A Frontier Doctor Page: 35

I HANG OUT MY SHINGLE

world, mixing with all kinds of people all over this coun-
try, Mexico, and Canada, had finally run across a sup-
posedly old-time friend and he had picked my pocket!!!
Whew!
My appointment was at the City Hall. I was well ac-
quainted with both the chief of police and the detectives.
I hadn't forgotten how to sprint, so I resolved to fly to
the Hall and in a few minutes set the entire force on poor
John Bull's trail. I started up Washington Avenue at a
gait that astonished the people on the sidewalk. Some
one had opened a hydrant and a stream of water about
six feet wide was pouring from an alley across the side-
walk into the gutter. Reaching the stream, I cleared it
with a leap, and as I landed on the other side, I felt some-
thing bump me in the right groin. Slowing up, I reached
down and there was my watch down in the corner of my
long vest. The lining of the pocket had become worn
through and the last time the watch went in, it had kept
on going.
It will take a strong imagination for my readers to re-
alize my revulsion of feeling at my discovery. But for
that stream of water, John Bull would have been behind
the bars in a very short time and I should never have for-
given myself.

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