The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-08-31
Chapter Is
The Barge

anu OoA 50
a DAM.put his hands under my
4 n arms and, lifting me quite
easily-I am always surprised at
the strength In Adams slender
body-slung me over his Shout
der like sack Of meal.
I stopped struggling when he
began to catwalk along the mar
row rim Of the barge for, invert.
ed as I was, / could see too clear
~. the thirty-foot drop on either
side.
Don't let 60" I prayed, with
what breath was left in my dia-
phragm. There's unpleasant dark
water in the hold of the ship"
Rain water" he responded
practically. Probably mosqui-
toes down there. Must send out
some kerosene before the next
beach party" He eaSed me to my
feet. 81 could carry you down the
ladder" he boosted, "but you
might not like it"
81 don't like It anyway" con-
fessed. But I prefer to do it my
self"
Adam says that his ninety-ninth
great-grandmother grew disgust
ed with the aquatic life one day
when her old man rose to the bait
for the last time. So. having pio-
neering spirit, she marshaled her
children and Topped ashore to try
life on dry land. But he thinks it
was a mistake. Once a fish, al
ways a fish, he says, and darts
around in the water in a most
improbable fashion, usually with
his head and shoulders above the
surface and his arms and legs all
over the place. Once when he
SWAN up behind me and, wrap
ping them around me, bore me
down, thought an octopus had
me.
I can swim, but l have yet to
learn to breathe under water. He
towed me to shore, finally, half
drowned, and made me race him
down the beach, almost, but not
quite, letting me win. As / may
have said, Adam Is a man of prin-
ciple.
Somewhat spent, ! found a big
piece of driftwood and sat upon
it. He stood for moment looking
down at me, an odd little grin on
his face.
you're all right" he said and
thought he meant it for ap-
proval.
He sat down beside me then
and began patiently to scoop and
pour the dry, reluctant sand into
hills and valleys.
Its too dry-it won't stay" l
told him after I had watched him
idly for few minutes.
81 know. You can't shape it.
It's like this business of Inner
man"
Have you learned anything
new?"
Not a thing. He went back to
barracks after you saw him at the
Post Exchange, put on civilian
clothes and said he was going to
walk to the village. But no one
admits having seen him there.
We've asked at bars, pool halls.
all the soldier hangouts. He had
a girl who works at the local din.
er, but she says she hasn't seen
him for two or three weeks. And
she says he never gave her an in
sigma or anything else. I saw her
myself, and believe her"
Felicia says the man jumped
on her running board at the last
red light in the village"
Il know. ] asked her if il could
have been zimmerman. She says
she never thought of il at the
time. but admits she might not
have recognized him with a mask
on. She estimates the time at ten
o'clock or later. It's not quite four
miles to the village. He could have
walked it in an hour, if he didn't
pick up a ride. An hour and half
at the outside. So where was he
between. say four-thirty and ten
o'clock?"
Dollar Bills
"GETTlNG the money!" l sug-
" geSted, with what | felt to
be an inspiration. And-then | re-
membered something. What did
you mean when you said Cor
poral O'Connor might be inter-
eSted in that box of money!"
Adam grew a deep breath and
looked at me queerly for a mo-
ment.
"He was" he said, and went
back 10 Scooping sand.
"Any particular reason? Unless
it's a state secret. Oh, that's very
good State secret-state police
Get it,"
Il got IT," Adam said discour-
agingly. "A very particular rea-
son. as il happens. He's looking
for little matter of fifty thou
sand dollars in twenty-dollar bills
twenty-five hundred of them. il
your arithmetic agrees with mine
It's no secret You read about il in
the Chicago papers in June. Re-
member the Randy child?"
You mean-the little girl wiic
was kidnapped for a week anC
brought back unframed? Yes.
remember. And the fifty thousand
is ransom money? Oh, Adam, ID
you mean that the man in tks
burning car was the kidnaper?"
I'm afraid not. It would b
nice to know the world was nc
of him, but unfortunately IL WASH
the right money"