The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1910-10-21

K
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 htsseh when
The stopped and looked at the de-
tectiYe Il didn't steal it. Ar. Win.
ters," he whined. Il found it in thc
road, honest TO God, did"
Mr.. Winters paid no attention to
him. He was watching Alex
! I'd better tell what he told me
| Alex broke in. 1T viii be quicker
| When JamEeson-when Mr.. Jameson
4 calls up we can start him right. Mr..
! Winters. found this man trying 70
sell that watch on Fifth street He Of
| tered 1t to me for So"
! How did you know the watch: g.
! Winters snapped at him.
! 4 had seen it before, many times
| | used il at night when I was wstcA-
! ing at the foot Of the staircase" The
detective was satisfied When he o.
fered the watch to NE. knew IT, and
. l pretended ] was going 10 buy it We
went into an alley and | got the
/ watch" The tramp shivered- II was
2 ain how Alex had secured the watch
Then got the story from this feE
low He claims to have seen tbs
whole affair. He says he was in ar
empty car-in the car the automobile
struck"
The tramp broke in here and told
his story, with frequent tnterpreta
tons by Alex and sir. Winters. He
- used a strange medley. in which "a
miliar words took unfamiliar mean
ings. but it vas gradually made clea!
, to US
On the night in question the tramE
had been pounding his ear"-thi'
struck me as being graphic-in al
empty bOx-car along the siding a
Casanova. The train was going west
and due to leave at dawn. The traml
and the '-brakey' were friendly. ant
things going we'll About ten O'Clock
perhaps earlier, a terrific crasI
| against the side of the car reused hin
He tried to open the door, but coul
not move it He got out of the othe
side. and just as he did so. he hear
some one groan.
The habits of a lifetime made hin
cautious. He slipped on to the bun
per of a car and peered through, A
automobile had struck the car an
stood there on two wheels. The Ia
' lights were burning. but the heat
lights were out Two men were stool
ing over some one who lay on III
ground. Then the taller of two starte
on. dog-trot along the train lookir
for an empty. He found one four cal
away and ran back again The ~
lifted the unconscious man into Il
empty box-car, and getting in theI
selves, stayed for three or four mi
utes. When they came out. after clio
ing the sliding door, they cut up ov
the railroad embankment toward Il
town. One, the short one, seemed
limp.
The tramp was wary He watt
for ten minutes or so. Some WON,
came down a path to the road and
spected the automobile When tn
had gone, he crawled into the box-c
and closed the door again. Then
lighted a match The figure of a ma
unconscious. gagged. and with
hands tied. lay far at the end T
tramp lost no time; he went throGl
his pockets. found a little money a
the cuT-Iinks. and took them. Tn
he lo0sened the gait had be
cruelty Highland went his vi
again closing the door OF the bOX-ci
. Outside on the road he found I
watch. He got on the fast freight ca
some time after. and rode into t
city He had sold the cuff-links,
on offering the watch 10 Alex he
been copied
The story. with its cold recital
~ villainy, was done. hardly knew
were more anxious or less. That
y. was Halsey. there could be no dou
- How badly he vas hurt, how far
:, had been carried. were the questio
~ that demanded immediate answer.
il was the first real information
Vi had had: my boy had not been N
X" dered outright But instead of vas
terrors there was now the real fl
Nc that he might be lying in some strar
; hospital receiving the casual att
.I s ton commonly given to the char
'A0 cases Even this. had we known
would have been paradise to the I
ihs rible truth. wake yet and feel /
self cold and trembling with the
us ror OF Halsey's situation for III
lin days after his disappearance.
TO BE CONTINUED