The Coolidge examiner., 1936-05-29
CHAPTER VlIl-Continued

tlOHIeSS interval, recalling lIlluSs
that Ezra had said last night.
The old physician had the bullet
which had slain Mans father. A
thirty-eight, he had said a
thirty-eight. And last night he had
held Vests automatic In his own
hand, had elected the loads from
it. He had given no heed to the size
but, thinking back, the cartridges
seemed to be no larger, at least,
than thirty -eights.
Slow, yes. Vests suspicious of
EZra'S activity must not be aroused.
And another thing; it was as i'm
pOrtant to locate that money, were
it still in the country, as it was to
pin the guilt of murder on the in
dividual who had taken Cash Down
er's life.
If he could determine the caliber
of that pistol, for instance; if he
could get possession of it and send
it and the bullet to a crime-detec-
tiOn laboratory where ballistic eX-
perts could determine whether or
not it was the weapon which had
done murder. That, he knew,
would not be conclusive evidence.
But it would perhaps tell whether
or not his hatred for West had
been an unwarranted influence in
rOusing these suspicious.
An idea occurred to him.
Leaving Tip to guard camp
he set off retracing the way he had
just come.
But even before he was crossing
the trestle his rage began to ebb.
More was at stake than his per-
Sonal feelings, he told himself. This
man West was no child. Perhaps
he was a murderer and a thief; if
so, to recover what he had stolen,
to bring him to answer for the
greatest of crimes, would neceSsi-
tate slow and careful movements.
Boats and canoes were beached
on a shelf of gravel below the
Landing. Kerry made his way there
and stood listening. The buildings
of the little town were dark, now.
Above, loomed the small depot ;
across the way from it was Vests
house. West might be there now,
but no lights showed in the win
dOws. He would wait.
1t was not long before his ears
detected the sound of a cautiously
welded paddle, and he stopped be-
hind some bushes for complete con-
cealment. A PROV grated; a foot
Splashed in water; a man grunted
as he lifted a canoe.
Young could see, but remain
unseen. He saw that large bulk of
a man deposit the canoe carefully,
bottom up, then turn abruptly and
make his way up the bank.
Kerry did not follow at once. And
when he did slip noiselessly to the
depot and around the corner he
was rewarded by a glow of lights
in windows across the street.
He crossed the street, melting into
the shadows about the house, TAX
ing up a position at one corner
where he could Oeer through a
window.
Tod West was standing there,
putting light wood into the fire.
place. That done, he crossed the
room to a cupboard, took from it a
whisky-bottle and drank deeply.
He stood for a moment close to
the fire and then began undressing
His shirt came off first. AS he
turned Kerry could see the pistol
holster strapped to his side. Off
came the pacs and then the breeches
and the man stood in his under
clothes, drinking again from the bot
tie. He drank deeply too
deeply, Kerry remarked to himself,
for a man with a past to keep
hidden.
The freight was not so brilliant
now. The birch wood evidently was
dOzy. A great bank of dense white
smoke sucked into the throat of the
chimney.
But the master of the house was
either satisfied with the fire or
else considered that he had more
important things to do. He took
the bottle from the mantel. and
shaking his head as though NUT
tering to himself, made his way
slowly up the stairs.
Kerry slipped along the end of
the house and reached the rear lust
as a shaft of light shot out into
the spruce thicket there. The light
came from a dormer window set In
the gently pitched roof. Stepping
away from the wall Kerry could
see Vests head and shoulders be.
hind the panes.
The man raised the bottle to his
lips for a fourth time and then
evidently placing it on a table, I'M
buckled the strap of his shoulder
holster and put it down.
Alone in the darkness Kerry lei
one eyelid droop and cooked his
head. That pistol might be a most
important item in his own officia
life. But how to get possession