The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1933-09-08

goods OF. Then we put the crew to
bed in the hold with the matches on
and sink the schooner" He chuc.
kled. Ever hear OF ships beng lost
at sea with all hands. and never
heard of no more?'
"All right" said Buck o'Mara
tersely. That's your and Heimie's
end of it. Remember what told you
about tomorrow night. There'll be
a juicy cut in this for all OF us. The
Mask'll pay bigger for tonight than
he ever did before even IL there amt
case landed. That's all just velvet.
It was Dollaire he was after-and
we all know why. Smudge. get my
mob together. and take us ashore"
"That listens good to me, said
Geordie Napp. "But, say. Buck. what
about Benny? What are we going to
do with Benny? He sure was one
swell guy. and he deserves a swell
! funeral"
Buck O'Mara lifted his shoulders
in an important shrug.
"A parade, you mean." he said.
with the papers asking where the
corpse was found and who did It?
Think it out for yourself. Geordie.
don't like it any more than you
do. but he'll have to go with the
| rest"
That's tough" muttered Geordie
Napp: ''but--well. guess you're
right. Buck"
at isn't a guess" said Buck
o'Mara. Good luck, you fellows.
Let's scram, Smudge. Come on.
Clarke"
Blood was trucking hotly down
Collins hand as he boarded the motor
cruiser. He saw Buck O'Mara and
Smudge Kilrea enter the wheel.
house, then he made his way down
into the cabin. where the rest of
Buck O'Mara's murder squad were
gathered.
He took OFF his coat and rolled up
a blood-soaked sleeve. It was a flesh
wound, no more than that-nothing
serious about 1t except that it had
been bleeding profusely. Some of the
mob put a rough bandage ON for
him. They asked no questions. This
time he felt physically q little giddy,
little nauseated. He went up on
deck again.
THE boat was speeding for the
: shore. The wind whipped his
face. The faintness passed. There
was but little pain In his arm
scarcely enough to make him con.
scious Of 1t. It was not his arm, It
was his brain that tortured him.
And. fight against 1t as he would,
the night with its scenes and sounds
Of unbelievable horror kept passing
gain and again In review before
him.
Only one thing stood out in com.
pensation. He must inevitably have
grown in Buck O'Mara,s estimation
land Buck 0'Mara was the one
man now on whom he was depend.
ing 70 bring him into contact with
the Mask. How. or where. he did
not know: but at any cost, or
through any means he could devise,
he must cultivate Buck o'Mara
A wharf showed up out of the
darkness; a house. still more
shadowy. doomed up beyond. And
then light appeared suddenly in
one Of the windows OF the house
and went out again.
Buck o'Mara came out OF the
wheelhouse as the boat drew up to
the wharf.
"You go back In the same car you
came In with me, Clarke" he said.
I'm drop you somewhere in the city.
Stick around"
Thanks" said Clarke gratefully.
The mob debarked. and Buck
O'Mara dismissed them at the shore
end OF the wharf.
swat here for me, Clarke. he
instr eted. "I've got to 90 up to the
house for q minute"
In the biackness Colin could see
iittle--only the vague outlines Of
the wharf and house. He heard sew.
erai cars depart. He heard the motor
cruiser start away again--to assist
the other two boats presumably in
emptying the Alouette's hold. Per.
haps ten minutes passed. then Buck
o'Mara came toward him through
the shadows. Buck o'Mara was
grumbling and cursing audibly to
himself.
Anything wrong, Huck?- Colin
inquired solicitously.
Tfes. growled Buck O'Mara.
You heard Benny and me talking
about Spineili. didn't your Wen. he's
In jam all right. He's got to have
some kale tonight for his fixer. It's
Heimiess racket. but nobodyss been
able to connect with him. so guess
III have to take II on--and IL looks
Ike you weren't through with your
Job yet tonight either"
That's all right by me-" declared
Colin cheerfaIly.
fcepgvisAs. 1858. FraHk I. PaeksrdJ
sss ee,.n ssss ret 90 ts selasHrs.