Uncle Sam Detective

ty of the tropical and flowery island of Jamaica. Many drowsy afternoons had he spent here with orange juice and a siphon at his elbow and the best of Havanas in his teeth. For Billy, i

portunity to observe Fun Ken and his satellites, whom he suspected of being a p

ight from the electric car that passed the door. The American had gone through the café and out at the back. Fun Ken, who was at the time presiding at the cashier's desk, had immediately disappeared. Half an hour later Fun Ken was again o

for fruit at the other end of the island. He had been sent to the Caribbean because of the difficulty the United

perations for these smugglers, and the Governme

out the Hotel Titchfield, in Port Antonio, and changed his clothes oftener than any Englishman in the place. There he had noted the clumps of idle China

m, where he spent money freely. Likewise was his boat to be seen on

gan, the bartender at the Titchfield, admonishe

d a key. He let himself in. Where the customs house faced the wharf were large double doors through which freight might be taken directly to the boat tied there. The special agent unlocked the

e skipper of the banana boat and Pete

or ten men," s

dy to come aboard,"

" suggested the

ach man when he is stowed away

" assented

" said the smuggler. "I leave

Gard reported to the American consul, who sent a message that woul

merely to apprehend an individual like Peterson. That gentleman should be induced to show the way. Peterson should be "roped." That most effe

hat Peterson was not there ahead of him. He sat opposite his man. The special agent kept looking at his w

. "There is plenty of time. I am

know that Peterson had any such intention. These small matters are of great importance in laying the foundation for getting your man. They talked through the meal. It

half the fare by handing the cash to the conductor. Gard, however, declined this opportunity to save money, f

on as to the hotel to whic

lebank,"

the smuggler. "Come with me, and I will s

ered an opportunity to go to this man's hotel with him a

rtance to me. I shall stay at the Myrtlebank.

sregard for money, and eagerly accepted all his invitations to share a more expensi

l, with a disregard of how he spent his time. He was rather indifferent of his associates, it seemed, and inclined toward those whose lives were free and easy. He was the last man in the world to appear to have any intere

ro boy who waited on him at the hotel that he learned of an opium shipment. The boy had overheard the conve

the center of the Kingston Chinatown. Gard had been studying his establishment. The strange thing about it was that there were constantly two or three hundred idle Chinamen in its vicinity. The presence of Chinamen not at work is a

pium to Philadelphia. A French-American named Flavot, whom Gard had met through Peterson, had been the intermediary. The captain of a t

r the pretext of doing some sort of work about the ship. This negro w

one until the negro went aboard, actually carried out the stuff and was followed to his principal. There

e said, was in Vicksburg, Miss. The poolrooms in that city got their returns on the Memphis races on a loop that was relayed out of New Orleans. That is, the results were telegraphed from Memphis to New Orleans and from there relayed to the smaller cities on a telegraphic

son, but gave him to understand that Gard's morals were none too puritani

oroughly before acting, for it was three days

hat would pay him a hundred per cent. every mont

ce," said Gard, "but if one should drop

about the opium busine

hing," s

r five dollars in Jamaica, and sold fo

gent; "but a man would have to get more than two

t the authorities, and she was loaded with opium to the gunwales, you would no

t," assented

nning those fellows into the States. They are crossing in a steady stream and getting past. It is but around the corner of Cuba and a hundred inlets inviting. Twenty of

uld easily get a backer. But the trouble with all such schemes is that they are good on pap

n be shown," urg

can make all the money in the world if you only had the backing. Then a man with

and a cargo of opium if you were shown tha

hat I am a business man who has made his stake

f a smuggling syndicate that labored along in

r just such an occasion. He had credentials, and letters of credit, and certificates of deposit and bank books without end. The smuggl

hinamen. In the presence of Gard he got quotations on opium from Sing Foo and from Fun Ken at five dollars

ership was to cost him six hundred dollars. He need not pay in advance, as such men as Sing Foo stood back of the association and furnished the capital. Whenever a Chinaman got into the United States he went to work. He was able to earn at least twelve dollars a week. Half of this went to the associa

ese objects for profitable smuggling. But he wanted to see some of the money actually

cans as they pushed off the well-laden boats from the foot of a deserted street in Kingston. He saw the men go aboard. He went deep into the bow of the ship with them and saw them nailed up in a nook behind a wall that seemed to be the end of the vessel. He saw a Chi

d so far as the Chinamen were concerned.

ing easy money. If you are ready for a little run b

g a run back to the mainland as in loafing in the Hotel Myrtlebank, if ther

ger steamer at Port Antonio, bound for Philadelphia. Beneat

he inspectors go through it, but never do such a thing as look beneath the mattress. When they have gone you take the

agent, "is not your stuff

e baggage is examined in the staterooms and again on the pier, as the passengers come ashore

ce that the inspector may sometime l

y for years, and it has never been found. But if it is discovered, we have but to look innoc

to their hotel, and there found themselves each the possessor of twenty cans of opium, for which they had paid five dollars a

in Philadelphia," said Peterson, "

Yes, this man would buy opium. The price for the same grade was the same as before, $27.50. He co

red cans as easily, with ten t

men in Chinatown. He stated that he was able to buy opium at $27.50. The smugglers insi

was to be told of the proposal to purchase a boat for the opium traffic

y. He was willing to put up this money for its value in opium at $27.50 a can as soon as delivere

t was Ferren who had put them into the business. When Ferren was told of the proposed enterprise he would not at first

t he purported to be and, gaining confidence as the plan developed, the Jew finally became

t this point that he was introduced to one Captain Bailey, who had, some years before, figured in a very sensational attempt at the introduction of Chinamen from

here she might tie up, and the time that must pass thereafter before it would be safe to put his men ashore.

ley had all signed, and Gard had gone to New York to get the signature of Doctor Yen. The district attorney's office in Boston was prepared for the arrests when the papers shoul

FFIXED HIS SIGNATU

ge

revealed. With these facts in hand, the Government had little difficulty i

cases of "roping" that any of the Government agents