The Washington times., 1923-05-26
CHAPTER III.

It was exactly one hour later
that Kestner stopped his taxi
cab on side street sloping down
to the East river water front. He
was apparelled in suit OF rusty
brown, purchased from Seventh
avenue secondhand man, a pair
Of square-toed tan shoes that had
both seen better days and been
made for larger feet, and a
weather-stained felt hat with an
oily sweat-band and a sagging
brirn.
He slackened his pace little
as he turned the corner, leisurely
rolling a Durham cigarette and
@s leisurely returning the cotton
pounch to his coat pocket. He
stared indoIently and irresolutely
about him, as he stood opposite
the shooting gallery window.
Then he shuffled by, hesitated,
and finally swung back in his
tracks. But during every moment
Of that apparent aimlessness he
was carefully inspecting his
ground.
AS be shuffled into the gallery
itself he found it comparatively
deserted, stepped in the lull of its
mid-afternoon quietness. Yet he
stood putting his cigarette, lethar-
gically watching two youths in
sailor. blouses as they shot at a
glass ball dancing at the summit
OF a fountain spray. They were
shooting desultorily, and with
comments Of ribald disgust. So
Kestner sank into one Of the
four red-armed chairs ranged in
front of the street window. From
that point of vantage he stared
casually and dreamily about him.
He found himself confronted by
q long and rather low-ceilinged
room filled with the drifting
fumes of gun-oil and tobacco and
Smokeless cartridges. Across the
front of this room ran a counter,
with a hinge-top at one end, and
at the other an orderly row Of
wiling fire arms.
Behind this counter stood an
anaemic and sallow-faced youth Of
about twenty, languidly passing
the blade of a broken-handled
razor along the face of an oil
covered hone. About that youth
Kestner could find little that was
worthy Of attention. But he let
no movement of the sallow-faced
boy escape him.
Beyond the counter top were the
targets, white-painted discs Of
metal, a row of clay pipes illum-
mated by unseen electric bulbs,
and a further row Of diminutiVe
white ducks which travelled on an
endless chain across a dusky and
well-devised background, a cease
less, hurrying procession cease
lessly inviting the skill Of the
most casual visitor. A more re-
mote target stood at the enE Of
q galvanized iron tube, and along
one side Of this narrow tube ran
q hemp rope connecting with a
whitening brush on a pivot.
It was not until the two sea-
faring youths put down their
rifles, relighted their stogies, AMI
wandered on to other diversions,
that Kestner languidly rose from
his chair and advanced to the gun
counter. AS he did so the sallow-
faced youth pulled the hemp rope
and rewhitened the tunnel tar
get, twitched on the lights which
illuminated his crowded parIia-
ment Of targets, and went on
with his honing.
Kestner threw down a. quarter
and picked up a rifle. AS he took
deliberate aim at one of the
moving white ducks he noticed
that a door in the side wall to
the left had opened and another
man had stepped into the room.
And Kestner's interest in that
gallery Immediately increased.
He fired and saw a duck go
down. Then he turned and glanced
sleepily at the newcomer. 1t
would have taken a keen eve to