Detective Bob Bridger — page 115: what you’re looking at

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

108 DETECTIVE BOB BRIDGER, ~- “Tl find that out for myself, gentlemen,” returned the Englishman, placing the watch in his pocket and retaining the roll of blils in his hand. “But it is evident that you hunger among you for this roll of. bills. Now, mark me, you shall have them squarely if you’ll do me one favor, and keep that favor ‘dead.’ ” ‘What is that, my man—take you back to the asylum ?” ‘Make no mistake, I’m not crazy—although I soon may be if I am not rid of a trouble which I have on my hands.” “What shape is it?” “A man.” “A man, eh?” ‘Yes, a seedy fellow who pretends to be my friend, and | yet continues to follow me about everywhere.” “Well, why don’t you shake him ?” “IT can’t; in fact, I don’t want to do so either, if I thought he was square. I’m even willing to take money from the bank and set him up; but I’ve got it inte my head that he’s made up his mind to get me in some out-af- the-way place and kill me.” “It might be you only imagine so, or, as they say, area little off your ‘cabassa’ through ‘lushing’ too much.” “Let that be as it will. We’ll suppose that I state the . thing straight. Now, then, if that man and I were travel- ing together—say upon a railway at night—might he - not give me a thump on the head, rob me, dash me from the train, and no one be the wiser ?” ‘He might.” “ And folks would naturally suppose that I fell off; for that’s my idea of how he has planned it.” “Such cases doubtless have been,” returned Goucher. “T have no doubt that in many cases where men have fallen off trains and been killed, if the real truth were known, there was some ‘crooked’ work. So it’s pretty hard to tell, when a man is found dead near a railway, whether he’s been thrown from the train or has fallen off through natu- ral causes.” | “Then there’s my trouble. You see, this man might knock me thus from a train; and the thing seems so easy pet from watching his actions, I’m thinking he intends to oO it.” | oe “ Do you carry much money with you 2” “I intend doing so, for I’m bound for Florida for the winter, and he knows it.” ) “Then don’t carry the money, or else employ a detective — to accompany you.” oo > ie mw , ; “moe * > > - a “x .* a & hing a j j Ht Gp * | <i vary‘ ieee re q ee ee , Why ue oe (ey igh