Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1904-04-06

they're armed. If you are quick about
it, you'll get to Stolby station as soon
as they will. But there's not an in
slant to lose. If they catch that train
they'll be in London before you can
telegraph. and the game'll be up
! 1t was, as he said, an ''impudent
buff" but it succeeded, as impudence
often does.
| Tumble in, lads. Sharp as you can.
l wouldn't miss 'em for a thousand
/ pounds" yelled the man in command
of the constables> "You stay with
him, as he suggests, Brown, and Sc
cure the fifth man. Well get the other
! four right enough. But don't let the
| informer there get out of your sight,
mind. His evidence is too valuable
to run the risk of losing it.
The boldness of Number Two's ruse
and the unsuspecting way in which the
police had ''tumbled' to it fairly took
my breath away. Before I had got it
back, the trap containing the six de-
tenders of the peace was tearing
along the Stolby road like a fire-en
| CINE.
They'll catch them all right" said
| Number Two gleefully to the consta-
| BILE who had been told of to assist him
| in the capture of the conspirator who
was supposed to have gone to Far
| borough station. And now you and
I'll make sure of the other man.
Well have the whole six of them safe
ly lodged in stone walls tonight.
Come a]ong-there's no time to lose.
If one of ems left at large, my life
! wouldn't be worth moments pur-
| chase when they know who's turned in
former. But stop minute; my bags
in the shed, and as it contains the
documents that prove their guilt, the
inspector there won't thank us for
leaving it behind us. I'll run back
and get it,
Not without me-" said the con-
stable knowingly. "My instructions
were not to lose sight of you, my
friend; and though it's all square, I've
no doubt, I'm bound to obey instruc-
tions."
"Oh, come, by all means" said
Number Two indifferently.
Yes, mean to- was the police
mans answer, as he took his COM
| panion's arm.
The words were the last he uttered,
for, as he stopped his head to enter
the shed, Number Six, who was stand
ing in the shadow of the door, struck
him terrific blow with a brick he
had snatched up from the floor.
Oh IN ha cl-,,n
as easily as tap from spoon
brushes the shell of an egg, and he
went down without cry.
"That'll do" said Number Two.
''You did it quite scientifically, my
friend. Now, gentlemen, think we'd
better make ourselves scarce. We
shall not have time to attend to this
lady's funeral service, after ALL
You're satisfied now, hope, that it is
this woman who was the traitor. It's
lucky thing for us it was so. If a
man was going to turn informer he'd
have taken care to do the thing prop
erly, and to have taken time about it,
not have gone in some hysterical mo-
ment to a set of BOBBY country bob
bies. She could only have laid infor-
nation just before the meeting, or
they'd have telegraphed to town, and
got the London detectives down. Those
who came were all Marlborough men.
And now I'm going to take you
all in my confidence. 1t isn't
safe for us to try to get away
from here tonight. That's why l
hluffed the boobies, instead of show
ing fight or making a run for it.
There's no train we could catch now,
and, even if We could do so. the sta
tons will no doubt be watched. And
if we tried to get away on foot, or to
hire a trap, we should be traced to
certainty in an hour or two, and the
whole lot of us just swept up into
dustpan by the broom of the law, as
easily as woman sweeps up the pieces
of broken china Jug"
"You talk about it damned lightly"
said Number Six; "but if that's so, the
hangman's moose is as good as round
our necks."
mot at all,'' said Number Two.
Trust yourself to me, and you are
perfectly safe. 1t so happens that I've
lived near Marlborough long time.
where am looked upon as respecta-
BILE, if eccentric, member of society,
and l shall never be suspected of har-
boring criminals or of being one my
self. My house is only a mile or two
away. It's a little old-fashioned place,
where l and my one man-servant-no
woman shall ever set foot in house of
mine have lived on and off for ten
years. My mans as safe as am-I'll
60 bail for him. In fact, was going
to propose him for one of the three
there are three .now-vacancies on the
council. You must all lie low at my
house for the present, and when the
hue and cry is over you can get away
enc at time. And while you are there
we can scheme out our plan of cam
paign together. You see, I'm giving
myself away to you entirely by letting
you know where l live and breaking
the secret of my identity. But trust
you, and 1 promise you that you are
safe in trusting me-"
stop a minute" said the irrepres-
sible Number Six. do you think that
woman peached on us to spite you?
If so, she knows who you are, and
most likely where you live; and in
that case to 60 home with you would
be walking right into the lions den,
as, if she's told the police, they'll make
for your house first
II don't believe she did know who l
am" answered Number Two. Our
late chief kept all our identities secret.
She may have guessed that I'm man
she knew ten years ago, but in that