Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-05-25

Il had to knock over guy! don't know
how quick they re gong to find him.
The sentry - it wouldn't be long. Dlscov-
cry meant ruin, They were dumb, those Amer
leans but they couldn't be dull enough to
overlook a murdered comrade -. Thiegan
had an unhappy vision of closed. barrcaded
highways. and all traffic being stopped,
searched
He said Just so we can get into town -"
Into San Diego, thirty minutes driving at the
most They'd never find us then. It'd be
like hunting a needle in a haystacl:" The
sweat of exertion and nervous fear oozed
from Thiegan. wet his face and made dark
stains on his shrt-clad shoulders. He said,
Don't get stopped for speeding
De kopl drove an exact forty-five miles an
hour along the double highway between
rows of eucalyptus, past the Torrey Pines
Mesa barracks.
Suddenly Thiegan snapped. Slow down!
Well pick that fellow up 49, give him lift -
"A soldier" cried DE kopl.
Sure! Suppose the alarm gets out - they
won't suspect car with one of their own men
in it,
They stopped. Hop in. buddy" said
Thlegan.
He was just kid. round faced blue-eyed,
looking more of CCC youth than pro-
fessonal soldier. Thiegan had seen such lads
along the highway before. thumblng rides
to and from the city. 1t was all most Amer-
canly unmiitary. considering the amount of
from such hitchhker; but Thiegan wanted
to impart information now, not pump it.
He said jovially, Hot day for hiking, huh?'
The young draftee said You look plenty
hot"
De Kopl Offered, I'VE had to change -"
! HIEGAN jostled him - warning not to
mention the changing of tire, identify this
as the car that had spent an hour by the road
side within half mile of the murder. Con-
scious of the car breeze on his damp shoulders
Thiegan said they had changed roads: Cut
over from Escondido to the Coast Highway
It's hot as the hinges of Hades inland today
over hundred when we left Esconddo, at
two o'clock. They couldn't, if that was true
have any connection with the Torrey Pines
affair.
Thiegan' voice ran on: they had been look
ing at citrus property west of Esconddo.
That was an easily disproved untruth, if they
were closely questioned; but Thegans man.
ner of life wouldn't bear close questioning
anyway. Not if he was stopped. like this,
with U. S. Army equipment in his possession.
The road leveled; city buildings lifted be-
yond Mission Bay; in five minutes they could
be we'll lost in maze Of side streets. Four
minutes, three. Unless they ran into police
barricade at the head of Pacific Boulevard. .
There wasn't any barricade. There was
just the one policeman directing traffic; and
another, state highway patrol officer, who
had pulled over to the side of the pavement
on his motorcycle. Thiegan said, "Okay, bud,
we'll have to drop you here
The draftee nodded.
Sure Thanks for the lift" He got out
of the car - but out of the wrong side of the
car, holding the door open after he'd got out
He shouted, "Oh, copper" at the top of his
voice.
What now? .Thiegan chilled inwardly,
peering from the advancing policeman to the
one on the motorcycle. Left-turning traffic
barred the street ahead De kopl would sim
ply wreck the machine if he tried to run for
it.
They just had to take it, whatever hap
pened.