Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1908-02-20

Martin Hewitt;
investigator.
The Loss of Sammy
Crockett.
By ARTHUR MORRISON.
Published by Arrangement With
Harper & Brothers.
[coNT1NuED.l
By ARTHUR MORRISON.
Published by Arrangement With
Harper & Brothers.

90
Wouldn't it pay you better to get him
back quietly, without a soul knowing
perhaps not even Dandy k~nowing-tHl
the heat is run tomorrow"
"Well, yes, it would, Of course"
every good, then; so be it. Remem-
Der what 1 have told you about keep
ing your mouth shut; say nothing to
,Steggles or anybody. Is there a cab
or brougham your son and I can have
for the EVENING""
"There's an old hiring landau in the
stables you can shut up into a cab, If
that'l do"
Excellent. Well run down to the
town in it as soon as it's ready. But,
first, a word about Crockett. What
sort of a lad is he? Likely to give
them trouble, show fight and make a
Disturbance?
mo, 1 should say not. He's no
lplucked un, certainly. All his man
hoods in his legs, I believe"
every good, so much the better, for
then he won't nave been damaged, and
they will probably only have n man
to guard him. Now the carriage,
please"
Young Kentish was a six foot ser
,geant Of %grenadiers home on furlough
and luxuriating in plain clothes. He
and Hewitt walked a little way toward
the town, allowing the landau to catch
them up. They Travelled in it to within
a hundred yards Of the empty shops
and then alighted, bidding the driver
wait.
Shops" Hewitt said, as he and young
Kentish walked down Granville road.
81 am pretty sure that Sammy Crock
EFT is in one of them, and I am pretty
sure that that is the middle one. The
shops at each side Of the three are oc-
.cupied, and if the prisoner struggled
or shouted or made an uproar he might
next those inhabited, so that the mid
die shop is the most likely. Now, see
there" he went on as they stopped be-
fore the window of the shop in ques-
ton, "over at the back there's a stair
case not yet partitioned off. 1t goes
down below and up above. On the
stairs and on the floor near them there
ARE muddy footmarks. These must
have been made today else they would
not be muddy, but dry and dusty, since
there hasn't been a shower for a week
till today. Move on again. Then you
noticed that there were no other such
marks in the shop. Consequently the
man with the muddy feet did not come
in by the front door, but by the back.
otherwise he would have made a trail
from the door, so we will go around to
the back ourselves"
1t was now growing dusk. The small
pieces of ground behind the shops were
bounded by a low fence, containing a
door for each house.
"This door is bolted inside of course"
Hewitt said, "but there is no difficulty
In climbing. l think we had better
wait In the garden till dark. In the
meantime the jailer, whoever he is,
may come out. In which case we shall
pounce on him as soon as he opens the
door. You have that few yards of cord
in your pocket, I think, and my hand
kerchief properly rolled will make a
very good gag. Now over"
They climbed the fence and quietly
approached the house, placing them
selves in the angle Of an clubhouse, out
of sight from the windows. There was
no sound and no light appeared. Just
above the ground about a foot of win
dow was visible, with a grating over
1t, apparently lighting a basement.
Suddenly Hewitt touched his compan-
ions arm and pointed toward the win
dow. A faint rustling sound was per-
ceptible, and, as nearly as could be
discerned in the darkness, some white
blind Or covering was placed over the
glass from inside. Then came the
sound of a striking match, and at the
side edge Of the window there was a
faint streak of light.
Hewitt took a stone from among the
rubbish littering the garden and flung
It crashing through the window. There
was a loud exclamation from within,
the blind fell, and somebody rushed
to the hack door and flung 1t open:
Instantly Kentish let fly a heavy right
handler. and the man went over like a
skittle. In a moment Hewitt was upon
him and the gag in his mouth.
Hold him." Hewitt whispered hur-
riedly. 'I'll see If there are others"
He peered down through the low
window. Within Sammy Crockett his
bare legs dangling from beneath his
long overcoat, sat on a packing box,
leaning with his head on his hand and
his back toward the window. A gut
tering candle stood on the mantelpiece,
and the newspaper which had been
stretched across the window lay in
scattered sheets on the door. No other
person besides Sammy was visible.
They led their prisoner indoors.
Young Kentish recognized him as d
public house loafer and race course
rufian. well known In the neighbor-
hood.
$50 it's you, is 1t, BrowdieT' he
said. GIVE caught you one hard
clump and I've half a mind to make 1t
q score more. But you'll get 1t pretty