Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-10-14


hears me say so. It's one of the most
.Ie''
The constable's face had already re-
Taxed, and now a grin peeped under
the limp mustache Il dare say there's
many as feels like that, sir" said he.
Exactly. and / say what 1 feel.
that's ALL" said Rallies airily. But
seriously, officer, is a valuable thing
like this quite safe in a case like that:''
Safe enough as long as I'm here, -
replied the other between grim Jest
and stout earnest. Rallies studied his
face. He was still watching Raffies.
and 1 kept an eve on them both with
out putting in my word.
You appear to be single handed"
observed Raffies. lis that wise?'
The note of anxiety was capitaily
caught. 1t was at once personal and
public spirited-that of an enthusia site
sayant, afraid for a national treasure
which few appreciated as he did him.
self. And, to be sure the three of US
now had this treasury to ourselves.
One or two others had been there when
we entered. but now they We're gone
I'm not single handed said the
officer comfortably See that seat by
the door? One OF the attendants sits
there all day long"
Then where is he now"
Talking to another attendant just
outside. If you listen you'll hear them
for yourself
We listened and we did hear them,
but not just outside. In my own mind
1 even questioned whether they We're
in the corridor through which we had
come. To me it sounded as though
they were just outside the corridor.
You mean the fellow with the bill
lard cue who was here when we came
in?" pursued Raffies.
THAT wasn't billiard cue. 1t was
a pointer" the intelligent officer ex-
planned
ut ought to be javelin," said Raj
fies nervOusly. ut ought to be a pole
AK. The public treasure ought to be
better guarded than this. I shall write
to the Times about it. You see If I
DON'T"
All at once, vet somehow not so sud-
denly as to excite suspicion, Raffies
had become the elderly busybody with
nerves. Why 1 could not for the life
Of me imagine, and the policeman
seemed equally at sea.
''Lor' bless you, SIR" said he, I'm
all right. Don't you bother your head
about me-
But you haven't even got Il trun-
cheonr'
Not likely to want one either. You
see, sir, it's early as yet. In n few
minutes these here rooms will fill up,
and there's safety in numbers, as they
say"
"Oh, it will fill up soon, will it?"
ANY minute now, sir"
'Ahr
at isn't often empty as long as this.
sir. It's the jubilee, suppose"
Meanwhile what il my friend and
had been professional thieves? Why,
we could have overpowerd you In an
instant, my good felloww
That you couldn't; leastways not
without bringing the whole place about
-FOUR ears"
''Well, l shall write to the Times all
he same I'm connoisseur In all this
sort of thing, and / won't have unnec-
,ssary risks run with the nations
You said there was an at
endant just outside, but he sounds to
ne as though he were at the other end
If the corridor shall write today"
For an instant we all three listened,
md Raffles was right. Then / saw two
Kings in one glance. Raffies had
topped n few inches backward and
TODD poised upon the ball of each
DOT, his arms half raised, light in
lis eyes, and another kind of light
vas breaking over the Grass features
f our friend the constable.
"Then shall tell you what I'll dO?"
e cried, with 4 sudden clutch at the
whistle chain on his chest. The whistle
lew out. but it never reached his lips.
here were a couple of sharp smacks
ike double barrels discharged all but
simultaneously, and the man reeled
gainst me so that l could not help
atching him as he fell.
We'll done, Bunny I've knocked
i'm out. I've Knocked him out! Run
GU to the door and see if the attend
nts have heard anything, and take |
hem ON if they have"
Mechanically i did as l was told. |
here was no time for thought, still |
sss for remonstrance or reproach. |
hough my surprise must have been |
ven more complete than that of the |
Unstable before Rallies Knocked the |
ense out of him. Even in my utter |
ewilderment, however. the instinc-
i've caution of the real criminal did
OF desert me. / ran to the door, but |
sauntered through it to plant myself /
efore a Pompeiian fresco in the cor
dor, and there were the two attend
nts still gossiping outside the farther
DOR. nor did they hear the dull crash
hitch / heard even as / watched them
ut of the corner of each eye.
1t was hot weather, as i have said.
Ut the perspiration on my body
eemed already to have turned into
skin of ice. Then l caught the faint
afiectiou of my own face in the cas-