Part 49 (2/2)
”It's no use, Charley,” broke in the detective, who had followed me. ”We know you well enough.”
”And who are you?” asked the pickpocket, much disconcerted.
”I am a detective. You are the rogue known as Charley the Dude. You may consider yourself under arrest.”
”This is an outrage!”
”Hardly.”
By this time the second detective had arrived with a policeman. At sight of the bluecoat the pickpocket became nervous. Turning, he suddenly started to run.
But the others ran for him, and soon he was handcuffed. Explanations to the policeman followed, and the officer took him off, and Jerry and the detectives continued on their way.
It may be well to state here that the pickpocket, whose real name was Charles Heulig, was later on convicted of several crimes and sent to state prison for a term of years. Jerry never received a cent of the balance of the money due, but other events that followed made this loss seem a trivial one.
CHAPTER x.x.xVIII.
ALEXANDER SLOc.u.m IS BROUGHT TO BOOK.
In half an hour after the arrest of the pickpocket the young oarsman and his companions found themselves on the outskirts of Brooklyn and bowling along a smooth country road which the detectives said they knew well.
On and on they went, until Colonel Dartwell asked the driver how much further they had to go.
”About half a mile, sir,” was the answer.
His words proved correct. Turning into a side road, the carriage came to the entrance to a large grounds, surrounded by a high board fence.
Over the gateway was the sign:
DR. HALCONE'S PRIVATE SANITARIUM.
”A private lunatic asylum,” murmured Colonel Dartwell.
”Yes, sir,” said the driver. ”You know I told you they said the young lady was a bit off.”
”What shall we do?” was the question put by the westerner to the detectives. ”Shall we go in boldly and order them to produce the girl?”
”Will they do it?” asked Jerry. ”They may be in Sloc.u.m's pay, and hide her away.”
”The young man is right,” said one of the detectives. ”We'll drive on a way and then sneak back and size the place up.”
This was done, and five minutes later found the colonel and our hero walking along a hedge which separated the grounds on one side from a woods.
”Look there!” Jerry cried suddenly, and pointed to an upper window of the brick building beyond.
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