Los Angeles herald., 1905-12-24
Capturing the Imm1ber Cbt@f

water which he quietly entered and swan
across.
Then, while using even greater care; he
crept TO position very near the wharI'
Wnere he could see the entire operation.
Two expert scoundrels were at work. One
man, while lying fiat upon the pile, slowly
showed a board out until more than half ITS
length hung over the water; then gently let
1t TIP down to fellow below, who placed IL
in large boat evidently anchored by rope
attached to heavy stone.
The thieves kept in the darkest places, and
moved so adroitly that an ordinary person
might watch all night without suspectlng their
presence.
Having secured all their boat would carry,
these accomplished robbers hauled their an
chor on board and drifted with the tide, keep
ing IN the black shadow close to the wooded
shore, where nothing whatever could be seen.
AND Jack, while tracking them by the oe-
caslonal sound of their boat brushing against
overhanging boughs, had to leap across bogs
and spring from rock to rock, skipping along
with perfect silence Where any progress would
have been impossible had it not been Tor his
great agility and complete knowledge OF the
country.
To his astonishment, the river pirates haul
ed up at the wharf of Mr.. Rayfuse, who own
ed mill one mile down the stream.
This man had a reputation of being. very
sharp and sometimes dishonest in business;
but no one supposed him bad enough for actual
stealing.
Young Blondin, managing to hide behind
log near the wharf, saw one of the men go
to the mill, from which dim light presently
shone forth.
Then the man reappeared, and the two
scamps speedily carried all their booty inside.
Looking through crack, Jack recognized
them as Mr.. Rayfuse and Joe Medley, ne
gro In his employ, whom most people con
sidered mean enough for anything he could
do without the likelihood of being found out
The boards were all clear pine, and one inch
thick, and the cute misereants removed Mr.
Mathews marks, and then prepared to split
them in twain, thus changing the lumber into
clapboards, exactly like a large stock that
Rayfuse had been saving.
This explained why the mill often ran early
in the morning, before the regular hands ar
rived-a circumstance which people had at
tributed to a rush of honest business.
Our successful thefhunter made all haste
to rouse his employer, and while Rayfuse and
Medley were busily engaged splitting the
boards. Mr.. Mathews walked in, accompanied
by two constables.
In the face of positive evidence, neither
denied his guilt, and both were sentenced
to long imprisonment, which they are now
serving.
The disguised officer would probably have
caught them, had not Rayfuse recognized him
as the very person who seized some of his
property for debt several years before, in an
other part of the province
As he had shown such excellent judgment
in discovering how the robbers operated, and
such prompt courage in following up the clue,
Mr.. Mathews not only gave the lad his hun
dred dollars but also offered to pay the ex-
penses of his education-a kindness which
Jack, after considerable hesitation, with the
consent of his parents, accepted.
The fortunate youth is now at boarding
school, from which he expects to graduate next
summer. He is undecided whether to become
a merchant or a detective, but is strongly in
clined toward the latter occupation.