The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-03-28
SHERLOCKS ON THE
TRAIL OF THE ALLEN GANG
Hist! Hist!'

f1lSl. Hist.
Like the swish OF an Oriental scimi-
tar. the sharp words cut the frosty
air.
1t was Sherlocko, the Carroll de-
fective. about to whisper words OF
vast import to his husky rough-necks.
Hist! Hist" said the Carroll de-
fective.
Jealous to obey every command of
their peerless leader. the husky rough
necks histed.
Approach and hearkeni" ordered
the chief of the rough-necks.
Around their leader they assembled
-Bloody- Eye. Slue-Footed Billy, Dick
nous detectives.
Dropping into the vernacular Sher-
locke demanded:
Where's them damn Allens?"
At mention of the name the husky
rough-necks fed to trees and boulders-
Even Sherlocko trembled, but he
cooked his gun-no matter If il WASH I
loaded, Anyway, he cooked it.
Where were them damn Aliens?
Everyone knew they had been in
Hillsville. That was beyond dispute.
They had shot up the court and killed
several people. No one denied il.
Since then they had been all over Car
roll and the adjoining counties and
all over North Carolina.
How did they do it?
Sherlocko knew the answer by as
tute deduction. If they had Travelled
on the ground they would have left
tracks. He could find no tracks.
Therefore, they did not travel on the
ground. but through the air. They
had flying machines.
The chief of the detectives explain
ed il TO his men. A shadow fitted
across the moon: Deep in the noun
tains an owl said: Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!'
Slue-Footed Billy tainted. The
other rough-necks fed to the trees
and bOulders.
After half an hour SherIocko
crawled from under his particular
boulder and in hoarse whisper rail-
lied his rough-necks.
Hist" he said.
For five days the detectives had
trailed the murderous gang. BY
careful work the detectives had keep
out Of range and had failed to locate
them except by hearsay and vague
rumor.
From crag to crag the gang had
been fitting ia their luxurious aero
planes, well stock with delecta bic
sandwiches and moonshine of ex-
quisite flavor. Equipped with motors
run by pure moonshine the aero
planes darted hither and thither.
while the famous detectives plodded
remain so, though they were really
valorous detectives, but being unused
TO the fumes Of moonshines they fear
ed to approach too near the neighbor-
hood Of the fitting planes.
But now where were them damn
Aliens?
From Hillsville they had taken
flight into the mountains The next
day they assembled at the home of
Sidna Allen.
The next day they appeared in
North Carolina.
flight Of the moonshine machines
they we're seen in several parts of
North Carolina. But back from the
Old North State they fastened; back
TO their native heath, and a meeting
was assembled at Devils Den, that
where many foul deeds have been
done.
Swiftly deducting, Shelocko knew all
about II, and the next day he went to
Taking flight the Allan gang was cut
ting elghts III the thin atmosphere over
squirrel Spur, that dangerous noun
tain hollow from which no man has
emerged alive.
Thence in their good time they fed
TO Fancy Gap, known throughout South
west Virginia as the one particular
frightful and altogether hideous resort
or the outlaws. Thence in their own
necks
But then the fugitives were lowering
over Chestnut Ridge, a lonely cliff
never trod by the foot of man.
There are still a number of dens and
spurs and gaps and ridges left so 1t
may not be altogether unsafe to assume
that the gang will be able to lead
Sherlocko a chase through the
rest of the week.
sherloeko says the gang is starving to
death. He says they have eaten all OF
their sardines and crackers. He is
satisfied that the outlaws will soon sur
render. or that their whitened bones
will soon glisten in the spring sunlight.