Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1934-06-01
CHAPTERIII


clamor of the quickfirer. Then he
was out on the roof next to the bushes.
Down below lance of light cut thru
the dark. The spotlight had been
flung from it's niche squarely upon
the table that he had vacated. Three
men were poised next to it and they
had pistols in their hands. The Club
of Cards was deserted. The crowd
was TANNED madly into the anteroom
and the space leading to it. Only an
overturned, bullet-splotched table re-
NAMED where Niles had been.
"Gone, d-n him!" grated harsh
voice not ten feet away. Behind the
shrubbery and posing the sub-mach-
inc gun crouched the big gangster
Niles had seen on Broadway. There
was murder in his face. "Where in
hell is he?" he growled thickly.
He whirled as his quick ears caught
q sound and swivelled the bore of the
gun straight at Niles. BY a split
second he missed his chance. Niles
was on him and the barrel of his
automatic struck down with all the
force of his arm behind the blow. 1t
took the gunman on the head and he
collapsed, sprawlng face down.
"Now," muttered Niles, "I'll just
take over this thing" He thrust his
automatic into his pocket and picked
up the sub-machine gun. He stepped
to the edge of the shrubbery and flung
aside one of its boxes full in the view
of the gunner below.
"Gawd!" shouted a voice. "That's
him! Switch that light! He's got
Chunks gun! Scram"
The spotlight vanisher and Niles
was gazing into pit of gloom. Hur-
ried footsteps slithered and metal
door banged He could tell what had
happened. The crowd had been let
out of the Club of Cards and the gang
that menaced him had taken to flight.
Niles went slowly down the stairs,
crossed the floor and found a desert
ed antechamber. Ramos, the girl who
had warned him, guests, gunmen-
one and all were off and away. Such
a frantic exodus so close to Broad
way could not fail to attract the at
tention of the nearest patrolman. The
police would be in any moment to in
vestigate. The Club of Cards would
never open its doors again. Murder
was nothing new in the big town, but
an open attempt at assassination IN
a night club was a bit stiff.
"They're playing for heavy stakes,
whoever they are" Niles told him.
self. His hand went to his inside
pocket and touched a piece of paste
board. "And all except one of them
got away" The picture of a girls
face rose before him. 'Well, can't
say I'm sorry she's clear. Headed
for hideout by now with the rest
So that's that"
Terry Niles went slowly down the
steps of the precinct station in the
West Forties and held up his hand for
a taxi that was cruising toward nm,
Back there in the house with the two
green lights the big gangster whom
he had laid out was cursing violently
in cell. He had come to but was
not saying anything even to detect
i've who had recognized him. Its
Chunk Grady" the plainclothesmar
told Niles. USED to be a gorill;
with one of the beer mobs in town bu
broke away from 'em a month ago
No, we don't know who he's workin
with now and he'll keep his trap shut
That kind always does" Niles haC
nodded and strolled out of the build
ing. He hadn't expected the gunmal
to talk or give away anything in con
nection with what had happened a
the Club of Cards. The net was on
for Ramos but no one knew where t
find him.
Niles leaned back on the cushion
of the cab and drew from his poke
the sole clew to Broadway's lates
mystery-the ace of spades. He stud
led it under the flashing arcs and CAV
an order to the driver that sent tn
taxi whirling down Broadway.
"Stop at that all-night drugstore i
the Times Building"
AS the taxi pulled up he got on
and walked inside to a counter. Pac
of cards." he said to the clerk an
ruffled through the tray until h
found what he wanted. "And thi
isn't going to help much," he mur
INJURED, back once more in the cab an
headed for his small flat in the Fit
ties. More than once he looked GU