Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-11-27

said, but it's just likely you want
to add another sovereign to that five
pound ten. II you do don't mind
putting another in your way. ! tell
you that ! want to catch the man !
was after tonight. He's as big
thief rs ever walked the earth. and
il you will help me TO put my hand
upon him, you'll be doing a service,
not only TO me. but to the whole
country at large"
what is II you want me to do?"
he asked. suspiciously. Gle treated
me fair, and he'll take it mean Of me
if I help you TO nab him"
81 don't want you to do anything
but TO drive me to the side street
where you put him down. Then you
can take your sovereign and be off
home as quick as you like. Do you
agree?"
He hesitated for space in which
a man could have counted 20, and
! then set his glass upon the counter.
"I'll do it," he said. 9TH drive yer
there, not for the suvering. but for
the good of the country yer speaks
| dbOut. holllc Oh.
gave my own man his money, and
then followed the other out to his
cab. lie mounted to his box, not
without some help, and we presently
set off. Whether it was the effect
Of the refreshment he had imbibed.
or whether it was mere citation OF
spirits I cannot say, the fact, how
| G., 10 -
the journey, which occupied ten or
twelve minutes. he howled vocifer-
ously. A more joyous ca bman could
scarcely have been discovered in all
that part of London. AT last he
pulled his horse TO a standstill, and
descended from his seat.
This 'ere's the place." he said
down. Yer can't mistake it. Now
let's have look at yer suvering,
gunner. and then I'll be off home to
bed, and it's about time too"
| paid him the sum l had prom
ised him, and then made my way
down the narrow street, in the direc-
ton Ilayle had taken. 1t was not
more than couple of hundred yards
long, and was hemmed in on either
hand by squalid cottages. AS if to
emphasize the misery of the locality,
and perhaps in a measure to account
for it, at the further end | discov-
cred gn-paace, whose haring
lights illuminated the streets on
either hand with brazen splendor. \
small knot of loafcrs were clustered
on the pavement outside the public,
and these were exactly the men |
wanted Addressing myself to them
l inquired how long they had been
In their present position.
"Best part OF an hour, gunner"
said one of them, pushing his hands
deep down into his pockets, and
executing a sort of double shuttle as
he spoke. "Ain't dom any harm
ere, | 'ope. We was 'opin' as 'ow a
gent like yourself would come along
in the course of the evening just to
ask us if we was thirsty, and wot
we'd take for to squench it,
you shall have something to
'squench' it. if you can answer the
= questions | am going to ask you"
replied. did either Of You see a
gentleman come down this street
= running, about half an hour or SC
ago."
Was he carrying a rug and a
hag?" asked one of the men, without
: hesitation.
"He was" I replied. "IIc is the
man 7 want. Which way did he &c
when he left here?"
HE took Jim Boulter's cab" said
another man, who had until a few
moments before been leaning agains
the wall. The Short In was aiook
= in after it for i'm, and I heard hin
call Jimmy myself. He tossed thu
) Short Tn bob, he did, when he go
: in. Such luck don't seem ever t.
come my way
, where is the Short Tn, as yo'
call him?" | inquired, thinking tina
, it might be to my advantage to in
teryicw that gentleman.
i "A-drnkin' of his bob in there,
the man answered. 'Where d'Y'
! think we'd be a-scein' i'm? Bearin
2 ITSELF proud like real tori, and a
n closen' time they'll be chuckin' in
= out into the gutter, and then i
wife'll come down, and they'll fight
mn most like both of emil ge
l jagged before they knows whore the.
is, and come before the beak in tn
mornin'."
5 Look here" said, "if one Of yo'
| will go in and induce the gentleman
D of whom you speak to come out her
l and talk to ne, ! would not min
r treating the four of you to half
I crown"
The words had scarcely left m
lips before a dcputation had entere
l the house in search of the Eontlema
in question. When they returnc
u with him one glance was sufficient I
/ show me that the Short TN was in
j., decidedly ncbriated condition. HI
u friends, however deeming it possibl
) that their chance OF approaching m
; liberality depended upon his cond
ton being such rs he could answe
questions with some sort OF INTEL
o gence, proceeded to shake and pun
mel him into something approachin
Il sobriety. In one of his lucid inter
X walls ! inquired whether he felt equs
!. to telling me in what direction III
> gentleman who had given him tn
VI SbilIinu had ordered the CabmAn I