The Daily Alaska empire., 1932-07-19

hid his face. He'd give his share of the reward, right now, if Lucci or Mallory were to stride out on the porch and give him something to poke at.
 Listen, Nancy" he added. You go to bed early. After you've gone to sleep I'll just creep in and stretch myself on the floor right against the door. You'll never know I've been there"
 She was still silent. The pause seemed mterminable.
 Poor little girl" he murmered soothingly. But by tomorrow night iyll probably be all over"
 She suddenly became rigid ana stared through the darkness.
 Look" she whispered. clutch ing his arm. There's something down there in the palm grove, crawling on his hands and knees. He peered in the direction indi- cated and saw a faint blur against the darker background of the trees. As he watched, it moved, progres- sing very slowly through the saw grass toward the black hulk of the hangar
 That may be the bird who kill ed Williams and the guard" he whispered. You stay right here on the porch until I come back. "
 Please, please be careful" Jer- ", she whispered.
 He pressed her hand reassur- ingly, then vaulted over the rail landing with cat-hke silence on the resilient sand. In another in- stant he was tiptoeing ii the di- rection taken by the crawling man. Hurrying at first, then slowing his pace as he caught sight of the man he was pursuing, he dropped to his hands and knees, creeping cautiously from the shelter Of one palm tree trunk to another. Sand burrs punctured his knees, elbows and bare hands like a thousand tiny needles. The hangar was no5 far distant now. He heard a faint hiss from the man before him. A door in the side of the long, low building was opened. The man missed again. There was a mo- ments pause, then Jerry saw the crouching figure rise and enter the hangar. The door was closed. Still exerting the utmost care lest he rattle fallen palm leaves and invite the deadly probing of machine-gun bullets, the pilot inched his way to the side of the building. Then he began a slow, cautious journey around the match ed-board wall in the hope of find ling a vantage spot where he migh. overhear what was going on with in.
 Ah, luck; he found that the rear of the hangar was protected only by a thick thatch of palm leaves. An effort, he decided, to minimize the force of tropic storms. The open back would allow the winds to sweep through unhindered, les sening the pressure against the structure. From the other sidt of the thatch he could hear the murmer of voices. Leaf by leal he parted the barrier with his hands and burrowed his way to- ward the interior.
 C. You guys will be outa luck, nothing else!" It was Luc- ci's voice. Unmistakable, thai sound; he would have recognized it anywhere.
 How'd we be outa luckP" chal- lenged a strange, harsh voice. Jer- " held his breath. New compli- cations.
 "Well, I suppose Limpy's going to remember you in his will, hey?' It was Lucci again, his tone vi- brant with scorn What are you going to do when he makes his fade-out, hey? He's going to lam for his swell, private yacht ano retire, he says"
 "Aw, Limpy's treated us right! i A new voice entered the discus sion. but there was an undercur- rent of uncertainty in the state ment that Lucci was quick to de- teet.
 What do you mean, treated you