The Bradys and the Girl Smuggler; Or, Working for the Custom HouseDoughty, Francis Worcester
General
The Bradys and the Girl Smuggler; Or, Working for the Custom House
Doughty, Francis Worcester
American fiction; Dime novels; Mystery and detective stories
Fortunately the box stood as they were lying on their sides.
About noontime their troubles began again, for the freight handlers got
hold of the box to send it over the river to Jersey with other freight. The
detectives were tumbled and slammed about roughly, at one moment resting on
their heads, at another on their faces, then they were picked up by a
hand-truck and banged upon their backs on the boat. For a while they had a
rest.
No one heard the groans of pain they uttered as they were bumped, bruised
and cut, and they were carried over the river.
Here the rough handling began again until they were laden on a freight car
due to go out that night.
The box now rested so that they were standing up.
It was such a painful attitude in those cramped quarters that they were in
misery, for they were face to face, with their bodies bent over on account
of the box being too short for the length of their bodies.
Both had made the most desperate efforts to get rid of their bonds and
gags, but found it impossible to do so.
Some hours later they felt the train get in motion and knew they were on
their way to Buffalo.
The time dragged very slowly.
Hour after hour passed by and the night passed and another day came.
Hunger and thirst were now added to the miseries they already endured and
the strain they were under brought them to the verge of fainting.
Toward noontime the train paused at a way station to take on some freight
and the box in which the detectives were packed was thrown over to make
room for it.
As it struck the floor, Old King Brady struck his face forcibly against the
side of the box and made his nose bleed.
He gave a deep groan and one of the freight handlers heard it.
"Good Lor'!" he exclaimed in startled tones, as he glared around. "What's
that? Sounded like a man's voice."
Another groan from the old detective attracted his attention to the packing
case, and he saw a tiny stream of blood trickling out of it through one of
the cracks, upon the floor.
A thrill of horror darted through the man.
He began to suspect a corpse was in the box, and visions of a dreadful
murder mystery floated through his mind.
"Hey, Tom! Hey, Bill! Come here, quick!" he yelled at his companions.
"What's the matter?"
"What do you want?"
"Bring a hammer here!"
"Did you bust open a box?"
"No. But I'm going to."
"What for?"
"I heard a man groaning in that--ha! Hear it?"
A third groan from Old King Brady reached their ears and seeing the blood,
they quickly realized that there was some one in the case.
Procuring a hammer, they pulled off the lid.
The two detectives were revealed.
Harry was senseless.
Cries of astonishment escaped the men, and observing that the pair were
still alive, they pulled them out of the box and laid them on the floor.
Removing the gags and bonds, the trainmen brought water and bathed the
bruised and swollen faces of the detectives.
This treatment revived Harry.
Both were very weak, and they ached all over.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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