The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1912-09-05

| Dodds?"
Built for one and used Big r0ther,"
/ the constable replied, "h"t faint been
used by either, so far as ! know. FOR
a dozen years.
How do you know the missing post
master is there?"
Traced him.
( "HoW?"
Bicycle tracks," he answered with
a chuckle. You were not the only
/ person who discovered that Rouser,
when he disappeared, went On bicycle.
| In fact, Kent, you are a little slow as
a detective. BY the time you had as
| certained that much, | ascertained
! where the bicycle tracks led to and
had even gone so far as to have Dodds
get warrants for Rouser and his ac-
complete"
Il still do not see how you got evil
dence enough to get a warrant for
Crandall Did you find him out here
! with the missing postmaster"
Il didn't say I had a warrant for
Crandall." replied the inspector sharp
ly. Did you ever hear of a John Doe
warrant"
How do you know they are out here
now?" l asked.
Well soon find out. Come on" he
answered. starting across the clearing
almost at a dog-trot.
! There were many more questions
wanted to put to him, but there was
no opportunity, and, besides, doubted
much if he would have answered them.
At first he made little effort to move
quietly, but after we had gone
/ quarter of a mile or more he called
back in a whisper, Quietly now"
We had come to path which led
us through short thick growth of I'M
| derbrush. AS noiselessly as Indians
following trail We felt our way along,
the silence broken now and then by
! the sound Of Dough bent back, or a
rustling leaf. Soon the path brought
I us out on some rising ground. Not fifty
/ yards ahead CT Us appeared the de-
/ serted cottage.
That's it, whispered Dodds.
SSH" answered Davis. Walt
I here!"
We stopped there Just at the edge
OF the underbrush, peering into the
! darkness, straining our eyes to see
/ and our ears to hear. From the one
window in the side of the one-story
log hut dim light shone, proving that
the place was either occupied or had
( been very recently. AS We became
more and more accustomed to the
/ darkness | could see that there were
apparently two paths, the one on
! which we were standing and another
leading off at about right angle.
AS We looked and listened l heard a
sharp crack, like the breaking of a
/ twig that had been stepped on.
The sound, so far as l could Judge,
came from the other path, apparently
a hundred feet away from the cottage.
| turned toward Davis and saw that
he, too, had heard it. He was stand
ing with his whole body tense. his
/ head bent forward a little as if ready
| to spring at any instan Almost un-
consciously my hand went into my
/ pocket and brought out my revolver. l
felt that affairs were rapidly approach
ing a crisis.
AS We listened, another sound came
TO our ears. At first indistinct, it
quickly took the rhythm of footsteps
hurrying along the path, man walk
/ ing rapidly, l decided. The hurrying
footsteps came nearer and nearer. Da-
! Wis now was crouching like a runner
( about TO make a hundred-yard dash.
/ 1t was only minute of suspense
! and yet the effect on my nerves was
indescribable. | wanted to scream
| like historical girl; | wanted to run,
forward or back, it made no differ
ence; | wanted to do something, any
thing-anything but stand there and
/ wait in the darkness.
All Of sudden the form of man
hurrying along the other path became
visible. He seemed to be carrying
something. Davis took two or three
noiseless steps forward and stopped
abruptly. From the shadows, from
! nowhere it seemed, the figure OF an
! other man appeared directly in the
path of the oncomcr.
Hold on here!" it said, or some
thing like that.
With a curse the first man dropped
whatever he was carrying and start
I ed to run. The second man started
after him. With not more than ten
PAGES between them the pursued man
suddenly wheeled. A revolver flashed
and the pursuer with a muttered curse
I fell headlong in the path. The hunted
! man turned and, with headlong speed,
plunged down the path.
AT the revolver shot Davis had
/ leaped forward, and, needless TO say,
Dodds and l We're not far behind him.
Fast as the fugitive was vanishing Da-
1 Wis was even faster. With the move
ment Of trained runner he, the wiry
inspector, quickly outdistanced Dodds
and myself and was close on the heels
/ Of his man.
I AS I ran breathless behind him,
/ hoping TO arrive in time TO help him
! in his capture, ! saw the man ahead
halt and turn. Instinctively knew he
was about TO shoot again, and, raising
| the revolver l had been carrying all
/ the while. without even trying to aim,
l fred in his direction just as / saw