Out of a Labyrinth. Lynch Lawrence L.

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СКАЧАТЬ and then only, did he do a full share of the talking.

      "Going to send them a 'dummy,' if we can find one with the grit to face the chances. They must suppose me entirely out of the business."

      "Yes."

      "I want an extraordinary dummy, too; a blusterer."

      "Wait," interrupted my companion, beginning to smile, "I have got just the animal. When do you want to see him?"

      "As soon as possible; I want him in the field at once."

      "Very good. This fellow came here yesterday, and he's the greatest combination of fool and egotist I ever saw. Knows he was born for a detective and is ready to face a colony of desperadoes; there is no limit to his cheek and no end to his tongue. If you want a talkative fool he'll do."

      "Well," I replied, "that's what I want, but the man must not be quite destitute of courage. I don't think that the party or parties will make another attack upon a fresh man, and yet they may; and this dummy must remain there quite alone until the rascals are convinced that he has no confederates. There is a keen brain at the bottom of this Groveland mischief. I mean to overreach it and all its confederates, for I believe there must be confederates; and, sir, I don't believe those girls have been murdered."

      "No?"

      "No. But I want our dummy to act on the supposition that they have been. This will ease the vigilance of the guilty parties, and when they are off their guard, our time will come. Where is Carnes?"

      My companion was in full sympathy with my abrupt change of the subject, and he answered, readily:

      "At his old rooms. Carnes had a bad cut, but he is getting along finely."

      "Is he? The doctor gave me the idea that he was still in a doubtful condition."

      "Stuff," giving a short laugh, "some of his scarey talk; he told me that Carnes would be about within two weeks. Carnes did some good work in the West."

      "He is a splendid fellow; I must see him to-night. But about our dummy: when can you produce him?"

      "Will to-morrow do? say ten o'clock."

      "It must be later by an hour; the doctor takes me in hand at ten."

      "Eleven, then. I will have him here, and you'll find him a jewel."

      "Very good," I said, rising, and taking up my hat, "any message to send to Carnes? I shall see him to-night."

      "Look here," turning upon me suddenly, "you are not to go to Carnes for any purpose but to see him. You must not talk to him much, nor let him talk; the doctor should have told you that. He is weak, and easily excited. It's bad enough to have two of my best men crippled and off at once; you must not retard his recovery. Carnes is as unruly as a ten-year old, now."

      I laughed; I could see just how this whimsical comrade of mine would chafe under his temporary imprisonment.

      "I won't upset the old fellow," I said, and took my leave.

      CHAPTER V.

      EN ROUTE FOR TRAFTON

      Over the minor events of my story I will not linger, for although they cannot be omitted altogether, they are still so overshadowed by startling and thrilling after events that they may, with propriety, be narrated in brief.

      I saw Carnes, and found that the Chief had not exaggerated, and that the doctor had.

      Carnes was getting well very fast, but was chafing like a caged bear, if I may use so ancient an illustration.

      We compared notes and sympathized with each other, and then we made some plans. Of course we were off duty for the present, and could be our own masters. Carnes had been operating in a western city, and I proposed to him a change. I told him of the conversation I had overheard that morning, and soon had him as much interested in Trafton as was myself. Then I said:

      "Now, old man, why not run down to that little paradise of freebooters and see what we think of it?"

      "Begorra and that'll jist suit me case," cried Carnes, who was just then in his Hibernian mood. "And it's go we will widen the wake."

      But go "widen the wake" we did not.

      We were forced to curb our impatience somewhat, for Carnes needed a little more strength, and my arm must be free from Dr. Denham's sling.

      We were to go as Summer strollers, and, in order to come more naturally into contact with different classes of the Traftonites, I assumed the rôle of a well-to-do Gothamite with a taste for rural Summer sports, and Carnes made a happy hit in choosing the character of half companion, half servant; resolving himself into a whole Irishman for the occasion.

      It was a fancy of his always to operate in disguise, so for this reason, and because of his pallor, and the unusual length of his hair and beard, he chose to take his holiday en naturale, and most unnatural he looked to me, who had never seen him in ill-health.

      As for me, I preferred on this occasion to adopt a light disguise.

      In spite of the warning of our Chief, but not in defiance of it, I talked Carnes into a fidget, and even worked myself into a state of enthusiasm. Of course I made no mention of the Groveland case; we never discussed our private operations with each other; at least, not until they were finished and the finale a foregone conclusion.

      After bidding Carnes good-night, I sauntered leisurely homeward, if a hotel may be called home, and the ring of a horse's hoofs on the pavement brought to my mind my wild ride, Groveland, and Mrs. Ballou.

      Why had she stolen that letter of warning? That she had I felt assured. Did she give her true reason for wishing my revolver? Would she return my letter? And would she, after all, keep the secret of my identity?

      I did not flatter myself that I was the wonderful judge of human nature some people think themselves, but I did believe myself able to judge between honest and dishonest faces, and I had judged Mrs. Ballou as honest.

      So after a little I was able to answer my own questions. She would return my letter. She could keep a secret, and – she would make good use, if any, of my weapon.

      It was not long before my judgment of Mrs. Ballou, in one particular at least, was verified.

      On the morning after my interview with Carnes, I saw the man who was destined to cover himself with glory in the capacity of "Dummy," and here a word of explanation may be necessary.

      Sometimes, not often, it becomes expedient, if not absolutely necessary, for a detective to work under a double guard. It is not always enough that others should not know him as a detective; it is required that they should be doubly deluded by fancying themselves aware of who is, hence the dummy.

      But in this narrative I shall speak in brief of the dummy's operations. Suffice it to say that he was just the man for the place; egotistical, ignorant, talkative to a fault, and thoroughly imbued, as all dummies should be, with the idea that he was "born for a detective."

      Of course he was not aware of the part he was actually to play. He was instructed as to the nature of the case, given such points as we thought he would make best use of, and told in full just what risk he might run.

      But our dummy was no СКАЧАТЬ