The Argosy for May — page 60: what you’re looking at

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

JACOBI’S JUGGERNAUT, the ride continued in silence, soon ending, as the heavy car ground noisily over the pebbled driveway that led from the highway to Jacobi’s house. He dismissed the chauffeur and hur- ried to his rooms, where he retired for the night, hoping for the rest he needed. But the events of the last few hours weighed heavily upon him, and sleep would not come. The very fact that he would fear to take the rides his doctor had ordered preyed upon his mind, and at last forced him to a decision—he would not let the matter rest where it was, but would employ detectives to trace the highway- men and bring them to justice, With this decision came a determi- nation to lose no time in acting upon it. He resolved to start upon the work at daylight, while such clues as there might be would still be warm. Jacobi glanced at his watch—it lacked five minutes of five. | “By Jove, I'll phone Hart now—he can be up here in an hour or so, and I’ll get him on the case immediately.” He had had occasion to employ a de- tective on two or three occasions, and, being recommended to one named Hart, had found him very satisfactory. Con- sequently, this man came to his mind, and he quickly determined to get in communication with him, knowing he had a telephone in his residence, Jacobi threw about himself a dressing- gown, and descended to the library, where the telephone was located. Some moments elapsed between the time he gave the desired number to the operator and the thick inquiry at the other end: “Well, what do you want?” But, although his voice betrayed the fact that its owner had been suddenly awakened by the ringing of the tele- phone bell, Jacobi recognized it as be- longing to the man he wanted. “This. is -Mr. Jacobi,” he. said.- “1 am in Haledon, and wish you would come here as quickly as possible.” The other was instantly alert, ready to do as bidden. He arrived in Haledon in due course. Jacobi met him at the station with the car, and the restaurant proprietor hur- riedly recited the events of the past night, the detective listening intently. Fd and 247 ‘Thinking the place for clues would naturally be the spot where the affair happened,” Jacobi added, “ I came down to take you there.” ‘It seems a peculiar case,” the detec- tive replied. ‘‘ But let us start for the spot; my work begins there.” “Yes, go ahead, Harris,” Jacobi di- rected. “Do you think you can locate the exact place?” ~ Yes, sir,’ was the reply, as the car | moved off, Hart inquired into every detail, from the time of the accident until Jacobi had left the bedside of the injured man. ‘As far as I can make out at present, Mr. Jacobi,” he said slowly, “ you have had a very narrow escape.” ‘So I reasoned,” the other agreed. Hart then turned his attention to the chauffeur, — : “Stop just this side of the spot, if you can remember the exact location. There may be some clue that might be destroyed if we ran over the spot.” “It is just ahead there—where the road turns sharply,” Harris explained. “Then, stop here,” Hart directed. “ Fortunately, the drizzle of last night was not heavy enough to destroy foot- prints, if there were any left in the soft dirt. Let us get out here and walk care- fully. Keep a sharp lookout.” The three men alighted from the car, and slowly made their way to the spot indicated by the chauffeur, easily recog- ae nizable by the footprints in the soft _ dirt. Hart stared hard at these for some seconds, then remarked: ‘‘ There are plenty of tracks here; but, as they do not lead into the bushes at the side, I judge they are your own. As near as I can make out, the highwaymen must have kept in the hard road when they left this spot—there are no signs that they made their escape by cutting across country. Not right here, at any rate. You passed no one on the road, did you?” “Not that I noticed,” plied. “ Did you, Harris?” ‘No, sir.” Suddenly Hart’s eyes fastened upon something about ten feet from where they stood, and he hurried in that di- rection. Jacobi re- (EO) DOOLK (CO)