The Key West citizen., 1940-12-09
Chapter IS
The Gun

%OH, DEAR, I'm so sorry"
~ lamented. "And it was my
great great grandmother's mir
TOR, too. But what can we do
about your head?"
alcohol" Bob suggested. ZAP
piled externally, l mean. All
right, internally too, of course.
But soak cloth and hold it over
the bump" And. as looked
doubtful, "I've got some in my
room," he offered. I'll go right
up and get it"
"1 had no notion you would
wake up" I told Bill Usually
you sleep so soundly."
He and Kirk exchanged wry
glances. 81 wouldn't cali this a
usual situation" Bill said. why
on earth should you want to come
down to see Aunt Maggie? OF all
the foolishness Pve ever heard
Of"
II suppose it was foolish" l ad-
rnitted, glad enough to get of
without more detailed explana-
ton at the moment.
"Put me on a pretty spot" said
Bill. Here, ] wake up and you
are missing. l call but get no
answer. So have to go through
all that rigamaro.e of getting a
Light. And not a candle anywhere.
] look in the bathroom. Nobody
home. Then I find the hall door
Unlocked.
swell, I ask, what now? Ecto
answers why and ! decide to take
a look. My matches have given
out and It is pitch-black in the
hall, but I feel my way to the
stairs and get down all right.
Then just at the foot of the stairs
! am run into by baboon or 60
rilla or hairy ape and"
"dere you are, old man." said
Bob. back from his quest for first
aid materials. do you mean to
say this thing you ran into had
hair on hin.?"
Hair on his chest, anyway"
Bill replied, Judging from the
force Of the shove he gave me.
I'd like to get my hands on him"
Then Alice did see something"
I remarked, applying a guest
towel, soaked in alcohol, to the
bump on ELLIS head.
The men looked at one another,
but nobody said anything.
"Wow," Bill jumped, don't let
that stuff get in my eye. I've Guf-
fered casualties enough for one
evening""
"JuSt comedy of terrors," !
said, thinking OF how one mistake
inevitably leads to another. "But
in both cases the result could
have been much worse. Kirk
might have shot me if he had had
a gun and the mirror might have
Drained Bill completely"
"But / have got a gun." said
Kirk. Thought it was yours, Bill.
Bob turned it over to me when !
took his place on night watch"
Lucky Find
+ LOOKED at Bill, who looked
L blank, and then we both
looked at Bob, who explained a
little awkwardly, "JuSt happened
to have it in the car. One of the
walters at the Atlantic Club
wanted to borrow some money
and gave me the gun as security.
You know how they are when
you start lending them money.
Thought I'd have a better chance
of being paid back if / took the
gun. Found it when I went look
ing for a .fashlight tonight"
n, Well. that was luck" said Bill.
"But, for Gods sake, let's be care
flIl and not shoot one another.
Sally, you young idiot I could
spank you for roaming around
like that"
"That knot is going to give you
a sweet little headache, Bill" Bob
told him, tactfully changing the
subject. Hadn't you better 60
back to bed? I've had my forty
winks, can relieve Kirk"
"Oh. by the way" asked Kirk,
Q4Q C4bl4CA VI yO04 hoRHCA W
come downstairs just before Bill
had his little Tun-in with the mir
xor?"
'What do you mean?" asked
Bill and Bob together.
81 mean," said Kirk. shat, a
few minutes before that time, !
started to walk upstairs with
Sally and when we got to the hall
we both saw the breakfast-room
door open and then shut.
"But we saw nobody. We went
and looked all around. but still
nobody. Except Plutarch. And he
may be a smart cat but / don't
believe he is smart enough to turn
doorknobS."
ct wasn't Plutarche that ! ran
into,S said Bill. Probably the
same customer opened theadoor."
"All that noise walked me out
ef = sound Sleep" declared Bob
Il was in bed, so ] don't suppose
] could have been sleepwalking."
I'VE heard the click as the
knob was turned to open the