| Show F nAME FLAME ME 1 1 IN THE TIIE fORES 01 NA HAROLD M a TITUS flo IRWIN ERS M wN 6 UT rr r- r Irrl VIII-Continued VIII CHA PTER rb- rb on after that moB maea mo- mo Be B Wi recalling things ess ea had said Mid last night Etta had bad the bull bullet et std a bad j Kan's Kans father tather A be he had said laid a ht fight Ight And last night he had automatic In his own Rests Rest's t bad ejected elected the loads from no heed to the size had B III H back the cartridges to be be beno no larger at least I Vest West's suspicions Suspicion of offit jei leL es aroused I must not be another thing It was wan as Ira Ira- motto to locate that money were Lite gul In the country as It was to the Ibe he tout guilt lilt of murder er on the In In- ul 1 who had taken Cash Down Down- I DIe Ns fit U could determine the caliber tat tg pl pistol to for instance If he heula ula ret possession of at it and send sad and tie the bullet bollet to a detec ex where ballistic ex ex- tit could determine whether or orrt which which- had hadt rt ft it was as the weapon t order murder That he knew J a d not Dot be conclusive evidence i It would perhaps tell whether r I lot Us his hatred for West had hadi hadIn i u In unwarranted Influence In InDr InI Inq q Dr I these suspicions lit V Idea occurred to him t Tip to guard campI campat camp camp- I at or of retracing the way he be had bad tome W lid pen even before he was crossing t trestle his rage rage began to ebb tt se ran ras at stake than his peril per ill il feelings he told himself This i West Vest was no no child Perhaps Ini W ru i a murderer and a thief If It k to b recover what he had stolen String king him to answer for the test of crimes would t tI slow dow and careful movements 1st i and canoes were beached 11 I a shelf of gravel below the Kerry made his way there J stood Rood listening The buildings I tx he tale little town were dark now Ion Ilon loomed the small depot i the tie way from It If was West's Vesta i West might be there now t H 10 o. o lights nIhil showed in the win win- i. i I. I He Ue would wait walt Tu m not cot long before his ears 1 the sound of a ca cautiously ed 1 paddle and he stooped be- be lione eons bushes bashes for complete conA cont con- con t t. t A prow grated a foot toot footed ed I in water a man grunted p M k lifted a canoe roq could see ee but remain He saw that large bulk of v ne u deposit the canoe carefully w up OJ then turn abruptly and andi i U his way ar up the bank bant liar 7 ill did not follow at once And k he b. did slip noiselessly to the theand tad sad around the corner he be i rewarded retarded by br a glow of lights Mon across the street K He the street melting Into 7 Iha wows about the house tak tak- f P Ip t position at one corner he could peer through a a t 1 West Rest was Ana standing there light wood Into the tho fire- fire That done he crossed th the thed to loa a cupboard d took from It a ai bottle battle and drank deeply lit I. i Rood for a moment close Clos to tob to toIre i b Ire and Ind then began besan nn undressing came off first As he Kerry ferry err could see cee the pistol liter be k trapped straPPed to his side Off the pace paca and Ind then the breeches the lb man stood d In his under under- J. J Making drinking again from the bot bot- ne n. drank deeply depPy too 4 geny remarked to himself a te tali with a past to keep be 1 was not so brilliant The e birth A wood evidently was Vas t. t great creat bank of dense white whites s tacked ed late Into the throat ot of the But iq the e master of f the house honse was p with the fire or orf that he had f t more boU i e a things from frolD to do He e took the mantel and anil ht his 10 head ns as though mut 0 made his b way t SD Ip the Ita stairs Irs louse Sipped Blon along th the end of and Dd S shaft reached the rear rear Just Jost of f light shot out ont Into t lit tro there The light p U fi I er window dow set set In 01 f troll m pitched the ell root roof Stepping Y eat bead walt Kerry 1 could t th S Panes nes and shoulders be be- n. n for ed the bottle to hi his rth 1 Pta plaint time and DI It on a table the unhA un- un hA trap strap ot of his shoulder i Put Dut It do down W Wel el darks s Kerry let fht and cocked his It might be I a moat a In be his Own to t possession osse without having West know where It t had bad gone gone goneA A clump of ot small mall birches grew close to the rear wall of ot the house their heir trunks almost touched the thelow thelow thelow low eaves Hand over hand he went up the saplings and hitched himself to the wet shingles stretching stretch stretch- i Ing ng out on his belly bellI i iNow Now he could see West Vest plainly The man was sitting In a chair the whisky bottle In his bands The pistol Kerry saw was waa hung bung In n Its holster over the back of a chair West Nest drank once more and whisky whisky whis ky trickled over his chin Ills movements move move- 1 ments meats replacing the bottle on the small table were uncertain lIe He I rose and groped for tor the hanging light Ight Night shut down suddenly and bedsprings creaked as a heavy body fell tell upon them Kerry was within feet of ot that weapon And he had a plan to get hold of ot It ItHe He rose from his position on the he shingles and began making his way along the roof cautiously He lIe gained the ridge and stood erect The chimney belched great volumes vol umes of smoke Off Oft came Youngs Young's jacket now over the flue opening It t went and he crouched against the he masonry Down In the maw of the fireplace feeble flames died from orange to blue and then expired In the rolling roll roll- Ing ng smoke which cut off from escape escape es es- es cape cape above flowed out and filled fined the living room It drifted up the stairway and Into the upper hall growing thicker and thicker as the birch smoldered Along the hallway It rolled and Into the room where a man lay breathing heavily still muttering to himself Tod West was In a stupor He lIe rolled over and cursed thickly He lie coughed and strangled and struggled struggled up to one elbow staring about In n the darkness He lIe coughed again then hen the Instinctive alarm In human beings for tor natural elements out ont of ot control shocked him Into a state bordering full consciousness His feet teet hit bit the floor He e flung the door wide open and made for forthe forthe the he stairway He lIe could not breathe could not see He lIe turned about and ran for tor his room again choking chok ing tug and gasping He fumbled at atthe atthe atthe the catch of his window threw up the sash and his bis great voice roared Into the black night Fire I he yelled Fire I l And again Fire I Helps Help I Fire 1 I He De tl threw rew a foot to the wet roof and scrambled out slipped rolled over threw his arms wide and brought himself to a sliding stop almost elmost al el- most at the eaves Fire I he yelled again HI III you youl I Turn out I Fire I Kerry Young shrank close against the chimney A voice olce came out ont of ot the night Where What's A A. Alight showed In the next house bouse A A. d door or slammed The town was turning out while Tod Too West Vest was making his way down the birches that had given Kerry easy access to the roof Footsteps sounded below Young voices were raised Leaning over the edge of the roof root cupping a hand band over his month mouth to make his location more difficult to determine should any be curious he yelled Get the furniture boys I Get Tod's Too stuff out I 1 IDe He De whipped his hi coat from the flue and put It on running along the ridge toward the break of the dormer Get Tod's goods oads out outs I he heard beard someone yelL JelL Feet drummed on the wide porch he heard a heavy object drawn across the floor be be- low In a second he was inside the window from which West had made his exit He lIe found the chair found the holster with Its burden lIe He sUpped slipped pistol and holster bolster Into his pocket threw the chair through the window to the roof root toll followed owed It with the small table and scrambled scrambled scram bled out ont himself The gathering c i 1 was in front Smokes so d d. u IJ u thick cant can't locate It I 1 complained loudly Careful of ot that clock I another cried Take It Into my house I t Kerry slid sUd down the birches slipped Upped Into the timber Umber which grew close to the rear of the house Then he watched Furniture was already scatter scattered about the doorway Two men were on the roof root shouted puzzled questions ques ques- question tion to one another Hell Delli l someone said There aint no fire boys boy I It Its Iti that damn c chimney I Smoke was wa clearing from tram the interior In in- Tod West garbed Barbed In his underwear toad stood confused and crestfallen In the center of the group his hie hair In disarray Under Cover of the excl Kerry Yo Young the pistol In his pock pock et made for the when he be the trestle running safely could put distance himself and the crowd back yonder lie He wanted anted to be away where he could laugh himself sorel sore The most powerful man In the theNan community smoked out In his hi underwear S Nan Downer so Kerry Young discovered dis dla- covered the next nelt forenoon was wan the most businesslike young woman he had ever encountered He lIe sat on a I stool before the draft draft- board ng translating into line ant and colors cOlor field notes that had been I gl glen given en him Ira And while Kerry WB was thus emPloyed em- em employed Nan talked business with two wo fishermen With maps spread before her and detailed lon at command the girl made such a sales talk as Kerry had never before heard She pictured the se- se selective selective logging operations which un nn der her plan would continue indefinitely all aU over the properties pointed point point- ed out how streams always would have lave their watersheds cloaked under such a scheme how deer and grouse and all wild things would forever find food and shelter In a forest so administered She had hl figures In her head and argument In her wit and behind all this his she had conviction The men- men men of at affairs surely surely listened listened In- In and when they had asked their heir last question cleared up the final detail of ot the proposal one said laid I rather think Miss l Downer that we can deal Of course It depends on how the rest of ot our crowd re re- acts But Dut youve you've got us so well steamed up that I wouldn't be surmised surprised sur sur- It If wed we'd be back ck here with money noney in a few days and ask you to o draw the papers I l That was Will encouraging surely but when they left she wilted suddenly and sat down at her desk as It If weak Young watching her said sold after a moment What wrong Nothing she ahe answered Everything Every Efery thing I I She faced him her eyes dark with trouble I think they're sold I 1 think at nt lont st t two Iwo more 4 18 A- A lW apu ap u 0 c iC iY i- i C Y J s sNow Now He Could See West Welt Plainly groups are ready to deal But Dut UDder under un un- under der the terms of ot my contract with the Northern Wood Products company com coin I pany pany which which Is Tod West West West-I I cant can't deliver the title we must deliver until until un un- un til another principal payment Is I. made That's That tough I l Young Toung said That evening Young borrowed acar a acar acar car from Holt Stuart rd Td like Uke to run In to Shoestring for a bit he said All AU right take my car theother the theother theother other responded but without much graciousness and as Kerry walked away Stuart watched him frowning a little The road from West's Landing to Shoestring was only a sand and trail through chopping and standing timber timber tim tim- ber where It traversed swamps cord corduroy ural had been laid Youngs Young's eyes eres were fixed ahead on the alert alen for spring-breaking spring holes chuck and stumps So he did not watch behind behind behind be be- hind did not observe the ancient flivver with a tattered top which kept pace with him I Ezra Adams was In his shabby of of- flee behind the small waiting-room waiting when Young walked In Kerry I the old man whispered What brings you yon here And so sosoon sosoon sosoon soon soon Yeah Soon sure enough Hu Huwe But Dut we cant can't begin gln soon Boon enough In this case can we He e reached Into an Inner pocket and produced pistol and holster What the dickens ve ye you gothere go got gothere here Young looked at the door behind them lIe He turned and closed It be be- before fore tore he be made reply This Coroner Adams Adam Is perhaps the gun that killed Cash Downer No Not I You Yon dont don't say 1 He lIe sat down and motioned the physician to another chair You see a lot happened yesterday yesterday yester day lIe He went on then relating the pertinent events which had trans trans- transpired II lie Jle since Ezra had left him told the story a of how he obtained possession of the gun and arranged arrange matters so that It would be natural natora for West to t believe It had bad been blen lost or mislaid or appropriated by some of his townsmen Now even If we can hook up bullet and gun It will wilt prove pro e noth noth- lag Ing ng Wet Best could swear he ht found the Rat pt or bought It from a deer hunter deer hunter after the shooting could get away with almost any story of ot how he be came to hue have it It tinkle story looks bad for West Vest test nut But If the state police pollee report report re- re port ort that the gun which West had been blen packing tired fired the bullet which killed Cash then well we'll know that any effort we make to hang the thing on him wont won't be wasted D. D Does cs that hat make sense Ezra nodded emphatically Id say It did sound sense I Now turning Now turning to his safe sate safe heres here's the bullet I took out of poor old Cashs Cash's brain Ill I'll ret get et these things right off to the police pOllee Meantime weve we've got rot to lay lal low and wait walt and watch What other plan have you rou your r Young frowned and scratched his hi temple emple None Finding the murderer Is Isone Isone isone one thing finding the cash Is II another an an- other If It It Its It's only Just commenced to o come Into circulation we may expect more of It If It West has bas It t hes he's too smart to keep It around his hi Is place Id I'd say offhand hes he's the he sort that would cache It In the bush somewhere The Important thing as I see it It Is la to try to get geta a line on his hiding place hiding place for the money noney before he be suspects us of being busy bUSl on the Downer matter mattera a at talL talLAnd allAnd all allAnd And the situations situation's getting awfully awfully aw- aw fully ully tight Nans Nan's got rot a chance It t seems to commence selling Belling big tracts of stuff stul with logging rights right under the prescribed plan reen re- re served en ed She cant can't give title until she's he's negotiated another payment on the contract with West Vest It looks to o meas mess though he had waited for tor her hero herto to o do d the work and now's going to step In and skim the cream Young weve we've got no time to lose ose Who'd have thought Ezra exclaimed rising and as he stood up letting his hi voice rise as aswell well well have thought that wed we'd ever eter get enough In the way of suspicion to start Into the Downer owner case again Young I sure am glad you rou came down the Mad MadWoman MadWoman MadWoman Woman day before yesterday I l lAnd And on that Frank who had been standing In the waiting room one ear against the panel of that hat closed door made his way on feet to the entry and disappeared eared In the darkness Later that night Tod West had his report from the breedI breed I couldn't hear tIng no the theas' theas las as' he said The Doc he said then hen they was up the he Downer case again Is that all am West put the question ques ques' tion sharply All I could hear They made a alot |
