hours of night, He
greeted me cordially, aud told NO to
sit down and tell hun my story.
| told him everything. I did not
omit any of the minor details. ! talked
rapidly, SO he would not get impatient,
but | was determined he should see
the importance of the occasion. Ieveu
told him about the Chinaman finding
Inc at Phister's, and how he acted aud
how he looked.
The captain sat with ha!f-shut eyes
during this portion of my narrative,
and seemed to take very little interest
If, indeed, he took auy--in what ]
was telling him. began to feel dis.
couraged.
But when began to describe the
girl--which / did with minuteness
of detail that surprised even myself -
his manner changed perceptibly. His
Keen cold eyes scrutinized my face as
] talked, and seemed to be rendering
his ears valuable assistance in taking
in all said. When [ had finished
and had told what had done to make
it possible to identify the house, aud
had told of my meeting with Officer
Sykes, the captain relapsed into his
old attitude of apparent listlessness,
His head seemed to drop down into
his shoulders, and his eyes, now nearly
closed agaiu, gave him the appearance
of being very drowsy.
was plunged into momeutary de-
spair. Surely, thought, this kind
OF tragedy was not SO common in San
Francisco that the police shut their
eyes to it,
had about made up my MUD to
say something. when the grizzled head
began to separate itself from the collar
OF the coat into which it had sunk.
The keen eyes looked at me, through
me, far past me. ] saw that the cap
tain, instead of being indifferent, was
in deep study. He slowly unfolded
his six feet of length, and, going to a
cabinet of drawers in one corner of the
room, he took from small closet a
photograph.
1--WE have showed this to so many
in the asttwenty- -four hours he said,
land always without result, that I do
not even hope for success now. Still,
your description comes dangerously
near.
He handed me the picture. My first
glance at it sent thrill of terror
through me. In my blindness l had
stumbled upon n police mystery. A
feeling of nausea came over me. My
brain, usually cool, seemed now to
reel. There was no doubt of it,
held in my hand the likeness of the
girl [ had just left in the Chinaman =
house. Oh, how cursed myself for
a fool! Fool, 70 come away and
leave that girl to the mercy Of that
whelp of Satan! ] could not speak
for a moment. Recovering myself,
with an effort, handed back the pic.
ture and calmly said;
CAPTAIN, that is the girl"
II there had been occasion TO find
fault with Captain Watson for mat
tcntion before, there was no oppor
tuni:y to do SO now. He strobe about
rs if on the lnomcat Of opening a
tremendous battle. Ito touched d
button in his desk that no doubt rang
= bell in some other room. He rang