The Internet Detective Library — page 91: what you’re looking at

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

peak- aving 1 the iown. agged was a I ean loubt, ll this de to n one 3 to be imau’s rooir., think ght to ly that issin’ com- t con- e talk “ the 1 want et this wrt te tokes BELLOWS SURPRISED AND MYSTERIOUS. 85 ‘‘When you get through with this discussion,’’ suid Stokes, ‘“we’ll hand Cadloo over to the barracks, an’ ef I can attend to it I’ll see thet thar’s a charge against him on which he can be held es long es we want him. ‘‘Meantime I want to get at the lay of the land on Taska, an’ [ reckon I'll go over there to-morrow.’’ With this he stooped over the table and began again to exam- ine the map as quietly as if nothing had happened. He spent a few minutes in this wav. »¢king questions about the location of buildings upon the island, and at last said that. the only way by which he could get any satisfactory idea of tie case would be by going to the mine and making an examination on the spot. The question then arose as to howe he could get there, for. the only mode of reaching the island was by small boats. Payton thought thatthe knew of a boat that could be engaged for the purpose, and at the detective’s request he went out to secure it, and a crew, and have it ready to sail in the early morn- ing. Fowler suggested that they should all go along, but Stokes shook his head. ‘*I’d rather be alone,’’ he said; ‘‘I can get on better at the start ef thar’s nobody with me. You see ’’ he added, as if tak- ing everybody into his confidence, ‘‘thdse papers were taken by somebody who was on the island yesterday. ‘‘Now, so fav as we know about it, the only one who left the island was Murdock, yere, an’ Cadloo. ‘‘Of course Murdock didn’t take the papers——"" ‘‘What’s thet?’ exclaimed Murdock, angrily. ‘‘T’m simply arguin’ the matter, and said of course you didn’t take the papers,’’ replied Stokes. ‘An’ we’ve proven that Cadloo hasn’t got ’em.’’ ‘“You'd better not be too fly with your suspicions, young fel- ler,’’ Murdock growled. ‘‘T hevn’t said anything about suspicions,’’ Stokes responded, quietly. ‘I’m simply tellin’ you the man who did this business is probably on the island of Taska now, an’ I can probably get at iim better ef I’m thar alone fer a few hours. Ef the rest of you come on half a day later it'll do no harm. ‘The only business we've left to do to-night is to see thet Cad- loo ts locked up.’’ it was immediately arranged that Cadloo should be taken to the barracks, and the entire party, except Payton, who had gone to emgage the boat, left the office for tnis purpose. Bellows, \,'\0 had been listening to the conversation very care- as Fomichboo “S com