White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1932-11-10

gate to change a tire. Markham
questioned the farmer closely.
GLOW 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?"
mot 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
we'll with your notion Of a bold, bad
bluff" was Markham's comment, as
they drove on into the night. But
now I.andis 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, We'll 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 a 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 it today from two fell
lows who drove through from Louis
Vile. I got a 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
wired the Louisville dealer who'd
sold 'em the car, and got his answer
They gave me the dealers name anG
address,"
"You say they took the train. DE-
you know where they were headed
for?"
Somewhere out in Colorado they
said They took the four o'clock-ol
l s'pose they did"
"Can you describe them?"
"Why--I don't know as I could
nothing unusual about 'em except tina
the tall one, the one that did most O
the talking, had a queer looking bunch
on one ear. Excuse me, but what arr
you two, anyway? Detectives?"
mot exactly. But we are inter
ested in these men,"
"No chance that this is stolen car
is there?"
"Probably not since you have trace,
it to the Louisville dealer who soil
it. Did the men have any hand bag
gage?"
"Suitcases-couple of 'em."
mo other baggage?" MARKHAM
pressed.
"Nothing but a camera. One O
'em, the short one was carrying tina
in a shawl strap"
"What kind of a camera?"
81 didn't notice, particular; on1
that it looked too big for kodak an
not big enough for movie machine.
AS they left the garage MARKHAM
said, swell, Owen, maybe it isn't sue
wild goose chase after all. Wha
do you think now?"
There have been three men in tina
car all along; I'm wondering what be
came of the third man."
80 am 1. Also, am wonderin
why they sold their car"
lands was silent for moment an
then he burst out eNcitedly, 1--WE &C
it, Wally-I'm almost sure I've &C
it! 1t was a bluff-it's been one a
the way along. These men are tn
men we want, and they're going
stop off at some small place an