Show CHURCH 1 SERVICE r V iii ORY SO 50 FAR Jeff Curtis and his wk wi wl V Lee are already on their way to 10 Tierra T Libre when he be receives recel a note from irom Zora A ra Mitchell warning them not to come corne When Shen they arrive In Tierra Libre they V find both Zora Zota and her ber husband hatband dead It u Is Mitchell's Mitchells Job as chief engl engl- veer Beer for lor a fruit a-fruit fruit company that Jeff has bas been caU called to fill Later Jeffs Jeff's friend Dill Bill Henderson Is also killed and Jell Jeff suspects his employer Senor of 01 murdering him and the Mitchells 1 because be cause they bad had found a 11 clue cine to the strange things going on at the planta planta- don tion Other sinister figures res are the comPany company com pany chemist Dr and the fly flyers ers Kyden and Lannestock A U. U S. S Army plane pane Is forced down but Senor a does not appear alarmed by the presence of 01 the thc army men Jell Jeff and andLee andLee Lee Leo discover that their housemaid Is spy spy- In tog on them Now Jell Jeff Is 15 talking bikIng to a aman aman man named Collins NOW CONTINUE WITH TilE THE STORY CHAPTER XIII The mans man's eyes veiled suddenly Curt flared Well make up your mind whether er to trust me or or not I cant can't manage manage manage man man- age a a tete a tete very often orten Youre You're from the Canal Zone And you drink about as much as I do Your general general gen gen- eral appearance needs to be ex ex- ex- ex Curt dared a little guess guess- work You came in through Soledad Soledad Soledad Sole- Sole dad on the destroyer that tha t called there a week ago Monday Monda I IA A rigidity in the other convinced Curt he was right He went on Youve built yourself into a tramp by sleeping in old clothes and not shaving for or ten days Your skin isn't used to a a- beard it itches You keep scratching your face ace But you couldn't resist the comforts of f a clean body You got those bleary eyes from going without sleep and that hungry look from doing without food tood For about two days huh Three days The whole things thing's a build buildup Why Collins gave inI inI inI in I needed a good background McInnis McInnis Mc- Mc Innis says I can trust you I I think so too first judgment Its It's a long stor story and I cant can't even give it to you All of it it anyway Im I'm asking you as a fellow American he emphasized emphasized emphasized sized the words to give me a job I want to get established here Steps mounted hurriedly to the thedoor thedoor thedoor door in the outer room The door snapped open Curt picked up the application blank Collins had been working on and was studying it as Emilio entered black Everything is ready the native announced hardily Curt looked up Okay Well We'll have to hold it a few minutes Allright All Allright Allright right Collins he snapped at the ragged man it so happens I do need men Ill I'll give you a try out but you better be as good as you say you are arc You can go up to camp with me now He looked the man over with dis dis- taste First go to the next room and take off those rags Get under under under un un- un- un der the shower and Ill I'll find you some clean clothes Theres There's a razor razor razor ra ra- zor in the bathroom Get those whiskers of And hustle it up Scarcely a word passed on the chugging trip to the levee camp Esteban the launch boy sat at his controls and stared straight ahead Emilio sulked As for or Collins after a few minutes of that stare he simply turned his back on Emilio and gazed at the rivers river's edge slipping by Collins was a far stretch from the tramp o of an hour ago ogo In spare shirt and breeches Curt kept on hand in his quarters Collins showed up a tall rangy athletic person Curt had plenty to occupy his mind His guess confirmed by the theother's theother's theother's others other's silence that Collins had come to Soledad on the destroyer was proof enough that something was brewing But what The man had said he came to see Mitchell MItchel but Mitch had been dead for days before Collins had had had- presumably presumably left left the Canal Zone Did he come to investigate Mitch's Hitch's death If so then he be had plenty more to investigate True violent deaths of three Americans would assume an importance tance that Mitchells Mitchell's alone didn't hat ha these other deaths hadn't oc d until Collins was already on his his' way So that couldn't be the answer Besides he wouldn't have needed disguise for this Now Novi It was to the United States' States interest Curt Ourt reasoned so far as asIt asit it could to see that peace was preserved preserved preserved pre pre- served throughout these countries Did it mean that innocent as he appeared to be of such such aspIrations actually had poll political yearnings yearnings yearn- yearn ings again were 0 objections b. b Jec t tB Ions here B But there the provisional Pres id i- i Dr TV Areca Tierra Libre was a good gooden of d dento en t a executive executive the people not abused prospering reasonably their economy You cant can't have a revolution we well II bl bly y satisfied people 1 e. e tion among shift was coming off oiras Monahans Monahan's launch made the levee duty y as ss landing the ding Curt took Collins Collinsa camps camp's camp a under ashore under e-under under Emi Emilios Emilio's ilos ilo's watchful eye the camp cook was re- re while and h the lunch basket hed he d the thc man over to LUona Monahan u h an t e a B drag this a after after- ter- ter put pU t him on R You ou can tell one way nOOD n about bout him by the time another or fir this is evening Luck ColI Col Col- I get back b aC k lins Tins bag in camp musette left i-ft his Curt Cur Curl t br briefly f into w the few questions went since he was here two t ed accumulated a u m then took off upriver days a afi ago o gain again three o of them this were r t i 1 I. I time time Curt Curt Emilio and the launch boy They reached without incident a aspot aspot aspot spot above the C. C A. A T. T holdings past the point where the Rio Negro levee made an elbow to join the first arm of the Quebrado Quebrada range Here Curt had the Indian pull the launch in to the south shore Then he put on his carefully prepared act He appeared to deliberate Very well Emilio he said at last lost heres our program I want you to pace off the shore line and plant these flags every forty steps Be sure they can be easily se seen n from across the ri river er This wont won't be hard bard to do with the river now at ata ata ata a low mark though you may have to use your machete on small brush When you reach that bend up ahead wait for us there Meanwhile Esteban will set me down at that hill hill opposite Ill I'll climb to the highest point get some pictures pictures pictures pic pic- tures for tor further study and come comedown comedown comedown down the other side The launch will pick me up then well we'll cross and get you Is that clear Emilio fumbled with the flags flats Could not Esteban plant the flags Then I could stay with you you you- youIt We need him on the launch Neither Neither Neither Nei Nei- ther of us could handle it in these rough waters For some distance they'd been fighting the increased 1 current of the lower rapids But Senor gave me strict orders orders- orders orders-It Of course of course Curt in- in 4 tr j t tt t to 1 I a aI n I 1 4 I 4 I Y 3 r r ri i Ile He could s-e s see sec Emilio was s watch watching in I him impatiently He told me too That's for or where there could be danger of attack such as came cameto to Mr Mitchell There can be no danger here Come well we'll have to get going if were we're to get back to camp by dark He hustled Emilio still protesting and blackly reluctant off along the shore line jumped back into the launch and was set down on the other other other oth oth- er shore As the launch boy head headed cd upstream for the rendezvous Curt took one look behind him He could see sec Emilio was watching him Curt was now in somewhat familiar familiar fa fa- fa- fa territory On this bank rose rosea a considerable hill hili thickly covered with a jungle of trees lianas undergrowth un un- Because of the hill Finca Finca Finca Fin- Fin ca Urana the Associated's farm didn't touch the river at this spot Curt plunged into a path used by bythe bythe the women of the farm laborers when they came to the river to wash clothes He picked up a mule trail at the edge of the banana plantation planta tion lion broke into a trot Banana farms are laid out evenly the bits planted twenty feet or so apart The plants grow crow rapidly shooting up suckers of which the strongest are arc allowed to remain and each single plant eventually becomes becomes becomes be be- comes a ring of plants like a 0 bed of gigantic cannas canvas Their long broad broadleaves broadleaves broadleaves leaves meet twenty to thirty feet overhead allowing only scattered rays of sunshine to reach the earth A banana plantation is a lovely peace peaceful ul spot spot spot-ll if one has the time timeto to enjoy it Through these sunbeams brilliant birds and butterflies dart there are underfoot of field rats or iguanas iguanas or or snakes and allis all allis allis is hushed as a windowed green-windowed cathedraL ca- ca thedraL It was along such a lane hot bot theair the theair theair air still that Curt trotted If 11 all went well he could get to the farmhouse farmhouse farm farm- arm arm- house of Urana and back to the elver river river riv riv- er in thirty to forty minutes He would have to explain this lapse of time but hed he'd worry about that la later ter Out of breath and sweating heavily heavily heavily ily he reached the farmhouse His khaki shirt was dark with tion There was only a native timekeeper timekeeper timekeeper time time- keeper in the farm office which was the ground floor of the two-story two house while another mozo was raking raking rak rak- ing lag the corral He looked up amazed ct 1 t the stranger who appeared appeared appeared ap ap- out of nowhere but Curt gave him no chance to put his curiosity curiosity curi curl into words He took the Initia nitia- tive VC Donde esta hoy el Senor McInnis nis Creo que fue tie al Tigre Senor Curt went to the old wall phone and turned the handle sharply The bell In ln the box tinkled The thick soft voice of the exchange operator operator opera opera- tor answered Ring Finca Tigre Tirre He waited Senor McInnis there How long lone would it take to bring him to the phone Oh He thought a moment All right thanks wont won't wait He hung up He couldn't risk half halt an hour His eye fell tell on a typewriter Seizing Seize Seiz ing tog a piece of paper he rolled it into the machine and began to punch out a note Jerry Youve You've heard of Zora Mitchell and Bill Henderson without a doubt Convinced of danger here but dont don't know what it is Old Man Moore has confidential file on everyone everyone everyone every every- one of consequence In Tierra Libre Hates to give out but I must know all I can about Make him spill to you and meet me mo at Riverbend River River- bend about nine Saturday night HirIng Hiring Hir ing Collins no chance to talk to him bun yet C. C He cast about for an envelope found one sealed and addressed his message The native timekeeper had been staring at him throughout all this half in amazement half in resentment resent resent- ment Curt asked his name Rafael Diaz Senor Bueno Rafael said Curt Tell no one about this See that Senor Mcinnis gets this as soon as possible ble Phone him to come here Put it in his hands yourself Understand Under Under- stand As Curt made off at a trot across the clearing to disappear under the banana pt plants the timekeeper note in one hand money in the other shrugged his shoulders muttering Locos todos locos Americanos Siempre tienen prisa These crazy Americans always in a hurry On 00 his way back to the river Curt thought of his sweat-sodden sweat shirt I He ripped it t off oft as he trotted and let the breeze he created nearly dry it by the time he reached the hill when he put it on again It would still show wet but that could be accounted for by his exertions along the river He saw a brilliant orchid in bloom an epiphyte fastened to a slender dead tree limb within reach It was one of the butterfly orchids Lee wanted and had two three foot candelabra branches covered with dozens of small bright yellow blooms like butterflies alighted Here was his excuse for lost 1 Curt put on 00 the rest of his act I with deliberation He studied the I opposite shore the rising hills behind behind behind be be- hind put away his field glasses took his pictures then fought his way through the undergrowth down the hill to meet the launch It was some time you were gone from view said Emilio Emillo when at last picked up The man was jit jit- tery I worried You had difficulty difficulty dim culty Some admitted Curt But this is what lost me many minutes My wife wile wants an orchid collection She had one when we lived here be be- fore Curt exhibited the plant with such real pride that it appeared to satisfy satisfy satisfy satis satis- fy Emilio and the man fell into narrow-eyed narrow sullenness Well Im I'm through h here said Curt tapping the camera Lets go They picked up the flags Emilio Emillo had planted in planted in his pictures they would mark foot lOO-foot intervals though this was vas no more essential to Curt than the pictures But the ruse had worked During this process process process proc proc- ess Curt also hunted a couple more orchids to bolster his excuse for forthe forthe forthe the delay across the river Then they proceeded to eat lunch in the boat in the lengthening afternoon afternoon afternoon after after- noon shade of a stand of mangroves Roots of these trees sprouting from branches in midair had bad taken hold bold boldIn holdin In the river bottom making a natural natural nat nat- ural awning against the sun Perched Perch cd on a branch not far from the launch a noisy jawed Incessantly Esteban the called it a gee beet At first it was merely annoying but before the meal was finished the bird had become a definite nuisance Curt pulled his pistol took aim fired tired His brows shot up In aston aston- There had been no kick when he squeezed the trigger and the bullet bullet bul bill let expelled without force torce made a curious arc and plopped harmlessly into the water I He tried another shot but with the same result Then he removed the clip and examined the remaining remaining remain remain- ing tog bullets They seemed to be all allright right The brass shell case from the first shot had ejected over the side but the second had fallen into the boat bont Curt picked it up and examined it Undoubtedly it was v from the same lot as the rest of the clip I Suddenly he noted that Emilios Emilio's sullenness sullenness sullenness sul sul- sul- sul lenness had disappeared that the native was eyeing the proceedings with a deadpan pan countenance and completely indifferent eyes The bird meanwhile had merely hopped a couple of steps at lit each shot and was still jabbering its raucous raucous raucous ous notes Curt snapped home the clip dip tried a third shot Another dull thud So he shrugged the automatic and said Huh Bad lot of ammunition n Nothing more I I TO DE BE CONTINUED I i |