Show FL AM IN THE 03 HAROLD IRWIN VERS F aviden fqy CAgy A J CHAPTER VI VIII I 1 I 1 continued 8 ile he walked on after that motionless ti interval recalling things that ezra had said last big night the old physician had the bullet which lad slain nans father A thirty eight he had said a thirty eight and last night he had held bests automatic in ills his own onn hand band had ejected the loads from it ne ile had given no heed to the ale but thinking back the cartridges seemed to be no larger at least than thirty eights slow yes bests suspicions of ezras activity must not be aroused and another thing it was as important to locate that money were it still in the country as it was to pin the guilt of murder on the individual who had taken cash downers life if he could determine the caliber of that pistol tor for instance if he be could get possession of it and send it and the bullet to a crime detec tion laboratory where ballistic experts could determine whether or not it was the weapon which had done murder that he knew would not be conclusive evidence but it would perhaps tell whether or not his hatred for west had been an unwarranted influence in rousing these suspicions an idea occurred to him leaving tip to guard camp he be set ote off retracing the way he had just come but even before he was crossing the trestle his rage began to ebb more was at stake than his personal feelings he told himself this man west was no child perhaps he be was a murderer and a thief it if so BO to recover what he had bad stolen to bring him to answer for the greatest of crimes would necessitate slow and careful movements boats and canoes were bea beached cheil on a shelf of gravel below the landing kerry made his way there and stood listen listening ng the buildings of the little town were dark now dow above loomed the small depot across the way from it was bests house west might be there now but no lights 11 gats showed in the windows lie he would wait it was not long before his ears detected the sound of a cautiously wielded paddle and lie he stooped d behind some bushes for complete concealment ceal ment A prow grated a foot splashed in alwater water a man grunted as he lifted a canoe young could see but remain unseen lie ile saw that large bulk of a man deposit the canoe carefully bottom up then turn abruptly and make his way up the bank kerry did not follow at once and when he be did slip noiselessly to the depot and around the corner he was rewarded by a glow of lights in windows across the street lie he crossed the street melting into the shadows about the house taking up a position at one corner where he could peer through a window tod west was standing there putting light wood into the fireplace that done he crossed the room to a cupboard took from it a whisky bottle and drank deeply lie ile stood for a moment close to the fire and then began undressing ills his shirt came off first As he turned kerry could see the pistol holster bolster strapped to his side off came the bacs and then the breeches and the man stood in his underclothes clo drinking again from the hottle bottle he drank deeply too deeply kerry remarked to himself for a man with a past to keep bidden the firelight was not so brilliant now the birch wood evidently was nas dozy A great bank of dense white smoke sucked into the throat of the chimney but the master of the house was either satisfied with the fire or else considered that he had more important things to do lie ile took the bottle from the mantel and shaking his head as though muttering to himself made his nay ay slowly up the stairs kerry slipped along the end of the house and reached the rear just as a shaft of light shot out into the spruce thicket there the light came from a dormer window set in the gently pitched roof stepping Stef iDIng away from the wall nall X kerry erry could coul see bests head and shoulders behind the panes the man raised the bottle to his lips tor for a fourth time and then evidently placing it on a table url un buckled the strap of his shoulder holster bolster and put it down alone in the darkness kerry let one eyelid droop and cocked his head bead that pistol might be a anost most important item in hla his own Off official iclal life aut how to get possession without having west know where it had gone A clump of small birches grew close to the rear wall odthe house their trunks almost touched the low eaves hand over hand he went up tip tho saplings and hitched himself to the wet shingles stretching out on his belly now kow he be could see west plainly the man was sitting in a chair the whisky bottle in his hands the pistol kerry saw was hun hung in its holster over the back of a chair west drank once more and whisky trickled over his chin ills movements replacing the bottle on the small table were uncertain ue he rose and groped tor for the hanging light bulb night kight shut down suddenly and bedsprings creaked as a heavy body fell upon them kerry was within feet of that weapon and he had a plan to get hold of it he rose from his position on the shingles and began making his way along the roof cautiously he gained the ridge and stood erect the chimney belched great volumes of smoke oft off came youngs jacket now over the flue opening it t went and he crouched against the he masonry waiting down donn in the maw of the fireplace feeble flames died from orange to blue and then expired in the roll ing smoke which cut off from escape above flowed out and filled 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 lie he rolled over and cursed thickly lie ile coughed and strangled and struggled up to one elbow staring about in the darkness he coughed again then the instinctive alarm in human beings for natural elements out of control shocked him into a state bordering full consciousness ills feet hit the floor lie he flung the door wide open and made for the stairway lie ile could not breathe could not see he turned about and ran for his room again choking and gasping me he fumbled at the he catch of his window threw up the sash and his groat great voice roared d into the black big night ht fire he yelled fire and again fire help fire he threw a foot to the wet roof and scrambled out slipped rolled over threw his bis arms wide and brought himself to a sliding stop almost at the eaves fire he yelled again III hi you turn out fire kerry young shrank close against the chimney A voice came out of the night where afire A light showed in the next house A door slammed the town was turning out while tod west 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 cupping a hand over his mouth to make his location more difficult to determine should any b be e curious he yelled get the furniture boys get cods stuff out I 1 he whipped his coat from the flue and put it on ru running lining along the atheridge ridge toward the break of the dormer 1 S get cods goods lie he heard someone yell feet drummed on the wide porch he heard a heavy object drawn across the floor below in a second lie he was inside the window from which west had made his exit ile he found the chair found the holster with its burden ile he slipped pistol and holster colaer into its his pocket threw the chair through the window to the roof followed it with the small table and scram bled out himself the gathea gathering gat heiing I 1 ng crowd was in front smokes so damn thick cant locate it someone complained loudly careful of that clock another cried take it into my lio house usel 1 kerry slid down the birches slipped into the timber which grew close to the rear of the house then he watched furniture was already scattered about the doorway two men were on the root roof shouted puzzled questions to one another felir heill someone said thare aint no fire boesl ats that damn chimney va 1 smoke was clearing from the interior tod west garbed in his underwear stood confused and crestfallen in the center of the group r up his hat hair r in disarray under cover of the excitement kerry young the pistol la in his pocket made for the trestle running when he safely could put distance between himself and the crowd back yonder lie he wanted to be anay where he could laugh himself sore the most powerful man in the community smoked out in his underwear nan downer so kerry young discovered the next forenoon was the most businesslike young woman he be had ever encountered lie ile sat on a stool before the draft ing board translating into line and colors field notes that had been gh 1 I en him and while kerry was thus employed nan talked business with two fishermen with maps spread before her and detailed information at command the girl made such a sales talk as kerry had never before heard she pictured the selective logging operations abich under her plan would continue indefinitely all over the properties pointed out how streams always would have 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 figures in her head and argument in her wit and behind oil all this she had conviction the men men of affairs surely listened intently and when they had asked their last question cleared up the final detail of the proposal one said 1 I rather think miss aless downer that we can deal of course it depends on how the rest of our crowd reacts but youve got us so well steamed up that I 1 be surprised it if wed be back here with money in a few days and ask you to draw the papers that was encouraging surely but when they left she wilted suddenly and sat down at her desk as if weak young watching her said after a moment wrong nothing she answered everything she faced him her eyes dark with trouble 1 I think sold I 1 think nt at least two nore more ea N now he could see west plainly groups are ready to deal but under the terms of my contract with the northern wood products company which Is tod wet west I 1 cant deliver the title we must deliver until another principal payment Is made tou tough P h young said that evening young borrowed borl owed a car from holt stuart id like to run in to shoestring tor for a bit he sald said all right take my car the other responded but without much graciousness and as kerry walked away stuart watched him frowning a little the road from bests landin landing to shoestring wa sonly a sand tra trail I 1 through chop pings and standing timber where it traversed swamps corduroy had been laid youngs eyes were fixed ahead on the alert for spring breaking chuck holes hies and stumps so lie he did not lot watch behind did not observe the lin ancient clent flivver with a tattered top which kept pace with him ezra adams was wag in his shabby office behind the small smal waiting room I 1 when young walked in 1 kerry the old man whispered what brings you here and so soon yeah soon sure enough rut but we cant begin soon enough in this case can we ire he reached into an inner pocket and produced pistol and holster what the dicken you got herer here young looked at thedoor the door behind them lie ile turned and c closed it before he made reply tills this coroner adams Is perhaps the gun that killed cash Down downer ertl no you yon dont bayt say he sat down and motioned the physician to another chair you see a lot ha opened lay day he went on then relating the pertinent events had tra na na aired since ezra had left hini him he ha told the story of how bov he ha obtained possession of the gun and nd arranged matters so that it would be natural tor for west to believe it had bad been lost or mislaid millaid or appropriated I 1 i by some of his townsmen i u now even if we can hook up lip i bullet and gun it t will pron pro e idith I 1 ing west could swear he found the I 1 gat or bought it from a deer hunter after the shooting could get away with almost any story of how he came to have it hinkles inkles II story looks bad for west wesl but if the state police report that the gun which west had boon been packing fired the bullet which wiled killed cash then well know that any effort we make to hang the thin thing on him wont be wasted does that make sense ezra nodded emphatically id say it did sound sense now turning to its his safe rafe heros heres the bullet I 1 took out of poor old cashs cachs brain ill get these things right off to the police meantime weve got to lay low and wait and watch what other plan have you young frowned and scratched his temple none mone murderer is one thing finding the cash Is a another n if its only just commenced to come into circulation we may expect more of it it if west has it hes too smart to keep it around his place id say offhand he hes 9 the sort that would cache it in the bush somewhere the important thing as I 1 see it Is to try to get a line on his hiding filrice for the money before he suspects us of being busy on the downer matter at all and the situations getting a awfully tight nans nan Is got a chance it seems to commence selling big tracts of stuff with log logging irig rights under the prescribed plan reserved she cant give title until ashes negotiated another payment on the contract with west it looks to meas cocas though chehad waited for he her r to do the work and going to step in and skim the cream young toung weve got no time to lose have thought though tV ezra exclaimed rising and as he be stood up letting his voice rise as well have thought that wed ever get enough in the way of suspicion to start diggin into the downer case again young I 1 sure am glad you came down the mad woman day before yesterday and on oil that frank Blo Blu ejay who had been standing in the waiting room one ear against the panel of that closed door made his way on feet to the entry and disappeared in the darkness later that night tod west had his report from the breed 1 I hear bear no ving tang antil the las he said the doe doc he said then they was diggan up op the downer case again Is that all west put thesues the question sharply all I 1 could hear they made a lot of talk before but they said it so low well that means nothing then but his voice shook and in the dusk he could see the other 0 the fiok lo 10 ok at him intently you yon keep after this young frank I 1 want to know everything he does everything understand I 1 made no response for a moment then lie muttered 1 I dont like that man tod lies iles one damn fool lies iles strong as lie lid lie aint scared of noting no ting ving and hes bes got you seared scared naw kaw he be aln ain got me boasts boastfully ully maybe so hell get himself into trouble with me yet eh yes maybe grov growled led wet but you watch him youre on the payroll to watch him remember the breed walked away and west turned within alone there lie he wiped the clammy sweat from his face and stood motionless a long ong time ile he did not like the word that frank had brought back from town nor had he be liked the way the breed looked at him when his voice shook ile he turned to the cupboard and took down a fresh bottle of whisky then then after a moment of indecision put it back resolutely not too much of that he irow growled led and began to pace the floor calling on all his resources for clear thought and careful poise this young was evidently bent on remaining in the country but why was he running to ezra and what did he know about the downer case A persistent arrogant devill devil me ile was treone the one man west could recall who bad clashed with frank and not shown at least some hesitation he was tl the ie only man he knew who had bad pat fear into the breeds heart 1 at that lie he paused squeezing ills lower lip thoughtfully Blu ejay afraid of young blue |