The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1922-10-26

charge. II this place were used for
the lotteries, even, he was fairly Ger.
tain that Memphis Izzy would have his
own tracks covered. The men higher
up always did.
He walked straight In upon the
barn. 1t loomed before him, closed,
lurid in the level rays of the weSter-
ing sun. The doors in front had been
only loosely swung together and Ora
mont found them unlocked. He stood
in the opening, and surprise gripped
him. He was held m~otionless, gazing
with astonished wonder at the sight
confronting him.
Directly before him was a small
roadster, one which he remembered to
have seen joachim Fell using; in this
car, doubtless, Ben Chacherre had
driven from the city. He recalled the
fact later, with poignant regret for a
lost opportunity. But, at the present
the great number OF other cars pre-
senting themselves to his view.
They were lined up as deep as the
barn would hold them, crammed into
every available foot Of space; well
over q dozen cars, he reCkOned swiftly.
What was more, all were cars Of the
highest class, with the exception Of
Fells roadster. Directly before him
were two which he was well aware
must have cost close upon ten thou
sand each. What did this mean? Ger
tainly no one man or one group Of men,
in this back-country spot, could expect
to use such an accumulation of eX-
pensive cars!
GramOnt glanced around, but found
no trace of machinery In the barn.
Remembering the motor that he had
heard, he turned from the doorway
In frowning p%erplexity. He strobe on
toward the long shed which stood
closer to the house. AT the end Of
this shed was a door, and when he
tried it, GramOnt found 1t unlocked. 1t
swung open to his hand, and he
stepped inside.
At first he paused, confused by the
vague objects around, for 1t was quite
dark in here. A moment, and his eyes
grew accustomed to the gloomier light
ing. Details came to him all around
were cars and fragments Of cars,
chassis and bodies in all stages of
ACKNOWLEDGMENT. Still more cars!
He slowly advanced to a long bench
that ran the length of the shop be-
meath the windows. A shop, indeed
a shop, he quickly perceived, fitted
with every tool and machine necessary
to the most complete automobile re-
pair establishment Even an air
brush outfit, at one end. together with
a drying compartment. s,,u., of re
paint jobs.
Comprehension was slowly GaWninG
upon the mind Of GrHmont ii Ll"ment
later it became certainty. when he
came to a stop before an automobile
engine lying on the bench. He found
it to be the engine from a StutZ-the
latest multi-valve type adopted by that
make Of car, and this particular bit Of
machinery looked like new.
Gramont inspected it, and he saw
that the men had done their work
well. The Original engine number had
been carefully dug out, and the place
as carefully filled and leveled with
metal. Beside 1t a new number had
been stamped. A glance at the cleo
trical equipment around showed that
these workers had every appliance
with which to turn out the most fin
ished jobs.
AS he Strengthened up from the en-
CINE GramOnt's eyes fell upon a typed
sheet of paper affixed to the wall
above the bench. His gaze widened
as he inspected it by the failing light.
Upon that paper was a list Of cars.
After each car was a series Of mum
bers plainly comprising the original
numbers of the engine, body, radiator
and other component parts, followed
by another series of new numbers to
be inserted. That sheet of paper
showed brains, organizing ability, care
and attention to the last detail
Here was the most carefully
planned and thorough system of auto
mobile thievery that Gramont had ever
heard Of. He stood m~otiOnless, know
ing that this typed sheet of paper il
itself was damning evidence against
the whole gang of workers. What was
more to the point, that paper could he
traced; the typewriting could be
traced to the mar higher up-doubt-
less Memphis Ivy himself! These
men ran in cars by the wholesale,
probably from states adjacent TO
Louisiana. Here, at this secluded
point on the bayou, they changed the
ears completely about, in number,
paint, style of body, and then prob
ably got rid of the new product in
New Orleans.
GramOnt stood motionless. Surprise
had taken hold of him, and even a
feeling Of slight dismay. This was
not at all what he had hoped to find
there. He had thought to come upon
some traces of the lottery game
"Seen all you want, boz" said a
voice behind him.
GramOnt turned. He found himself
gazing directly into an automatic PTS
toll over which glittered a pair of blaZ-
ing eyes. The man was a stranger to
btrN Thu vInrn bod not bnnn IncArf