The Ely miner., 1942-10-08
CHAPTER XIII


from lhe Canal Zone. And you drink
about as much as I do. Your gen.
eral appearance needs to be ex-
planned" Curt dared little guess
work. "You came in through Sole
dad U the destroyer that called
there week ago Monday!"
A Eigidity in the other convinced
Curt he was right. He went on.
"YsH've built yourself into a
tramp by sleeping in old clothes and
not shaving for ten days. Your skin
isn't used to beard, it itches. You
keep scratching your face. But you
couldn't resist the comforts of a
clean body. You got those bleary
eyes kom going without sleep, and
that kangry look from doing without
food. For about two days, huh?
Three days? The whole things a
build-ap. Why?"
CoEns gave in.
II needed a good background. Nc
1nnis says I can trust you. I think
so, teo, first judgment. It's long
story, and ! can't even give it to you.
All of it, anyway. I'm asking you,
as a fellow American" he empha-
sized the words, ''to give me job.
I want 10 get established here"
Steps mounted hurriedly to the
door n the outer room. The door
snapped open. Curt picked up the
application blank Collins had been
working on, and was studying it as
En1iko entered, black-browed.
Everything is ready" the native
announced hardly.
Cunt looked up. "Okay. Wen
have 10 hold it few minutes. All
right, Collins" he snapped at the
ragged man, sit so happens I do
need Aen. I'll give you a try-out,
but yen better be as good as you say
you are. You can go up to camp
with zAe now"
He BOXED the man over with dis
taste. First, go to the next room
and take off those rags. Get un-
der the shower and I'll find you
some sAean clothes. There's a ra-
zor IN the bathroom. Get those
whiskers off. And hustle it up"
Scarcely a word passed on the
chugsiAg trip to the levee camp.
Estebaa, the Carib launch boy, sat
at his controls and stared straight
ahead Emilio sulked.
AS for Collins, after few minutes
of that stare he simply turned his
back H Emilio and gazed at the
rivers edge slipping by. Collins
was far stretch from the tramp
of an hour ago. In spare shirt and
breaches Curt kept on hand in his
TenIpaio quarters, Collins showed
up a tan, rangy, athletic person.
The whiskers gone, his face
proved Lean, tanned despite the re-
cent kEsute covering, clean in lines,
ikeakae. Slightly hollow cheeks did
their part toward maintaining the
illusion he'd tried to build. His hair
had emerged from the shower a
sandy blond, much lighter than the
brown=red of Curtis head. Collins
dispatched most of the lunch Emilio
had pat aboard-ravenously thus
proving the one point-before set
ting down to sleep for the remain
der of the trip.
Curt had plenty to occupy his
mind. His guess, confirmed by the
others silence, that Collins had
come to Soledad on the destroyer,
was proof enough that something
was brewing. But what?
The man had said he came ''to
see MITCHELL" but Mitch had been
dead for days before Collins had
presHBably-left the Canal Zone.
Did he come to investigate Mitch s
death2 If so, then he had plenty
more TO investigate.
True, violent deaths of three
Americans would assume an impor-
tance that Mitchell's alone didn't
have, bat these other deaths hadn't t
occurred until Collins was already
on his way. So that couldn't be the
answer. Besides, he wouldn't have
needed disguise for this.
Now, was to the United States
interest, Curt reasoned, so far as
it coaad to see that peace was pre-
served throughout these countries.
A revolutionary movement might
warrant under-cover investigation,
even though the revolution itself
might not rate interference. This
man from the Canal Zone had come
to the c. A. T. outfit. Montaya was
the only person of consequence here.
Did it mean that Montaya, innocent
as he appeared to be of such aspira-
tions, actually had political yearn-
ings?
But here again were objections.
DR.. Areca, the provisional Presi-
dente Of TERRA Libre, was a good
executive, the people not abused,
their economy prospering reasona-
bly, weE. You can't have a revolu-
ton among satisfied people.
Monahan's shift was coming off
duty as the launch made the levee
camps landing. Curt took Collins
ashore-under Emilio's watchful eye
and while the camp cook was re-
plenisling the lunch basket, he
turned The man over to Monahan.
''Put him on drag this after
noon, Stats. You can tell one way
or another about him by the time
get back this evening. Luck, Col
Inns"
Curt left his rnusette bag in camp,
went kriefiy into the few questions
accumulated since he was here two
days ago, then took off upriver
again.
There were three of them this
time-Curt, Emilio, and the Carih
launch boy.
They reached without incident a
spot above the c. A. T. holdings,
past the point where the Rio Negro
Ievee made an elbow to join the
first arm of the Quebrado range
Here Curt had the Indian pull the
lauacA in to the south shore. Then