Palisadian. [volume] (Cliffside Park, N.J.) 1906-current, 1917-12-08
For 'The Palisadian"

For "The Palisadian"
One would think that a person
would come to dead stand still when
an armed guard shouted this, COM
mand at the top of his voice, in such
loud tone that the sound re-echoed
family along the cliffs in front of the
American Can Company. But the
man who was commanded to halt kept
walking, as if he had not heard. It
was midnight, too, and the huge NUM-
ton plant doomed above the river, dull
ly outlined against a pale moon.
The guard was one of men sta
toned in the vinicity of the Can Com
pany plant to watch for possible
alien intruders, who might like to
remove portion of the factory's pro-
file by dynamite or incindiary meth
DDS for reasons not altogether pa
triotic.
He was tall man, of the big loose
boned type, and carried Winchester,
held in his hands ready for action.
Again he shouted HALT" in his
hoarse voice, but the man, who was
carrying bundle clasped close to his
side, kept up his fast stride down the
long dark pier, keeping close to the
high fence.
The guard looked non-plussed.
He wondered whether he should
shoot at the fleeing man. Why did
not the man stop? He knew it was
his duty to shoot, and he could have
done so without getting himself into a
serious scrape, if he happened to NOR
tally wound him. Perhaps it was a
bomb he was carrying. Maybe he
was German spy! Yes, that was it,
he thought, an agent of the German
government assigned to blow up the
plant.
The guard hurried after the man,
at the same time calling for help, try
ing to keep him in sight.
"Halt! or I'll fre!" the guard
called out again. The man did not
deign to hear the warning, but kept
up his rapid pace. The guard could
see the outline of the object the man
held close to his body, as he came in
to the rays of one of the half-dimmed
electric lights that was strung along
the high board fence.
The guard decided that it was now
time to shoot at the fleeing man, and
was determined to fire the first OPP
portunity he had. He began to gather
more coura, now. He could hear
someone following him as ne ran
down the dark pier. The man started
on a fast trot, running as if he was
frightened.
Suddenly, the guard was surprised
to see the man trip over protruding
timber and go SPRAYING into heap.
Quickly the guard rushed up to the
man jumping on him as if he was 60
ing to crush him.
In moment he was joined by
second guard, who proceeded to fall
into the struggle, and in jiffy they
soon had their man handcuffed, still
clinging to the parcel he was carrying.
The guards saw this and tried to Sc
cure the bundle from him. It struck
them that perhaps it was bomb and
might explode or something.
Gimme that" demanded the first
guard trying to wrench the par
eel from the mans tightly folded
arms, but he chung frantically to it.
81 wonder what the deuce it isl"
The second guard said. perhaps it's
a machine bomb. Gosh, we'd better
watch our step, he might explode it"
"Watcha got there, huh?" ques-
toned the first guard, again point
to the bundle in their captive's arms.
The man appeared to be foreign
er; he looked like a Polack or pos
sibly German. He stared at his
captors in sulky grin, as if he
could not understand what the guard
was saying.
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