The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-10-17
NOW BEGIN THE STORY
CHAPTER xxx


Vance, however. did not appear
discouraged. He dwelt on Captain
Leacock's character, and seemed
particularly interested in his per-
sonal relationship with Benson.
Pfyfe's gambling proclivities also
occupied his attention, and he let
the colonel ramble on tiresomely
about the mans gambling house on
Long Island and his hunting ex-
periences in South Africa. He asked
numerous questions about Benson's
other friends, but paid scant atten-
ton to the answers.
The whole interview impressed me
as pointless, and | could not help
wondering what Vance hoped to
learn.
Markham, I was convinced, was
equally at sea. He pretended polite
interest, and nodded approximately
during the colonel's incredibly
drawn-out periods; but his eyes
wandered occasionally, and several
times | saw him give Vance a look
of reproachful inquiry. There was
no doubt, however, that Colonel Os-
trander knew his people.
When we were back in the dis
trict attorneys office, having taken
leave Of our garrulous guest at the
subway entrance, Vance threw HIM
self into one Of the easy chairs with
an air Of satisfaction.
"Most entertain, what? AS an
elim'na of suspects the Colonel
has his good points
''Eliminator!" retorted Markham.
cts a good thing he's not con-
nected with the police; he'd have
half the community jailed for shoot
ing Benson"
''He is a bit blood thirsty" Vance
admitted. "He's determined to get
somebody jailed for the crime
According to that old warrior,
Benson's coterie was a camorra of
gunmen-not forgetting the women.
| couldn't help getting the impress
sion, as he talked, that Benson was
miraculously lucky not to have been
riddled with bullets long ago.
''It's obvious" commented Vance,
that you overlooked the illumi-
natin' flashes in the Colonel's thun-
DER
Were there any," Markham
asked. "At any rate. / can't say
that they exactly blinded me by
their brilliance."
".And you. received no solace from
his words"
"Only those in which he babe me
q fond farewell. The parting didn't
exactly break my heart. What
the old poy and about Leacock,
however, might be called confirm
atory opinion. 1t verified-if veri-
fication had been necessary-the
case against the Captain"
Vance smiled cynically.
ooh, to be sure. And what he
said about Miss St. Clair would have
verified the case against her, too
last Saturday.-Also, what he said
about Pfyfe would have verified the
case against that Beau Sabreur, if
you had happened to suspect him
eh, WHAT"
Vance had scarcely finished speak
ing when Swacker came in to say
that Emery from TIE homicide bu-
reau had been sent over by Heath,
and wished, if possible, t. see the
district attorney.
When the man entered I recog-
nized him at once as the detective
who had found the cigaret butts in
Benson's CRATE.
With a quick glance at Vance and
me, he went directly to Markham.
"We've found the gray Cadillac,
sir; and Sergeant Heath thought You
might want to know about it right
away. It's in a small, one<man gar
age on Seventy-fourth street near
Amsterdam avenue, and has been
there three days.
Zone Of the men from the Sixty
eighth street station located it and
phoncd in to headquarters; and
hoped up town at once. It's the
right car-fishing tackle and all. ex-
cept for the rods; SO l guess the
ones found in Central Park belonged
to the car after all: fell out probably,
It seems a fellow drove the
car into the garage about noon last
Friday, and gave the garage-mal
$50 to keep his mouth shut. Th'