The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1908-12-30

greatest confusion. Clothing and
shells, guns and fishing-tackle were
strewn about the floor, evidencing
precipitate departure. 1t was tantaliz
ing to again allow the criminals to es
cape. l felt deeply chagrined, and re-
solved never again to put off a matter
of this kind. The men had forestalled
me by only a few hours, for | had in
tended arresting them that morning
and there had been nothing in their
conduct during my visit to their cabin
to indicate that they thought of flight.
I'm one corner of the cabin, beneath
the very bunk on which I had slept.
there was an excavation three feet
square and as many deep. The cover
was down and dirt was strewn over it
which gave it the same appearance as
the dirt floor of the house. l discov.
cred it by a hollow hound when l
tapped over the spot 1t was empty.
Il noticed the absence of the pot
which had supplied my supper, but it
was rather a subconscious notice of it.
The fact really made no appreciate
it, in fact, until more than year had
passed. 1t was then recalled by a
newspaper dispatch under date of the
small village.
'Some of the boys in the village had
appropriated the cabin as a sort of
clubhouse, after the three men had
fled. They would spend Saturdays
f.1,; ipo hr,
ing. Immediately in front of the cabin
was a steep bank, and the river wi
! dened out into a broad, deep pool
which afforded good fishing and swim
ming. The boys would throw white
pebbles into this hole and dive for
| them from the bank. One of them
! had struck his head against something
| hard at the bottom of the river and
had been pulled up corpse, his skull
| baving been fractured by the impact
| of the blow.
"The others investigated and found
| a large iron pot half buried in the soft
| mud. It's cover was sealed down and
it's weight had been so great the boys
| couldn't lift it from it's oOzy bed. The
dispatch stated that the pot was to be
raised and it's contents examined.
Il was in Little Rock when | read
this dispatch and, without waiting fol
instructions from headquarters,
boarded the first train and set out fol
the village. l was in state Of fever
ish excitement, fearing l would arrive
there after the pot had been secured
| wanted to be the first to view its con
tents. felt sure l knew what was
in it.
, after a journey that seemed inter
minable l arrived at the village ant
! inquired about the pot. My fears hat
been groundless. With the indifference
so characteristic in country people the
, villagers had forgotten, after the
, funeral of the unfortunate young man
the incident of the pot. While there
had been some talk of raising it, M
one had taken the lead, and there the
, matter had rested
Securing team of mules and some
strong ropes and chains, | drove out tt
the cabin. BY dint of much diving
, succeeded in fastening the chain
about the pot and had my assistant
: drag it out upon the bank. 1t was tn
, vessel which had hung over the mr.
t when | had visited the counterfeiter
in their lair. Then | remembered 1t
: absence, when l had searched the hu
, after their departure. 1t was seale
with paraffin and sealing wax, and no
e drop of water had passed the lid.
=. 81 contained complete set of er
gravers' tools, several bottles of power
r full acids, glass stopped and sealed,
e number of bars of silver, some tire
S hundred odd counterfeit silver dollars
: and the dies with which they had bee
stamped out. The dies We're thickl
n coated with wax and were as brigh
t and fresh as when they beat out tn
u false coins in the secret cave.
after swearing my assistant t
! secrecy, l returned to headquarter
, with my booty.
:. mot many weeks later two of tn
men were captured. l had given tn
department a minute description c
> them, after their unceremOniOuS DE-
u parture, and it's vast machinery ha
; been set in motion for their apprehel
sion 1t is a maxim of the service
; that a man once a counterfeiter is a
ways a counterfeiter. This rule hel
good with reference to two of tn
= men, at least, for they We're capture
and convicted of another job. The il
cidents l have just related were nc
introduced in evidence against thel
and consequently escaped the pres
u The man with the bulldog jaw escape
Il completely at that time, but met wit
him, years after, under circumstance
neither of us will forget so long a
II we live
n copyright, 1908, by w. G. Chapman.)
e (COpyright in Great Britain.)