Detective Bob Bridger — page 35: what you’re looking at

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

28 - DETECTIVE BOB BRIDGER. tarily reached forth his right hand as if to assure himself — that the form confronting him was an apparition or body of flesh and blood. Becoming mutually convinced that the latter was the case their hands clasped in warm greeting. “Hello, Bobe!: What in the name of Uncle Sam brought you here to-night ?” “Roe Fandon, by the Scotland Yard! And what, in the name of all that’s queer are you doing on this train?” Thus both exclaimed at a breath. “Uncle Sam’‘s business.” “Seotland Yard work.” They answered together. “T took you for a ghost,” quoth Fandon. “And I thought you one. By Jove, you look as pale as one.” ; And Bridger held up his lamp as he spoke. “And so do you.” “But I never felt better in my life.” “Nor I.” “It’s only the glare of that fancy green lamp,” suggested Dan Colgate. “Come here—I want to talk to you,” said Bridger, and he led the Scotch detective to the state-room just vacated by Dan Colgate. “Now give an account of yourself,” demanded Bridger, as the twain sat down. : “Tl hear what brought you here first.” “Briefly, then—one week since, I received orders in San Francisco to repair at once to New York, there to look up a case of smuggling which may occupy a month of my time. I stopped off on my way to see my old superintend ent, and he requested me to run this special down, as he did not wish to take any of his conductors from the regu- lar runs, for reasons he did not care to name. To accom- modate him I am taking the train through. Now, it’s your turn. Goon.” “Well, then, Bobe, I represented the reasons why the superintendent did not wish to take his conductors from their regular runs.” ‘You don’t mean to say that you are—” ‘* ‘Spotting’ the conductors and agents of the line.” “Who is doing it?” “Pinkerton.” ‘And so you are working for Pinkerton?” comicbooks.co