The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-10-28

to learn Of what it consists and to
round up the offenders
Coleman laughed and nodded
That's what | told Burrage" said he
Il also told him that you were the very
man to undertake the job, and he read
lily consented 10 disclose nothing at
present, and 70 let you examine these
articles"
Not a bad plan. perhaps"
''Other reasons, Felix. of special in
terest to you. led me to propose it,"
added Coleman, with dry significance.
What do you mean, Jimmie?''
"Burrage has discovered that our old
acquaintance. Jessie Dole. was the
sender of these missves.
1.-THE dickens
and the convict who received them
was none other than Paul Wykon sent
up by you for the Trinity Trust bur
glary.'
Both members of the Big Fingers
gang" cried Boyd, excitedly. by
Joye. Jimmie. there may be more for
us i'll this than appears on the surface.
1t may provide the very clue | long
have been seeking"
80 l surmised. Felix
Il would give half l possess to land
just once more IN the stronghold of that
scoundrel and his gang" cried BOYD.
with augmented feeling. IF I ever do.
and he again escapes me, I'll throw up
my vocation
"Oh. no, you'll not Felix" laughed
Coleman, amused at Boyd's momentary
display of bitterness. You'll never
quit till you have landed the Big Fin
ger behind prison bars. I'll go my pile
on that"
well, probably not. Jimmie. after
ALL
Hes no ordinary knave or you'd
have landed him long ago. and well he
knows il. He would give as much to
down you, Felix, as you'd sacrifice to
land him..
Very likely"
so have care. dear fellow. or you
may be treated to a knife thrust in the
back. He is capable of it. you know"
Indeed. / do Jimmie and I'm never
without an eye open" Boyd pontedly
Iejoined. Now lets see what we can
make of these hens tracks I'll get
at their meaning. Jimmie, if it takes a
leg"
With which grim observation he drew
the scraps of paper and pasteboard to-
ward him. and fell to studying the Curl
Gus cipher, with which they were in
Scribed
The central office man lighted cigar.
and for nearly half an hour sat silently
watching the changing expressions of
Boyd's fOrceful clean-cut face Then
ne NenlureQ 10 ask
What do you make Of it, Felix?
Boyd looked up sharply. much as if
he had forgotten the speaker was pres
ent
Cant say yet" ne growled. bit
impatiently. ITS q secret cipher. how
ever. and l never yet saw one could
not interpret. don't believe that this
will floor me. What's the hour?"
Two o'clock
4
You say"
AT the central Office then" said
Boyd bluntly. Il must be alone here.
Jimmie. so get out. / want precisely
four hours IN which TO deciDher these
scrawls, and I'll see you again at s.
Away with you, / say. | must be
aIOner
Coleman nodded agreeably and with
drew. smiling broadly when he heard
Felix Boyd lock the office door behind
him. He knew we'll what it signified-
four hours of solitude and study. of
braln-racking application that could
endure sno interruption. q period of
mental concentration so strained and
intense that Boyd would emerge from
IT IN state approaching physical col
lapse and utter enervatiOn. Not. how
ever. until the desired end had been
attained.
That these impressions on the part of
Jimmie Coleman We're entirely reliable
appeared in the altered aspect of Felix
Boyd when he left his office at quar-
ter after 6. His collar was wet and
wilted. his tie awry. his features pale
and drawn, his lips compressed mis- hair
disordered and his brows darkIy knit
but the restless fire in his dilated eyes
was that of mingled triumph and grim
determination. As he emerged into
Pine street, he still was intensely alb
sorbed, and obiivious to all observers
The moment Boyd appeared upon the
street man in an opposite doorway
quickly drew back from view. then stole
forth furtively to watch him. The same
man Swallowed Coleman to Boyds office
nearly five hours before, had seen him
enter and depart, and. since had pa
tiently fingered to await Boyd's depart
ure- Plainly enough. this man was ac-
tuated by some definite design. and bent
upon learning all that was in the wind.
If Boyd mad CHANGED to observe this
man. he would have needed no intro
ductiOn. Despite the stained goggles
hiding the cold CLEAN of his malevolent
eyes. there was no mistaking the mans
features-his hooked nose the endow-
ment Of a bird of prey: his thin. cruel
and determined lips; his square jaw
and muscular neck, his slightly bowed
yet rugged and powerful figure To one
man only could these belong. the man
who. as Jimmie Coleman had implied
would, with most hearty hatred. have
stabbed Felix BOYD i'm the back. To
enc man only could they belong-the
Big Finger himself,
As blind to the movements of this
man, however. as to those of the hun
dreds he passed on his way. Boyd hast
ened to the central office to rejoin Cole
man. whom he encountered on the adj
joining sidewalk. The latter suppressed
smile upon observing Boyd's disor-
dered attire. merely remarking bluntly:
You're half an hour late. old man.
Even the voice of Felix Boyd
harsh. rapid monotone. only reflected
his mental state.
Better half hour late. with ones
efforts crowned with success. than a
half hour early. with naught to report
but failure"
Eureka" muttered Coleman DO
you mean that you have"
Silence, Not a word at present-not
a looki This way. Jimmie, BY God!
this game is already more desperate
than Steady Wen go this way and
drop into the Woodcock for dinner