Detective Bob Bridger — page 230: what you’re looking at

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

DETECTIVE BOB BRIDGER. — 223 Goucher selected the paper he wished, ‘Tom, the Frog,” made a second selection, and Ted, the bartender, and “Jack, the Fork,” each grasped one of the remaining journals. For a time they shifted the papers about impatiently, but at length, finding what they had looked for, spread them on the table, and, bending over them, became deeply ab- sorbed in the perusal. The articles that claimed their attention, as may be readily surmised, related to the Muggins’ burglary. Kach of the papers contained a detailed statement of the affair, and when Goucher had ended reading the version given in the paper he held he passed it toward ‘‘Tom, the Frog,” and, without further ceremony, took “Tom, the Frog’s” paper and began to peruse the account given in it. Thus the “King of the Ken” passed abruptly from one paper to the other, until he had read the statement given in each. Meanwhile strict silence had reigned, and not a word had been spoken. When Goucher had finished reading the version of the fourth paper he suddenly sprang from his chair, shoved his hands into his trousers pockets, and began to pace to and fro excitedly. ‘ The three men quietly read on and paid no attention to im. They knew that when he had revolved the cause of worry in his mind, and settled on his plan of dealing with the trouble, he would let them know Of it. Several minutes later Goucher abruptly paused in his walk, and, stamping his foot upon the floor, roared out: “Curse him! curse him! curse him !” “Who? Old Sammy?” said “Tom, the Frog.” “No, not old Sammy,” snapped Goucher, gruffly. “Well, so far as I see,” commented “Tom, the Frog,” “everything looks right, and no cause appears for getting the dyspepsia over the thing. Sammy and Rachel have testified that two tall men, representing themselves as de- tectives, had entered the house some nights previous to the burglary, and had killed the dog. They don’t say what the men’s business was, and consequently they’re looking for the “trippers” that took you to the country, thinking them the thieves.” “And suppose they’d find them ‘trippers,’ what then ?” demanded Goucher. *They’d languish in the ‘cooler’ and take their trial.” Gomichbooks: (E(0) 1.