IN THE NICK OF TIME
Ben would have liked to accompany the officers, but that would have been
unprofessional on their part, and he did not make the request. He waited
until they had been gone several minutes, when he slipped out and passed
down the street, determined to see what was to be seen.
The chief managed the delicate and dangerous business with great skill.
The first notice the burglars had of danger was from the rear. They were
down behind a screen of dark muslin they had put up, carefully working at
the safe, which contained diamonds and jewelry of immense value. They had
already drilled a considerable distance into the chilled iron, when the
"Philistines descended upon them."
The burglars sprang up like tigers, but they were caught so fairly that
they were borne to the floor and handcuffs clicked around their wrists in
a twinkling. There were only two, and the three policemen mastered them
without difficulty.
But there were two others on the street outside, and they were quick to
discover what was going on within. One of these was Dandy Sam, who ran
forward and peered through the front window. His companion was at his
elbow, and they instantly saw that something was wrong.
They turned to flee, when they found themselves face to face with the
chief and his aid.
"Hold up your hands!" commanded the chief, leveling his pistol at the
villains.
One of them complied, but Dandy Sam fired point-blank at the chief,
whirled on his heel, and ran like a deer down the street. The chief was
not touched, and pistol in hand he started after the criminal, leaving
his aid to attend to the second one.
Dandy Sam was fleet of foot and was gaining on his pursuer, when he came
face to face with Ben Mayberry, who was hurrying toward the scene of the
burglary with a view of seeing how it terminated.
The two encountered where the lamp-light showed the face of each. Ben
knew the scamp on the instant, from the description given him, and the
sight of the flying rascal told him the truth.
Ben had his pistol in his pocket, but he could not bear the thought of
shooting a person, especially when there was a possible doubt of the
necessity.
Ben compromised matters by darting into the road, where he caught up a
stone weighing fully a pound.
The chief was some distance away shouting "Stop thief!" and firing his
pistol over his head, so there could be no doubt that Dandy Sam was
"wanted."
Ben Mayberry stood about as far from the fugitive as the space between
first and second base--thirty yards--when the stone left his hand like a
thunderbolt. As before, it sped true to its aim, but struck higher than
then, sending the scoundrel forward on his face, and stunning him; only
for a minute or so, but this was sufficient.
While he was in the act of climbing to his feet again, the chief dropped
upon him; there was a click, and Dandy Sam was at the end of his career
of crime, at least for a considerable time to come.
The chief started for the station-house with his man, whom he watched
closely despite the stunning blow he had received.
A few minutes later the other three officers came in with their
prisoners, who were caught in the very act of committing burglary.
The aid was absent so long that the chief felt uneasy, and started out in
quest of him, but at that moment he appeared with his man.
"He went peaceably enough for a while," explained the aid, "and then he
tried to bribe me to let him go. When he found that wouldn't work he
became ugly, and I had to use my club, but he ain't hurt much."
His face was bleeding, but Ben Mayberry, with a shock, recognized the
prisoner as G. R. Burkhill, the uncle of Dolly Willard.
The capture of the burglars made great excitement in Damietta, and the
part taken by Ben Mayberry once more placed his name in everyone's mouth.
It was he who discovered the criminals, and was the direct means of
securing the desperado, Dandy Sam, the leader of the notorious gang.
It was a great shock to all, except a few, to find that Burkhill, the
brother-in-law of Dolly Willard's father, was also one of the guilty
ones. But there were others (and among them Mr. Willard and Mr. Grandin)
who were not surprised in the least. The facts in this singular affair,
as they ultimately came to light, were as follows:
George R. Burkhill was the black sheep in a most estimable family, of
which Mrs. Willard, the mother of Dolly, was a member. She was the sister
of Burkhill, and the only one who clung to the bad brother, pronounced
incorrigible by everyone else, even when a small boy. She believed there
was some good in him, and, in the face of protests, she labored to bring
him to a sense of right. It was through her influence that he was saved
from condign punishment for more than one serious offense.
All four of the burglars were duly tried, found guilty, and sentenced to
the penitentiary for ten years. Rather curiously, both Dandy Sam and
Burkhill died during the third year of their imprisonment, and it is safe
to say the world was the gainer thereby.
Some few days after the capture of the burglars, came a glowing letter
from Dolly, who had gone home to New York, in which she said that her
father insisted that Ben should come and make them a visit, and would
accept no excuse for refusing.
"I'll go this time!" exclaimed Ben, knowing he would have no trouble in
obtaining permission to take a brief vacation.
And go he did.