Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-08-04
pavement a sinking figure twisted and

pavement a sinking figure twisted and
writhed after the drunkard, now
spread-eagling all over the street,
Woodhouse Quickened his pace on
the opposite sidewalk. The street was
one lined with warehouses, their
closely suffered windows the only
eyes. Capper dropped his stick, Ia
boriously halted, and started to go
back for it. That instant the shadow
against the walls detached itself and
darted for the victim. Woodhouse
leaped to the cobbles and gained Cap
per's side just as he dropped like a
sack of rags under a blow from the
dock rats fist.
"son of a pig! This is, my meat;
you clear OUT" The bumped black
beetle Of a man straddling the spraw-
ling Capper whipped a knife from his
girdle and faced Woodhouse. Quicker
than light the captains right arm
shot out; a thud as Of a maui on an
empty. wine butt and the Apache
turned a half somersault, striking the
cobbles with the back Of his head.
Woodhouse stopped, lifted the limp
Capper from the street stones. and
staggered with him to the lighted ve-
IL of the Cannebiere, a block away.
He hailed a late-cruising facre,
propped Capper in the seat, and took
his place beside him.
ITO La Vendee. Quai de Ia Frater-
nite!" Woodhouse ordered.
The driver. wise in the ways Of the
city. asked no questions. but clucked
to his crow bait. Woodhouse turned
to make a quick examination of the
unconscious man by his side. He
feared a stab wound; he found moth
ing but a nasty cut on the head, made
by brass knuckles. With the wine
helping. any sort Of a blow would
have put Capper out. he reflected.
Woodhouse turned his back IN the
bundle of clothes and reached for the
malacca stick. Even in his coma its
owner grasped it tenaciously at mid
length. Without trying to disengage
the clasp. Woodhouse gripped the
wood near the crook Of the handle
with his left hand while with his right
he applied torsion above. The crook
turned on hidden threads and came
off in his hand. An exploring fore
finger in the exposed hollow end of
the cane encountered a rolled wisp Of
paper. Woodhouse pocketed this,
substituted in its place a thin clean
sheet torn from a card-case memo
randum, then screwed the crook on
the stick down on the secret 'recep-
tacle. BY the light Of a match he as
sured himself the paper he had taken
from the cane was what he wanted.
Larceny from the person-guilty,"
he murmuded. with a wry smile Of
distaste. But assault-unpreneditat-
The conveyance trundled down a
long spit Of stone and stopped by the
side of a black hull, spotted with
round eyes of light. The driver, scent
ing a tip, helped Woodhouse lift Cap
per to the ground and prop him
against a bulkhead. A bos'n, sum-
from La Vendee by the cab
by's whistle. heard Woodhouse's ex-
PLANTATION with sympathy
Occasionally, yes, m'sieu, the pass
engers from Marseilles have these re-
grets at parting" he gravely COM
mented, accepting the ticket Wood
house had rummaged from the UNI
conscious mans wallet and a
crinkled note from Woodhouse's. Up
the %gangplank. feet first, went the new
agent Of the Wilhelmstrasse. The one
who called himself Captain in his
majesty's signal service" returned to
his hotel.
At dawn, La vendee cleared the
harbor for Alexandria via Malta.
bearing a very sick Billy Capper to
his destiny. Five hours later the
Castle liner, Castle Claire, for the
Cape via Alexandria and Suez direct,
sailed out Of the Old Port, among her
passengers a Captain Woodhouse.