Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1930-08-02
Battling Murders
By BROWNING STREAT

we were leaving Chicago, he became
nasty about it. But after we cleared
Boston and headed Tor Cuba, it wore
off and young Collins seemed all right
became a regular fellow"
"Hmmm!"
"Stil," Kicks went on, eff it wasn't
for several other incidents I'd be will
ing to swear the young fool did this.
He was mad enough at first"
He pulled a pipe from his pocket
and went on again. "Mr. Collins was
nut about curios. Everybody knows
that. Well, he went ashore in Cape
Town, Africa, and run into something
hot-a crudely made crown with
jewels imbedded in it.
~ was ashore after supplies at the
time. He sent cabin boy with a
message saying that the mate was
taking Bette B up the coast to Port
Nolleth, and for me to meet them
there.
'That sounded funny. I hurried
down to the dock, and sure enough
the yacht had lifted anchor anc was
headed north. noticed the bunch
of funny native canoes f1oundering
around in her wake, but such sights
were SO usual that I didn't think
much about it then.
"But what I'm trying to get at, is
what happened many weeks later. We
were about ten miles off st. Helena
Island, bound fer Bahia, Brazil. Mr..
Collins and the rest of the party
were under the after awnings. The
first mate and were on the bridge
Ginning.
Jim suddenly cursed and caught
my arm. I saw it a. the same time.
1t was dagger; it was stuck an inch
in the side of the wheel house, high
above our heads
"Wen sir, he just climbed up there
and pulled it out He had kind of
funny look on his weather-beaten
mug when he dropped back. His
mouth was open wide; and so was his
eyes. He took one look at the thing
and then heaved it overheard: said
that the edges of the blade had been
poisoned.
"Well, after that, you see, we just
put two and two together and figured
that the thing Mr.. Collins brought in
Cape Town must have been stolen
from one of the inland tribes. No
telling where it came from-India,
maybe"
Holcomb grinned and interrupted
him. "The crown" he inquired, us
it aboard?"
"It is mott" Kicks whispered. 1--WE
combed every inch of the ship. It's
gone! The last time it was seen, Mr.
Collins was showing it to Mr.. Nelson
and, by the way, there's another
incident. Nelson and Collins had one
of the damndest arguments in here
the other night ever heard. They
-"
Precisely at that moment slight
noise came from the direction OF
the closed door, Captain Kicks swung
around, startled. Just as it began to
open slowly, he reached for his hip
pocket.
Suddenly q woman stood framed
there-about thirty, brown, almost
pretty-but for the impudent sparkle
in her black eyes.
Kicks dotted his hat. "Why, Miss
Smithson," he exclaimed, II thought
YOU were in your stateroom."
Now, isn't that too bad?" she re-
piled, calmly. well, the joke is on
YOU, Mr.. Kicks; for I've been caves
dropping on you"
"These gentlemen are detectives,
Kicks faltered. 1--WE been"
ooh, understand" she interrupt
ed icily. Indeed, you have done very
we'll. Everything you have said Is
very accurate, Kicks; but, tell me-
why don't you tell it all?"
Il don't quite understand, MISS
SmithSon." :,
"Now. Captain" she countered
don't you recall? 1t was while we
were in Monrovia. You came back
aboard drunk, you see, and insisted
on removing the radio from the sa-
loon to your own quarters. And
honest, Captain, don't you recall the
awful scene you made yesterday wher
n6r Collins informed you that ne