Short stories, American; United States -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction
Once or twice the cab stopped altogether, and Gallegher could hear the
driver swearing to himself, or at the horse, or the roads. At last they
drew up before the station at Torresdale. It was quite deserted, and
only a single light cut a swath in the darkness and showed a portion
of the platform, the ties, and the rails glistening in the rain. They
walked twice past the light before a figure stepped out of the shadow
and greeted them cautiously.
“I am Mr. Dwyer, of the _Press,_” said the sporting editor, briskly.
“You've heard of me, perhaps. Well, there shouldn't be any difficulty
in our making a deal, should there? This boy here has found Hade, and
we have reason to believe he will be among the spectators at the
fight to-night. We want you to arrest him quietly, and as secretly as
possible. You can do it with your papers and your badge easily enough.
We want you to pretend that you believe he is this burglar you came over
after. If you will do this, and take him away without any one so much as
suspecting who he really is, and on the train that passes here at
1.20 for New York, we will give you $500 out of the $5,000 reward.
If, however, one other paper, either in New York or Philadelphia, or
anywhere else, knows of the arrest, you won't get a cent. Now, what do
you say?”
The detective had a great deal to say. He wasn't at all sure the man
Gallegher suspected was Hade; he feared he might get himself into
trouble by making a false arrest, and if it should be the man, he was
afraid the local police would interfere.
“We've no time to argue or debate this matter,” said Dwyer, warmly. “We
agree to point Hade out to you in the crowd. After the fight is over you
arrest him as we have directed, and you get the money and the credit of
the arrest. If you don't like this, I will arrest the man myself, and
have him driven to town, with a pistol for a warrant.”
Hefflefinger considered in silence and then agreed unconditionally. “As
you say, Mr. Dwyer,” he returned. “I've heard of you for a thoroughbred
sport. I know you'll do what you say you'll do; and as for me I'll do
what you say and just as you say, and it's a very pretty piece of work
as it stands.”
They all stepped back into the cab, and then it was that they were met
by a fresh difficulty, how to get the detective into the barn where the
fight was to take place, for neither of the two men had $250 to pay for
his admittance.
But this was overcome when Gallegher remembered the window of which
young Keppler had told him.
In the event of Hade's losing courage and not daring to show himself in
the crowd around the ring, it was agreed that Dwyer should come to the
barn and warn Hefflefinger; but if he should come, Dwyer was merely to
keep near him and to signify by a prearranged gesture which one of the
crowd he was.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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