Detective Bob Bridger — page 197: what you’re looking at

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

190 DETECTIVE BOB BRIDGER. The party in the corridor formed ina half circle about the grated door, so that all might see and hear what passed within. Videre still sat stolidly staring at the dark glass in his hand. It was evident that he had succumbed fully to its mys- terious influence. Drawing a chair to the prisoner’s side, the Scotch detec- tive placed his right hand beneath and against the hand in which rested the oval ball of glass. “Well, Pere,” said he, in a low, distinct voice, “ you see that your old father, ‘Iron’ Mike Drugo, is here with you?” “Yes—so you are,” returned the prisoner, without re- moving his glance from the glass. “And what have you to say to your old dad?” continued Fandon. eon | en > = 5 . “Times are tough on us, aren’t they?” returned the pris-. oner, as before. “The man is surely under mesmeric influence,” whis- pered the district attorney, and those standing near, in- cluding the railway’s attorney, assented. “Not so bad, Pere,” continued the Scotch detective. “You didn’t think that I would leave you in a flimsy country prison, did you? Why, as soon as I heard of it I was on hand, put my old tricks to practice, and don’t you see, I’ve got you safe here and hid in my hotel at Garson?” “So you have.” “| think it strange you did not write me?” “But I did.” “"W hen ?” | “Twice before I left England, and three times from New York.” “What did you say in the letters?” “TI told you that Godot had suddenly turned up from India, and had come out to the estate. I was there, lucky enough, seeing after the building of a new practice track, and stables for some fresh racing stock I had bought. I never dreamed of his turning up, and wasn’t fixed to give things over to him just then.” “But you thought you would be compelled to, eh?” “Yes, at first. But he told that he had learned he had a daughter living in America, and by seeming to take great interest in the matter, I managed to get him out of England without making legal claim to the property.” “That was good, and what was your plan for America ?” “To put him out of the way, of course.” Eomicbooks.co