ON THE WATCH
The announcement of the constable excited the crowd, and the men and
boys gathered around to look at the queer tool.
“It looks like a big tack lifter,” remarked one man.
“Th’ robbers used it fer a winder lifter,” added another. “Here, Hank,”
he called, “come and see how the burglars got in your store.”
“Now is a good chance for us to get out, without being asked too many
questions,” said Mr. Harrison to Dan, in a low voice.
“Why don’t you want to answer questions?”
“I will tell you presently; I think I am on the track of a discovery.”
“About the burglars?”
“Yes. But come outside.”
Few paid any attention to Dan and the old soldier. There was much
curiosity to view the burglar’s jimmy, and Constable Wolff was in his
element explaining just how the instruments were used, for he had read
about them.
“Dan,” said Mr. Harrison, when they were out on the street, proceeding
toward the new machine shop, “I think we are on the verge of a great
discovery. I did not want the people in the store to question me about
the jimmy, as they surely would if I had remained. They might have
gotten on the track of something.”
“Do you think that is the same tool you mended for that well dressed
man?”
“I am sure of it. At the time I welded it I did not know what it was.
I took his word that he was an inventor, and this was some new kind of
instrument. But now--”
“Now you think he was a burglar and robbed Mr. Lee’s store?” finished
Dan with a smile.
“Yes, and more than that. I think he was the one who robbed the
doctor’s house. He had some one with him, but I am sure he used a
jimmy. Now we shall have to prove that the same person, or persons, who
robbed the store robbed the doctor’s house.”
“How are you going to do it?”
“I think I can apply a few principles of common sense to this case,
and it may result in getting some valuable information.”
“I hope it gets the robbers.”
“That is another matter; but it may. At any rate we shall know whether
or not we are on the right track.”
“But I don’t see how you can tell whether the same person who broke
into Mr. Lee’s store, also broke into the house of Dr. Maxwell.”
“I’ll show you pretty soon. I wish you would go to the old blacksmith
shop, and get me the dividers I used to use. You will find them over
the work bench.”
“I know where they are. I’ll get them.”
“You might bring both pairs. I think we shall need them.”
“I will do so.”
Dividers, it may be explained, are simply compasses, such as are used
in school to draw circles with. They are made of steel, however, and
have no pencil in them, both points being quite sharp. In addition
there is an arrangement so that they can be opened to any desired
width, and fastened there. They are used by mechanics to take exact
measurements.
Dan found the two instruments where the former blacksmith had told him
they were, and brought them away with him.
“Now I think we are ready to proceed with our detective work,” observed
Mr. Harrison.
“Where are you going to start?”
“At Mr. Lee’s store.”
Reaching this place, they found that there were now very few persons in
the vicinity, nearly every one having satisfied his curiosity regarding
the broken window.
“I am glad there is no one likely to see what we are about to do,”
remarked the old soldier. “They might ask too many questions, and spoil
my plans.”
Instead of going inside the store, as Dan expected he would, Mr.
Harrison went to a spot just outside the window by which the burglars
had entered.
“Now if you will hold one pair of dividers, I will use the other,” he
said.
“What are you going to do?”
“I am going to measure the width and length of the dents made in the
window sill by the burglar’s jimmy.”
In the wooden sill were two deep indentations, where the jimmy had sunk
down, as the burglars pried on it, when the thin edge of the tool
was under the edge of the window sash. The two indentations were just
alike, so there was no need to measure but one.
Long practice with the dividers had made Mr. Harrison skillful in their
use. In a few seconds he had set the sharp points at the extreme edges
of one indentation. Then he fastened them there with the set-screw.
“Now, Dan, you hold these, and be careful not to jam them against
anything,” he said. “Hand me the other pair.”
Dan did so. Mr. Harrison then measured the length of the indentation or
dent, in the same way.
“Good!” he exclaimed, when he had finished. “No one has seen us. Now,
Dan, we must hurry away from here.”
“Where are we going now?”
“To Dr. Maxwell’s house. I think you can guess what for. Can’t you?”
“Is it to measure the dents made by the burglars in the window sill
there, and compare them with these?”
“Exactly; and if we find they correspond, as I think we shall, we will
know that the same man committed both crimes.”
“And that man was the mysterious stranger who was talking to me.”
“Yes. Or at least one of the gang.”
“I wonder if we shall ever catch him?”
“It is hard to say, but it is a good deal easier to catch some
particular person, than one of whom you know nothing.”
“Yes, that is so. Oh, I do hope we can catch him, and that will prove
that I am innocent!”
“We’ll do our best, Dan.”
It did not take them long to get to Dr. Maxwell’s house. The physician
was not at home, but from his wife they readily obtained permission to
measure the indentations left in the window sill by the burglars’ jimmy.
“Do you think you are on the track of the robbers?” asked Mrs. Maxwell.
“We hope so,” replied Mr. Harrison, “but I wish you would kindly say
nothing about it, as it may spoil my plans.”
“I’ll not. I hope for Dan’s sake that the burglars are discovered. We
never for a moment suspected him. His mother was an old friend of mine.”
“Thank you very much,” said Dan, his heart warming toward the
physician’s good wife, at her kind words.
It was the work of but a few moments to compare, by means of the
dividers, the dents in the doctor’s window with those in Hank’s store.
“They are exactly the same,” announced Mr. Harrison. “I thought we
should find them so. That slick stranger is guilty of both robberies.”
“The next thing to do is to find him,” said Dan, “and I am afraid that
will be harder work.”
“Yes, it will,” admitted the old soldier, “but the battle has only just
begun. Up to now we have been skirmishing. Now I am going to unlimber
my heavy guns.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I am going to hire the best private detective I can get to prove your
innocence, and arrest the real robbers!”