Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1902-11-07
EXIT
NO. 1914
ny ELIAS Isle


pEl0s Oue uAg Ne. A@AH anu 4 Aouuu
ourselves pitted as partners against a
Judge Of the supreme court and a
lightweight prizehghter. and although
his honor played a pretty rough game
we beat them by a close score; so
Close was It. in fact. that a spirit Of RI
valry was engendered which estab-
lished our competition as a regular
Saturday afternoon event thereafter.
Later I met 1914 on his beat on the
big bridge. and when ! was kept late
in my once that spring l would walk
across for the sake OF the talk with
my big police friend. A master Of
hand, eye and temper l already knew
him to be; now l came to know him
as a poet in the rough. beset with long
ings and emotions which he did not
himself understand. The sight Of the
full rugged ships. inbound with all
sNtls set or outbound for the great
unknown world, stirred the very soul
OF him.
will ye look at her now, Waikin'
like a great lady an with the shape
Of oner' he would cry, with a kindling
eye to the curve OF the full bosomed
sails. "An' where might she be
bound / dunnO7 But It's well I'd like
TO 60 with her"
"And leave your place on the forceT'
asked.
AN I'll be doin' It one Of these
days. Why nOt7 l have no wife o
family an a tidy sum in the bank"
"And where will you go thenT
"Ah, whereI That's a thing no man
knows, meself least Of all"
One Friday evening as l WINS walk
ing across with the big policeman the
talk suddenly shifted from the NOR
rows game.
Sure. / think the judge plays a lit
tie overland for his point" No. 1914
had been saying; that backhander
ne took me over the jaw. now, an me
Just reaehin' for the ball. A referee
wud ha' called a hinder on him. Ac-
cidental8 Sure, don't I know that his
honor Ii too much Of n gentleman
whishtl What's that, now?" he inter
rupted himself as a dark shadow shot
In front Of ~.
"A nighthawk out collecting insects"
said l.
'Is II. nowf I think witches was In
vinted whin the nrst Irishman clapped
on to n OF thin birds. Do ye think,
sir"-he spoke dimdently and after n
~pause-'that there IL anything In this
belafe that we was once some kind Of
animal or eratureT'
ut IL a very old belief. John" said l.
Thin, II there's a breath Of truth In
t I think ! was some crature that few
before / was born this time to be a
policeman. There's times. sir, when
Ill be beyant by the rail there an I'll
be lookin' an longln' an longin' an
chances with the sea birds there"
With such Vehemenee did he speak
that / was disturbed. why john"
said !, you'd do well to ask for a
transfer. Gazing down n hundred odd
feet till you want to leap isn't a safe
diversion"
AN ye needn't to be worryin'
about that. sir, thank ye." said be
quietly. I'm not take the Jump-not
DGAOEH Ang DHub IAGuG mG 70 NY
Wen need to be In u best trim
for them tomorrow afternoon" said l
as he turned back to his beat. $50
keep your head steady. John"
When I reached the court on the fol-
lowing afternoon, l found the light
weight. who rejoiced in the cognomen
Of Bunt Hahno. serving long ones into
she left hand rear corner. which was
the supreme courts weakest point. No.
1914 did not appear, and / had to pick
hp a recruit whereby the bench and
the ring won a hollow victory. On the
following morning the newspapers
printed paragraphs to the effect that
PatrOlman John Hannerty was miss
Ing. and the evening papers exploited It
Into a mystery. II seems that the ON
Ger had disappeared from his beat on
the bridge. That he did not leave at
either end seemed certain. for he would
have had to pass several brother off,
GERS. At 11:66 he had been seen neal
the railing; at three minutes after mid
night be had gone. leaving neither
trace or clew. There seemed TO be but
one inference. and ave evening papers
printed pictures OF the alleged suicide
which were chiefly remarkable from
the fact that no two OF them we're In
the faintest degree alike. What little
element OF mystery there was left was
considered to DO destroyed by the
washing ashore Of a pOliceman's coat
and trousers on the following morning.
That evening the mystery had a sud
den revival. for police badge No 1914
reached the bridge police station by
mail. Detective work. amateur and
professional. got no further than the
fact that the badge had been mailed In
q plain white envelope in q mailbOK
near tho water front Theories wers
advanced. refuted. defended and re
placed by new theories until some
newer matter came 70 occupy the pub.
ACs avid mind.
At the handball court No. 1914 wal
n forgotten. and In many a hard
fought contest with bis honor and
Blunt I missed his quick eye and inde
Etructible hands. for he had few equals
at the sport. One day nearly sil
months after bic d~IHappearaBce. wher