The Ely miner., 1942-10-15
CHAPTER XIV


Hell make a good man." Stats
reported. ga little awkward at first,
but he knows Diesels and I'd say
he had the mskings."
Evidently Collins had raised spec
ulations in Monahan, too, for Stats
voice was asking questions-who,
what, why? But Curt didn't know
the answers himself-and Emilio
shared the same tent with him now
that he had shared with Montaya
on his first visit to this camp.
Give the man your shift" he
told Nonahan. "We'u have quite
a string of machines soon. I'll want
you as a rowing superintendent me-
chanic to see they're kept operat-
ing at peak. Where's Collins now?"
Asleep"
Curt grunted. "Needs it, I guess.
Well, I've nothing to say to him.
Keep an eye out, don't let him at
any liquor"
This last was for Emilio's benefit.
But the matter of Collins didn't
end there. AS Curt called at Mon
taya's office on his return to San
Alejo-the following noon, Friday
he found ''The Dark Lily" frowning
and In a bad humor. The Spaniard
came to the point without his usual
circH1spect approach to a SUBJ
ject.
You hired a man named Col
Inns, no?" he commenced bluntly.
81 had not forbidden this especial,
Mr.. Curtis, but it must not be re-
peated. If the occasion arises to hire
a person locally, I must first inter-
view that person and decide for my
self"
Curt stared, unbelieving, then
fared.
In other words, you don't trust
my judgment? Or is it me you don't
trust?"
Montaya's voice became icy.
'Such is not the question. If I had
not trust in your judgment I would
not have hired you. This, Mr.. Cur
It's, is an ironclad rule I will not
have broken" He paused, then add
ed, "Do you know this man."
mo. But I had a man do
know try him out. Monahan tells
me he's satisfactory. I need such
men badly and my hiring him
doesn't tie my hands. He's not un.
der contract"
"Bueno. We discuss it no further.
Have Mr.. Collins in Tempujo early
on Sunday morning. 1 shall be
there then and will want to inter-
view the man. After this, please OBJ
serve my rule"
Curtis anger showed in his face.
Montaya went on to an equally irk-
some subject, but in a milder tone,
as though to forestall an explosion.
There is another thing. Emilio
tells me you were separated on the
trip"
Curt glared.
''He-ah, feared I would censure
him If I should learn about it. He
told me in order to protect him.
self. Mr.. Curtis, told you distinct.
1y that Emilio is to accompany
you"
This was too much for Curt. He
broke out hotly, "Senor Montaya, il
I'm IN danger I want to know it!
And what the danger is! Standing
a bodyguard over me hampers my
movements"
Bat I do not wish to alarm you
I repeat, you are in no danger per.
sonaHy-so long as Emilio accom-.
panies you!"
Curt was in rage when he left
Montaya-Such a rage that he
couldn't go home and face Lee al
once. Too quick to read him, was
Lee. Nor did he want to go to his
office in his present state. So he
had Tom Collins at the club bar
then another. With the second drink
he recovered himself to the point Of
lighting his pipe and headed fol
home.
There he found that Lee and the
children were at the swimming poo
behind the clubhouse, had beer
while he'd been fuming to himself
just few yards away. The cook
about to climb into a hammock
slung under the house for her mid
day siesta, called the information
to him. Ines was off duty in the
middle of the day-from eleven Il
three-so the house was empty.
Just as well, Curt thought, fol-
this gave him a chance to inspec
his stock of cartridges. The Incl
dent Of the evening before was still
sharp N his mind.
He went to the escaparate in tht
bedroom, the tall two-door ward
robe that held his things and Lees
From the top shelf he took down
the small paper box that held tht
rest of this lot of bullets.
He turned it over in his hands
read the label, spilled the content!
onto the bed. He examined tn,
shells one by one, but could detec
nothing wrong with them.
The bullets he'd shot simply
hadn't had standard charges. Thel
the rest could be faulty, too. While
turning this over in his mind hi
hand was pushing the bullets alb
sently into piles of six, the numbe,
held IN a clip.
His brows knit. He counted tn,
piles again. Yes, six in each, ant
there were four piles. But her,
were three bullets left overt Twen
ty-seven bullets on the bedspread.
He thought back. He hadn't sho
the gun since about a year ago
when he'd done some target prac
tice using three full clips-eighteel
shells-from fresh box. A fourtl
loading of six from the same bo,
had been in his gun ever since land
ing here.
Each box held fifty. Eighteen an,
six and twenty-seven are ffty-one