Show tike Hots iise aam 0 f take th e bal al miff X JL m mx 1 I ff cc AIM IV I 1 ax if AM Caa bics by eirving bacheller Copy copyright richt by Bac bacheller beller service lc CHAPTER yin VIII continued 1 17 why I 1 want to be there shad urged im crazy to go walt wait till my plan la Is finished and well see eee said the colonel they were talking together when the telephone rang the western union manager was on the wire he wished to see colonel blake and would ome come right over to his room he arrived shortly tram had bad just left hta his office he had brought in a telegram to be seat geat the manager drew it from his pocket and showed it to the colonel it was wa ns as follows to john joan obrien len jr windsor ont canada 83 30 29 27 take lako offer of den dan revel it if cash sent 28 25 23 22 19 tell ville to love and revere our venerable friends for future use uge 10 P I 1 think brock Is if reliable goods in 5 orient argent demand here are numbers thirty three twenty seven twenty five twenty two thirty twenty nine nineteen ten twenty three give five sewel tram its cipher was built on a new plan soon colonel blaka had arrived at the following translation to john obrien jr windsor ont take cash quick to ned lever revere house elouse Broc brackville brockville kville urgent sewel tram you will observe again that the numbers are the key to the real message the colonel said to the boy this time however the counting starts on the last word which Is numbers and goes backward I 1 could have given them a better system but I 1 suppose these boys were in a hurry when they made their plans the colonel turned to the telegraph man inan and asked do you know where tram Is stopping 1 I think that h ba Is stopping here at least when I 1 came in I 1 saw him in the writing room he sat reading a copy of the watertown times theres a long article in it about algyre and the arrival in ashfield of the two pinkerton men the colonel arose saying slip out it if you can without his seeing you dont send this message hold it until you hear from me good night in a moment colonel blake and his bis young friend went down to the writing room there at its long table sat eat the hairy bearded stranger who was waa undoubtedly tram a well dressed good food looking man of about thirty five years yeam he was of medium height his eyes were gray his hair and beard of a reddish brown color the colonel and shad sat down opposite him and began to write tram was talking with a man who sat beside him his manner of speech was deliberate his voice low and amiable his words were well chosen he was a man of some come education there was a touch of humor in certain of his remarks when this appeared he sniffed and gave a little grunt as if thus to signalize its sate safe delivery he said eald of algyre that he be was likely to get more exercise than he needed tram might have passed for a reputable business man who would contribute to evry every good cause causa in his bis community HIS face had a benevolent expression but hla his eyes were active shrewd and cunning canning soon he be arose donned his overcoat which had been lying on the b back lek of his chair and walked to the office and out of doors shad and the colonel returned to their room immediately the boy gave hla his chief an imitation of trams walk and manner of speech excellent I 1 blake exclaimed dont forget it I 1 may see a chance to use 11 you shads chads memory retained some of the strangers sayings ile he went over them again and again before they got into bed you need only a mustache and some whiskers to make a perfect tram at night ill think over the situation ritu atlon and give you words for your part I 1 am sure that the mummers bummers club at the college can supply you with the needed hair in it a moment the colonel added lit it la Is evident that algyre Is in need of ct available cash the obrien telegram indicates it it the fact that he goes tia place placa no BO near the center of excitement an aa brackville brockville Broc kville almost proves it ile he Is desperate my wire will bring him across the river he should have had plenty of money after the killing of perry shad suggested ug theres many a alap possible in uch such a matter the real murderer oets scared he ha holds off he la 19 afraid to draw IL a large sum of money out of the bank it if he be should be arrested he would have to tell what he did with it 11 that was a matter he be thought of lie he prefers to pay in small email amounts that would lead to a quarrel and such a quarrel would be a help to us ns then algyre was a poker player suppose the poker party had fellows in it like charley lintell anti ana old aust doran they could get him between them and easily trip strip him in a night they got into bed the colonel was wan soon asleep but shada day did not I 1 end to easily ile he was elated by the fact that he enjoyed the friendship and shared the confidence of colonel blake far into the night he lay thinking of the great adventure ahead above all he was eager for a chance to offer further proof of his manhood to colonel and mrs blake ile he was now nearly eighteen he felt old enough and of importance even to marry 0 0 0 0 0 0 they were up early in the morning colonel blake wrote a letter to the local telephone manager who was his friend in the letter he said if anyone seeks to communicate today or tomorrow with one ned lever in Broc brackville brockville kville it Is I 1 think important to the interest of law and order in this 0 k 0 there at its table bablo sat the hairy bearded stranger who was undoubtedly tram county which I 1 am sworn to protect that the effort should fall it in ie no less leas important to them that this letter and its subject should bo be kept in the strictest cond confidence dence please burn this when read they reached canton about seven the colonel went to his home and shad to his lodgings the colonel urged the boy to go to his house with him get another breakfast he suggested with a smile that was a consideration which made the boy pause and reflect a moment hla his linen was now a bit soiled moreover he be got a certain joy from the thought that ruth and her mother would regret his failure to appear at their home of course colonel blake would tell of the invitation and his answer so with pleasant words he declined it not forgetting to ask that he be remembered to ruth and her mother he was now getting to be a rather well spoken lad with a great pride in his personal appearance it was wag a busy morning at the office A little attle before noon the colonel sum mooed shad to hla him room sly my plans are complete said the tha lawyer you and the sheriff are going with me we leave on the four train for ogdensburg A friend of mine will take us up the river in his steam yacht I 1 have borrowed a lot of hair well graft it on you and see gee how it looks he opened a box bor containing a wig a mustache and a beard they tried them the hirsute adornments were sufficiently accurate in shape and color go to a barber and get your hair cut close said eald the colonel get your bag ready for a night away and bring it here we shall leave for the train at three forty alve we shall hava a chance to talk as we ride when they were sitting together in a 9 car almost empty the colonel drew a sheet of paper from his bis pocket it contained a diagram and some writing here Is the layout of the dock as an I 1 recall it he explained if the ferry boat la Is in the way I 1 will have it moved on either side there will bo b a group of barrels the kind of thing you look for on a dock among these barrels the sheriff and I 1 will be con coaled he ha on one side and I 1 on the other you would have the center of the stage it Is IB a point of some danger I 1 would advise you to keep out of it and on the side I 1 think that I 1 know an officer in ogdensburg ahu could play the part of tram well enough shads chads courage had not tailed failed him 1 I want to do it the boy urged all right youre toure rn an unusual lad and rd like to see gee you got get the credit for this im sure aure you can do it and ril make the job as safe cafe as I 1 can be standing close to the ferry house when you hear the bout and the signal you will step to the center of the dock and answer with two whistles I 1 expect that algyre will come ashore you will say lot let the boat go A gentleman of your talents should not bo be traveling in a rowboat obrien Is here with a steam yacht come on you will walk toward the rear of dock if he suspects nothing he will follow lie ile may throw a light on you it if he does doea you will look the part if lie he follows follo you we shall close in on him with winchester rifles and signal for the searchlight on the yachts yacht deck winchester rifles rides I 1 shad exclaimed yen yea we kill the man it if we can avoid it the light will daze him if he refuses to throw up hla his hands and tries to draw his weapon I 1 shall put his pistol arm out of bustness business im aia fairly quick on the trigger myself therell be some acme kind of shelter tor for you I 1 shall not know just what or where it will be until I 1 look the ground over you will have ume to get behind it before the shooting begins suppose he get out of the boat he may smell a rat and put back for canada in that case we shall have to head him off with the yacht or run him down it if necessary before he gets gete to the border which la Is far out in the stream it if he comes to that dock he to Is our man the devil save him the they reached ogdensburg and drove to halls dock where the yacht and its commander were waiting sheriff Co colewell calowell lowell had arrived in a buggy he had fiad driven across country with the rifles the yacht was ready to move A surgeon famous in that land was aboard they set out at once on their little cruise up the river now the owner of the yacht was the successful merchant mr shaw of ogdensburg by telephone the colonel had requested the help of his boat and crew in a matter concerning the public welfare belfa re 11 he had further requested him to see sec that a dozen empty barrels were put on board im going to try to arrest a rather desperate criminal the colonel had explained one or the other of us u may get hurt a little therefore we must have a surgeon aboard its only a short trip we shall be back at ogdensburg in the morning when the nature and details of the enterprise were laid before the boats beati commander in his luxurious cabin he insisted on expressing his hearty good wishes with a bottle of champagne walt wait till dinner time said the col onel well drink a glass with you then it la is not to be a careless night I 1 used to enjoy stepping on this kind of a banana peel and slipping down just for the fun of it it jars me to fall these days so I 1 step careful how is the searchlight working its a wonder a kind of a hooded sun said shaw 1 I could count the hairs in your mustache with it a quarter of a mile away darkness had fallen when they reached the dock in morristown the abandoned ferry boat was well out of the way the crew put the barrels ashore the colonel and the sheriff placed them to their liking some fifty feet back from the dock stood a small building occupied during the day by EL a collector of customs no one was on duty there the ferry having stopped the colonel stood a moment looking at it the boy was at his side this will be your shelter the lawyer whispered get behind it as soon as you can they returned to the yacht it put out in the river swung about and anchored downstream down stream a little and about a hundred and fifty feet from the landing far out of the way of through traffie traffic dinner was ready soon they were seated with their host hatt in the main cabin with cocktails and hors doeu on the table when a mart man to Is ruined and ready for the junk heap as I 1 am cocktails cock talla are a consolation said the colonel until one gets wrinkles and corns and a churlish voice a bald head and a rebellious stomach he has hall no need of the consolation of strong strang drink shad did not fall to understand that the colonels remark was aimed at him he took a sip from hla his glass with a teaspoon just to see how it tasted he felt now like a man among men and it seemed necessary that he be should know the taste as well as a the meaning of this thing they called consolation TO BB CONTINUED |