Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1912-11-20
A Smuggler' S
Ruse
Bv ARTHUR w. BREWSTER

VIVA a man by the name OF Tunker
Thinker was a short. fat man. just
shout such fellow as his name would
indicate. lie wore very good CLONES
but nothing to attract attention. HIS
couutenance was cheerful. amiable.
and honesty looked out from every
feature He returned from Europe Sc
often that after awhile we inspectors
came to know him. He was very
good fellow and often. after all MS
baggage had been examined. would
offer us cigars aud occasionally make
some one of us little present he had
brought from abroad
Heres bottle OF French brandy /
want to give you. old man. hr said to
me one day after | had pasted the lab
els on all his baggage. enabling him TO
remove 1t from the dock
81 declined the Gift. with thanks. but
some OF the othrr inspectors took such
things. and | noticed ever after they
were not very thorough in searching
the Civcr'S ht--age But Thinker didn't
care whether they searched it or not
for they were sure to find nothing dut-
able there exc",,t what he had declared
zone day Waite walking on the street
] noticed Tunker ahead Of me. As |
was going I'm the same direction. Kept
on Fastening my steps bit. thinking
70 toin him. But before | reached him
he turned into the store Of large i'm
porter Of jewery.
at is marvellous how little things sug-
COST other things Of much greater I'm
portance. | suppose in my case 1t was
natural enough It should occur TO me
that the man WIS ~oing in 10 sell
smuggled goods because it is my busi
ness 10 look out for ~mugglers At any
rate. the idea pom I'll into my head that
Thinkers frequent visits to Europe
might have something to do with the
diamond trade.
FOLLOWING up the suggestion.
made inquiries about Tunker. l could
learn nothing further than that he ap
peared 10 have no business. and II ht
had any property # could not he found
He lived in the style Of a man who
would spend about $500 year except
for his European trips. 1t seemed Ike
" that some one was bearing the ex
pense Of these trips.
81 made up ms mind that the mex
time TINKER came from abroad ! wOul
search him 1t was several month
after this that ! saw him coming dow
the gangplank OF a newly arrived linel
He had n half smoked cigar betwee
his teeth. a satchel in one hand and
cane in the other. Jolly as usual. h
was smiling and waving his cane a
some one on the dock. | turned 10 Sc
who was greeting him and noticed this
there was no one on the exact spot 9
which he was looking-at least no on
that seemed to be interested in hin
This confirmed my suspicious.
How are your he said when
saw me. Going TO let me through cas-
this timeT
81 can't, TINKER Some one-an a
envy. suppose-has been telling ST
ries about you. and we've got an ord,
from the collector himself to scare
you
II watched his cOuntenance while
spoke and saw that my informati'
startled him. But he recovered hiI
self in an instant and said:
"'All right; search away. l know
man who hates me like POISON al
is just mean enough to Dc anythi
like that
~ took him into private room. a
the search began. The first thing do
was to unscrew the head of his cal
Hollow, but nothing in It, Then
went through his clothes, ripped
the soles of his shoes, felt the lini
of everything he had on. looked
secret pockets In his satchel
a thing could we find. We took
his hat with q view to search
a false bottom In the crown. Th,
was nothing in the hat but the
covering OF his head revealed b
spot OIL the top of 1t which was N
the size Of half lemon.
"'Tunker.' | said. why don't
have that thing removed? The S
geons can do 1t and not hurt yoI
bit. know man who had one
them taken off without any trouble.
"'Wouldn't have that touched 70
farm he replied. striving to app
easy. Doctors say that II they Gu
they'd open an artery and I'd bleed
Death
Here was puzzle. If the '
was built on to his head to cone
gems one couldn't prove IT witt
cutting 1t open. for 1t looked for
the world like the real thing 1t
OF purple hue and altogether
lovely. Nevertheless resolved to
It applied the sense of touch
my finger on il.
"1 am going to operate on 1t mys
j said. Il studied surgery when |