Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-08-09
The Tigers

TO come with me ana search Animal ;
rooms. | can trust you, l think,
when | say that | haven't any fur
Their question but that the Hindu is
the murderer"
''Then you must have discovered
something new"
"No; but he was the one man who
went out of the house with Hay
ward-the one man in striking range.
| don't believe the S~outhleys were
implicated; and knowing you as |
do by reputation, it is absurd to
think that you we're. That leaves
Ahmad. We know that he hated
him, so we have a motive. But the
Hindu's a funny duck, isn't he?"
"Did you ever see a man cross the
room with such a funny, catllke
stride? He walks as if he had cush-
ions on his feet"
We mounted to the third flight,
then turned into Ahmad's room. My
admiration for Freeman increased
nightly when / saw him in action.
1t was impossible to imagine a more
complete search.
"If there's murder, there's bound
o be blood" he said. Nothing is so
convincing to a court as a garment
with blood on it. He's been kept
pretty busy since the murder, and |
don't believe he'd have time to dis
pose of all his things. That's the
chance I'm playing for"
But evidently Ahmad Das had
f~oreseen this contingency. The de-
tective searched swiftly for twenty
minutes, then paused to wipe the
little beads of perspiration from his
lean face.
"It's no use," he said. mo clews
worth finding"
He started toward the door.
There's one place you haven't
searched at ALL" | told him.
"Where?" He turned in amaze
ment.
"That drawer full of linen"
pointed to a drawer in the dresser.
81 glanced into it. He wouldn't
put it in such an obvious place as
hat. Even Ahmad Das wouldn't
De that much of a fool"
perhaps, Inspector Freeman, you
have never heard of M. Dupin?"
Inspector Freeman stopped to con-
slider.
"His names slipped my mind he
confessed.
IN. Dupin was a very famous
letective-a Frenchman. A very
treat American wrote about him
ong ago"
"Oh, you mean a story-book de-
ective," Freeman scorned. "Im
lad to say I've never wasted my
me reading such truck. None of
m were ever practical. Practical
zen are the go nowadays. The time
hey wasted in theories and talk
"Yet sometimes their theories
m out right. Mr.. Dupin would
ave been the first to tell you that
or the very reason that you would
hink that drawer too obvious a
,lace for a man to hide a garment,
{ would be the very place an astute
riminal would hide it. He would
low in advance that you wouldn't
)ok there, and therefore it would
e a good place. He proved it with
he story of a stolen letter, hidden
.mong a packet of other letters, in
lain sight"
Its all right in books; but it don't
work. out in life," Freeman comment
ed.
Of course | knew that as a whole
| lie spoke the truth. But it had be-
sun to dawn on me that Freeman
vas not the highest type of official
detective. If he had been, | would
ever have asked the question about
| )upin; and | would not have hac
he cold courage to lecture to hin
.ow.
"Then there was a later detective
"a little, fat Catholic priest" | went
m. "He asked his friend where {
wise man would hide a pebble"
"And his friend, if he had any
iense, would have said to BUDDY it 81,
'eet under ground and smooth off the
OPP"
ellis friend told him to hide it OF
he beach. Then the detective asked
where a wise man would hide a leaf
And the answer was-in the forest
{ don't say that Ahmad Das woulC
have chosen this drawer if he hat
line to choose a better place. Blu
t is certainly the most likely plac,
n this room"
| went to the drawer and hunted
imong the garments. And In
afraid the color came to my face
Evidently my theories were to go un
uported by fact.
~ guess Ahmad Das didn't hid,