The Daily Alaska empire., 1932-07-14
CHAPTER 25. WHO KILLED THEM?

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 WHO KILLED THEM? Murder drunk bird runnins around with a gun that we've go to get" Stevens growled. "Limpy breeding about some new scheme he's got in mind but doesn't wan to talk about. Heat scramblins our brains like pan full of eggs Rewards slipping out from under us every minute. First thing you know there won't be any rewards to get; everybody'll be bumped off by the madman with the gun We've got to get busy right away
 Who killed Williams and the guard?" asked Jerry, his mind busy with the most obvious of the immediate problems at hand.
 T wish I knew. Might be almost anyone I guess Limpy's right in blaming it on one of the prison CTS. It's easy to guess, of course that it would be Mallory or Lucci Mallory's half off his conk now Lucci would just as soon knock off another man as crack a pea nut. But I'm not sure. Williams was a harmless little squid and hadn't been arguing with either of them. That leaves only the three of us, Hamilton and Martin You boys didn't do it, did you?''
 Jerry and Emory stared at him incredulously, but the old blue eyes were serious.
 Well, of course I really didn't think you did" he hastened to in- form them. But it doesn't seem a likely thing for anybody to do and this heat and everything. cer- tainly plays hell with feller's state of mind"
 Now this killing of the guard, ' he went on, was another matter. Anybody-the three of us even would have had motive there in getting the gun and ammunition. But it was cold-blooded as the devil, thing I wouldn't want to do If it hadn't been for the kill ing of Williams, a few minutes later, I'd have blamed it on Lucci. Hes always sneaking around here at all hours of the day or night. It's a wonder the guards haven't shot him long ago. But I can't see him pumping off Williams. And that's where my engine misses fire every time. guess I'm not as bright as I used to be"
 I've had about enough of it. declared Jerry, a reckless gleam in his gray eyes. You fellows keep your eye on me and when I start something be ready to jump right into the middle of it. I haven't been in a good, old-fash- toned, knock down and drag out bar-room brawl for so long that I'm beginning to crave action"
 Wish I'd brought along a cou- pie of older men," complained Ste vens plaintively. Its all right to fight when there isn't any oth- CT way to get out of trouble. But the older you get, the more peace able you become. You just jump a second too soon or a second too late, young man, and that Limpy will empty a whole clip into you before you reach him.
 Jerry's face bore a stubborn ex- pression which the detective's s words failed to erase. The flyer was fed up with inaction and was determined to force things to a conclusion. The sooner the bet ter.
 Emory, a wide smile on his reck- Jess face, cared little what hap pened as long as something hap pened soon. He was enjoying ev- cry minute of his stay on the is- land. Not since the armistice had his nerves tingled with such pleas urable anticipation of impending action as they did here where every moment which passed in peace brought the inevitable cris- is just that much closer. Even the thought that the murderer might pick him as his next victim did not decrease his happiness by a sim gle whit. He believed he could take care of himself and the ex- citement of the moment would make the experience a delightful one. Emory's only conscious dread was of the days, months and years of probable boredom when this