The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1932-09-16

questioned the farmer closely.
"How many people were in the
carr"
couldn't tell. There was two men
changing the tire. and another In
side. That was all saw"
"Could you see them well enough to
describe them?"
"Not all of 'em-just one. Tall fell
Ter. smooth-faced, pretty well dressed.
Had somethin' the matter with one
ear-looked like what you read about
them prize fighters ears; forgit
what You call it."
"Caulifower ear" Markham sup
piled. what kind Of clothes was he
wearing?"
Here the farmer was at fault;
couldn't remember about the clothes
except that they were neat and citi-
fed.
Markham let the clutch engage and
the blue roadster sped on to the west
ward.
Throughout the evening they had
little difficulty in tracing the black
touring car. A garage keeper had
talked with one of the men, and he
had said he and his companions were
from Louisville and were on their
way to Colorado on a business trip.
Asked If he had heard Of the Smith
bury robbery and murder, the garage
man said he had; that the tire buyer
had told him about it.
"Some nerve. and it chimes in pretty
well with your notion Of bold. bad
bluff" was Markham's comment, as
they drove on into the night. But
now lands was beginning to admit
a doubt.
1--WE are taking an enormous lot for
granted, Wally, don't you think? The
men are not acting like robbers"
"You may be right, at that" Mark
ham conceded. ut is all raw
chance, I'll admit. But now we are
on the way, wen keep going until we
catch up with them and give them the
once-over."
At Hannibal they learned the num-
Der Of the black car with the Ken
\ lucky license plates.
Their stop for the night was made
at late hour at Chillicothe, and as
Markham drove into the garage near
the hotel he was assigned space be-
side dark-colored touring car. dusty
and wayworn. AS he was giving the
garage keeper directions about put
ting the blue roadster in condition for
an early start In the morning he
CHANGED to glance at the number plate
Of the dusty car.
''That car standing beside mine !;
who owns it?' he demanded.
II don't know" said the garage
owner; bought 1t today from two fell
lows who drove through from Louis
vile. got bargain off 'em."
1.-TWO, you say? Weren't there
three?"
mo, only two. It's all straight
They had a bill Of sale, giving the
motor number and all. To make sure,
I wired the Louisville dealer who'd
sold 'em the car, and got his answer.
They gave me the dealers name and
address,"
"You say they took the train. Do
you know where they were headed
for?"
Somewhere out In Colorado. they
said. They took the four o'clock-or
I s'pose they did,"
"Can you describe them?"
"Why-I don't know as i could !;
nothing unusual about 'em except that
the tall one, the one that did most Of
the talking, had queer looking bunch
on one ear. Excuse me, but what are
you two, anyway? Detectives"
"Not exactly. But we are inter-
ested in these men,"
mo chance that this Is a stolen car,
is there"
Probably not, since you have traced
1t to the Louisville dealer who sold
1t. Did the men have any hand bag
gage?"
"Suitcases-couple Of EN-"
mo other baggage?" Markham
pressed.
Nothing but a camera. One Of
'em, the short one was carrying that
In shawl strap"
"What kind of a camera?"
II didn't notice, particular only
that it looked too big for a kodak and
not big enough for a movie machine"
AS they left the garage Markham
said, "Well, Owen, maybe it isn't such
wild goose chase after all. What
do you think now?".
There have been three men in that
car all along; I'm wondering what be-
came Of the third man."
$50 am I. Also, 1 am wondering
why they sold their car"
Landis was silent for moment and
then he burst out excitedly. "Tve got
it, Wally-I'm almost sure I've got
i'll 1t was bluff-it's been one all
the way along. These men are the
men we want. and they're going to
stop off at some small place and
wreck another bank! That's why the
third man didn't show up. He was
left behind to either buy or steal an