Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1907-08-08

have anything to say to me you will have
to say 1t very quickly. for l am IN {
hurry"
The mar stared at him. A look of an
noyance overspread his face.
Blast your impudence'' he exclaimed
why should l say anything to you""
Didn't you send for me-" asked the
puzzled inspector.
Certainly not"
Why, L was told
We'll. you were told wrong interrupt
ed the other. moving off, and IL you an
noy me any further I'll call the police"
Suddenly 1t flashed on Barnes that the
person who had sent him o this fools
'errand was the shabby dressed man he
had seen in conversation with Tallman.
He hurried into the hotel and looked in
the barroom and in the washroom.
The second WI was gone.
Chagrined at being duped so easily.
Barnes started toward the wharf. He had
lost both Tallman and the messenger boy.
But he still had one more trick to play.
1t seemed a slender hope, bur 1t stirred
his professional pride.
When the chief reached the wharf he
found Clancy and forward seated on a
log. gazing out at the tapping waters. The
fog was gradually lifting. and the two
young men, unaccustomed to such sights.
en- WulCliuk IL Wltn dDSoTUeU
1t was as If Il fair maiden had raised a
dark veil and revealed her beautiful coun-
tenance The reflection Of the moon fall
Ing upon the waters evoked a mass of
luminous rays. which scintillated with
each movement of the incoming tide.
Anything in sight?' asked the chief.
joining his wv young friends.
Only that old life preserver." laughed
Clancy. pointing to a white circular object
which bobbed up and down In the water
with every ripple of the waves. Barnes
pulled a pair Of marine glasses from his
pocket and. adjusting them TO his sight,
gazed at the floating object.
"A-e-t-n-a,'' he slowly spelled out. 1T
looks frayed and worn and some of the let
sers are almost gone"
The Aetna: you're right assented
Clancy. That's the boat that was wreck
ed at the mouth OF the river about five
years ago
The chief took another look at the buoy
ant belt. which fioated like a feather on
the top of the glistening waters.
Who'd a thought the relics of that
wreck would be in this river yet?"
n clock on an adjoining steeple struck
-FOUR. Dashes of gray streaked the dark
ness OF the night here and there. The
great framework Of the Nulture stood out
IKE an immense skeleton on the water.
- "ihi VI ltITy houses anu
chimncys and high buildings on the other
side Of the river doomed up like grim
silhouettes. The splash Of oars was heard
almost beneath the wharf where the three
men We're seated, and Il row boat shot out
into the open air.
Hello. that's that" cried the chief,
MS interest instantly aroused.
clancy peered out at the solitary man in
the boat. His face relaxed and he smiled.
'EalSp ala rn - he ra;J .Tt'. Or1y T;~,-
my Slack"
And who may Jimmy Slack be?" in
CURED the CHEZ, wrapping himself in mis-
official manner.
He runs a little joint up on Water
street replied Clancy: sells second
hand anchors. buoys. life preservers. oars,
spars ana any old thing used on a ship.
h joke of it is he picks up half of his
STUN in the river. He's a sort of scaven-
ger about the locks
While they We're talking Mr.. Jimmy
SLACK was rowing out to where the white
me preserver was bouncing up and down
Ike an animated Punch and Judy. AS
ne neared it the man poked out one of
MS oars. hooked the object In the center
and pulled 1t into his boat. He looked
about him leisurely for a moment. and
then. dipping the oars into the water,
slowly back to the wharf. He fas-
tened the boat to a bit of moss covered
piiihg. Going ashore, he threw the life
preserver over his head. so that one part
OF 1t rested on his left shoulder and the
other under his right arm, and marched
gayly up the street.
During all of this the chief was pulling
away at a Pittsburg stogie. He pulled
and pulled until the weed was burned
half way down. Clancy gazed at him
furtively from under half closed eyelids.
Suddenly the chief plucked the stogie
from his mouth and tossed 1t into the
water. He turned to his assistant:
Take me to Stacks shop-in a hurry.
L want to take a look at it."
Clancy the loquacious. asked no ques-
ions. He arose quickly and started along
.ne wharf. They tramped after him UNI
I'll Water street was reached. All three
turned into the narrow t~horoughfare, lined
on each side with great brick buildings,
giving 1t. at that unearthly hour, the APP
pearance of a great canyon. Here and
there some low shack of a storeroom
in abject squalor between It's i'm
posing %neighbors. They walked for five
docks and halted before IL small wooden
structure. Streaks of light shonc from
between the cracks in the door.
Here it is" said Clancy.
Barnes made no response, but, doubling
up his right first, pounded vigorously on
the door. Subdued sounds as OF voices
came from within. The chief knocked a
second time. While the sound of his
blows was still echoing on the crisp early
morning air the door was cautiously
opened a few inches and a scared face
lOoked out.
VIVA do you want?'' piped a shrill
voice.
Barnes never replied, but pushed his way
roughly into the room, ollowed by Clancy
and Forward. A gasoline lamp fastened
to the wall spread a CHASTITY IGN over the
narrow apartment. Coils Of rope lay about
the floor and ships lanterns hung from
the ceiling.
Mr.. Jimmy Slack fronted the chief, fear
anger alternating in hts light blue
eyes.
Now that you've broken into my place."