Show r r 1 nAME fLAM 11 1 THE fORES 0 RES 1 09 HAROLD HAROLD- TITUS to II r ky IRWIN U SYNOPSIS a 14 o of i linn Tn t W t. ft ae lh Ibe the burning ing lumber lumber 10 V benefactor Sartor J Jack ck Snow of f hie u Un with v tbs H r to pot lOOt death of Kerry's mother II at S till instructed Kerry Kerr to lest boa b containing the c camps camp mp Itt eat a Lii de It b bl be endangered sheet lb tb s fie and and Kerry r d precious Ill file and Tod III the At Toll Tod seta acts queerly U It IoWa li Is found empty empt and andi M t the rte blamed ue Ale with taking the y II pe Snow hi bia headquarters i Is II ruined and soon loon goes dies leaving ing Ker Kerry to the St II Kerr Kerry suspects nun sawn to even ven th the score cor at Id In r peel Faal l office Kerry now IlL alt M aed an II expert of till the whereat whereabouts of West w a lowly girt girl from a who proves to be West WeaL trey to pauperise the th girl She think thanks k Kerr Kerry and thin kilO of the robbery and murder r totter father and of rod Tod advances advance a lumber tract which from West bill purchased 11 maker camp amp At the general generalI I U II Wats Landing grading he ands in 10 a poker game Kame Jim f p Jill Umber employee o loses loue hee a fluff Karl Tod cheating t z i hIm Um The crowd crowll I I. I UI ui- ui d of Tod Tod's Tode duplicity y Kert till ass ua himself to West who di dil do- do l DoIn him D J CHAPTER iV Continued it IM 5 of Oil I t pitched bitched at et his belt with sie a s ar it ie r triggering swaggering gestured gesture d idl fa all aD D these years the Job quickly J In III mere hours Std DeW wr r I I. I I can be on my mr gent sad t turned tamed on on his heel and made bat D q If for far the door od Is puuing murmur filled Oiled the thed Eyes were on Kerry on d h West Fist standing there with withIn In him lie He had ait a It u II stay this West lie He had a aIon D c Ion don at it stake loyalties toro to Ml ro et perhaps things toG to toj b G ad trill j Eli IL place In n the country was balance he knew But the thee inns e cheating D of at cards was too gave Po Ie lathe b III the minds of these ewe cum too men to be of more than pass pass- t w bj queues If be played his ly as 18 a respected lead lead- any wi d ted C found foaad his hla voice at last An AI d til tilt Id i tip up there you I I 1 Kerry was wass wasl l C a s threshold as toned tamed smiling that bitter t ban the If ire fro re i t rat rate I West said again a 1 a 1 I J. J Youre a damned Lit t the E Eop the Idea tolie to lie ne e out a crook Black op 1 e 10 ae 1 t er em r seen leen or heard beard of you I Ii ly and lye lie i only this to say after y It t a rat Just this you'd youdon One tt ea on your roar way come up sunup I Loma Into not hot wanted here I l Ir willand With will r lifted a hand to scratch and de i iho ii Ie e fowl ho i iad c i s tough on me Tod West ad ad ti I Tn Im through here I iad 1 Id 0 on a the thing I wanted ad dy to for lean t. And i Id I'd like to berne being the roaming kind theres therel J one thing Im I'm more ad of d at th I than B taking root Its It's its old i in en Wren Tog Tad West I He De Heart pelt to laugh high gird So Ive I've got to n ng re he lotto lot got to light 11 a while I I be he bev I 17 veal Mt out Into the darkness v v the deep laughter floated coated back A fierce exultation racked eked the i a be did not look about did i t for Xu Ill Downer standing there there TW of 1 I as a o of One line the hand band light shaft from fromI I across her ot of of CHAPTER V gap a u ute B their the time Kerry te d l Downer finishing hIs eve eve- and Ezra Short squat forli or Iii Ul doctor wh who had I Idd rot i r yean yeah tram from Ita eIt Shoestring the theP a bed talked slowly Dig from Nus Nu's a across nt LandIng old listened dd and d 11 ins Slowed attentively hie hI Ili 1 P pace ce ceto a n Story 1 progressed to to- to her Der voice olce though has Ibl and tense and It 4 intense once I. I U t I wand wandin lOb in from I that j i In s Ezra I JIll y its she saId me orr or or orto 1 t r BUdden gall lore Be T 1 had he a all la IS ID loth e hInI nt the man man the I to be I lOur IOn DB be O a may 1111 ai IntuItion n ID ea you 1 Os eq- eq roes t a doc doe I h with the oat for or t a Umu stand eore rU hi 1 tad and then the girl e va an or e y 1114 led Elsie Elate Hinkles Hinkle's Id d W him resolutely aDder nd d ds It ed I tar s Piper house bed tl t dishes b by bas I lamp her oher for fora tin n of for for- r bearance In a chair his hie hi one leg strapped between wooden splints a year old boy played with a battered toy At sight of the physician phy he be began to yelp excitedly and threw the toy violently away Unc Ezra I Line Unc Ezra I he cried his face shining Hullo Jimmy I Evening Elsie All All ready to be measured up forthe for forthe forthe the brace eh Well well we were weve come along so far and have got kind of a leg left Now well we'll start starton starton on oD on the Job of making a silk sUk purse out of something He began pulling off his hI coat Wheres Where Jim he asked The womans woman's face darkened Atthe At Atthe Atthe the store I guess Gambling again I suppose Well well we'll go ahead anyhow And he went ahead holding the misshapen leg on hI his knees eyeing the long blue creases of some ome terrible ter hurt and Nan looked looke on watching the tho play of hU his deft dett fin On ger gers The painstaking chore finally finished and no Jim In sight the two walked toward towar the store Ezra saying Of Ot course If Jim hasn't the cash Ill I'll have to buy bUl the brace my self elf I told him that last time I Iwas Iwas was wal out and he promised But Dut- with a sigh times Umes times being what they are Im I'm scraping the bottom of the till myself I ISo ISo So they approached the store and taw saw what they saw As they left Tod West was sayIng say say- Ing to Jim Hell nell No Not I I wont won't take back beck that money I lies lie's a rat and a liar Jim but lie He shrugged and m met t JI Jims Jim's ey eyes s squarely neatly cov con ering the effort required Lord boy rye TTO always tried to lean backward backyard back back- ward yard In my with others I No sir If any man says lays I took money unfairly I dont don't even want to argue Not on your your life lite I dont don't Money aint worth that Jim I S e e e e Kerry sat at satin In the darkness on the river bank listening to the booing of an owl and the song of crickets and the plopping of a night feedIng feed teed Ing lug trout lie He smoked leisurely and Tip his hla bead head In his lap breathed evenly So his childish suspicion had bad been right so the last sane thought also also a suspicion which suspIcion which Jack Snow had bad bad had had been Justified The dog now lifted his bis head bead sharply and Kerry could feel him stiffen fen After a moment a low vibration r ran ran n his back which was 1188 the beginnings of a growL Steady 1 l the man whispered am and reached for his bed bcd Jerked his hll rifle from the blanket folds Then aloud he hailed Whoa Who there A voice olce from above answered Caller Young I Still up Slow footsteps came through h the popl pop pop- l lays lars rs Young on on his feet waited wafted with the dog stiff and suspicious beside him Funn Funny business bustin In on a aman aman aman man this way this hour the voice went on nearer now But I got things to talk over He De could see seethe seethe seethe the other now He lIe was short squat and breathed rapidly Im named Adams Young Ezra Adams Im I'm the local pill pm peddler Oh Ob hullo bullo doctor I The oldmans old oldmans oldmans mans man's voice was wal pleasant Glad you dropped In Here sit It on the bed Light your Jour pIpe No guess not thanks thanh I This ts la is kind of confidential So Sol He De felt the doctors doctor's attempt to scrutinize his hIli own shadowed face Sit down Nobody can get within ear shot with Tip here Adams began In a moment I Iwas was in the store when Tod Tad made mad his play Young I saw law and heard bean and things have happened since that make me feel teel maybe Im I'm going to have to ask uk your help strangers tranger though we are Also I heard about what happened thIs afternoon I added that to what I know about yon you Pause If It you could be Interested Inter ested In a Job here you'd be freto free fre freeto freeto to take it IU Job What kind of job The old man eyed him in th the darkness Coroners Coroner clerk b he said in a whisper I You kidding mer met I Not In 10 the least Pm Im Im Im I'm more serious and in greater need than thao Ive I've been since I can recollect recollect lect Well VeU that's that a new one on melHe mel eel mellIe He lIe laughed Coroners clerk I I Why Why Why- Let me explain this a little I have to pop It right at you yon with without out any preliminaries because If It Its It's It Its It's an emergency I guess goes Na Nan didn't go into detail about the kill Ing ot of her father I want yon Too t to I know that sauna got to know It That I It It youre you're going to 0 con alder r my r proposal Vou Y see Downer Downe was a old W I duffer Suit Salt of ot the earth but queer qUler eccentric It u was as s one of hi hIs eccentricities cities that led to his mur der He lie n never neer er would deal dal with a man except for tor cash Kept a bank account and all all but when he did busIness business checks didn't go lie He bad this payment due to West last November The fifteenth It t was The day before he drove Into nto town and drew the money from rom the bank started home about dusk and was killed not three miles from here by a bullet In the brain The money mone In one of these Use tin boxes was taken out of ot hi his car It t amounted to over OTer twelve thou sand land dollars You see lee Im I'm coroner here I 1 started an Investigation and the sheriff he fussed some lome Two men only that we knew of had the slightest motive One was wal Jim whose money moner you yon got ot back for him tonight lIed Hed been teen working for Cash had been fired Ired the day dllY before and fired with gusto which was Downers Downer's way war But Jut he be was playing crIbbage with Tod West all that evening and andI I stayed ayed In West's house all night his his ils family being away aWRY So with West being what be hes he's thought to be be was counted out Vest West was quite active In this thIng He De wanted his money and Nan Jan Nan Downers Downer's only heir didn't have lave more to pay him He lIe dug up op the he Information that Holt Halt Stuart had lad had a run In with Cash early earlyn la in n the week Holt was working forCash for tor Cash Well It seems that Holts Holt's pretty well struck with Nan Nail Hes He's a good boy but Cash was a cantan cantan- kerous old cuss and he be rode the boy oy pretty hard because of where hed he'd let Jet his Interests Interest I stray As AI Asa AIa a sort lort of punishment hed he'd sent Holt bit out to a cabin on lake ake to do some mapping and made Mm him stay atay there all alone The sheriff after atter West got through with him was convinced Holt was his man and started right In to work up a case against him But I stopped topped that A coroner you know s 's got It all over a slier her iff Ia for authority I drove out oat and found the boy with an ankle so badly sprained that he couldn't pus pos been outWell outWell out outWell Well we Impaneled a coroners coroner's jury and I got the bullet out of ot Cash but we had so 10 little to go on I e r 0 u a h r rv v Ive Come to Tell You He Said That This Aint a Very Healthy Place to Hang Around 1 that the verdict had to be an open one Then we started trying to trace the money It was mostly In new Federal Reserve notes and the bank had the serial numbers That's where It t sits no now Downers dead and the moneys money's gone said Kerry Lord If It Miss Downer could get hold of that stolen stolen stol en money It'd save SaTe her life wouldn't would would- wouldn't nt It It would again would again what Im I'm here for tor To see lee If It you'll youl help me locate It It Locate It What mean This 1 The old man leaned forward for tor ward and tapped Youngs Young's knee The money be he whispered Is still 1 In the country 1 I l IThe The devil 1 S 'S s 's truth I In my pocket I have havea a twenty dollar bill that was par part of It It was Will paid me on account tonight You got any Idea where It came cam from 1 Ezra looked around and listened b he Out of ot your our poker game gome said grimly After a moment Kerry gave a alow alow low 10 whistle Say Soy I I That makes the tion look up doesn't It It why I came to you a stranger I need help and need I It right tight now That money Is la cached somewhere In the country Whoever Whoever Who ever Is II s hiding it It nee needs ds money badly Young will you take a commission commission com mission as my deputy Kerry's Kerry heart was beating rap rap- Idl idly Here Indeed vas ras 11 a chance chanc to do something for tor Nan an Downer He lIe waited a moment considering all things Then he be said Ill go you doctor dextor I Good I But well we'll have to kee keep keepIt It between you yon and sad me Not even een Nan must k know Ow C must eC e Across the river In the big house hous which was Tod Tad of peeled logs stood d bo- bo Welt West's abode that citizen tore fore Jim who was seated and nd whose 1 eyes remained averted And now Its It's up to you rou West Nest said aid heavily I I guess Its It's my right to o expect that much from you rOo Of look Jook like hell for me to do o that that hat Jim protested ted After fter what whal whale be e thought he done for tor me Il lowll o wll I t go at It Besides hes he's nobOdy no no- body to fool with I INeer Never Neter mind that take cal care of f that that nodding meaningful And about how it'll look you yon mean because he made a pla play at getting your roar money back 2 Well Well You Tou see Dont Don't hedge You cant can't pull wool over my eyes eft'S Listen hers here spite of all your talk In the store about not to take your money back you yon till still think he did you oa a favor dont don't you If It you jon had iad the guts to say what WM t you beleve be be- leve Ilene you'd roud say that X I did deal crook crooked I 1 Hell Bell lIell no not I I tell you I t only only only- Shut up I West gestured sav Ia a ely Because a arat rat rat comes along and frames me so ni nl look like a crook you'll forget target an all done for tor you I with Welt Well with a show of sullen what defiance defiance what If it I do thInk thin It wasn't a frame up up against yon 1011 What then West leaned forward face darkening dark ening mouth setting In a cruel line So that's It It t eh So that's how you yon feel I Well when youve you've forgotten for forr gotten everything else about me remember remember remember re re- member this I lied for you rou once didn't I n I 1 told em all an I played crIbbage with you the night Downer Dow ner was killed didn't I 11 And nobody no no- body jody knows know I found you yon wandering around so 10 blind drunk you couldn't couldn tell where you'd been And with witha a rifle too What t I ask you you bending forward and rubbing hI his hie palms alms on his hll hips slowly happen If It I came clean with the sheriff and told him that eh Hinkle raised an unsteady hand band to his bis chin You wouldn't do that Tod Toot Try me and see seel I Their gazes gates locked and after atter a time Jims Jim's fell tell All Ail right he be said Ill Til 1 get some of the boys boy Tomorrow well we'll wellsee wellsee wellsee see what we can do about him down river CHAPTER VI TilE pIE sun had bad climbed from the bank of orange clouds which screened Its rising the mill whistle whistle whis whis- tle tie had blown blo summoning men to work and the saw had at last taken up Its dally daily song long Kerry Young had been up before the break of day dor built his fire bathed In the stinging waters of the tho river and dressed leisurely Then he set hIs bis shaving kit on |