The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-11-02
A Smuggler' S
Ruse
b. ARTHUR w. BREWSTER

/ the customs inspector, who Struggled
for long while without being caught
was man by the name of TINKER.
/ Thinker was short, fat man, just
about such fellow as his name would
! Indicate He wore very good clothes
but nothing to attract attention His
countenance was cheerful, amiable,
/ and honesty looked out from every
| feature. He returned from Europe so
often that after awhile we inspectors
came to know him. He was very
good fellow and often. after all his
baggage had been examined, would
! offer us cigars and occasionally make
some one of rs a little present he had
brought from abroad.
"'Here's a bottle of French brandy /
want to give you, old man. he said to
me one day after had pasted the lab
els on all his baggage, enabling him TO
remove it from the dock.
II declined the gift. with thanks, but
some of the other inspectors took such
things, and noticed ever after they
WcEc iiOl Ntlt tHOiOuSu III ctdiNulHS
the givers baggage. But TINKER didn't
care whether they searched it or not.
for they were sure to find nothing duti-
able there except what he had declared.
zone day while walking on the street
| noticed TINKER ahead of me. AS
was going In the same direction, | kept
on fastening my steps n bit, thinking
to join him. But before | reached him
he turned into the store of large i'm
porter Of jewelry.
ut Is marvellous how little things sug-
gest other things of much greater i'm
portance. ! suppose In my case it was
natural enough 1t should occur TO me
that the man was going in TO sell
struggled goods because it is my bust.
ness to look out for smugglers. At any
rate, the idea popped into my head that
Thinkers frequent visits to Europe
might have something to do with the
diamond trade.
Following up the suggestion. l
made inquiries about TINKER. could
learn nothing further than that he APP
peared to have no business, and If he
had any property it could not be found
He lived in the style OF n man who
would spend about $500 year except
for his European trips. 1t seemed like
ly that some one was bearing the ex-
-pense Of these trips,
II made up my mind that the next
time TINKER came from abroad would
search him. II was several months
after this that saw him coming down
the gangplank OF newly arrived liner
He had a half smoked cigar between
his teeth, satchel In one hand and
cane in the other. Jolly as usual. he
was smiling and waving his cane at
some one on the dock turned to see
who was greeting him and noticed that
there was no one on the exact spot at
which he was lookIng-at least nc one
that seemed 10 be interested in him
This confirmed my suspicious.
"'How are your he said when he
saw me. Going to let me through easy
this timer
al can't, TINKER Some one-an en-
envy. suppose-has been telling sto-
ries about you. and we've got an order
from the collector himself to search
you
81 watched his countenance while /
spoke and saw that my Information
startled him. But he recovered him
self In an instant and said
"'All right: search away. | know
man who hates me like poison and
is just mean enough to do anything
like that
81 took him into a private room, and
the search began. The first thing done
was to unscrew the head of his cane.
Hollow, but nothing In II. Then we
went through his clothes. ripped off
the soles OF his shoes. felt the liuing
of everything he had on. looked for
secret pockets In his satchel. Not
thing could we find. We took of
his hat with a view to search for
false bottom In the crown. There
was nothing In the hat, but the un-
covering Of his head revealed bald
spot on the top of it which was near
the size OF half lemon.
'Tunker,' said, why don't you
have that thing removedl The sur
geons can do II and not hurt you a
bit I know a man who had one Of
them taken or without any trouble
g"fwouldn't have that touched for a
farm, he replied. striving to appear
easy. Doctors say that IL they cut it
they'd open an artery and I'd bleed to
death,
"Here was puzzle IL the Wen
was built on to his head to conceafS
gems one couldn't prove 1t without
cutting 1t open. for II looked for all
the world like the real thing. II was
Of purple hue and altogether un
lovely. Nevertheless resolved TO test
II. l applied the sense OF touch. put
my finger on II.
Il am going to operate on II myself
| said. 4 studied surgery when was
young. Sit down In that chair
"Great heavens, man, are you going
A. "a