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Show M mm n oici'i I (fPCJRANVILLE CHURCH ' ' W.M.U. SERVICE VliWrnr Lee heard a chuckle a:id looked up to find Curt had returned as silently as he'd slipped out. "Dance? Okay," he said. "Much as I hate the Idea, we'll go one of these evenings. It's a promise. Well. I found out what I wanted to know." He picked up his pipe and knocked out the cold ashes. His voice was careful as he told her of the footprints foot-prints he'd found. "But." he told her, "while 1 could hear your voice Just now, I couldn't make out what you were saying from this spot I was a little worried wor-ried for fear we might have been overheard last night I reckon not. Nevertheless, we'll have to be care-, ful of what we say from now on." "And you suspect Ines." "Yes. If It were only Ines, I could put it down to housemaid's curiosity. But there's this greasy Vargas. I have a definite feeling he's more than a bodyguard a spy on me in the field." Lee said nothing, but her eyes clouded. Sounds from the kitchen now ceased. "Well, she's through for the day," Curt said. "We can make certain. I can watch her leave from the bedroom it's dark. You keep on talking." The back door closed and steps descended to the ground. The bamboo bam-boo drops were down all around the living room so that no one outside out-side could see what went on within. Curt left the room. Lee didn't snick- enough to carry them on to some other place. But he knew he could place no reliance re-liance in them, and from the standpoint stand-point of efficiency it didn't often pay to take them on. In this case, however, how-ever, something In the man's bearing, bear-ing, drooping though it was, didn't quite match the rest of him, and Curt was sufficiently intrigued to pause. Emilio unwittingly settled the matter. He was standing by, eyes veiled. By now Curt could read the native's dead eyes, and the disapproval disap-proval Curt saw there was enough to swing his decision. Curt nodded toward the door and the man followed fol-lowed him inside, Emilio brought up the rear. Lauriano Duro, the draftsman in charge of the office, was bent over his work. "Anything for my attention?" asked Curt "No, sir." The native straightened up, looked at the three, and Curt thought he caught a flicker of Emilio'i eyelids before the draftsman bent over his table again. In silence Curt selected the maps he wanted, together with a bundle of white flags. He took down from a shelf a company camera, loaded it deliberately, handed the lot to Emilio. "Put them aboard, and get some lunches packed at the mess-hall. It'll be better than what they could put up for us over at the levee camp. See to it there's plenty of coffee black." Then, as Emilio hesitated, he barked. "Well! That's all! We've no time to waste." ' itiitY BO FAR: Jeff Curtli and ;S f are already on their way I fibre when ha receives a not I lft Mitchell warning them not to it ayhn tbey arrive In Tierra Libra e, I poth Zora and her husband fcf Mitchell's Job as chief engl-ipjf engl-ipjf Jtruit company that Jeff has I'fcel to 811. Later Jeff's friend " Sson is also killed, and Jeff nttihl employer, Senor Montaya, irlsg him and the Mitchells be- te bad found a. clue to the h thhies going on at the plants- ifcel sinister figures are the com-J com-J imfst. Dr. Toenjes, and the fly. IsaJand Lannestock. Jeff's sus- ST;'urther aroused when the fly. d. Toenjes try to keep a dls-Nj dls-Nj ,aj Army plane from making a a rinding. But when Jeff talks to -, t, Fenor Montaya does not ap- alarmed. . y 0MTINUE WITH THE STORT 3(4 : 3r I CHAPTER XII "'jafriving at San Alejo Curt iefcn much of his children, 3t if the things he most en-fai en-fai playing with them, let-facK let-facK and Buddy crawl over e p foved making them iqueal lAness. And now little Syl-ttjpSell Syl-ttjpSell was an added attrac-fcday attrac-fcday Curt went home ear-fcale ear-fcale sotthi time with them ejafk. nplnt a full hour with the 1 before the clouds let loose -Jteji-minute shower, a daily jai regular they could set bcls by It ksbflwer gave Curt a chance lie children down with a ' ) Jtey wouldn't be too excited fcJ and bed, and when Lee ItoHthem he shooed them up psiand into the house. But j tiled outside. He returned ' ptto basement For here his I aught something of inter-no? inter-no? the play which he couldn't veftigated then without rais-'iclildren's rais-'iclildren's curiosity. lviig room ran the width of sejacross the front screened se) sides a lanai, had 4his avian. Along the front and 4tbs veranda-livingroom was Jbapk of hibiscus, broken only J Emilio departed, and this time Curt definitely caught the flicker of eyes that Vargas aimed at Lauriano Duro as he turned to the door. Curt spoke to the stranger. "All right, Collins, where you from?" "Illinois, sir." "How long you been down here?" "Four years, sir." "Not so much 'sir,' if you don't mind!" Curt was rapidly getting in a mood. The prospect of two days of Emilio was facing him. "What've you done to keep going these four years?" "Worked most of the time, si-worked, si-worked, here and there. I've handled han-dled a Diesel shovel, done rough carpentering, used a transit." "Where'd you come from last?" "I've been up at the Rosario mines on the hydraulic pumps." "Why'd you leave?" "Fired.". . ... . "Drunkenness?" "Yes, sir." "I said I don't like the 'sir'! Well, I don't know what I can do for you. I've got to depend on the men under un-der me and I won't hire booze hounds." 1 ps. A cement walk ran l j j front around the side of hi to the rear, but a two ipce had been left for the fjkl between this and the ce-kCoi ce-kCoi under the house. mm the edge of the cement, "the hedge, were dried mud its Someone had stood on h.j Why? For only one reav iojlisten in on what passed b jhe veranda-livingroom. kro could it have been? The "j?4e broad and indicated flat -ahey weren't large. The ttl is clime didn't run to big -jrt knew, but he sensed these fc i an's prints. Not Lee's, for rs heels. The cook's?. No, if know English and eaves-g eaves-g would have done her no pat is, Curt -had been told N no English. "I'm hungry, Mr. Curtis, and I'm a good worker. I don't get drunk very often. I can keep away from it honest. I'll promise to leave it alone, if you'll give me a chance. I'll " "Don't snivel. Here," Curt sighed, "let's see what you look like on paper. pa-per. Fill this out Make it snappy, I've only a few minutes to spare." The man took the application blank, sat down at a table and commenced com-menced writing. Curt loaded his pipe while he studied the man's back.. He paced for a few moments, forgot to pull on his pipe, had to light it again. "Lauriano!" "Yes, sir?" "Here." He handed the native a bill. "Get me a tin of Briggs and a couple cartons of candy bars. Any hind. Put them aboard the launch and hurry back, I haven't much time this morning." The candy bars was an old trick of Curt's. It was his theory that the more candy a man consumed the less alcohol his system craved. The native hesitated, but under the glower Curt gave him, departed In haste. , Lauriano Duro hadn't the pertinacity of his compatriot Vargas. Var-gas. The screen door had no sooner soon-er slammed after him than Curt approached ap-proached the man at the table. "Stand up-" ' Collins rose to his feet Curt looked him steadily in the eye a moment then reached out and ripped open the shirt It practically came apart. The man's head jerked up. Curt grunted. "Thought sol" Collins' skin was smooth and healthily health-ily tanned and clean I The flesh was At the bedroom window Curt first used only his ears. er this time, but there was the hint of a smile in her voice as she spoke up. "Well, If I could get a date for a dance the first time I talked to thin air, perhaps this time I can get you started on that collection of orchids for me. After all, you promised prom-ised . . ." At the bedroom window Curt first used only his ears. He listened to the pad of footsteps going to the gate, the normal click of the latch. Presently came a 'rustle of shrubbery shrub-bery and he knew his guess was correct cor-rect There could be no doubt The rattan screen at the bedroom window was down. In lifting it aside to peer out, Curt made the slightest of sounds. Instantly his straining eyes caught a flicker of shadow slipping slip-ping into solid darkness around the corner of the house. Quickly followed fol-lowed the click of the gate latch again, muffled this time, but unmistakably un-mistakably the gate latch. He frowned. On the morrow the weather held hot and coupled with the ever-present Emilio, it didn't Improve Curt's disposition. It was midmorning when Curt and bis shadow reached Tempujo for their trip ftpriver. By phone from San Alejo Curt had ordered or-dered the launch fueled and ready. He intended wasting no time here. But the need of a map or two took him first to his office. As he was about to turn into it a figure rose from under a palm and Curt was accosted by one of the mntt disreputable looking tramps et Knew English. Not well, Jbtifch for simple phrases, Jnsint that she understood it ftr. Ines was the maid fur-jb fur-jb Montaya. Mr had left them had in-"btjy in-"btjy stepped into the hibis-U hibis-U jthen up onto the cement' ci this soil absorbed mois-licfcly mois-licfcly it had to be early in iAg after the shower. Per-e4 Per-e4 dinner when he and Lee 'tie veranda above. About e Jnes left for the day. ir.:Curt was quiet and broods' brood-s' lee caught his eye on Ines jrif the girl was In the room; til. Lee noticed, he glanced ee. Lee wondered, but said fouldn't have at the table, 'urjt saw was that the shoes re! to work, despite her flare 8 i dress, were for comfort le They were practically i Jid broad enough for feet hj: gone barefoot through edfTee, Curt collapsed on his r trades, in a comfortable Cf air which he pulled close cotich. He lit his pipe and ngs to the ceiling, and ig-hf ig-hf stack of papers on the b his side. Lee recognized 1 and got out her sewing -.fpers to mend. She knew ftalking when he got ready. i Jhe couch, as he'd planned ttldo. A subdued clatter of nine from the rear as Ines i them from the dining table Jchen sink. Then sounds s Jink. Curt came to.life. want you to talk to your- h while, as though you Jng to me." firm and nara, no riDs snowea. ice man was in the pink of condition, other appearances notwithstanding. "All right out with it, and quick. What do you want?" It was a different voice Collins used in answering, as he tucked the shirt together again and under his belt a calm enough voice if not assured. as-sured. "Just what I asked for, a Job." "Why the disguise?" A silence greeted this. "Quick, man, why'd you come to me?" "I came to see Mr. Mitchell, but got here to late. Mr. Mclnnis, across the river, told me to see you." ' "Why?" "I want a Job." i Curt grunted again. "Collins! Collins! Col-lins! Sure!" The name had suddenly sudden-ly clicked. The man from Henderson's Hender-son's home town more lately from the Zone! "You wouldn't want to see Bill Henderson, too, would you?" (TO BE COMTIMEDJ he'd yet seen in -the tropics.. An American, clearly, but the many days' growth of beard, the filthy rags he wore, effectively concealed what kind of man this was. "Mr. Curtis, sir?" in a cringing voice. "Yes," Curt answered shortly. He hated subservience in a man. "My name is Collins, sir. I'm looking for' work." Curt eyed the man. The eyes were bloodshot and told unquestionably unquestion-ably of hunger real hunger. "Well?" "I'm a good transitman, sir, and I'm good on gas engines or Diesels. I heard you need men." Curt stood silent There were plenty of tropical tramps in these quarters drunken, irresponsible men, all of them fugitives, if not from the law. then from themselves. Curt had sufficient sympathy to give such derelicts a lift' from his own pocket, or a little work if he could j i him a startled look. to know if ordinary on-, on-, can be heard outside," he 'ut she stared, t down his pipe, went to silently let himself out into lb. the ghost of a snicker, I did as asked, keepingier i n as though Curt were be- suppose I might as well J the people I've met I'll S such attention as if you Let's see, there's Mrs. doctor's wife. She's from nia, but she's no Quaker! 5 nds flew at her work while e found there're quite a c : nice people, here. It's a - wuse we have, with pool 'I rd tables, a card room, J ' twice a week." t |