El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-07-20
The HeraId's
Daily Short Story
AaaAma4e~

to hurry things" he said when one
hurries one is apt to make mistakes n
Donovan, attempting to keep his eye
On Mackkoull, had found him continu-
ally slipping away from him. He dis
appeared mysteriously. Then would
come the news of some robbery and
the question would be asked, where
Is Donovan? The criminal haunted
the great detective. He could never
get him out of his mind. From the
night that his eyes rested on the dead
figure OF the bank messenger with
that dagger thrust in his heart, Don
ovan had sworn TO beat Mackkoull, and
the criminal was always defeating
him. He seemed to have some charm
that ensured his escape from the
hands that were so eager to grasp
him.
In miserable cellar, Illuminated by
a single candle stuck in the neck of
bottle. Mackkoull was seated with
an accomplice TO whom he had brought
some bank notes, the proceeds of a
robbery. when the rickety door was
thrust open with a clang, and a detec-
tive, whose suspicious had been
aroused by something he had over
heard, presented himself before the
startled pair.
Il am detective" he said, and l
some robbery. 1t will be useless TO
resist I arrest you"
Mackkoull's companion, uttering a
cry of alarm, shrank back with a
white face But the master criminal
was equal to the occasion
My dear sir" he said, with a smile,
why should we resist? We have done
nothing I suggest that you should
search US now-at once"
His accomplice groaned MackkouII
had only just thrust back into his
pocket a couple of the stolen notes. If
the officer searched him he must find
them.
Search Us at one" Numbered Mack
koull. Il demand It, Seach us, and see
how innocent we are, And as the
candle is nearly burnt out we will
have another
With shaking hand, his accomplice
at Mackkoulls command walked to a
cupboard and brought out a fresh
candle. Mackkoull took it from him.
wrapped some paper round its end TO
make it fit the neck of the bottle.
and then offered himself TO the officer
to be searched. Nothing, There was
nothing. either on him, on his COM
panion, or in the ROOM The officer
retreated baffled. Mackkoull, taking
the paper he had wrapped round the
candle end handed 1t to his companion.
That paper was the notes.
In the high court of judiciary that
day when the duel between Donovan
and Mackkoull came TO an end, the
detective was at last able to bring
home to the overwhelmed man in the
dock those crimes he had thought
buried in the past years.
Guilty"
The solemn voice or the presiding
judge pronounced the dreaded words
James Mackkoull was to be confined
in the common prisons, there to be fed
on bread and water till the day that
was to see his death.
And this we pronounce for DOOM"
But Mackkoull was not to die by the
hands of the executioner Perhaps the
murder of the bank messenger seemed
to the authorities matter of too long
ago. His sentence was committed to
one Of life imprisonment
A few months later the detective
was summoned TO the prisons. James
Mackkoull he was told was dead, He
could hardly believe his ears when he
heard Of such a sudden fate overtaking
his old enemy
IF you don't believe your ears, you
will hardly believe your eyes," growled
the prison official However, come
along with me and see"
He led him into little cell where
lay the dead prisoner. A few weeks
before Mackkoull had stood in court a
man with hair black as a ravens wing
The hair of that dead man on the
little prison pallet was a snow whitei
Donovan staggered back with a little
cry of establishment.
II said that that man deserved the
gallows." he exclaimed, 81 see now
that life was a greater punishment"
James Mackkoull had lost terribly
in his duel with Donovan, the detective.