Show M FLAME IN 14 T THE 19 FORES f eSE 5 HAR HAROLD P TITUS TITTUS illustrations IRWIN anu I 1 brals feg CHAPTER XI continued 12 so where he had bad it cached ea clied eh stop stopping pin and nd peer bg ng down at the hole lets see the box bos youns young Kerry pivoted anone foot snuggling the t he bon bo against its his side it away from the outstretched hand I 1 not just yet sheriff he be said bridger gasped gawped not just I 1 sy say li straightening ing and whirling on ezra just what comes olt oil here the coroners face showed beail derment kerry spoke quietly coming off bridger Is a C coroners investigation well i harshly its a sheriffs s now give me that box bos 1 young rose then no bridger when the coroner has finished then be time for I 1 I 1 your who the hell are you to be but tin intha into a murder case nerry kerry shrugged im only a deputy coroner he be sald said deputy cor since when ezra grabbed the cue for a couple of weeks now nat I 1 appointed young I 1 as my deputy sos BOS to have another pair of 0 eyes and ears ear s in this country the sheriff scratched his head and grunted tod west took a step or two ONO which put him close cloge to the table and leaned against it watching listening A tin cup was there he picked kicked it up so and twirled it in his hands ills heart was pelting his ribs now but siut it was no moment y to make a move to say a word things i vad had been happening of which he be had been ignorant his fits play ids was to learn as much as pos bible well even so began bridger and scratched hi his shead head again ike he hazarded a a burse course cut but you had your inquest you got nowhere how s seems to me 17 we got a hot lea lead on n this case I 1 guess its up to my office to go through with it and make t the h e pinch weve got to have evidence 0 o I 1 guess ill demand what you two wa have found here demand awall snapped kerry demand and be damned to you bridger your authority one two three with a coroners go read your law 11 no need of this bridger knew that much but on the rebuff he flushed hotly before he could speak however young went on theres nothing about what weve found to cover up in this box are just three hundred dollars in three bills the serial nu numbers correspond to those cash drew from the bank the day he was ined there i may be other items are here which will figure quite largely in n the case though that he knew was bad judgment lle he knew it before the words were of his mouth before west wes dropped cropped cup he dd did drop it and it rolled across the floor just what ayou mean nat deman demanded dk x bedont We dont know yet weve just made anade a start now youre at liberty libil IL to do tiny any investigating you want to just so long as you dont mess things up upeor aoi us OUT our plan be C concluded was iy ay to ta tale take this W stuff in and go io ov over er the evidence taken at the inquest T but what about stuart well you answer that what about him my b ay god aint int you yon gola to make a pinch kerry karry debated nave holt stuart dragged off to the shoestring jail g be adre kans aes ee nave hate him lod lodge id d there even tor for no more than a afew few hours perhaps charged 2 with her fathers murder T i dodou do you think MIDI smart he i asked in a conciliatory tone spar 1 V ring ong for or time so far as we know theres nat not a great deal leal against grm yet sek and if we w up keep quiet until tomorrow who knows p develop lle vow IN BS bridge saw his chance of mak laj an immediate and impressive arrest fading rm im not so damn sure young throw aern em lj ln the can first adin nd investigate vesti gate afterward say bayl it if he be allut you might spill the whole platter of beans dont you think ezra it w would bg be aler to hold bold back 1 I certainly dot do im not going off halt half cocked on tills this case nat 1 want a chan chance ce to sit down arid and add up what weve got noial now kerry once e ging ly y and looked covertly at tod west who was retrieving the tin y cup twirling it with apparent cas dalness la in his fingers again the hands however were trembling what d ayou tou think tod nat asked why up to you lie ale id take stuart if youve got anything on him first though id look this layout lay out over pretty careful and ezra and 1 I 11 said young wed probably better be heading for town III 1 I think so too said the old mail man but ills hla eyes were mystified lie he was following ills his deput ys lead better bring along those boards young suggested bec got that tire to change they went vent outside then leaving the other three within and kerry put the box bos carefully on the seat cushion cus lilon stall he whispered let era em clear out he looked at his right land hand and rubbed his finger tips together lie ile touched again a smear of sticky dirt on the edge of the box and then busied himself with jack and wheel wrench for 20 minutes he stalled for time in the changing of that tire in the beginning a low and hurried muttering came from the cabin and then nat spoke freely all right dutch butch lets measure tills this tiling thing off now sos we cn tell a jury all about it when the time comes sounds of pacing gs from the interior of the cabin observations argument then consciously intent n the sheriff and his deputy searched the entry and the cabins surroundings for or what they might fi find n d tod west remained leaning against the table until they came out then be he followed them with a fine show of interest well debby youre right bridger said finally approaching ezra and young but I 1 got a duty I 1 wont wait too long ill drive to town and come to your office tonight im leavin dutch butch at th landin it if he should get away its be just plain hell III they drove oft off and when they were gone f from born sight kerry dropped his wrench give me those boards he said excitedly here come on ezra ezka lets see what he used to pry em up with ile he went directly to the cache of tools beside beside the doorway eyeing the tb implements one by one its a betl bet he muttered and ducked inside and came out with a newspaper in ia his hands shielding his palms with a torn page he lifted from its resting place a worn and shining crowbar the idea ezra began you see there young demanded triumphantly look at the end ezral the old man peered closely I 1 dirty he muttered dirt stick I 1 in W to it and what kind of dirt dont you get it its the same color and kind US as that under the floor there scrape a little of it off in a clean paper there I 1 I 1 I 1 right ne ile used this bar to bust up that hard clay and make a hole tor for the box bos and he used it to pry up those floorboards floor boards I 1 here give me one see the mark on the board fits exactly but I 1 dont see yet why young gave an excited laugh good lud lad ezral this old bars baes as smooth and bright as it if been polished I 1 finger prints will be all over it inside the cover of that box big as life and twice as natural Is a mans thumb print and tod west stood in there for ton ten minutes fooling with a bright tin cup A light of understanding dawned in ezras old eyes eyed spread out that newspaper young said lay it on the ground I 1 so I 1 now well roll up tills this bar so the prints wont get rubbed away and I 1 what the devil lie ile had put the bar down and started to lift away the paper which bilich had bad shielded his hands it stuck peeled oft off slowly and he held it up to the level rays of a sun setting behind the timber young sniffed the smear on the paper lipper frowning touched it tentatively with his tongue and gave a grunt houeye honey boney doing on that bar ezra and something sticky on the bos bo x too they peered at one another and tod west he said slowly all swollen up notice that 1 I did what you make of that kerry puzzled stared blankly at the ground and scratched a temple NO nothing yet he muttered I 1 nothing but weve got a T mess of stuff to make something of carefully they gathered up their evidence the box bos the bar the floor boards and lastly also carefully wrapped in paper the tin cup with which tod toa west had busied his trembling hands CHAPTER XII THEY HEY drove slowly back toward nans headquarters talking intently to save nolt holt stuart the ignominy of arrest to tie together the evidence they had accumulated to weave a net around tod west and to discover the remainder of the money that rightfully belonged to nan were their major objectives in the car which preceded them had bad been intent talk as well west had had bad little enough to say at the cabin but once on the homeward way with new fears fresh doubts even greater misgivings stirring within him he had bad talked talked into bridgers Crid gors ear car playing on the mans vanity his jealousy of his authority his regard for his political fences I 1 and after those first minutes at downers with their confusion and excitement and triumph tod west drawing drawling bridger aside talked further what had transpired in mel mcl knights lits store between young and had come to his ea ears and he passed it on to bridger and made deductions and in a fever of 0 relief let his suggestions run into demands As they rounded the bend and came into view of the downer buildings ezra leaned suddenly forward what goes on here he be asked staring at the group clustered before headquarters car a r I 1 do you spose kerry speeded up and when he drew close to the cluster of men about the sheriffs car it gave way and there white of face his hands manacled mana cled before him they saw holt stuart I 1 bridger pushed his way toward young as he opened the door of ezras car the sheriff bore himself with a new importance well I 1 guess have to admit I 1 was lookin a little further 51 f 14 f cool steel encircled jerrys wrists ahead in n you were you young angl he cried waving a sheet of paper truculently 1 I guess bebby the sheriffs office can still be depended on to follow its best judgment tor for the people of this coun county tyl I 1 yeah just what do you mean kerry asked ask ed evenly mean I 1 mean I 1 was right all along I 1 this lad stuart Is the man we W want an t young and I 1 gasn wasn I 1 t a second too soon either I 1 guess bebby theres ben things coln on about this case that nobody but you nd ind him understood 1 ill count ezra out because hes bes hes bes an old man 1 I dont spose you knew he was pack packed ed up ready to haul d did I 1 d you holt you mean yes boltl tod west was edging up behind bridger frowning nudging the sheriff yes holt stuart 1 pack sack back nd ind suit cases all strapped up nd I 1 come on him whitin this I 1 it to nan downer chos ben bea away today listen to th this IS ue he read dear nan it looks as it if yd id stayed on here too long now and by staying risked ali all kinds of disaster hed got just that far when iben I 1 busted jn on him now you got any boelt rid nd bull story to explain that why should I 1 have an explanation 1 I wondered edging closer with an expression of craft which kerry in that moment of confused thought did not detect 1 I won dered young after I 1 heard you done your best to drive drive the states chief witness out of the country this 71 cierel what the devill devil 1 young grunted as he began to struggle butch the deputy had him from behind bridger had grasped one ona wrist in both his big hands tod west stepped in to secure um him to help belp hold him despite hla his first amazed struggles what comes off kerry demanded the big idea bridger Erld ger the sheriff was reaching for liand culTs A leer came about hla his mouth ive got git stuart as a suspect in a murder case he said loudly nd ind rm im you young for or Inter interferon ferIn with a witness in that selfsame self same case cool steel encircled jerrys wrists the ratchets clicked why this Is the damnedest most far fetched outrage you tell all that to the judge 1 snapped bridger here you yon boys get back bowl now stand away dutch butch nd ind me we got to get these two into a cell stand back boys lie ile whirled to kerry you yon got th guts to deny that you drove frank out of 0 town this afternoon nave yon even rot got th brass to explain that young was breathing hard confusion and dismay lay heavily upon him lie ile looked from bridger to tod west and ills his lip curled the man with ills his swollen face was glaring at him triumphant for the moment because his agile mind had turned events off that course NN which had it been followed might have helmed him yes try to explain that it if you cani west growled kerry squared ills his shoulders perhaps I 1 can tod west he said slowly perhaps I 1 cant tomorrows another day remember and handcuffed with bilder bild er jerking him toward the open touring car in which he was vias to ride a prisoner into in to the county seat he laughed bitterly defiantly I 1 old ezra nervous fingers twisting strands of beard came close as stuart was helped into the back seat and young ordered in beside the driver hold everything ezra nerry kerry said you sleep on that stutt stuff understand der stand guard it with your life if necessary see me in the morning and and taace take care of nan I 1 ills voice dropped on this last and he averted his eyes from the doctors face tip still sitting on the seat of ezras car watched stilt stiff ears as this other automobile moved away the crowd after that departure began to buzz loudly doctor adams carefully gathered the pieces of material evidence they had found and carried them into nans office the dog whined lilied lil ned a little staring at the way his master had taken slowly almost tentatively at first he took the road stopped once and sniffed the air then at a rolling lope he disappeared beyond the sawmill headed for shoestring the ride into town was one long succession of unsuccessful attempts on the part of bridger to make one or the other of his prisoners talk just where were yon all day thursday holt he be asked in a patent attempt at go to blazes now that aint no way bebby be best for you to tell me I 1 could do a lot of good if oh shut up bridger shrugged and smiled to himself car tools loose on the floorboards at jerrys feet clanked and rattled as they tool took the bumps now young ought to come clean for holts sake about why you run this breed tell him to go to hell holt kerry chuckled again and again as they progressed through the dusk nat made ills his attempts to worm information from the two after a time whenever lie he opened his lips the two chanted in solemn measure go to hell well then bridger finally snapped it if theres any coln to hell bell to be done by this gang ill leave it to anybody with eyes to see chos on the road Is I 1 they swung through town around to the rear of the ja jail 11 an and 1 I entered by a side door dutch butch and bridger took their possessions from the prisoners and ushered them into the bull pen pick out your own beds the sheriff jeered unpleasantly have the place to yourselves likely and I 1 hope you like it both of you it was not cot long before excited citizens commenced to arrive they clomped up the front steps and through the corridor and cast self conscious glances into the dimly lit apartment behind the bars went into the sheriffs sheri fEs office and congratulated him boisterously and came out more boldly and hung against the steel door of the bull pen and peered through but kerry on a bunk in a cell and stuart on another kept out of sight eight and made no response to the advances bridger was in fine spirits ills tall talk rose high and higher lie he became almost hysterical in n this his moment of largest triumph at late evening the stream of callers had bad petered out butch had been called out to a country dance where bad whisky had caused trouble and when no one appeared tor for a quarter of an hour bridger stalked down the corridor and called through an open doorway ill be over at the pool hall mat mai it if anybody calls or you hear bear anything |