Evening star., 1941-02-12

| his pldCe OIle cScIlllls dliu 1oullu iii
two amateurs. I paid little atten-
ton, but Tex said there was some
thing behind their talk"
How did he know" Gray asked
He said he knew one of the
broadcasters."
He gave you no hint as to the
persons IDENTIFY"
mo. You'd have to have known
Tex to understand that. He was a
friendly sort, up to certain point.
But he was uncommunicative, al
most secretive"
But what makes you think the
two broadcasters were Saboteurs?"
Tex let that out. We got to
talking about the war. about fifth
columnists, and Tex said we had
fifth columnists right here in this
country. Here in this town-at
March Aircraft. I jokingly said,
Tex, you've been reading too much
war news. Then he told me some
thing surprising about himself. He'd
been to Spain, to fly in the civil
war"
so" Gray murmured, "he prob
ably knew what the score was.
What else?"
He said nothing more" Michael
told him. He closed up like a
clam"
why didn't he report his sus-
picions to the authorities?"
He wasn't that sort. He had a
mania for what he called minding
his own business. I don't know
why he was like that. Tex was
we'll, a hard-bitten hombre"
The F. C. C. man nodded thought
fully. Then he said, What brought
you around to believing in his sus-
picions?'
L was with him one other eve
ming. At his rooming house. 1t
was 7 o'clock, Those alleged anna
teurs always came on at 7 and he
was listening 10 them again. I don't
remember the exact conversation,
but it was about book on machln-
cry and a check One amateur. it
seemed. had mailed a book to the
other the night before; the other
had mailed a check. When they
went off the air, Tex looked at me
and grinned. He said, Mike, last
night some machinery was wrecked
at March Aircraft"
And that was true?"
Yes. There had been sabotage" :"
And this conversation was a re-
port on it?'
Il gathered that Tex thought So"
Ryan Explains Opinion.
Gray froWned over that, then said
You said that Tex Martin heard
his own death notice broadcast"
Il think he did" Michael replied.
You see, was a designer at March
Aircraft. The plant had just built
pursuit job I had designed. Tex
was test flying it. and he'd already
had 1t up three times. He was to
put it into power dive, on this
fourth trial, and before going up he
told me I'd turned out good job
but that he had hunch something
was going to happen. I asked if
he'd been listening TO those anna
teurs again. and he grinned and
nodded. That was the last I ever
spoke to him
He crashed, eh?"
Right"
WAS there evidence Of sabotage?"
mo. The wreckage of the plane
was scattered all over. 1t was
gathered up, examined, and the
plant officials decided the plane
hadn't been any good" Michaels
face hardened and his voice turned
harsh. Il didn't care about that.
Tex's death got me I went to
Judson March and told him I sus-
pected sabotage March was sore
about Tex's death and he was
pretty nasty. You see, I had had
a lot of faith in the plane and had
talked him into building it. He ac-
cused me of turning out a bum
job. We quarreled and March fired
me-"
so now you're trying to prove
there was sabotage?"
Not to redeem myself" Michael
said. Il want to find the murderer
of Tex Martin"
The F. c. c. man fell silent. think
ing. lighting cigarette Finally he
said, I'm glad you contacted the
F. c. c. Maybe I can help. What
call letters do these self-styled
amateurs use?"
"W8FCD, Washington. W9RTX,
Baltimore. They call themselves
Dave and Jake. Phoney names, of
course"
Tells of Warning.
Gray made an entry in a note
book. He said, Have you listened
to their broadcasts lately?"
Il picked them up tonight. They
gave another harmless sounding
conversation. About a book on
aeronautics. I phoned Judson March
and warned him there might be
sabotage at his plant tonight"
The thing to do" Gray said. "is
to find these broadcasters. The
F. C. C. can do it through monitor
stations. Ultra high frequency ap-
paratus will get bearing on their
wave length"
| He finished his drink, took up his
hat rs there anything else?"
Nothing that will help. I've been
working on it but I'm not getting
anywhere. What I've found, or
rather suspicioned, won't interest
you"
TRY me-" Gray suggested.
! Michael thought moment. re-
membering how scant the results Of
his investigation had been. Finally
he said: There's fellow here in
town, a man named Donovan. He