Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-07-17
FRANK L. PACKARD

The Hawk reached the car, ran
along the side to the open door---and
stood suddenly still. And then, with
s a low, startled cry. he swung himself
! up and thru the doorway, and rum
ming forward, knelt beside huddled
: form on the floor. 1t was the mes
senger, sprawled on his face nov.
niotionless. and IL Was no longer u
case of being drugged--the man had
been shot. There was dark, ugly
siTool on the flooring, and thin red
/ stream had trickled away in a ziIy-
nag course along one OF the planks.
The Hawks lips were tight. The
+ Butchers work! But why? Why?
Yes! Yes, he understood The
2 Butcher, too, In some way had dis
( covered that the messenger was-the
third party!
i, The boy--he was even more OF n
boy now In appearance. It seemed to
Z the Hawk. with his ashen face and
i colorless lips-the boy moaned n lit
tie, and. az the Hawk lifted him up.
opened his eyes. The Hawk PRO-
duced flask, and forced a few
drops between the others lips.
"Listen!" he said distinctly. TRY
+ and understand what am saying.
Did they get the diamonds from you
after they shot yoh?"
The boys eyes widened with a
quick, sudden fear. Perhaps the
drug had begun to wear off--perhlps
IL was the wound and the loss OF
blood that had cleared his brain.
The dianaonds?" he faltered.
Yes" said the Hawk grimly., The
diamonds! You took them. Did you
tell those men where they were?"
''It's--it's q lie!'' The boy seemed
to shivcr convulsively. Then, his
voice scarcely audible: mo. lists
true. III did. Ii guess I'm gong
out-ain't I? It's--it's true. But IL
didn't tell. There weren't any men
4 - He had tainted in the Hawks
arms.
MY Cod" whispered the Hawk
solemnly. ats true--the kids ,iy-
Ing
He held tho flask to the others
lips again. It wasn't the Butcher,
then, who had shot, the boy; and,
sbesides, he saw now that the wound
Nassin strangely curious place---in
Kthe back, below the shoulder blade:
the boy had been sitting in his shirt
sleeves. and the back of his vest was
soaked with blood. And the Hawk
remembered the fusillade of bullets
that had swept up the interior oi, the
Zeal. and the spat upon the forward
door panel - he had crouched there
outsideand he understood. The
boy. sitting In stupor In hts chair
/ facing the forward door, had been
directly In the line OF fire, and q
stray bullet had found it's mark.
...A---1 don't know how YOU kne'w"---
the boy had reused, and was speak
lng again 'but-but I'm going and--
1n0---and it's true. Two days ago, q
man gave me a hundred dollars to
sulnd tor--for Knockout drops on the
Iun tonight. I'll couldn't get
Scaught-l--I was safe - whatever
happened. I'd be found drugged--and
And no blame coming to me
and- He motioned weakly toward
he flask in the Hawks hand. Give
ne give me some more OF that"
He did not speak, for moment.
And, instead" prompted the Hawk
uietly. you double-crossed the
ame.''
IL had q counterfeit ten dollar
4ill" the boy went on with an effort.
I'd heard about the Hawk-slnd--
nd Macvightie. / knew from what
1.-The fellow said-that the Hawk
fasn't one of them. LII got to
linking. All ] had to do was empty
he safe-and-and write just what
ae Hawk did on the bill--and.-and
love It in the safe--and-and take
tamonds--and-and then drink
tea khat had the drops in 1t. IL
build be drugged. and they--they'd
INK the Hawk did it while ] was
lgged before they-they got here.
land that's what did"
The boy was silent again. 1t was
u outside. very stili--only the
rpings of the insects and the
yht-sounds the Hawk had lt,tened
while he had lain below the
mbankment waiting for the train at
fsnrke's Siding. There was 6. set,
strained look on the Hawks face The
Kid was paying the long prieie--for
twenty thousand dollars worth of un-
set diamonds!
To make 1t look like--like the real
thing boys lips were moving
sagnin-''I--I cleaned out everything
In the safe-but--but OF course, there
Z mustn't any Of that be found--and--
md tied the stuff up-an,i--and
Weighted II, and dropped it-into--the
river 40 we came over the bridge at
>doosehead. And then had toto
hide the diamonds 20 they wouldn't
be found on me, and yet SOS they
they'd come along with me-and-and
not be left in the car. I was afraid
that when some, Of the train crew
found me drugged- they-they'd TN
dress me--and-and put me to bed
and-and 20 I didn't dare hide the
diamonds In my clothes. They're
they.re-in-" He raised himself
IN suddenly. clutched frantically at
the Hawks shoulders and his voice
rang wildly thru the car. Hold me
tight--hold me tight-don't let me go
out yet-I--I got something more to
say! Don't tell her! Don't tell her!
I'll tell you where the stones are,
i they're in the lining of my lunch
satchel-but don't-oh. for Gods
sake. don't tell her-don't let her
!. know that--that I'm thief! You
don't have to, do you? Say you
Z don't! Pm-I'm going out--I-Tve
d got what's coming to me, and that's
enough-isn't it-without her know
Ing, too? lit would kill her. She
was q good mother-do you heart"
He was stiffening back in the Hawks
arms. And this amt coming to her
She was a good mother-do YOU hear