Detective Bob Bridger — page 30: what you’re looking at

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

rd ~ DETECTIVE BOB BRIDGER. — | 23 first to fall thus into the awful clutches of the law. How terrible! You are now destined, I fear, to pass the few re- maining days of your guilty visit to England in an English dungeon, and ultimately to be taken thence from whence you came to stand your triai—and may the august powers have mercy upon you!” | “Alas! yes. So young! So handsome, too!” sighed Fandon, gloomily, and he snapped a pair of steel “ruffles” on Hanford’s wrists. When he felt the cold manacles clasp his flesh, and his ear caught the rattle of the chain between them, Hanford broke down completely. The abject terror of the captured embezzler was pitiful to behold, nor could he find hope of lenity in the impassive eyes of his captors. They had determined to give the wretched young man a fright which he would not soon forget, and, utterly regard- less of his tears and prayers, they run him along amid the jeering throng, and slamming him into the cab, drove off with him. The two detectives soon had in their possession all that remained of the railroad company’s sixty thousand dollars. The funds recovered were equal to forty-five thousand dollars in American money, aside from which were sundry rare diamonds, and jewels, and a valuable gold watch, which the foolish young man had bought. The case was complete at the hour the Scotch detective had named, and at four P M. Bridger slipped into his hand a one hundred pound Bank of England note. That same night, bidding Fandon a kind adieu, Bridger departed by rail from London, in charge of the captured clerk, and the recovered valuables, and intent on catching a steamer due to sail on the morrow from Liverpool. CHAPTER V. THE FACE AT THE WINDOW. Notwithstanding the best efforts of the railway officials the story of Richard Hanford’s embezzlement and flight gained publicity, and when Bridger returned from Eng- land in charge of the penitent young man and the recovered money it was to find himself lauded in the papers as one of America’s most skilled detectives. To Bridger’s credit be it said his talents enabled him to GEomicbooks co oy