The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-08-20
HUSToMs INSPECTOR BRowNI
- al a aJ douro A. ia "a L..

SioulIhCo uOWu tHe llu OI HIS QeSE
at the San Barco custom houst
building and ratified the windows of hi.
office, as well as the nerves of Investi
gator Bronson, who stood up as hi.
chief turned to him and snapped:
"Excuses don't go You've beer
after those opium smugglers operating
around here for months, and you
haven't got line on single one. You
suspected that Carson Teller, but you
haven't got anything on him, have
youi"
"But, Chief" protested Bronson, his
tanned face reddening as he spoke
"you know as well as do that we are
morally certain that he is responsible
for the carrying into this country, and
through this very place, a small but
certain amount of opium every day.
We've seen him with the Chinks, and
at the places we found some Of ehe
stuff cached, and"
The Chief spoke hastily and irritably
as he reached for his coat and started
out the door, followed by his sub
ordinate.
"But you haven't connected him
with it, and Washington is raising hell
about i'll He's the man we want, all
tight, and is up to you to hang it on
him and to find out how he does it. So
1ong"
"And say"-he turned back an in
stant-"I suppose you know that if
you don't get this Teller you II be an
swering want ads one of these days,
don It youi"
Then he hurried off, leaving Bronson
standing on the curb with an anxious
look in his eye. He had never failed
to make good before, and it was hard
to be made to realize that this time he
had failed, and that the department
would let him go, as they did all fail
mes.
But soon his eyes hardended and
giinted, and his mouth took on firmer
line, as he gritted to himself:
"I'll get him or-quit, 1 guess" he
added, and swung off, turning over to
himself plans whereby he might "get
the goods" on Carson.
The latter was mysterious person
age of he city who dealt ostensiby in
fruit, but who for long time had been
suspected of smuggling opium into the
United States from across the Mexican
line.
But shadowings innumerable had
failed to show any proof of it. Several
times sloop had been seen to glide by
the cove at the international boundary,
but though the line was guarded, every
foot of it, nothing was ever seen to get
by without a thorough search, a search
that so far had resulted in absolutely
no trace of any contraband goods.
Carson had been shadowed thousand
times, but nothing suspicious had ever
been discovered except his foregather-
ing with certain Chinese merchants.
Though this might be explained by
his fruit business dealings Bronson and
his chief suspected other deals, but no
proof was forthcoming-and the opium
kept coming in from somewhere.
"And l IN going to find out where,
tool" grunted Bronson. "Guess I'll
take a look at Carson s place over the
line again"
Carson, it seemed, owned a large
rancho just cross the boundary in Mex
leo, and while Bronson had snooped
around several times in the guise of a |
laborer seeking work on the ranch, lie
had seen nothing unusual about Carson |
except that he seemed to be a golf |
maniac.
Bronson then lost all respect for Car
son, for he considered golf game that
ranked with croquet and bean bags. |
Surely man who would waste his time
driving a foolish little ball about with
still more foolishly shaped steel club
could not be much of an adversary.
But he still had "hunch" that the
secret of the smuggling lay in the keep
ing of Carson, and determined not to
lose sight of that gentleman until the
secret was iolved and his job in the
service safe once more.
Careful inquiry revealed the fact that
Carson WAS out at this ranch apain and