The Daily Alaska empire., 1932-07-08
CHAPTER 20. MADHOUSE


 Stevens was chewing quietly, his eyes gazing off into a far corner. His two companions waited for him to speak.
 At last the silence became some what oppressive. Ashwoods slen- der. nervous fingers drummed im- patiently upon the table top. The detective looked at him with a friendly smile.
 "Limpy,' he murmered unexpect- edly, you're a great little feller, and like you. But so long as l keep my health and my job | got to do my damndest to put you in the hot seat where you belong And sorry I'll be too, when they turn on the juice. So, you see, I can't say anything that1l clamp my style My job is hard enough as it is.' dIe drained his glass.
 Guess we'll play along with Steve here" announced Jerry quiet fly.
 Emory said nothing, but nodded in agreement.
 Ashwoods fingers ceased their drumming.
 Sorry, fellows" he shrugged, rising painfully.
 Don't know as I blame you. Still I hope youll be careful, for I'd hate to have you shot" He turn ed to Jerry. Captain Calhoun, you are at liberty to discuss this location whenever you please. Al fred, kindly show the new guests to their room and see that they are made comfortable
 He smiled inschruaaIbly as they followed the steward from the room.
 Well, I never invested 5000 to better advantage in my life than when I bought that mono plane" declared Emory enthusias- tically as the steward closed the door behind him. He looked at the other two with gleaming eyes T wanted adventure to help me forget the general boredom of life, didn't I? This, gentlemen, is just what the doctor ordered"
 "Uh, huh," agreed Stevens glum- ly T got a hunch that what you fellers call adventure is coming along in gobS so big and tough that you'll have a lot of trouble digesting them
 How aid they capture you?" asked Jerry curiously.
 They just looked down and saw our plane sitting there on the beach. Then they dived and cut circles in the sand around us with machine gun until it would have been folly not to stick up our hands" The detective was clear ly dejected. Whatever there might be of adventure and romance in the situation did not appeal to him. Then they landed and in- vited us aboard their plane, where guy sat behind us, tickling my ribs with an automatic. Another Heller flew our plane back"
 Whats the layout here?" de- manded Emory. How are we go- ing to get away and release the prisoners?"
 Isn't he the ambitious little boy?" mocked Stevens.
 This place doesn't look very dangerous to me-" retorted Em- ory. After all is said and done, rather like that chap you call Limpy. He was the finest fellow you ever saw that night he speaks of in London. and I don't believe he's changed much. Little more hard-boiled, perhaps, but that ra- ther adds to the attraction
 Sure" agreed Stevens II like him, too, within sensible limits. But he's something new in the way of crooks, and I play safe with anything I don't understand Guys like Limpy, when they turn crook, usually take to showing phoney money or some other game where brains and glib tongue turn the trick. But. this felier's gone into the racket as sort of inter- esting experiment, they tell me, and he's been cleaning up on it.. Trouble is, he's always worked through others, so that up to a | few imin,Ites apO I was never ahle