The Ely miner., 1942-09-10
CHAPTER TX

liking, and Montaya patted Karl Ry-
den comfortingly on the shoulder
and steered the conversation into
other channels, mentioning at last
the fatal injury of Bill Henderson
the night before.
"They were good friends, the
three of them. Karl and Costa
both feel Henderson's death keen
ly."
The proprieties satisfied, Montaya
put period to the meeting, much
to the young mems relief.
"You haven't visited the airfeld
yet, Mr.. Curtis" Montaya said in
parting. "You can telephone any
time it is-ah, convenient, to learn if
Karl or Costa is there to show you
about. If you play tennis, they will
be glad to have new partner"
The three men left. Curt settled
back in his chair, hoiSted his feet,
reached for his pouch. He felt
vaguely unsatisfied - and couldn't
put his finger on the reason.
For one thing, he'd asked a point
blank question, "What kind of planes
are you using?" And though much
had been said, the question remained
unanswered. 1t wasn't answered the
other time. Coincidence?
Both Montaya and the Swedes had
stressed the fact of friendship with
Henderson. If they hadn't raised
the point, Curt might have assumed
it, for Henderson had been like
able fellow, friendly with all. But
their manner in protesting it :.
Stern young men, these two! Not
once had they smiled, actually
smiled, during the meeting. Per-
haps that was what so irritated Curt.
He didn't cotton to people who took
themselves too seriously. In his es-
timation a sense of humor was inn
portant equipment.
Curtis feet hit the floor with a
bang.
"Smile and be liked, my fine
feathered babies, or frown and be
darnedt' he muttered in a bad hui
NOR. Like Bill said, it's no skin
off my nose if mind my own busi-
nessF'
Curt was a good organizer. He
put his program on paper that Sum
day night, at home, and made pro-
digious strides in the field during
the next two days.
One big job was doubling man
hours on railroad work-ballasting
the main line, the pushing of two
spur lines to feed farms already
planted or now being planted.
Another was in putting all earth
moving machines and crews on two
shifts day, using foodlights hastily
improvised from ordinary tin dish
pans and washbasins. The Mer-
chandise Department fortunately
carried such stock for the natives
employed here.
For this spreading of the work
Curt had only skeleton crews al
present, but more men were to be
brought in.
One thing, though, during all this
intense effort, constantly made Curt
wonder, rang a bell in the back o1
his mind.
There were minor matters under
the Chief Engineer - farmhouses
wells and windmills, furniture man
ufacture, production of concrete
items-culvert pipe, building blocks
reinforced girders and slabs tt
bridge farm bitches - all coming
along at fine pace.
But the really important jobs, the
Rio Negro levee, the railroad
branch lines to haul from presen
paintings to Tempujo three or foul
months from now when fruit shoulc
start to come in-these things hac
dragged! The drainage bitches, too
were far behind schedule.
Curt sometimes talked over hi.
problems with Lee. This usually
amounted to a monolog, but put
ting bothersome angles into word
seemed to help. And here was some
thing IN which Lee had a vital in
tereSt.
1t was Tuesday evening. The chi
dren had been put to bed, and Cur
was lounging on the darkened We
randa, propped up with cushions
Lee IN the curve of his arm. Hi
dangling left foot lazily pushed tn
couch-hammock back and forth.
was the half-hour after dinner tha
he was snatching for himself.
They'd held silence for som
time, lulled by the gentle rattlin
of young palms in the evenin
breeze, so like rain on tin roo
The lightning slither of lizard dar
ing up the screen to the wide ovel
hanging caves reused Curt. He Sc
straight and reached into hip pocl
ct for his tobacco pouch. When b
spoke it was in a sober voice.
'sLee, I'm worried No, not wol
ried-puzzled is the word. There
something rotten going on here, an
I don't know what it is. I'm afrai
of stepping into something unaware
Like Mitchell might have. If kne'
what it was, could steer clear"
'What-what do you mean, JEFF?
"You remarked about the coinc
dence of those three deaths. didn
intend to go over this with you, bl
you're level-headed and whatever
is I've got us into, you're in it. Yo
should have the whole picture"
"Jeff, what are you trying
say?"
s'Lee, I'm convinced those thre
deaths were no coincidence. Th;
they were all deliberate murder
The second and third, I suspect,
cover up the first"
ST knew It'll Fora Mitchell couldr
possibly have committed suicid
Not the Fora used to know. B
Bill Henderson? What you told n
about his accident -"
Curt was silent a moment.
knew. 1t looked like an accider
sure enough. But Lee, last Wedne