Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1911-09-07

fore had the long arm of the law
stretched hungry fingers SO near his
collar. He went, springing down the
hall in long, soundless strides. vanish
ing into its shadows.
AS he disappeared Maitland stepped
to the door. raised his revolver. and
pulled the trigger twice. The shots
detonated loudly in that confined space.
and rang coincident with the clash and
clatter of shivered glass. A thin cloud
of vapor obscured the doorway. sway
ing on the hot still air then parted
and dissolved, dissipated by the en-
trance of four men who, thrusting the
door violently open, struggled into the
hallway.
Blue cloth and brass buttons moved
conspicuously in the van. a grim face
flushed and perspiring beneath the he'll
NETS vizor, a revolver poised menac-
ingly in one hand locust as ready in
the other Behind this outward and
visible manifestation of the laws
majesty bobbed rusty derby, cooked
jauntily back upon the red. shining
forehead of a short and thick-set per
son with a black mustache. OHagan's
agitated countenance doomed over a
dusty shoulder, and the battered silk
hat of the nighthawk brought up the
rear.
Come in, everybody" Maitland
greeted them cheerfully, turning back
into the study and tossing the revol-
ver shreds of smoke still curling up
from its muzzle, upon divan.
"O'Hagan," he called on second
thought, Jump downstairs and see
that all New York doesn't get in. Let
nobody in"
AS the janitor unwillingly obeyed,
policeman and detective found their
tongues. A volley of questions, to the
general purport of Whats tn meanin'
of all this here?" assailed Maitland as
he rested himself coolly on an edge
of the desk. He responded, with one
eyebrow slightly elevated:
"A burglar. What did you suppose?
That l was indulging in target practice
at this time of night?"
which way'd he go?"
Back of the fiat-through the win
dow to the fire-escape, l suppose. l
| took couple of shots after him, but
missed, and, inasmuch as he was
armed l didn't pursue
| w
unpleasantly at the young man. "Yeh
go along" he told the uniformed man,
nd see f he's tellin' the truth. I'll
stay here nd keep him company"
His tone amused Maitland In the
reaction from the recent strain upon
his wits and nerve, he laughed openly.
And who are you?" he suggested,
smiling, as the policeman dumped
heavily away.
Hickey spat thoughtfully into a
Satsuma jardiniere and sneered. 81
s'pose yeh never saw me before?"
Maitland bowed affirmation. I'm
sorry to say that that pleasure has
heretofore been denied me-
"Uh-huh,' agreed the detective
sourly, 81 guess that's hot one, too "
He scowled blackly in Maitland's
amazed face and seemed abruptly to
swell with mysterious rage. MY
names Hickey" he informed him, ven
omously, land don't yeh lose sight OF
that after this. It's somethin' it won't
hurt yeh to remember. Guess vel
mem'ry's taking a vacation, huh?"
MY dear man." said Maitland, "yor
speak in parallels and-if you'll par
don my noticing it-with some I'm
called-for spleen. Might suggest thai
you moderate your tone? For" he
continued, facing the man squarely, "i
you don't, it will be my duty ant
pleasure to hoist you into the street.
II got a photograph of yeh doinf
It," growled Hickey. Still, seeing a,
yeh never saw me before, guess 1
won't do no harm for yeh to connec
with this" And he turned back hi
the detective bureau.
"Ahi" commented Maitland, polite
ly. "a detective? How Interestingly
"Fire-escape winder's broke, al
right" This was the policeman, re
turned. And some ones let down tn
bottom length of ladder, but there ain
nobody in sight"
mo" interjected Hickey, md Their
wouldn't We been if you'd been waitin
in the back yard all night"
: Certainly not" Maitland agreed
blandly; especially if my burglar ha
known 1t. In which case I fancy h
would have chosen another route-b
the roof, possibly"
"Yeh know somethin' about roof
yehself, donchuh?" suggested Hickey
!, well, guess yeh'll have time to writ
a book about it while yeh-''
He stepped unexpectedly to Mai
!. lands side and bent forward. Som,
= thing cold and hard closed with
r snap around each of the young man
wrists. He started up, face allan
with INDIGNATION fOrgetfu1 Of tho OF,