The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-07-07
CHAPTER v

As Dan stared at the bloody cap, his inask.llke face showed emotion for the first time, but whether 1t waS amusement or fear 1t was irn- possible to tell.
 Bob turned to him. "You were with Eb, weren't you, when he went back to the tool houSe?"
 "Yes and now," Dan answered. we walked down to the shed, aS ] said, but he went back alone to see # he'd locked the door. Told me to go on up to the house"
 "And you didn't head anything that might explain this?"
 ''Not Q sound"
 sAlI right" Bop turned away with Q dissatisfied shrug. "Come on. We've got to see if we can find him before we do anything else. No Szso stirring up the women until we know whats happened"
 But Claire came around the corner of the house just then and they could not keep the story from her. She listened quietly, and then insisted on joining the search
 "What do you thlnk2" she asked Pat anxiously aS she fell into step beside him. DO you believe we'll lind him?"
 The others had gone on ahead, Pat stopped and took both the girls hands in his. T have Q hunch We won't" he said. T wish you'd 70 back into the house, Claire. I'd feel safer about you # you did"
 "You believe Eb was killed, then?"
 RAt shrugged. T just said I had a funch, Claire, but I'm not the seventh son of c seventh son, 50 maybe it's Q bum steer. It's only that after last night, dear, I know if anything should happen to you" he touched tho bandage on her wrist tenderly-"it-well, it would mean Q lot to me-"
 He did not see the light in Claire's eyes, for just then Bob Steele helloed from a clump of as- pens. "oh, there you are!" 1ohs voice held relief. T missed you two, and came back" As they joined him lh0 lowered his voice. T told Dan to wait for us. I'm keeping on eye on that fellow"
 ~You don't think" began Claire.
 Bob nodded. "Yeg. I think he knows more than he's letting on."
 T wonder" said Pat If Dan knows about this jewel of your llncle's we are hunting?"
 q don't know" answered Claire. ''I haven't said anything to Susie, but she and Eb must know we're af- ter something. Of course Dan just works on Che place, but hc may know whats going on, too. SuSie's apt to tell things"
 "You bet he's on," remarked Pat positively. If I'm not quite cuckoo, the old gals willing to 60 more than ialf-way where Dallas is concerned. A mans Q man, in her opinion, or I miss my guess. But you are going back, ClGire7"
 "No," she answered, I'm not"
 "All right, but don't get out of our sight," Pat warned her.
 
 Sevef0l hours or careIuI 6earcn- ing revealed no trace of Eb. Ac- knowledging themselves beaten, the young people and Dan retraced their steps to the house to tell su- sic. She was in the library when they found her, "readying the room up," as she explained, though claire noticed that the dustcloth ly- ing folded on the desk had not been used.
 when they told her about her brother she collapsed into @ chair with . Smothered shriek. "What'd I teiir you? I know something was going to happen-I knew 1t all the time. George Banes saw the white miner and"
 aAnd he saw this what-you- cail.it at about the same place from which the shot was aimed ct Claire?" asked Pat Sarcastically, 'Eyer hear of this spook Sniping at anyone2"
 'No-no,' answered Susie. "He just walks. Some say kinda dim and slow-like, but George Banes seen him hustling along the trail like he was going somewhere"
 sUm, probably was late for . shook conference" Pat lighted a ciearet and offered his package to the others. How about a little