Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1935-05-24
The Hangman is on

since. The Hangman is on
board?" he whispered.
''He is"
A pause, then: Instruct Doctor
Oestler," said Yuan Hee See.
Aswami Pasha nodded comprehend
ingly; whereupon Yuan Hee See began
to laugh, his red lips seeming to swell,
but his teeth never showing; the
oblfque Sits Of his eyes turned in the
Egyptians direction.
For five, ten seconds, Aswami sus.
tanned the gaze of those eyes which he
could not see. Then, his own bold
glance faltered-he dropped his dark
lashes and turned aside.
The laughter Of Yuan Hee See
reached note so high as to be al
most audible.
Dawson Haig sat in the room Of
Jack Rattray, the chief officer, or
rather, he sat at intervals, pacing up
and down like wild animal.
tits a most unholy business" said
Rattray, in his slow fashion. I've
been looking on, and I've seen things.
First thing: you're spotted! :"
II know land l can't read Oestler's
messages They're in a perfectly I'M
decipherable code"
Second thing" Rattray went on:
1.-TWO members of this Shiny gang are
watching Eileen; meaning Doctor O.
and Mr.. Chow. What for? She's not
in their way, Is she?"
Dawson turned, just inside the
cabin door, and stared at the speaker.
Then:
you're right, Jack" he said. 1--WE
seen them myself. don't like it, and
| don't understand It,"
"But what's it all about?" Rattray
asked helplessly. "What are all these
birds doing on board? They're pretty
unsavory crew, in my reckoning, any
way. Oestler's plausible enough, but
there's nasty brute hidden under that
amiable smile. AS for the snake
charmer,' she'd drown her own twins.
Then there are the two Chinks on D
deck The learned one, with the
glasses-the little bloke, l mean, Len
Chow-doesn't seem in the Number
One list to me. But his long pal with
the strangled face ought to be put
overheard, If I'm any judge. Then
there's the big German, Hartog-he
seems harmless enough and not in the
same galley at all don't know what
to make of it."
"And L." said Dawson Haig, continu-
ing his restless pacing. don't know
what to make of my report to the
chief. I'm acting on information, Rat
tray, that this scheme whatever it is,
comes to a head before we reach
Alden. And as | don't know what the
scheme may be, | can't reasonably ex-
pect Scotland Yard to go on granting
me leave of absence and paying my
expenses Indefinitely. You see, I'm
supposed to be in charge of the Lime
house murder case"
81 know" said Rattray, and pro-
duced his slow smile. Its never been
clear to me what the passenger list of
the Wallaroo had to do with it."
ut isn't clear to me, "Haig con-
fessed. "But l know there is con-
nection And 1 know I have my hand
on the solution of the mystery if only 1
can grasp it,
He paced up and down awhile longer,
then:
DO you remember, Jack" he jerked
suddenly, "the loss of big German
freighter somewhere off Suakim about
two years ago?"
Jack Rattray shook his head.
II wasn't on this run two years ago.
Why?'
well, there's no point in telling
you why, If you don't remember the
case" Haig replied. But do you re-
call the wreck of the American steam
yacht, Miss Minnesota"
"Clearly We were only forty miles
off at the time An aunt of Eileen's
Lady Dakenham-was lost in her.
What's the chief idea griling in your
brain PAM"
"There are several ideas. But L
admit they're a trihe hazy. Did you
get an S 0 S from her?"
mot a thing"
"Then how do you know you were
forty miles off at the time?"
"Ran into bits of wreckage and fig
ured it out"
wasn't it funny they didn't send
out call for help?" Dawson Haig
asked.
Rattray stared at him. NO" he re.
Piled "In my opinion they hit some
small heavily laden craft, and the pair
of 'em sank almost at once"
"But surely there would have been
a few survivors?"
Have you ever had good look
at shark?" said Jack Rattray grimly.
Followed short silence, then Haig
asked us there much drug smuggling
down that way?"
Lots! Hashish for Egypt, mostly
Also, the good old slave trade -four
ishes exceedingly. I'm told the poor