The Daily Alaska empire., 1932-06-22

ION&Illt AAAe3 AOOA A@S seemed. Gangsters! Airplanes, ar -mored limousines, machine guns man, almost as good as another world war And he had thought that life was getting dull!
 "You bet we'll team up with you he exclaimed, glancing to the nod ding head of Jerry for his assent. MY little boy friend over here IS itching to return the crack he got in the conk to the bird who pre- sented it to him. And, if you in- sist upon knowing, it's my idea that he wants to be resculng hero to a fair damsel in distress.
 sNow. tell us, just to assuage our curiosity, why do you think this is an affair among professional gangsters?" c,e r e$
 The little man chewed rumina- lively for several seconds.
 eTell you.o he said at last. They stole a car to go after Miss Went worth. Hamilton and Mallory. And they probably stole one in Chicago last night, too. That's natural You wouldn't expect them to go galivanting around on their own. But instead of doing what you or I might do. just picking one up off the street, they lifted it off bird who they knew wouldn't re- port it to the eoppers"
 "The next sign is this One-shot business. The gunning of his two torpedoes had all the ear marks of hard-shooting, working mob. Besides, who, outside of one of the big gang leaders, would dare to fool with a ten-mintIte egg like this One-shot His very name is dose of poison to all the little fellers in the racket"
 All right then, who kidnapped that whole outfit? Someone who wasn't afraid of One Shot, of course" The calm, inoffensive lit- tie man seemed to be thinking aloud and the two men followed his musings breathlessly. Tt would be another gang leader, according to my way of thinking. That makes it simpler and harder Simpler because there are only three or four of those red hots in the whole country who are big enough and smooth enough to put over such racket. Harder because the big league gangsters have got what the ordinary crook hasn't, fair amount of shrewd intelligence and positive gift for getting away with things, and covering their tracks so that the best you can do is to run in some little two- timer who pulled the trigger of the chopper or tossed the pine apple,
 Well, I've been following those gangsters till I've got broken arch es and housemaid's knee, but I've never been able to put anything that would stick on one of the big lboys. It's a lousy business I'm in and I ought to buy me little pecan grove out in California and sestle down,
 His slow, fretful draWl faded out. Jerry and Emory glanced at thifn in astonishment. Before his arrival they had been moderately satisfied with their progress. It needed his dispassionate summings- up to prove to them that, in the last analysis. they knew only that the ampllibian whose crew had picked up the money had been fly ing south when they last saw it.
 What can we do to help you?' begged Jerry in a dished voice.
 Thought you might be able to give me a little help on the air. plane end of it, seeing it's more than likely they are doing most of their running around in the air,m replied Stevens casually. 'I've got fair pull with the department but doubt if I could get them to lend plane and pilot ever if they had one, which they cer- tainly havnt. I've got a hunct we're going to find these missing people have been toted away in 2 plane"
 "Tell you what I'll do" inter rupted Emory inpulsively. The ok training ship that Jerry, here, ha! been flying hasn't enough powel to pull your hat off. I happen tt be a little flush with money now so I'll drive over to Mineola ant see how soon I can get deliver. on a brand-new three or four pas senger plane that1l have speet and gas capacity enough to talk us somewhere and back in hur ry. Next time we pick those crook up we'll follow them until the, land wherever that may be-"
 Grand idea" approved the de tective. Cost a lot of money though But you might get back, at that