The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1921-09-30

The body lay at the bottom motionless.
huddled up liz such ia shion as to
block the door. Without a doubt hut
that the man was dead, l thrust the
form to One side. leaped through the
opening, and crashed the door behind
me.
turned to the left. afraid of the
bright lights, and the street-cars, and
plunged into the depths of the alley.
l may have gone q mile, twisting and
turning before | came to what
evidently was a small hotel. Here
| encountered a cab, an old horse cab,
the driver half asleep inside. An old
time cabby was not liable to care who
his fare might be SO long as he was
well paid. Encouraged by this re-
Election, stepped over to the curb.
Engaged, my man?"
He came to life in an instant,
tumbling out Of his comfortable
quarters to face me.
mo Sir. l never heard you comm,
sir. Bin a bit quiet about here to-
night"
He stopped, as though just noticing
my appearance under the dim street
lights.
Yer bin hurt, sir?' he asked solicit
ously. Yer coats all tore, and there's
some blood or yer face"
"A small fight, that's all. in a
saloon over west. Any place around
here where l could wash upw
"Sure; right in yere; there amt
nobody around to bother. I'll show
YOU"
He opened a little side-door, and
I followed down a narrow hallway to
a small washrOOm. flung of my coat,
and filed a basin with water. The
cabby turned up the light, and watched
lighted to have some n to companion
with at this weird hour Of the morn
ing.
"They got vel n good 'un, any
how" he remarked. "Feller whut
struck yer must've he'd q ring on ter
make tibet cash."
"There were two of them," / ans
wered, spluttering through the water
l was using literally. II may have
hurt one Of the fellows, 81 you keep
still-will you?"
Me-! Shucks, l don't talk about
my fares none. Thet amt business.
l picked one up night before last
down by the west-side docks, who'd
been In some kind Of a fracas-any-
how. he wus sure scared half ter
death. Locked like q foreigner, an
vas draxgin' 4 grip long with him.
Got of at Jersey ferry, reckon"
when was that?' l was using the
towel by this time, eying the loQuac-
ious speaker over the edge.
Might afore last, Bout midnight /;
I'd he'd q fare down tibet way. an
wus drivin' back empty, when he
hollered to me to stop. Gosh. the
Teller tumbled in like there was 4
ghost after him. an sed l WIS ter
drive like HI"
Had 4 grip with him, did hey"
yep; black, bout medium size.
The fellow wasn't overly big himself.
an 1t wus quite q lug for him; 1t
bumped against his legs when he
toted 1t. l wouldn't a thought nothin'
more bout it, only l got hol' Of 4
paper, an read how there wus a guy
croaked that same night over In
Jersey. It sorter made me think O.
this Teller, just because he was so
ID scared. 1t wus sOrter funny
where he had me set him down, too
after midnight tibet way"
"Where was that?"
"COlmar buildin' on Broad street.
Want a darn light from top to
bottom. He didn't let me pull up
there-not by a d-n sight. l had
ter let him out a block away, around
the orner But somehow I sorter
wanted ter know just where the bloke
went, 80 l slipped OF the box, an took
4 peek. He turned In there, where it
wus blacker than a stack o black
cats. an thet's the last l seen of him.
S'pose he wus the duck who did that
job STRIP
"He might have been, Of course.
Did you report it to the policeT
"Lord. no; If us fellers told the
cops half we know they wouldn't get
no sleep at all. 1 amt sed nothin' to
nobody. Ready to 60 now, sir?
CHAPTER XIII.