The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1916-09-19

train on the Pennsylvania road, and
when he left the hotel soon after
breakfast he went out, called a taxi
cab, and in another followed him to
( the station of that road He bought q
ticket to Philadelphia and l being at
the window at the same time bought
one for the same city
The train was not an express, but
felt confident that my quarry was go
ing to Philadelphia to sail for Europe.
I determined to prevent his leaving
the country if possible, but wished to
settle the matter between us without
the interference of any one else. How
could l do this?
l determined to give him q clew to
the fact that was on his trail, hoping
that to elude me he would leave the
train. Taking a seat near him l began
to ogle him suspiciously, and 1 saw at
once by his expression that he had
taken alarm. When convinced of this
fact, took cigar out of my pocket
and put it in my mouth and by my
expression indicated that l was eager
for smoke. Then shortly before the
train was to stop at way station 1
feigned to be so anxious to light my
cigar that could no longer resist and
went into the next car ahead, which
was O smoker.
But was on the lookout for my
man. The train had already started
on from the station at which it had
stopped when saw my man walking
away from the track. He had let him
self down from the rear end of the car.
The train was going at q good speed,
but l jumped off and hurried after
him, heading him off from the houses
about the station. Seeing me, he made
in the other direction. Aiming to cross
his track drove him into the open.
He had made a mistake In leaving
the train at very small town. l had
secured condition that l had earnest
" wished for. He undoubtedly had
the gem with him, and no possible 0p-
portunity to pass it to any one else or
to hide 1t. But the French are ingen-
ious people, and he had perhaps
method Of outwitting me that l had
not counted on.
There could not have been any doubt
by that time that l was a detective
seeking the sapphire in his possession.
As 1t turned out he was figuring to get
me where he wanted me, just as was
figuring to get him where l wanted
HIM. He led me along the railway
track till he reached a cut and a turn
In the road at the same time, Then
: he turned and. drawing a pistol, said
to me In broken English:
stop where you are or l will kill
you"
had been routed out Of bed early in
the morning and had started off In
such hurry that / had not provided
myself with my revolver. Somehow
did not believe the man would carry
out his threat, and / kept on toward
him. But he fired at me. Then, to my
surprise. he threw down his pistol and
said:
Monsieur, l do not know what you
want Of me. At any rate am ready
to convince you that l am citizen of
France travelling In America and that
you cannot have any real interest in
me-"
was now convinced that he had got
rid of the sapphire and was very much
taken aback as to how he had done it.
l did not propose to- leave his pistol
behind and picked 1t up 1t was an old
fashioned weapon with single barrel
large enough to contain a large sized
hickory nut
1t flashed upon me that the gem had
been fired out Of the pistol. My man
remained In the position from which
he had fired at me, and, turning and
looking in the direction he had fired, l
saw little ridge of clay made by the
cut. Going to it, soon found a hole
and, probing with my knife, took out
the sapphire. Rubbing off the dirt. L
saw the most beautiful stone l ever
beheld Of the reddish violet color with
an opalescent luster as described to me
by Mr. Ac1ley. Ny man jumped for
me to snatch 1t away from me, but
stepped aside. and he missed me- He
Jams kOs tH( again, and l knocked him
senseless- When he came to himself
again he was too badly shaken up to
resist me, and took him to the station.
l telegraphed Mr. Ackley reporting
the result Of my labors, and he replied,
Let him 60" l did so and the same
evening restored the gem to its owner.