Evening star., 1925-10-11

suit cases az all the junk we got to
carry. Use your BEAM
''Yeh, l guess you're right" ad-
mitted Dauntless Harry Myrick sadly
But we ought to have a dog, anyhow
l always was crazy about dogs"
THE name of Pelly was rarely men
toned during the two years which
followed that conversation at Long
Beach-two years in which the team
ranged from Atlantic to Pacific, north
and south--but there were times when
1t seemed to Red Luke that the firm
was really Luke, Myrick and Pelly
for there was always that invisible
presence, eating up its share and more
of the profits. Pelly became an affiic-
ton to be tolerated and not discussed.
I've got him." announced Myrick
quietly, the afternoon of their ar
rival at South Haven, where they had
gone to take part in an annual char
ity circus. He had been at the office
of the chairman of the performance
committee, arranging their program,
and had returned to their hotel room
hot-foot.
Red Luke, interrupted in the act of
washing his face, stared at him.
"Where?" he demanded.
Hes in business here" Harry My
TICK gave leeIliS 6iiii dltu Louueu
toward the central street of South
Haven. big as life. Some sort o.
real estate hold-up. I mighty near
ran smack into him as 1 was leaving
this chairman guys office in the
bank"
Myrick's voice sank, and his brown
eyes glowed with excitement. 81
ducked an he didn't see me. I says
to the chairman guy-he's the presi-
hot 1nI10 01YrCt
His face kind O. turns sour an he
says: That's George II. Platt.' says
he. An from the way he says it 1
know that Pelly's just as popular
around here as a kidnaper at a
mothers meeting.
And you didn't soak him?" asked
Red. aghast.
soak him? Soak him? Say-do
you think 1 been on this guys trail
ing him in the eye? Listen, Red
if Pelly was sick, I'd pay his doctor
bills just to get him veil"
We'll, what are you going to do?"
demanded Red, giving his face a vio-
lent scrub with the towel.
II don't know yet. Where's Stuffy?"
Down at the field"
go get him. Bring him up here.
I'll be doing a lot of thinking. Maybe
L
y " X
CTUFFY JOHNSON, big pink-and-
~ white-faced Swede pilot who work
ed with them whenever their engage
ments called for third flyer, was in
dustriously refolding his parachute.
The two airplanes had been anchored
against any sudden squall. and
watchman-as per contract-had been
stationed to guard them.
Regardless of Pelly and the bills for
private detectives who had detected
nothing, the firm had been able to
buy new planes. One of them was
light, sensitive machine which Red
used for acrobatics; the other was a
large plane, with broad wings upon
which Harry Myrick cavorted and
gamboled. The larger machine had an
additional advantages; in the body of
1t there was compartment In which
they could carry their parachute
packs, luggage and tools. 1t had been
designed and built for the purpose of
running whisky over the Mexican
border to the oil fields. Red Luke
and Harry Myrick We're among those
present when the confiscated plane
was auctioned off, with every cent
they could find in the world.
For their purposes the machine was
ideal. Besides beng a baggage plane,
1t travelled slowly enough so that audi
ences could get good view Of Harry
Myrick perfo. ming his wing stunts.
And the pilots seat was far enough
back so that Red could watch every
move that his partner made and ma
neuver the plane to his greatest ad-
vantage. At the forward end of the
compa rtment which had once held
Ix-h Ok haa
seat, which meant two planes for pas
senger work, at $40 hop.
Come on up to the hotel" Red said
to Stuffy. "Harry's going to stage a
show. Hurry up
1t was an hour later when they en-
tered the hotel. Harry Myrick was
seated cross-legged upon one of the
beds, like an emaciated Buddha. He
motioned to them to draw up chairs.