Mezzoni the Brigand — page 184: what you’re looking at

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

176 MEZZONI THE BRIGAND. Mr. Bush, the detective, had been examining the interior of the cave with lanterns to satisfy himself as to the property there, and to look for any hidden or secret places of deposit. He found in a hanging closet, in the sick man’s room, a series of disguises, and among the rest a mask so constructed as to fit exactly to the flesh, and, indeed, appearing to be the natural skin of the wearer. Beneath the left eye of this mask he observed a scar, painted in so in- genious a manner as to perfectly represent a healed saber wound. “Yes, yes,’’ said the detective, to himself, ‘‘I have heard of this scar more than once.”’ He carefully secured this mask and took it along with him when he left the cave, as an important item of evidence against the leader of the outlaws. ‘“Who is there?’’ said a feeble voice from the bed. “One whom you have met before,’’ was the reply of the officer, as he approached the sick man. ‘‘Ha! shoot him!’’ he cried, as he fell back ex- hausted. | “You are no longer dangerous,” said the detect- ive, aS he looked upon the sick man. | “Only see that he don’t get out of bed until or- dered,”’ said the officer to the soldier left to guard him. The invalid, weak to the last degree, had said nothing during the time of the capture, and had, in- deed, been lying in a sort of comatose state all the while. His arousal was but momentary at the pres- ent time, and he said no more. It was quite a problem with his captors how best to dispose of him, for they could not make up their minds to leave him behind. He was the grand offender of the whole gang, and their victory would comicboo ‘s;com .