The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1911-03-10

OooAoA, Scucidl lrdIn(
agent C. & P, Mr.
Marden."
All right, Mr.. Cohoon, I get Won
What's wanted?"
This is Bullivants?"
Certainly"
wanted to be sure, that's all. We're
DIT puzzled over here. Can w,
send a good man for some peculiar
work." A'
Why, don't know. You see al,
our crack-a-jacks are out on snecia,
jobs just now. Must you have a man
at once?" '''
lnstantly-else I'll have to try
elsewhere"
All right, Mr.. Cohoon-1u attend
to the matter in person. Be over
right away. Good-by."
And Marden replaced the receiver
on It's hook, donned his hat and light
oVercoat-for the spring breezes blew
cold over San Francisco-and five mir.
utes later was in the elevator of the
call1ornia & Pacific Railroad build
Ing on his way to the Office of the gen.
eral traffic agent.
IL should perhaps be promised. by
way OF introduction, that o. X. Marden
embodied in himself all the abilities
ana traditions of the famous Built
wants Limited whom he served. which
was the corporate or public name Of
tne smartest aggregation of brains
ever gotten together for the detection
OF time, the unraveling of puzzling
mysteries, and the solving of more or
less difficult legal problems.
buiiivants Limited, as all the world
KNOWS, was perhaps the leading secret
inquiry agency OF the nineteenth and
twentieth centuries, with branches in
every capital and an army of experts
IN held and Office at its beck and call
consequently, when every other earth.
~ power had failed-police, secret
service or private detective-Bulli.
wants was very apt to be called upon
as a forlorn hope. Of course, their
charges were high. but then most of
tnelr clients were perfectly willing
10 pay for successes-and that's what
Buliivants practically guaranteed once |
they agreed to take hold Of your prob.
lem or case.
Marden himself was about as little
like the traditional detective as one
could imagine-a trait that distin.
guished all Of Bullivans' men, where.
IN perhaps lay much of their success
He merely typified the ordinary we'll.
TODD and masterful business man. vet
under his brown fedora hat there re.
posed set OF brains which argued
Tor his success in any commission
which he assumed or directed.
As result he was able to meet !
the great Patrick Cohoon on foot.
ing OF equality. The traffic manager
OF the G. & P. was equally level.head. |
ed, so the twain met on level terms Of |
brain scope.
What's the trouble. Mr.. Cohoon ?"
queried Marden, when the usual ameni. |
ties of greeting had been satisfied.
Well" said Cohoon, "a hundred
and ten thousand dollars is the trou.
Bile, which is just leetle mite more
han the G. G P. can afford to lose
every day in the week."
For instance?" queried Marden. 40
me used to dealing with big problems,
amid which such trifies as 100000
vas mere bagatelle.
IT'S this way" quoth Cohoon, pass
ng out a box Of cigars of the four.
or.a-dollar variety. "On March 20 last
'ur freight agent at Virginia City re.
eived and receipted for car load of
liver bars-eight tons in all--worth
approximately $4,000. This car was
outed directly for San Francisco.
where 1t was consigned to Beatty &
'ates, being ultimately destined for
he mint here. The train, No. 4S, was
made up at Virginia City, % cars in
II. Car 22662. belonging to the G.
N. W., was the one containing the
ilver-you know how freight cars
re used Unfortunately by different
Dads until they work their way back
ome?"
Marden nodded understandingly.
Nov, Mr. Marden, here comes the
lystery: Somewhere on this diyt
lon, between Reno and San Fran.
Isco. car 1862 simply vanished of ,
he face Of Gods earth, together with ,
s contents, eight tons OF silver bars
nd neither hide nor hair Of It has
cen seen since!" IL
The metaphor was slightly mixed, 1t
ut we set that down to the annoyance s
ld perplexity Of General Traffic Man.
ger Coh0on. 8
Now" he resumed, "it's up to me
!, find that car-or rather, want =
ullivants to do it. Oh, yes" he went !.
4, in anticipation Of the question +
hich he saw in Marden's eyes, we've d
I'd our road detectives on the job q