A Woman at Bay

ilroad ties, over which a kettle was boiling merrily,

the general appearance of things around the camp that a meal had just been disposed of, and that the four men who had consumed it were now determined to make themselves

hat their faces were covered with a hairy growth which suggested full beards; indeed, their faces looked as if the only shaving they had

uilt, and it was down in a hollow beside a brook, so that the light of their fire was effectually sc

men, of the most pronounced types, if th

in the slang of their order; a talk th

yeggmen; and the lingo they talked so glibly among themselves, although perf

ew York detective, and his three assistant

s particular evening, and as soon as he and the detective were alone together in the

d to hear of a character known

ut him in a vague sort of way. I have no particula

ow if you were aware that

e heard of

know wha

man, is

outlawry and lawlessness that goes on from one end of our big railroad system to the other.

ed the detect

or a scheme of robbery, however grand and great, which they do not turn their hands

is means that you want me to find Ho

the idea. Do you su

least, make

ne thing before you

what

those-detectives, I mean-who insist that he

nod

ality an imperceptible, intangible idol, whom hoboes worship, and to whom they r

are correct in that idea,"

know how such things are done. I am confident that the operations of these thieves-these yeggmen-could not have been carried on so

etective. "What doe

onths-I might say for almost a year, and without success. I have employed two of the largest and best

re the r

n; some of them have gone up for long terms; we have proved the cases of robberies against them

he detective, n

our clutches. Each of those eight separate times the prisoner who was s

arrested eight

he size of it. B

t one of the eight wa

act

Go ahead wit

ume-and also in seriousness. These yeggmen do not confine themselves to breaking into freight cars and stations along the line of the road. They burglarize post offices, and even

el

, to find Hobo Harry

el

ry and arrest him, and, having arrested him, could convict him and send him to prison, and, having done that, could prove to our entire satisfaction that th

he King of the

is supposed to be the nam

ective

ake the cas

here isn't a time

ime; that is, of course,

ome time to do the

wn way; only succeed. That is all t

promise to do it in a day, or a wee

all be your own ma

u is finished, you will not see me again until I have got Hobo Harry in my clutches. You

would like to know, from time to time, how

isely what yo

. But what about the other men t

quarters. If there are fifty detectives on the case now, add fifty more if you w

ab the real Hobo Harry while you are s

others who are on the case, and that nobody outside of yourself and the board of directors of yo

tain

every side, if you can. If y

, "that it is your plan to become a ye

r how I may accomp

ho attempted it lost their lives; a third is a cripple for life, minus a leg; and only the fourth, who ended by arresting the wrong man, after all, had any degree of

the detective, "tha

our expenses, Carter. If y

ith my demand for the fifty thousand dollar

redations and robberies committed by Hobo Harry's gang had been remarkable in their

proficient in their thievery, seemed ready to spring up in his place; and so the th

rmined to call Nick

h a character, and that he was the head and front of the hobo gang-their chief, to w

that not one of the fraternity of hoboes who had been arrested could be prevailed upon

president of the railroad had referred as having confessed that each of them was Hobo Harry himself-th

on the case who insisted that there was no such person as Hobo Harry. It was their belief that th

e completeness of the organization of the gang was a sufficient negative to such a st

ick discovered that the yeggmen had carried their depredations even into whole vil

themselves by barricading their doors, and remaining with their guns and other weapons in their hands, while

orked in twos or threes, but often they went about in large band

ees, could have driven them out-possibly. But they were not confined to communities at all; they extended all along the line of the

sums of money, either in the banks that were robbed, or when the post o

ad been broken open, and denuded of their contents; and this often happened when there

wered, and either beaten into insensibility o

ny was willing to pay well for the appre

ter gleaned before he formed any

yeggmen seemed to be most active. This principal thoroughfare for their nefarious trade was approximately

worked; but off the main line the organization seemed

trouble, he called his three assistants together in consultation with him. For he had determined to make use of al

with the case, after which he told them all he had b

e can hope to succeed in this undertaking, a

odded almos

ust do as General Grant did when he decided, against the wishes of his generals, to

mean," said Patsy, who was paying close atten

n appearance merely. It is easy enough for any one of us to make ourself up as a tramp, or a hobo, or

s' business-what do you me

arry behind the bars. We are going to live as hoboes, and do as hoboes do, carrying out a real robbery o

we keep track of what we steal, so that it, or it

goes without saying. Now

is t

nd some from other places, engaged upon this case. If we play our parts as we should p

" aske

the offenses that have been committed. If one of us should get caught, he must play his part even then, for the protection of the

ar enough,"

ant, either. Although it will be some fun to w

mean?" ask

t we? Now we will have some fun in letting others

el

t other side of the fence. We will discover how it

ctive; and Patsy tur

nything you like, on the basis of two to one, t

i, "for I think you will be t

do you wan

each of you is to do his utmost to carry out his part to the end, no matter what happe

hundred miles of railway along which they were to work; and presently

me ago Calamont suffered greatly by the descent of the hoboes upon it. It has not quite recovered from the ef

tted that

to the eastward, "is a patch of woods through which the railway runs. There are a

ed, and h

It is almost an impassable swamp, I am told. I will have mor

id und

ormation there. There are deep ravines and gulches, high cliffs and precipices, and, although I stated in the first place that there

said

there are woods and forests everywhere. Just beyond these woods, to the northward, the forest is almost unbroken for

ck, who was payin

t and low. As a matter of fact, the railroad passes across the spur which lies

can get, I should assume that it is a sort of another Dismal Swamp down there. Men and cattle, horses an

by the yeggmen,"

rth of the track; or, if any of you get there before I do, you will wait there for me, and for the others. Whoever arrives first must build a fire. We part to-night, here, now. You must each leave the house separately, and become los