The Safe Breakers' Gang — page 24: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

* a — _ ss THE LOG CABIN LIB And Quimby had to acknowledge to himself that his ea displayed a superior capability for finding out his plans. “You say this telegram came an hour ago?” the young man asked. “ About that, I should say.” “Who delivered it?” “A regular telegraph boy, to be sure.” ‘‘And did you tell him that [ wasn’t here?” “Of course; and he said that it was directed here, and it was for him to deliver whether you was here or not. And of course, thinks I, if the sender made a blunder it ain’t none of my funeral, nor the b’y’s, for that matter. So I tuck the message and put it in a pigeon-hole, thinking that it was sent here by your orders and that you’d call su it if I only give ye time enough. And begorrah so ye id !” . The sergeant was anew man but keen as a trap, and | although he was not born on the American side of the water he had worked himself upon the force as many others have done, from the bottom of the ladder. But he had a trifle of his national brogue yet, and a full share of his national wit. “Tt is all straight, of course,” said Quimby. “And Ican do nothing except obey orders. But I want your help. There is a coop on your street here that I want watched for a day or two. I don’t want any demonstration made —only to have the place watched, and avecord of those who come and go carefully kept. Will you see that it is done ?” “Mhat I will, sir.” “And I need not enjoin secrecy upon you. You know that that is essential in our business at all times.” “Tvery time, sir.” “Good! Then I will go, and you may be sure you will see me again within a day or two unless you see a report in the papers that the crooks have got the better of me !” Quimby Hall, the “sandwich” of the “three H’s,” little dreamed that his bantering speech was to prove almost prophetic in the outcome. | Yet such was to be the case. | In an hour he was a passenger on a train just pulling out from the Grand Central station; and while he casta sweeping glance over the double row of fellow-passen- gers, a slouching form on one of the short rear seats pulled his hat down over his eyes and settled himself, apparently for a protracted sleep. Quimby did not give this person a second glance. And during the hours’ ride which was taken it did not occur to the detective to look back at the sleepy stranger to see whether he still remained at his post or not. The afternoon was waning into twilight as the “sand- wich” of the “three H’s” alighted at the station where the telegram declared. that the latest audacity of the safe- breakers’ gang had been enacted. The stranger with the slouch hat alighted at the same time, but upon the opposite side cf the car. The town was not a large one, and the station was a little off from the most thickly settled part of the village. The telegram from Rexford Hunt had stated that the safe in the office of a manufacturing establishment had been opened and robbed of its contents a few hours before, and in broad day. It was a regular pay-day of the manufactory, and sev- eral thousand dollars in cash were deposited in the office safe. So much, in brief terms, had been stated by the tele- ram. Of course Quimby Hall had no other knowledge con- cerning the affairs except that he had been in the town several times before and knew the exact location of the manufactory. Without speaking to any one, he now bent his steps toward the factory buildings, which stood a little below the depot, and in a hollow through which a small stream made its way. Lights twinkled from the windows of the factory as he approached if, and he could hear the hum of machinery. The office was in a separate building, at a little distance from the mills; and near it was a long, low building used for the storage of stock. A RY p No. 194. a ee ee - As Quimby drew near the last-mentioned building he saw a familiar figure cross his path and enter at the open door of the stock-shed. ‘Rexford Hunt, by all that’s mighty!” Quimby ex- claimed. His first impulse was to accost his partner. But he de- cided to follow him in silence instead. Within a light dimly glimmered. The detective entered without hesitation, since Rexford had preceded him. But at the threshold he was stricken down by a swift, silent blow that stretched him insensible upon the floor. ——————— CHAPTER XV. A TERRIBLE SITUATION. The dwarf detective, otherwise known as the “tail- ender” of the “three H’s,” was face to face with the most terrible and unexpected peril of his whole career. So quickly did the plank upon which he had been stand- ing sink beneath his weight that he had no time to avoid the catastrophe to himself. He fought desperately at the sides of the opening; but they were only walls of earth which crumbled in his grasp. Down, down he descended with terrific velocity, and to a depth which, to his overwrought imagination seemed stupendous. The plank upon which he was standing descended with him, and in his fall he received a dizzying blow upon the head from it. But, although he was for the moment too dazed to take in his situation with anything like coherence, yet his indomitable will was in no wise crushed, even for the moment. While intense pain shot through every tiber of his being, and countless stars seemed to dance before his vision, he impetuously flung off the plank which rested across his limbs, and sprang to his feet. But it was only to fall again, for he found the bottom of the pit into which he had fallen was paved with round stones, and that the latter were covered with stagnant water to a depth of two or three inches. But the second fall caused some of the cool water to splash up into his face, and this, soothing the intense pain of the wound upon his head, served at the same time to restore somewhat of his natural good judgment and prudence. Rising more cautiously next time, he glanced upward to see how far he had really fallen. The gray sky looked upon him through the jagged open- ing from which the plank had been dislodged. It was fully fifteen feet above; and it seemed that he had fallen into what might originally have been intended for a well, but which for some reason had been dug no deeper. As he stood thus, trying to think of some manner of regaining his liberty from the unwholsome prison into which he had been precipitated, a huge fragment of the wall of the pit suddenly gave way and fell to the bottom. Kirk Hyde shrank back as the mass of earth descended, and barely in time to save himself from being thrown down a third time by its weight. The air was filled with dust, and for a time it seemed as though he were to succumb to the danger of suffocation. But as only the surface-earth that had fallen was dry, the dust soon settled, and he opened his eyes and ven- tured to breathe again. In the meantime he wondered if Tad Silsby and Jules _Jepworth within the hut were not aware of what had befallen the pit. , Even as hethought of this he beheld a dark shadow appear above the opening, and saw a face peering down ‘into the gloom of the pit. a “They can’t see me in this darkness, so much is sure!” _ was the thought of the detective. And he stood still and am awaited developments. _ i He could not tell at first whether the face looking down was that of the youth or of the safe-breaker. But a movement of the looker’s head soon revealed that a ) it was Tad. And the next instant the face disappeared, and the deep, stern voice of Jules Jepworth said, loud xa enough for the detective to distinctly hear: a ‘ - : A oF gris 2h 7S ‘ ; i ate * dx! * C. c° ¥ a. in 5 yr = ~~. hoo ‘Eset pad bt > el tt ‘ r * i al Br cir wie 8 r4 ~ hes Bakes VSR Siete “at 7 1 ts oe a hgh, h-deg TR ‘ sd Wh Ech. « de ag 7*. ee eS og i Pad we