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Show SU KILLED INSTANTLY CORNER By Richard H. Wilkinson 1 THE TELEPHONE on Sheriff Bill Streeter's desk jingled and he picked it up. "Hello, Bill?" said an excited voice. "This is Guy Halbert. Say, for God's sake, get out to the ranch at once! Hom- 1 er's been shot!" 3MiHn( "What makes .Minute you think so?.. Fiction Bill asked. I ! "I just telephoned tele-phoned him. He said he'd been plugged and tried to tell who did it, but his voice trailed off. Then I heard a crash, as though he'd fallen. "Where are you now?" said Bill. "In Stansboro. I came in this morning to see about a cattle shipment. ship-ment. I was to call him and report this afternoon." "O. K.," said Bill. "I'll go right out." Two hours later Sheriff Streeter entered the main building of the Diamond G and found the place in a state of excitement. Jay Leonard, Gorham's foreman, dark-skinned, surly, ill-tempered, met the officer. "Hello, Jay, what happened?" "I dunno, Minnie, the housekeeper, house-keeper, went in to the office to call the old man to lunch and found him." "Doc Humphrey here yet?" At that moment a door behind the store fireplace opened and gray-haired Doc Humphrey emerged. "Killed Instantly," he said. "Can't say how long ago. Maybe two three hours." "Thanks." Sheriff Streeter entered en-tered the office. Gorham had been laid out on a cot and covered with a .blanket. Streeter's voice was suddenly cold, accusing. "The doc ayi Homer was killed instant;, mister. Instantly. He's sue i '!l j,j Streeter returned to the main & -, ing room. Doc Humphrey was C there. V "Who do you reckon would rc ) Homer killed, Doc?" ) Humphrey scratched his cE "Plenty. Everyone who worked t: him hated him. He was a hard tan master." He glanced swiftly ton:: U the scowling figure of Jay Leoca:: !, i near the door. "I reckon Jay hat: ), him as much as anyone. Be there's Guy Halbert. "Guy was in Stansboro and If f.i ain't the type to hate bad enc:p jj to kill." "Well, I don't reckon Hie would kill anyone." 11 STREETER WENT out on to fe veranda, and sat down ir. U rolled a cigarette. He had a lot' J!' thinking to do. He didn't want: make any mistakes. suddenly the omcer oounueu - u his feet and went into the rac H house where Doc Humphrey ' packing his bag . . . Minutes to' he returned to the veranda just V .c an automobile swung in at fc ranch gate. Guy Halbert : from behind the wheel. "Is he dead? Lord! I got here H soon as I could." "He's dead," Streeter nodde- Halbert's eyes widened. "I ' afraid of that. I was afraid If" i'c what had happened when his " trailed off." '' "That so?" said Bill Streeter. Halbert produced a handier and began mopping his brow. K, is terrible. Who do you think V- : want to kill him, sheriff?" -Suddenly, Halbert stoppM mopping his brow and st Behind the sheriff he saw J j t dark face of Jay Leonard. i hind Jay he saw Doc Humph" f I "Say!" he said, "what's ,ji What are you all staring at m6" that for?" ,,; I "You otter know, mister, j Streeter quietly. "I? Why should I know? ., 4 voice rose wildly. "Say, whats- j matter? Lord! You don't thin 1 ( it? Why, I was in Stansboro! 1 5 prove it." ; i' "Sure you can. But yu prove Homer wsn't shot ber , went down there." , tt' 9 "I talked with him on the phone. It was me he told ff- J being shot. It was me caUf ,f;t 1 "Called me so's I wouldnt, f pect you. Streeter's voice w J denly cold, accusing. "The 00c ;. t Homer was killed instantly, "But" Halbert stopped k Terror leaped into his ey" ; significance of the sheriff s , ( dawned on him. Killed instai 1 man who is killed instantly . tell him over the terephone 1 he'd been shotl |
