The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1913-06-19

and the secret service men were comb.
ing the country for the thief While ii
was out of order for this commission
TO be placed in the hands of an OTt
slider. the chief had wanted to give
Forrest the rhanrp to redeem himself
and at the same time lie knew IL the
young man was successful thai breach
of red iappism would he forgiven be-
cause of FORESTS former connection
stances of his dismissal
"I'll give you the same clew that the
others have The papers are supposed
to have been taken by small, dark
man who had been hanging around the
building for several weeks. He was
traced, the morning following the theft.
to the railroad station. where he bought
a ticket for New Orleans. At that city
it was learned that he had bought a
ticket for some station further along
the line, but under what name ii is not
known. The man is supposed to have
been employed by somebody-it's for
you to discover, John-and even If you
track Of the instigators Of the theft
The other fellows have eight weeks the
start of you. | couldn't cable. or
would have done so Now, go it,"
So John Forrest started on his quest
to redeem his reputation. His search
was as thorough as it could be made.
and he found genuine satisfaction in
hn hn ho lon nnH
more about his suspected man than
had his brother sleuths.
First he learned that the small. dark
suspect had been seen with com
panion of the same complexion, but of
stouter build This man had not ac-
companied the first man on his fight
through the south. but Forrest learned
that the stout man had taken passage
on a steamer sailing from New York
for Havana. from whence he had sailed
to a Mexican port All this investiga
ton took weeks of valuable time. but
once settled on the trail Of Manuel
Corta, the stout man. for Forrest had
even learned the mans name, the
Americans pursuit was unfagging un-
lage in the heart of the Sierra des Bias
mountains.
Inn there was none, and because be
wore American clothing dark eyes
peered insolently at Forrest from
around adobe huts or from lazily
swinging hammocks under the pecan
trees. II Corta had not moved on the
man would soon be apprised of the
Americans presence there and. taking
alarm, would be away. Forrest finally
found quarters in the home of the vii
lage water carrier. and because the
vendor of the precious fluid is always a
notorious gossip he soon learned where
| COrta might be found. In a broken
mixture of Spanish, Indian and here
and there an English word or a graph
| ic gesture Forrest communicated with
| the water carrier. The generous sum of
money he thrust into the brown hand
| made the man his slave.
The moon was setting over the shout.
der Of the highest mountain when the
water carrier slipped back through the
| thorny undergro with and motioned the
| American TO pass through. Forrest
! pressed forward and saw in the light
of lantern three men. The first an
swered the description of the small
| dark man who had been traced to
! New Orleans; the second could he no
| other than Manuel Corta, who held a
package wrapped in oiskin covering,
The identity Of the third man caused
! him to gasp for breath.
Tall and thin. his white face showing
! strained and haggard in the light was
| the nephew of his old chief in the de-
partment Blake Finlay and he had
! been chums In the old days before For
! rest had made his mistake. What was
Finlay doing here? Was he not conf
dental secretary to his uncle? For
rests heart sank If Finlay's quest
was the same as his own he had failed
in his quest, the eagles call had been
in vain. and Forrest might never have
another opportunity to redeem himself.
But now the loud and angry words
of the men fell on his ears, and he was
conscious that the American had grasp
ed the package and hidden it in his
coat while the dark men were ex-
postuating.
You have tricked us" sputtered the
man Corta, You accepted our bribe
and secured the documents for MS. and
' now that we have made rendezvous
! and are only waiting to deliver them to
the general and receive the reward you
have tracked us down and want your
papers back! Coward" He drew a
knife and leaped at Finlay, and his
companion sprang to his aid.
1t was FORESTS quick shot that sent
the knife spinning out of one murder
Ous hand, while the second report was
followed by yell Of rage from the
small man and instant retreat. Blake
Finiay leaned against tree and star
ed at his rescuer
you ought to be John Forrest" he
said thickly "If you have heard what
this man says you understand the
situa tiOn I've pot tha naDarS ha cly