Show The Men on the Dead Mans Man's Chest By Clifford Raymond Service See Copyright Cop Th The Tho Dobbs Bobbs Co CHAPTER XIII XIII XIII-Continued Continued 13 13 I 1 wanted Blair to find me doing this Oils he ho said and I knew lie he would Ive I've been fond fontI of the big fathead I guess uess I 1 had to put him hima a little on n his Ills guard Even Een If it wont won't do him I un uny good A sucker never gets a break brenk but Acton thinks s hes he's on to tome tome tome me now You'd not be surprised would you Lieutenant If It he got me tonight He lie wont won't but he thinks hell he'll do It some time and he thinks Ive I've e given him reason renson and cau cause e. e So you see Im I'm playing square but you cant can't play square with a n fellow who never has hns a chance Come clear Ashley That was a promIse What do you want details for Honestly I was using you and antI MaIsIe a bit tonight I 1 knew Blair would be here You would know wouldn't you Stanton that Blair and I would have to finIsh what Trembly began when hen he met Dunn Cla Clayton laylon t n nIn in the Dutch Mill You wouldn't have any Illusion that Blair and I could live in sweetness and light You can start a n panic easier casler than you can stop it What call have I 1 to trust Blair and what call has he le to trust me You cant can't live Ive always wondering when your our old pals pal's going going- to stick a knife in you if it you dont don't stick a knife In hIm ilm As a It matter matler of fact Lieutenant Lieuten LIeuten- ant any other combination of the six might have come conic to a trustworthy trustworthy trustworthy trust trust- worthy agreement better than Blair I and I could Hes He's a simple sO sort of I brute It might take him six l nUis' nUis to re realize that he was vas going to ki kill kiil killme 1 me That's taking too m ji u h hIn In n the case ease of me because ss o i I as Roberts went out of the window Backward I knew that I had to kill Blair Now Ive I've a n clear con con- science What did you do to Turner down clown In the jungle the lieutenant asked Double crossed him said Ashley What tb do clo you want details for Double-crossed Double him What else makes a man mad for ever We were all nil crazy What do you think we were doing Keep leep on guessing We Ve were hunting for tor Inca gold Beat that I dont want even to think of it Youve You've got a general Idea of the story Guess at the rest of it We didn't do much to him considering considering con can who vho we were and where we were Just stole his map he map he had hatI hadn hada a n map map all all these things start start with maps maps and and left him to die He didn't have a chance fever The he trouble was the tough old devil didn't die Ill I'll say for Blair that he did want to shoot Turner or knock him on the head but that would have been murder and Lieutenant you know v how w we feel about murder We restrained Blair He ne always was too downright We said wed we'd io ioto go goto goto to get help for Turner His map was no good No map ever Is We Just barely got out alive And we couldn't have ha found our way back to him If It we had wanted to We didn't want to I dont don't know how Turner ever found his way out I never asked him and he never mentioned mentioned men men- It All in a lifetime both ways You can always laugh it off or fight it out You say you stole stoIc the map What map The Inca-gold Inca map where it was buried Theres There's always s 's a map with burled gold That's the whole ole story Turner was a man to do extraordinary extraordinary ex ex- things crazy things He liked them He wanted his money hard and he didn't object to makIng making mak malc ing it hard Generous-fisted Generous devil but he liked gold I guess he be liked the look and feel of It It He ITe liked to hear the ring of one of his own double eagles on a n bar He liked to feel the weight of a money belt around his waist and If he was vas carrying carrying carrying car car- It In a tough gambling house or oil on field fleW or mining camp he be was happier A great guy He lie was the fellow who was born to hunt the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow rainbow rain rain- bow and probably find it Freehanded hand Free ed fellow and square The liThe square fellow you double- double crossed tl th the lieutenant said You mal make e murder seem like a public duty it the truth Too bad you cant can't alwn always s 's pick the fellow for your dirt You have to take them themas as fiS they come Spanish gold that was what Turner was headed for Some Sonic fellow had sold him a map He wasn't the only one who ever went for lor burled treasure They're at It yet ret There here are some fools hunting for that Inca gold right now The They'll ll keep at it Couldn't you get geta a little excited e. by a map showing Spanish gold Inca gold Turner picked up a gang and went for it Most of us were broke He got Blair mall and me off a cattle boat at nt New Orleans Roberts had been tr tryIng try try- Ing to stake himself for another whirl at the gambling joints Clayton Clayton Clayton Clay Clay- ton he bad found loafing In St. St Louis Clayton wasn't broke lie He had hud been heen with Turner before on some flome Alaskan prospecting that pan out I think lie he found Trembly and Brown in Memphis contemplating filling their pockets from other fellows fellow's pockets There wasn't much to it All of us took tool Spanish gold on the brain Turner got sick In the Jungle We stole his map because he wouldn't give It II up and left him dying Ing and h Clayton ton had some idea of trying to get help to him biD when we wouldn't and couldn't carry him out We wouldn't because it was no use The map wasn't any use either cither We were In luck to get out alive and we weren't much alive nIlve The trouble trouble trouble trou trou- ble was Turner didn't die e and he did get out Well the boys have been pa paying Ing for It Turner got out That was a break brenk for him Lets Let's turn around now and amI look 1001 at Mr Blair Maisie about how long did you find Mr Blair a dependable citIzen citizen citizen cit cit- cit cit- izen Please dont don't Howard the woman Woman woman wom wom- an said Excuse me MaIsie Malsie Sorry but you'll not mind if I say It was about a month No reflection on you Its It's just Acton Where Is the old de devil n sitting Oh there thee he Is see over oyer there Never mind looking at Ac Ac- ton Weve We've seen him before Give Gh-e his Ills lady a look Beauty You ou dont don't know the half of It I do I introduced Introduced introduced in in- Mr Blair to that lady When less than tn a month from now Acton tells that lady he hc thinks hell he'll be on his way he will be but he wont won't know where Nemesis MaIsie Acton Is on his way to the cor cor- oner There you ou are Lieutenant murder as ns plain as os day Poor Acton Acton Acton Ac Ac- ton no chance Do you ou want to take me in charge Mr Blair hasn't a chance He Lie hasn't half balf the chance of Clayton la ton in the Dutch Mill Mm of Brown against the hunting knife of Trembly with the red lights out or of Roberts with tile tie open window What hes he's up against Is temperament tempera tempera- ment his own and the In ladys ys I know the lady and he doesn't The sucker er never gets an nn even eyen break And why should he lie Ma Maybe bc you think you ought to warn him Why not ot Youre You're a policeman Heres Here's a crime shaping up under your nose Hed He'd laugh at you I dont don't know now the lady would do but I think iS moment shed she'd laugh Int at nt y u. u T they'd d have haye you sit and vu imd amuse them She Slie might s e ro t Y tt J or r f 1 r f lan no sh 1 sa t. t The first time I r sa t t m Y s still had the knife In her ber hn habil 1 T J dont don't want to elaborate but It If was was vaS red There was a drop which was vas slowly growing big enough at th the point to fall Fascinating sort of f thing to watch The gentleman in error was on the floor That was in Sumatra The verdict In effect was that the gentleman was not only a d n d-n n scoundrel but a d n d-n n fool Coming back from Hawaii who was on the boat but the tiger tiger- llly lily They're going to dance Watch them Do you know the lad lady Stanton asked Maisie I 1 never saw her Ive I've never heard of her I Is Ashley kidding us the lieutenant lieutenant lieutenant lieu lieu- tenant asked r How should I know Do you yuu mean did Howard see her with the knife and a drop forming on It Ma Maybe be Theres your our exhibit Lieutenant Lieuten LIeuten- ant said Ashley turning half around Youre a remarkable detective de do- dont don't you ou know Youre You're the only one who vho ever er started with the the solution of a series of ot murders b before be fore they were committed and knew Just what wha t to expect before It happened happened hap hap- I pen ed and then couldn't do anything anything any any- thing about It after It had Theres There's Delilah for you ou out stepping with Samson CHAPTER XIV XIV The Turner Will Is Administered I TT T MIGHT Interest you was wasI I about the l last st thing Ashley said to Stanton to know that Im I'm going to take care of Maisie That girl has alwa always s 's fixed her clock so soshe soshe soshe she never had hind even a good chance I at a promise breach suit and of I course she's never neer been within miles I of alimony or a dowry She's been beena a fine girl but prudence hasn't been her partner and she wont won't have much she can take to the bank So Maisie and I will regard ourselves as ns the surviving veterans of this war What would you think of us settling down In an nn Italian garden b by an Italian lake hake with poplars poplar and c An Italian moon and Malsie Maisie pla playing ing Chopin Home from the wars S 0 5 S 4 5 April 17 the lieutenant had a n letter letter letter let let- ter from Mr DarU Darling g. g After greetings greetings greet greet- ings lags he be wrote You may mayor or may not know that Blair Biair and find Ashley are dead If you know that you ou have all the Information Lion tion regarding It that I have A cablegram from Juan les Pines Alpes MarItImes France signed Maisie and received yesterday yesterday tells tells me that Blair and Ashley have been shot and killed I recall that you ou Inquired of a woman named Malsie l when you jou met Roberts Ashley and Blair here with me and find It Is my recollection that one of them tol told you jou ou she was Mrs l Arthur Trembly y It must be le she who has cabled cabied me I am inclined to accept It as true Nevertheless I T am curious urIous albeit I am am also convInced con but hut here is another another another an an- other thought I have seen nothing of this In the news I read the papers pa pers with sith the fidelity of an old man who hio keeps contact with the world b by reading It seems odd that Blair and Ashley Ashle could could kill each other or or orbe orbe be he killed without n a paragraph of news escaping to this country I 1 doubt that they have bave been Inconspicuous Inconspicuous inconspicuous Incon Incon- with their considerable Income Income In In- come n nOd and ld their WeIr flashy temperaments S Even Een If our our Intriguing little stor story of vengeance Is not ot l known abroad Id I'd think the murder murder- of two Americans Amer leans of wealth would have produced pro pro- a line or two on this side Possibly it W wn's was printed and I overlooked overlooked over over- looked It Possibly you ou could have some sonic channel of Information strictly strict strict- ly and wonderfully secret You see how I am nm Impressed by the potency of the police T That mt impression is derived from admiration of ot you iOU Justify me by letting me know l If you have bave any Information as ns to this liquidation of f ni my my old friend Tom Turners Turner's passion pasIon passion for getting even and beu believe ve me me your your our servant to command command com corn mand and arid your friend Most lost cordially J Asa sa Darling The news news was not ot astonishing to Stanton but It Was vas news He found he was sorry that A Ashley Jey had not survived sun an nn odd regret but one which the fate of th the cheerful assassIn assassin assassin as as- sassin somehow could evoke The next morning April 18 he read In the Tribune a short story from Paris which gave the tile outlines of the event The relation of Blair and Ashley to the Turner will had been forgotten or was unknown and the police intelligence as to the deaths of the two two Americans was delayed de do- In reaching the news distributing ing centers Stanton read that an American named Blair had shot a n fellow countryman countryman coun coun- tryman named Ashley In a quarrel 1 v Delilah for You Out Stepping With Samson over a woman who had shot and killed the murderer The woman was thought to be bc an Eurasian An odd reversal of all aU expectations S Stanton anton thought Ashley killed Jellied by Blair Blair killed b by the woman The rule Turner will had been administered The outraged gold- gold hunter had had accomplished his full fulI purpose lie could rest easy The Tho Themen Themen Thomen men who had Injured him had been extinguished by purpose arising out of his grave He lie had had fun April 24 Stanton had a n letter from France It was post marked Juan les Ies Pines The envelope was addressed In hi a feminine hand but the letter was from Ashley Ash Ash- Icy ley w who o b. b had wrItt written i t ha have e a sort sort of for you Loo X Youve You've be been J o 0 d n d-n n square In a situation which could drive a n copper either nutty or crooked or both I came to like hike you you old fathead Thank me for nothing you ou say So say riy I. I But But the thing has become so comic mic that 1 must tell you ou about it It I 1 am your yur boy friend wh who didn't have an any idea how deep the w water ter was Acton has broken all precedents He remains His gal has Ims had a million names Lets Let's call her now Mar- Mar celIa cella Laugh this off Acton Is faithful and she is trifling with me Maisie laIsIe urges me to get aWa away I cant can't ThIS The girl Is poison to me but the plot Interests me The whole thing is going against law order and predestination How lIow can an anyone anyone any any- one live in so crazy a world Youre You're a nice copper I want you jOU to get this Never trust logic or experience ex ex- or even probability or plausibility Good crimes alwa always s deny eer everything But then you know that Youre You're a good copper or I wouldn't be writing to you jou ou Watch your our step What do o you ou think of me as the victim of ot Marcella's Marcellas MarcelIa's Mar Mar- cella's cellas affection Malsie says go away So It may maj be bc But not Just no now Good old oM Blair Is just a n. n fat a-fat- fut fat head Once a fathead alwa always s 's a fat fat- head hend lIe He hasn't got n II chance Hes He's a nice old brute but hell he'll do for himself some way even if it isn't going Just as I e expected ll ct d It to be and anti as ns it should h have ve be been n and I cant can't tear myself away until It happens happens hap hap- pens Y You u know the worlds world's big enough only for one one of us In the following man mall a n letter came caine from MaI le hers herself U. U She explained ex ox- that Ashl Ashley had written the theda da day he was killed and anti had laid the letter aside Intending to address an anen en envelope lope later Ashle Ashley had been genuinely kindI kindly kind kind- I ly 13 she said It was hard to sa say whether he was was' the twisted or orth orthe orthe th the he least st tw st 1 of r lh Iho oblique char characters s Involved in the will On one occasion yo you topic took one view lew on another an nn- an- an other occasion another v view ew But nut wh whatever else lse h he might be he had bad hada bada hadeln a eln rein of oC kindliness She continued I had tried to to persuade him to tog togo togo g go awn away He rio would agree oglee but delay de de dc- lay l |