Detective Bob Bridger — page 101: what you’re looking at

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

94 DETECTIVE BOB BRIDGER, CHAPTER XXII. THE INK MARK ON THE SAILOR’S BREAST. “One evening,” continued Dr. Macy, ‘‘while rolling upon the beach and enjoying the cooling breeze from the ocean, I chanced upon a number of wharf-workers bathing. ‘“As I gazed toward them they seemed to become sud- denly excited, and I perceived that one of their number had ventured forth too far in the breakers, and was drown- ing. ‘‘Two sturdy blacks swam forth to the man’s rescue, and succeeded in bringing him to shore. ‘‘Approaching where they had laid his unconscious form upon the beach, I informed them that I was a physician, and they made way that I might view the rescued man. ‘‘T saw at a glance that he was a Kuropean, although his thin features were tanned brown from contact beneath the tropical sun. ‘‘T also thought that I had seen the man somewhere be- fore. ‘‘Directing the men how to proceed in his resuscitation, I observed them carefully as they did my bidding. ‘‘In handling the rescued man one of the blacks by ac- cident tore aside the rough shirt which clung to his breast, and I perceived that the trade-mark of the sailor—a charac- ter in red and blue ink—was wrought upon his breast. ‘‘He now breathed freely, and, dispatching one of the blacks to procure a dram of brandy, I directed that he should be laid upon his back in the sand. ‘‘Stooping over him, I pulled aside the shirt, and, out of curiosity, inspected the ink-mark upon his breast. ‘‘How great was my amazement to find that it consisted of two English flags wrought in a border to surround the name, ‘Alfonse Godot.’ “T studied the man’s features carefully, and although illness and hardship had altered them greatly, I perceived that without doubt they were those of my former coach- man, Alfonse. uy thought, if Alice’s husband was here before me, a poor, sick sailor in a foreign land, what, alas! had been her fate ? r ~ 47 > me ps rae +: (gue eo : : “2 3