Show BOMBS BURST T CHURCH SERA ICE ERILE Vi THE STORY SO FAR Jet Jeff Curtis Curds and his wife Lee are arc already on their way to Tierra Libre when Jeff receives a note from Zora Mitchell warning them not to come It Is too late to turn back so Jeff decides not to tell Lee who was opposed op ope posed poud to their returning to the tropics She finally agreed to go only after Jeff Jett had persuaded her that the job of chief engineer for a newly organized fruit company is the chance of a lifetime The They arrive In Tierra Libre to find Zoras Zora's husband dead In a conversation with Jerry McInnis Jeff learns that Mitchells Mitchells Mitchell's Mitchells Mitch ells ell's death was murder and that there Is something strange going on Jeff Jett and andLee andLee andLee Lee are waiting now for Senor l who hired Jeff In spite of the fact that his Investigation atlon of the company revealed nothing Jeff is suspicious N NOW W CONTINUE WITH WIT THE TIlE STORY CHAPTER III McInnis shoved off for Puerto Soledad Soledad Soledad So- So at once His launch was built for service not speed and bucking the tides along the coast would slow him down further On the dock it took the combined efforts of both Lee and Curt to keep the boys out of mischief Presently a boat snuggled snuggled snuggled snug snug- into its berth with the case ease of ofa a ferry It gave a pair of toots delicate as a French railway trains train's as the gangplank was wheeled to the vessels vessel's side and arid the job of berthing completed Senor was unmistakable tall tall erect of bearing very clearly the gente de pelo the gente principal principal principal prin prin- cipal of these countries He wore faultless whites a crisp panama on curly black hair Straight from the ship to the little group he came My sincere apologies Mr Curtis Cur Mrs Curtis were yere his first words He spoke with very little accent though the timbre of his voice betrayed his Spanish origin He made a deep bow to Lee held out his hand to Curt I have been more than busy since since since-ah ah Mr Mitchells Mitchell's unfortunate happening You have discovered by now the reason I need a new Chief Engineer Engineer Engineer Engi Engi- neer no Lee took the boys bays in hand holding holding holding hold hold- ing their interest with the selection of a gigantic gaudy straw hat for each of them from stock piled a dozen high on a vendors vendor's head while Senor led Curt on a quick I survey of the docks and facilities here In the sheds two items instantly caught the eye two eye two boxes forty feet long ten wide and quite thin for these dimensions Curt cocked a abrow abrow abrow brow at them said briefly Spare wings We have two planes One of them was tied up for weeks once by a damaged wing so now we have spares on han hand I heard youve you've had considerable use from your planes Yes was the monosyllabic re re- re- re ply What make are they It was a conversational question It would have made no difference one way or another what answered yet the question brought a sharp quick glance from eyes that were beady black here in the gloom of the big receiving shed shed shed- and a rotund vagueness in reply One end of the bodega was piled high with barrels bearing the stencil of a well known chemical firm Curt paused before them looked them over with considerable interest Lime So you treat the soil before planting planting planting plant plant- ing he asked Over acid I suppose suppose suppose sup sup- pose from centuries of flooding A frown definitely stamped Mon- Mon taya's forehead at this this but was immediately immediately immediately im im- im- im mediately chased away by a smile that showed even white teeth That Mr Curtis the senor replied replied replied re re- re- re plied smoothly is a 1 question that would come under the head of chemical chemical chemical chem chem- ical research We have a chemical expert Dr from Amster Amster- dam If he likes you he may be willing to answer your questions But I wouldn't count on it he said with another flash of teeth Dr is quite jealous of his theories theories theories the the- ories which I expect will produce more and better fruit than Associated ed across the river As Curt was turning this over in his mind Senor pulled at athis athis athis his lower lip lip lip-a a lip unusually red even for his swarthy skin I expect you to work along with us in this fashion You are responsible ble for the engineering work assigned assigned as ns signed to you just as Dr is responsible as Agricultural Superintendent Superintendent Superintendent Super Super- just as ns Mr Lannestock is responsible for aviation and Mr Ry- Ry den for transportation Lannestock Most of our contract employees are Americans These two are Swed Swed- ish I brought them here as pilots But we no longer need two time full pilots As Mr proved himself himself himself him him- self capable in transportation matters matters matters mat mat- I have given him charge of that department Curt had a long-established long habit of fiddling with his pipe when mulling mulling mull mull- ing over some point that needed thought He suddenly discovered hed he'd been stuffing it during this polite po po- polite po polite lite harangue Since the senor while talking had been leading the way into the open Curt now lit up expelling expelling ex ex- ex- ex a huge cloud of smoke before before before be be- fore he said mildly with a smile All AIl of which is by way of telling me to mind my own business Well that's all right Youve You've hired me for the engineering end of your venture venture venture ven ven- ture and that's where my interest lies Ill I'll try to curb my wandering t ur os I Senor eyed Curt a mo mo- mo- mo mentI ment I am quite sure we shall get along Mr Curtis They took a rapid see look-see in the port office introducing Curt casually then returned to Lee and the children seated on their pile of luggage The boys' boys leashes were on them again much to their audible disgust A pair of quick toots now came from the river steamer that had been loading all morning even as the Pisces docked The baggage was hauled aboard the little party followed As they headed slowly upstream Senor made his guests comfortable under a deck awning ming Iced coffee was served as the children children children chil chil- dren exhausted from heat and excitement excitement excitement ex ex- slept on a spread on the deck each jealously clutching his new hat big as himself 1 To Jeff said casually I suppose theres there's no reason why you shouldn't say who recommended me meto meto meto to you No none admitted his host It was Mr Mitchell Mitchell Yes himself Though perhaps perhaps' unknowingly I explain Many times I had to warn him about his attitude toward the men under him Of course I what I-what what do you say ah yes I hounded him to get the work done for we have much to do before the rainy season and it has not gone too Li 1 A yb 4 I Each jealously clutching his new Dew hat big as himself well But certainly I did not want him to antagonize the workers One can can can-ah ah drive some men others not It is a fine point to know how far one can go with work work- ers When I saw the many enemies enemies enemies ene ene- mies Mr Mitchell was making I thought But this is unfortunate I feared feared feared-ah ah an accident So it was happy for me that I led him into talk of competent engineers You were one he mentioned above oth oth- ers You see Two hours of fighting the current upriver and they found at another modern dock with a long floating stage built to allow for the therise therise therise rise of the river in flood Now the river at low point the wharf towered high above them Their baggage was swung upward in a cargo net a deckhand riding the hook to avoid the stairs while Curt and the others climbed the long flight of steps from the floating stage to the landing above Spread before them on the only rise of land for miles along this side of the river was a small town built fashion arrowhead-fashion around a shaped fan-shaped railroad terminus of storage tracks pointed out a centrally located bungalow Your office Mr Curtis There is sleeping accommodation there for you There will be nights when you are unable to get back to San Alejo led the party to two motorcars motorcars motorcars mo mo- automobiles with flanged wheels to operate on the narrow- narrow gauge railroad tracks Side windows windows windows win win- dows of the sedan bodies rolled completely into the framework making weather all-weather cars for the variable variable va va- va clim climate te I ordered the two motor boys ahead with the baggage while he drove the Curtises in the second car Off they sped across the flat u un uninteresting uninteresting un- un interesting country Far off on Curts Curt's right was what appeared to be a tremendous salt field but he knew it couldn't be that Lime went his thoughts laid by airplane before planting San Alejo sat prettily on an out out- i jutting hump of the range a full thousand feet above the flats and the railroad took to sharp curves and steep grades in climbing to the town Slanting down from a bowl of summits above was a pipe line indicating a reservoir Senor preened himself A good site no The whole year there are winds that sweep across this face of the mountains in late latea a afternoon and evening but never does the wind come up from the old swampland The result We ar are happy to have no malaria here where we live This makes the senora more comfortable no He pointed as the car rounded a curve and the town came into fuller view You see that long low building Our hospital L Larger than we need perhaps b but t it is more better to be prepared Across the plaza is our clubhouse That building of two stories stories stories sto sto- sto- sto ries ries- which looks out over the valley vaIley from between it is our administration tion building The ground floor is commissary where the senora can cang g get t a anything she needs We are very very proud of San Alejo Reason to be grunted Curt Good layout So we think too There is nothing nothing nothing noth noth- ing to break our view In back of the club we have the swimming pool the tennis courts also the schools three schools three of them For the d dif different different dif dif- ferent ages of the children no And v no now the car took another curve that brought into sight the farther slope down-slope of Mt San Alejo Below about a kilometer from the town was an exceptionally long cleared field with a broad worn well-worn strip down its length A branch of the railroad led to it around the base of the mountain Good sized field Curt comment comment- ed Youve several buildings besides besides be be- sides hangars Yes Just the one word But is that a fence I see around the field Your eyes are sharp Mr Curtis Yes the field does have a fences fence Our chief pilot nearly lost his life during his first month here because of a natives native's mania for souvenirs We Ve had not thought to properly protect pro the planes It is a serious thing to risk ones one's life in the air Mr Curtis Curtis Curtis Cur Cur- so I felt I should shou d put a fence around the field Curt saw a flash behind the liv liv- ing Swimming pool Yes a small one I do all I can canto canto canto to keep the men contented It is ismach much mach worth the cost it pays well At the far end of the field was a sizeable copse of trees and Curt wondered that they hould be left standing within the field Before he could see more however another switch-back switch of the climbing railroad lost the field to view The motorcar laboring up the grade came out onto a level stretch picked up speed and at once they were in the heart of the small town It is late was saying You have yet to unpack and get settled I will take you to your house now I trust Senora that the cook and house servant we furnish you will prove satisfactory Lee made a vague sound in reply In the morning turned to Curt if you will come to my office office office of of- fice at eight I will spend the day with you ou We Vf s shall how shall how do o you say ar it t ah yes buckle down p 10 to worK The sidewalks were not wide enough for the group abreast Monta Mon Mon- ta taya a walked ahead carrying the two children whose shoes made smudges on his spotless coat The boys were silent with this stranger Lee wrinkled wrinkled wrinkled wrin wrin- kled her nose in distaste at the senors senor's senor's senors senors senor's se- se nors nor's faultlessly tailored back Ha she murmured Look at him the dark lily Sh Curt tightened his hold on her arm He may have ears he whispered Well I dont don't care she muttered resentfully Look how lie fie carries the kids He likes children I laugh ha deposited the boys carefully carefully carefully care care- fully before a hedge of hibiscus opened the wire gate smiled them through onto the neatly scythed lawn where a mango a growing fast-growing tree already offered some shade to lawn and house He was about to turn away with a gallant lift of his hat when Curt mentioned Mrs Mitchell for the first time We Ve were close friends with the Mitchells a few years ago It must have been a terrible blow to her he said I think we should express our regrets as soon as possible Ah Senor pulled at athis athis athis his lower lip It was a most terrible terrible terri terri- ble shock to her Mr Curtis He cast a glance at Lee I I ah ah had hadnot hadnot hadnot not meant to speak of it before the senora but to be sure she will have to know Mrs Mitchell Mitchell Mitchell-ah ah committed committed committed com com- suicide only yesterday From grief This morning she was buried A sad affair yes es That was what delayed me Curt managed a blank face to hide the disturbing shock but Lee was frankly astonished She reached for Curts Curt's hand Not until was out of hearing however did she exclaim She never Zora Mitchell commit commit commit com com- mit suicide Not She wasn't the type Besides she never cared that much for him She never seemed to admitted Curt slowly They were a cool enough couple He turned to the house Absently he held Lees Lee's hand as they climbed the steps But his free hand in his pocket was crushing Zora Mitchells Mitchell's note Before going to bed that night Curt held a lighted match to the note But the words were burned into his mind TO DE LIE CONTINUED |