Detective Bob Bridger — page 131: what you’re looking at

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

124 DETECTIVE BOB BRIDGER. _ vat talks mit a strange, piccolo, high-pitch voice his orders.” At this point the Scotch detective’s manner changed, and he looked up pleasantly toward the loquacious host, which seemed to encourage the German to continue. “Vell,” continued the landlord, “burty soon comes in, quite boldly, a thin man vat look asif he vas bad gon- sumpted. He vas quite good dressed, and walked toa dable, vile his gontinued, eonfounded hicchew cough seems at vonce to make de English shentlemans mad.” “Was he a friend of the English gentleman?” asked the Scotch detective. “No, I know he vas strange to each other. But dot English shentlemans eat mit me often pefore, and I fear me dot man vould insult him mit his hicchew cough. But, ven I think of it, dat bad gonsumpted man vas de cratest owner of cheek—genuvine touble-plated, copper bottomed, iron-riveted cheek vat I ever smelt. For he vas all ber- — fumed up bleasantly mit—vat you call, it—night-howling- serious berfume, and wore such law-de dock kid gloves. “Well, yelled out dot bad gonsumpted man to de vaiter: “* Hic- chew | hic-chew! Vaiter!’ “T vas half ina doze, und I vake up to think de cook vas cutting mit his saw a bone. “Ven de vaiter come dot bad gonsumpted man points to de dable, and say: “< Hic-chew ! May I sit here, vaiter ?? “«Sure,’ de vaiter said. ‘Vat should I serve you?’ ‘And he hands dot bad gonsumpted man bill of fare. “Vell, mit a couple of dose hic-chews he glanced by it, and say to de vaiter : “*Hic—chew! Might I have anydings vat I shoose vat is here ?’ «Sure, of course,’ said de vaiter, vile I say to myself dot bad gonsumpted man vas some quiet, modest country shentlemans vat knows not de vay of business in New York. “<Hic-chew! You vas very kind,’ he then said. ‘SoI vould say a blate of nice chicken SUD eee !—to begin mit.’ ‘‘ And.dis he said should be followed by speckled trot: vorth two dollars a piece—filet de turbot a la Holandaise venison, Creole style, and apple fritters a la maitre du hotel. “*Vell, good cracious! vat have I caught?’ dat’s vat t : nm Eomicboo Se col oN a ei: y %