The evening world., 1914-02-20
NOVEMBER JOE M " 4 5

opened the door Of the post ofiicc.
Two.cent stamp" he said CURLY TO
the postmaster.
The stamp was handed ont, and os
tho stranger turned TO 10 he. held n
bet con his hps. plunging his left
hnnd into his pocket. I raw him pull
out long envelope. and at that in
slant Joe and Polloks leaped upon
him.
what in" yelled the man.
But November Joe had seixed the
letter.
Hold your man, Polloks. Look.
this letter is addressed 10 the Giant
Otlnelds Head O1lcca II IN the Tiger
Lilly Report, and that is the murderer
OF Fletcher Buchanan"
1T was sure easy" said Joe a. we
travelled UP the line again, from
the moment saw the mud stains ON
the carpet In Buckman's car. They
were still wet. and when the murder
was done we'd been going without
a stop for three hours-time for any
boots to dry In them heated cars. SO
IL wasn't any one on the train-that
was clear.
Then whoever done it must a.
been young and active, or he could
never board d train travelling at
nfteen milo an hour. and he must
have been fairly educated or he
couldn't have used tho Typewriter.
Again. he must have been we'll ac-
Quainted with the railway"
How could you tell THAR"
You remember that the blind was
up off one window In Buckmnu's
car. Again and again the murderer
~cnt to that window-1 could tell
a tVeun I,A
why did he do that. unless no WINS
looking for tho plncc whore he meant
to jump off, md how could he rec
ognize that place unlcss he knew
the liner"
I thought detected a flaw IN
November Joc's reasoning.
Perhaps he wns just waiting for
the train to slow down." I said.
NO" replied Joe. IL he had been
he'd never have lighted that cigar.
The fact Of his lighting proves that
he must n known that no had twenty
minutes 10 wait: and II proves that
ne was mighty cool hand. tool"
nodded.
AS for Knowles" continued Joe.
why. you heard morc'n one reason
why he was plumb out Of Il. The
cigar and the matches and the Wild
cat nails he carried"
"i:ui how could you guess this fe,.
low had his arm In u sling?'
You mind that cut sapling near
where he tumblcd o.. the cars? He
hadn't took away two foot OF II.
What did he wnnt O. bit of spruce
mat length for? II wouldn't he To
help hin, walk. or I'd "A guessed a
spratncd ankle. ! fancied Il might be-
for a splint. He wouldn't fall soft on
the cars, Won bet"
But you said II was his right
ARM" e"'
Look al the way he hacked the
spruce! The clumsy woy a man
would with his left hand. That
meant he'd damaged his right"
But how did YOU know he'd want
10 post that letter and post Il Mt
Silent Water? Why. II would have
seemed more likely he'd make away
across country"
''1'he post-oiTlce at Silent Water wns
n dead cert. I'll explain that, but
YOU must go back bit. You see,
that chap only meant to get a for
ward look-in Mt the report: his game
and the game OF the people he WINS
working for was to forestall tho rest
OF the world In knowing what Buck
mans decision was. He did not want
to kill buchanan, only matters turned
that way.
Then he had to take away the re-
port. for II wasn't cent o. Use to
him until II was In the hands OF tho
Giant Oil Company. and he had to
get II there without any notion OF its
having been tempered with. His idea
was to go back along the line and
post II just where Buchanan might
have posted it himself. He trusted
IN tho suicide dodge to hold up sus-
picion till he was through with his
plan"
But would the Giant OIL Company
act on the report after hearing OF
why not?" said Joe. "All they'd
think was he'd had It posted the
night before. just as soon as he'd fin
ished writing II. Yes. they'd "a acted
on It and this chap-I haven't got
his name yet--wouid "a cleaned up q
good many hundred thousand dol
lars!"
"By the way. joe" ! said. "where
Is Buckman's report?"
Zoe smiled. ION it's way to Giant
Oil by this. We mailed It,"
II wonder II II was favOrable?"
I'VE couldn't open II. you know.
but the chap had q slip O. paper on
him on which he'd written telegraph
message. Just one word-'Buy.' So
] guess you can buy me fifteen shares
In Tiger Lilly as soon az you like. Mr..
Quaritch." replied November. "l've
got tho money. for I trapped n silver
fox last winter: this report'll maybe
turn II into n gold one! You light out
and buy some shares. too, and then
maybe you'll make that trip To Africa
we've so often yarncd about.
I'D like TO shoot one Of them lions.
see one once TO fair. near Lewis.
and you could hear him roaring out
On tho ferry halfway across TO Quebec.
Id sure like to copy IT. r. and down
one Of they"