Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1908-04-09

1t led only have put the capitals to
the words La Tortue,' l might have
thought a little more about them, in
stead of taking it for granted that they
meant that wretched tortoise in the
basement of the house. Well, I'll be
after that niger"
"And l, as l said before" said Hew-
lit, shall be after the person that car
r1ed off Rameau's body"
There was a cab rank and shelter ut
the n of the street, and that evening
a man approached it and hailed the
cabman and the waterman. Any one
would have known the newcomer at
once for a cabman taking a holiday.
The brim of the hat, the birdseye neck
erchief, the immense coat buttons and,
more than all, the rolling walk and the
Wrinkled trousers, marked him.
"Watcheer," he exclaimed affably,
with the self possessed nod only DOS
sible to cabbies and busmen, I'm
a-lookin' for a bilker. Pm told one O
the blokes off this rank carried i'm
last Saturday, and 1 want to know
Where he went. l amt 'ad a chance O
gettin' is address yet. Took a cab
just as it got dark, I'm told. Tallish
chap, muf1ied up a lot in a long black
o%vercoat. Any of We seer 'im?"
The cabbies looked at one another
and shook their heads. 1t CHANGED that
none of them had been on that particu,
lar rank at that time, but the water
man said: "Old on! I bet 'e's the
bloke wot old Bill Stammers took.
Biggish chap in a long black coat, col
lar up an muffled thick. Soft wide
awake AT, pulled over is eye and he
was in a hurry too"
WAS his arm in a sling?"
AYE, it looked so. Had it stuffed
through the breast Of his coat. like as
though there might be a sling inside"
That's i'm. Any of We tell me where
l might run across old Bill Stammers
He'll tell me where my precious bilker
went to-
AS to this there was plenty of infor-
nation, and in five minutes Martin
Hewitt, who had become an unoc-
cupied cabman for the occasion, was
on his way to find old Bill Stammers,
That respectable old man gave him ex.
act particulars as to the place in the
East End where he had driven his
mufl1ed fare on Saturday.
AT about 3 on Tuesday afternoon. as
Meetings. was in the act Of leaving Bow
street police station, Hewitt drove up
in a four wheeler. Some prisoner ap-
peared to be crouching low in the We
hicle, but, leaving him to take care of
himself, Hewitt hurried into the sta
ton and shook Meetings. by the hand.
"Well," he said, "have you got the
murderer of Rameau yet?"
mo" Meetings. growled. 'UnIess-
we'll, Gouion's under remand still. and,
after all, I've been thinking that he
may know something
"Pooh, nonsense!" Hewitt answered,
"You'd better let him go. Now, have
got somebody" Hewitt laughed and
slapped the inspectors shoulder. I've
got the man who carried Rameau's
body away
1.-THE deuce you have! Where? Bring
him i'll. We must have him.
Cali right. Don't be in a hurry. He
won't bolt" And Hewitt stepped out
to the cab and produced his prisoner,
who, pulling his hat further over his
eyes, hurried furtively into the station.
One hand was slowed in the breast of
his long coat, and below the wide brim
of his hat a small piece of white band
age could be seen, and, as he lifted his
face, it was seen to be that of a ne
gro.
inspector Meetings." Hewitt said
tremendously, "allow me to introduce
Mr.. Cesar Rameau!"
Meetings. gasped. The negro looked
round nervously and shrank further
from the door.
eyes," he said. "But please not so
loud-please not loud. ley may be
near, and Pm 'fraid."
"You will certify, will you not
asked Hewitt. With malicious glee,
mot only that you were not murdered
last Saturday by Victor G%oujon. but
that, in fact, you were not murdered at
all? Also, that you carried your own
body away in the usual fashion. on
your own legs?"
eyes, yes" responded Rameau, look.
ing haggardly about; "but is not zis-
zis room publique? should not be
seem"
"Nonsense!' replied Hewitt rather
testify. You're safe enough"
II suppose, then" Meetings. remarked
slowly, like a man on whose mind
something vast was beginning to
dawn, II suppose-why, hang it, you
must have just got up while that fool
Of a girl was screaming and fainting
upstairs and walked out. They say
there's nothing so hard as a nigger's
skull, and yours has certainly made
a fool Of me. But, then, somebody
must have chopped you over the head.
Who was it?''
"My enemies-my great enemies-en-
emies politique. I am a great NAM
this with a faint revival of vanity
amid his fear-"a great man in my
countree. ley have great secret club
s'ieties to kill En- and my fren's:
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