The Alaska citizen., 1911-02-22
The SidetraCkin& of
 Mainline Harrison

burglar starting from home of ap. rauding expedition, leaving behind 8 fond father and a gray-haired moth CT, who. knowing what he was about, did not discourage him in a profess sion so usually full of hazardous possibilities. had already seen a specimen of his skill as pickpocket and I could readily believe that he was no amateur in this other branch of the craft as well.
 They left the room presently, and heard some one rattling of l strain of lively music from a pi- mo on the floor below. slid down rom the porch-roof and waited in
 he shacow of some shrubbery. Then
 he young man let himself softly out of a side door and disappeared around to the rear of the house. l followed closely.
 He went along unsuspectingly, out through the alleyway, until he struck cross-street, then he swerv- ed a half block and continued in an easterly direction - he on business. II out of professional interest; a man never gets too old or too ex- pert to learn. even from a kid
 This youngster was evidently very we'll aware of where he was going, for he went straight to the avenue and waited on the corner for a car toward the city; seeing which, II took post about a block away where the car would pass me, and when he boarded Como car for St. Paul, of course. I caught it also
 About onethirty, think, he left the car in the downtown district of the capital and struck up the hill toward the residence section. l fol- lowed closely enough to see and not be seen. and he led the way to a mansion we once thought some thing of ourselves, If you will re- member-you know, the yellow brick with the vines where Joe What s-his-name worked as chauf. feur
 Young Nervy let himself boldly in the front gate, and went around the side gravel-path like a servant getting in late, while I lurked along the driveway. A dim light glowed in an upstairs window. and he stop ped underneath like a shadow, lis tening. He was quick enough up to this time, and had kept me pretty busy, but here he suddenly became deliberate. He stood in that spot absolutely motionless for full forty minutes, until got the fdgets.
 'I don't know why he delayed; he probably had reason. It was get ting wearisome on me, at least, when something happened to break the montony. A brindle bulldog came around the corner, and, padding softly, approached the motionless figure on the path He paused, sniffed, growled In his throat and approached.
 'I was near enough to see the thing done, but 1t was too quick for me. cnly know that the dog crept nearer silently, crouched, and leaped for the man. The attack was evaded by lightning step aside, there was a gesture too swift for the eye, a kasp. and the bulldog lay on the path, motionless.
 The young man stirred the car response. Then the housebreaker awoke from his lethargy and began to do interesting things. He got 1 out his cord and hook, and com menced action for the window case ment above. I never used this meth cd on stone easement, and would think 1t risky of a fall at least, but | the youngster made a catch at the second trial and tested the cord with his weight. It held firmly, and after minute of silence he went up soft ly, hand over hand.
 At the window he hooked one leg over the cord and rested with his head above the sill. The window had been left open for ventilation, presumably and he began to raise the sash slowly and without the least whisper of sound. It was still drizzling. film of moisture hung In the air and made one damp and dis agreeable, but my young friend worked with, I thought, unnecessary deliberation.
 The window raised, he climbed in like cat, softly and without haste, and disappeared inside Il crept up; the dog still lay where he had fallen, and examined him casually. He was dead. could not find a wound, and his taking off had been SO instantaneous that I suppose the young man had used the old trick of putting a .needle-pointed instrument of some kind into the base of his brain or the spinal cord. It was we'll done, at any rate. and in in the darkness at that. There was no sound from above, O nd os~