Detective Bob Bridger — page 87: what you’re looking at

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

80 \ DETECTIVE BOB BRIDGER. oining. “Perceiving that it was dark and empty, I sprang nimbly Jae over the door, and alighted safely on the bed against 1t. gh Pi “The mob had now forced an entrance into the hall-way below, and from the noise of the uproar seemed engaged in battle with the constable and his men. ea eh ‘‘A gain crouching low, I lit a match, and perceived that a similar door opened to the room in the rear. | 3 ‘‘Soringing upon the table near, I quickly removed the fan-light, and in a moment more had safely reached the second apartment from my prison. | | “Two rooms now separated me from the rear wallofthe house. Sega ‘‘In like manner I reached the third apartment, butto — my dismay perceived that the last room had a light burn- ing within it, and was therefore occupied. ee ‘‘My would-be lynchers had now reached the second story, and seemed to be driving the constables beforethem. — “They would naturally first dash into the room from whence the water had descended, and finding the method ~ of my escape, advance at once to the lighted ‘apartment to head me off. ae ‘‘Knowing that I had not a moment to lose, I boldly re- — moved the intervening fan-light, and, lo! I perceived a fine, — fat, baby boy, of some two years, lying in the bed beneath me. | ‘““His bright eyes were wide open, and he appeared amused rather than frightened at the uproar which had evidently awakened him. | ‘“He saw me the instant I thrust my head and shoulders through the aperture, and was on the point of screaming out in terror, when, beaming down on him with the bright- est smiles, I said: | nee ““Don’t be afraid, wootsy-tootsy baby Johnny! I am good Santa Claus, what brings good little boys candies! — Mamma told me baby was a good boy, and just see the nice candy Santa Claus has brought baby !’ mae “I had happened to think of the two huge, barber-pole sticks of candy—that unique product of the cireus candy- butcher’s genius—which I had purchased in the show, that Annette might feed them to the elephant on passing forth, but which I had not thought of since. 1 “The baby did not seem to comprehend my words farther __ than that I meant him no harm, but when I displayed the yas Re i. © ie 3 os ale ae ~ — * i. - * AM res » Vise r J AS él . »4 A " i, = L : > ) | | y a ad ~~ comicbooks.com. . a4 é oy er raw R, \ . > Re sama * oe