The Tupelo journal., 1910-10-07

hN 80
He is not-dead?' / implored. The
tramp cleared his throat.
Nom" he said huskily. HE was
used up pretty bad, but he weren't
dead He was comm to hisself when
The stopped and looked at the de-
tective. Il didn't steal it, Mr.. Win
ters,' he whined. Il found it in the
road, honest to God, I did"
Mr.. Winters paid no attention to
him. He was watching Alex.
SD better tell what he told me-"
| Alex broke in. 1T will be quicker.
| When Jamieson-when Mr.. Jameson
| calls up we can start him right. Mr..
Winters, | found this man trying to
sell that watch on Fifth street. He Of
fered it to mi for So"
How did you know the watch?'
Winters snapped at him.
Il had seen it before, many times.
l used it at night when / was watch
ing at the foot of the staircase" The
detective was satisfied. When he Of
fered the watch to me, / knew it, and
/ pretended l was going to buy ii. We
went into an alley and | got the
watch" The tramp shivered. It was
plain how Alex had secured the watch.
Then got the story from this fel-
low. He claims to have seen the
whole affair. He says he was in an
empty car-in the a the automobile
struck"
The tramp broke in here and told
his story, with frequent interpreta-
tons by Alex and Mr.. Winters. He
used a strange medley, in which ia
miliar words took unfamiliar mean
ings, but it was gradually made clear
to us.
On the night in question the tramp
had been pounding his ear"-this
struck me as being graphic-in an
empty box-car along the siding at
Casanova. The train was going west,
and due to leave at dawn. The tramp
and the 'brakey" were friendly, and
things going well. About ten o'clock,
perhaps earlier, a terrific crash
against the side of the car reused him.
He tried to open the door, but could
moi move it. He got out of the other
side, and just as he did SO, he heard
some one groan.
The habits of a lifetime made him
cautious. He slipped on to the bum
per of a car and peered through. An
automobile had struck the car and
stood there on two wheels. The tail
lights were burning, but the head
lights were out. Two men were stoop-
ing over some one who lay on the
ground. Then the taller of two started
on a dog-trot along the train looking
for an empty. He found n four cars
away and al back again. The two
lifted the unconscious man into the
empty box-car, and getting in them
selves, stayed for three or four min
utes. When they came out, after clos
ing the sliding door, they cut up over
the railroad embankment toward the
town. One, the short one, seemed to
limp.
The tramp was wary. He waited
for ten minutes or so. Some women
came down a path to the road and in
spected the automobile, When they
had gone, he crawled into the box-car
and closed the door again. Then he
lighted a match. The figure of a man,
unconscious, gagged, and with his
hands tied, lay far at the end. The
tramp lost no time; he went through
his pockets, found a little money and
the cuff-links, and took them. Then
he loosened the gait had been
cruelty Highland went his way,
again closing the door of the box-car.
Outside on the road he found the
watch. He got on the fast freight east,
some time after, and rode into the
city. He had sold the cuff-links, but
on offering the watch to Alex he had
been "copped."
The story, with its cold recital of
~villainy, was done. / hardly knew If |
were more anxious, or less. That it
was Halsey, there could be no doubt.
How badly he was hurt, how far he
had been carried, were the questions
that demanded immediate answer. But
it was the first real information we
had had; my boy had not been, MUIR
dered outright. But instead Of vague
terrors there was now the real fear
that he might be lying in some strange
hospital receiving the casual atten-
ton commonly given to the charity
cases. Even this, had we known it.
would have been paradise to the ter
rible truth. I wake yet and feel my
self cold and trembling with the hor-
ror of Halsey's situation for three
days after his disappearance.
CTO BE CONTINUED)