The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1937-10-20
the dark ships. t t
~ hubert FooTNER $500 y. q,
Chapter 80
Bullets Fly

i WAS now ABOUT o:5U ana since
4 Maryland does not use daylight
saving time, perfectly dark.
The blond young man was not
visible in the street outside. There
were no taxicabs cruising in this
part of town, and Neill regretted
that he had not told his driver to
wait. However, he saw a taxicab
standing at the curb across the
street about a hundred yards
towards town. Probably the taxi
used by the blond young man.
Neill crossed over. The back of the
cab was empty.
sWill you take me into town."
he asked the driver.
Sorry, mister. I've got a fare. I"
Where is he?"
Cant tell you that. He paid
me to wait
"I'I pay double fare"
"Can't do it, after taking his
money. He's got my name and
number"
He won't say anything" Neil
laughed. "He can't afford to-"
$50 you say. But / amt gonna
risk my job.
Neil returned across the street.
There was a trolley line, but no
car was in sight. He walked slow
~ back and forth as if waiting
for a car, but in reality trying
to spy out where his trailer was
hidden.
Il was quiet neighborhood.
Across the road where the taxi
waited, there was a high bank not
yet built upon. On NeilIs side the
little houses and occasional stores
were lighted up, but there was
nobody moving on the sidewalk.
At the corner a newly opened
street dipped down steeply and
was swallowed in the dark.
Neil found his man partly hid
den behind a syringa bush at the
side of a house on the corner.
Good evening, " hssaid pleasantly.
Evening, mumbled the man
huskily. He was trying to disguise
his voice. Neill had sense that
he had heard it before. Perhaps
the blondinsd hair, the ashy
cheeks, the spectacles, also con-
stituted a disguise. Impossible to
tell in the darkness.
mice night. said Neill.
No answer.
How often do these blame troll
ley cars rum"
Don't know. I'm stranger in
the neighborhood"
The young mans voice was
shaky. He was evidently laboring
under a powerful excitement.
however, Neill apprehended no
special danger to himself. The
taxicab was almost directly across
the street, and Heinrich's with its
beer drinkers not a hundred yards
away. Neil aimed to quiet him by
adopting a friendly air
You Know Too Much
Lave a cigarette?e he asked.
1 4 Don't use them
GOSH ! didn't think that there
was fellow of your age in the
country didn't smoke EN-"
No answer.
.'Meybe you prefer piper"
No answer.
Il thought from the way you
were standing here that you be-
longed in the neighorhood. /"
The young mans voice began
to break. Is it any business Of
yours2"
Neil looked at him steadily.
Well, yes. since you ask me.
You've been following me around
ever since / arrived in town this
afternoon. Also this morning.
Naturally I'm curious. What's the
idea?"
The young man made an effort
TO get a grip on himself. You're
mistaken, fellow. I never saw you
before until this minute"
Come off, said Neill good
naturally. That's your taxi watt
ing across the street.
Wrong again, fellow
What's the use of stalling?"
said NeiH. 1--we had my eve on
you for five hours past. In the
Belvedere / heard you sending the
plain-clothes men of on a Wild
goose chase~Good comedy.
The young mans voice broke
completely Damn youl !" he
cried. Damn you you know
too muchl" He whipped out a gun
and fired at Neil point-biank.
Neill saw the movement coming.
and dropped in time Bent almost
double, he ran down the steep side
street into the enveloping dark
ness. The man fired again, and a
third time. but his aim was wild.
He came charging after Neill. As
In a dream. Neill heard a shout
from the taxi driver and the
sounds Of other people reused by
the shots. Then silence. They were
afraid to follow.
The street was only half a block
long. II ran out on kind of waste
land where the earth from exca-
vations had been dumped, making
irregular hummocks all around.
Rubbish was heaped everywhere
and II was impossible 20 run. Neill
swerved sharply 10 the left and
dropped behind a hummock hop
ing that the man would run bv
But when his purSuer came 70
the broken ground. he stopped.
gun In hand. looking around ana
listening. He was only haH 4
doren nacaz ausav AVA No.