Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1911-09-29
CHAPTER VIII.
BrItz Takes Action.

Lieutenant BritZ occupied a unique
position in the Detective Bureau. His
official grade was the same as that OF
Donnelly and Carson, but, by sheer
force of his ability, he had lifted him
self SO far above them that when
working on a case they accepted his
orders like su~bordinates. Britt was
one of the four or five men Of the
entire detective force who could not
be classed as a "stool-pigeon man.
That is, he did not depend on the use
of ~stool-pigeons for his results. He
needed no staff of thieves to inform
him of the doings of other thieves.
His detective ability was developed
to a high degree, combining an acute
analytic with remarkable indus
try. These talents were reinforced by
a rare detective instinct, which often
led him irresistibly to the goal of his
pursuit.
He was a bundle Of twitching nerves
beneath a placid exterior. Nature had
endowed him with an inscrutable
~countenance, an iron will, and a rest
less energy that seemed to flow from
an inexhaustible inner fountain. He
matched his r~esourcefulness against
the tricks of the criminals he pursued
and, having the keener mind, he In
variably won.
Britz's enthusiasm never dubbed to
the surface. He carried himself with
an appearance of mastery ease, as If
he held his impulses In complete sub
lection. There was nothing striking
In his stature. yet he left an impress
sion of hidden strength as of a steel
framework behind q light coating OF
plaster. His eyes, deep set beneath
the arched outline Of his eyebrows,
seemed to emit a mysterious. mex
plicable current hat circled around
n and drew one closer within its
constantly narrowing circumference
The shade Of melancholy that gloomet
his nature was not hidden by the
mask of superb Indifference that rest
ed on his well-defined features, will
their GROWING breadth Of lightly fur
rowed forehead. 1t revealed Itself
with the slightest witch Of his facia
muscles al well as In the dropping
line Of his mouth. BY some peculi
0AASy VI SAS OAOOAp LIS SOhlPACAlOh
a yellow ivory. never varying It's color
under the stress Of the strongest emo
lions. 1t required superhuman cour
age to meet the steady gaze of his
eyes and lie to him. Though some
what abrupt of name and speech
there was something engaging about
him. some subtle magic Of personality
that brought one under the thrall OF
his mind. Almost without the utter
ance OF a syllable, he could bend weak
natures to his will. Only the strong
est persons were able to resist his
domination.
He was n OF those strange beings
who live mostly within themselves
yet there were times when he felt
q desolation Of heart. q longing fol
scr intimate assooia
ton with his fellow beings. On such
occasions, his life seemed to lack
something Of the beauty of other lives
as II 1t had been cast in a more som
Der shade. He could feel a wave OF
melancholy coming on him, and to
avoid It's depressing influence. he turn.
ed his mind resolutely to his work
feasting on the crime at hand as on
some tempting dish. Without knowing
why, the Missioner diamond robbery
held for him a fascination more pow.
erful than that called up by any other
crime within his memory. He recog.
nized surface indications Of a deep
cunning in the conception and execu
ton of the theft. His experienced
eye saw that no ignorant or vulgar
mind had engineered the substitution
Of those marvellous diamonds. The
pursuit of the criminal fairly sparkled
with exciting possibilities, and Britz
felt the thrill of the chase even before
he started the pursuit.
Brftz paced nervously up and down
his room, revolving the incidents sur
rounding the discovery Of the theft
In his mind, but he was unable to pick
q clew on which to work. Nor did the
occurrences in which Donnelly and
Carson participated furnish any prom
Using material.
"I1l begin at the very bottom" he
murmured, "and work gradually to the
top" He sauntered out Of the house,
walking with the air Of one trying to
lengthen moments Of reflection. In
front Of the Missioner home he
stopped, surveying the massive stone
walls, as II trying to hgure the posi-