The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1942-09-25
CHAPTER XIII

The mans eyes yelled suddenly.
Curt f1ared.
"Well, make up. your mind wheth-
er to trust me or not. l can't man.
age tete-a-tete very often. You're
from the Canal Zone. And you drink
about as much as / do. Your gen.
eral appearance needs to be ex-
planned" Curt dared a little guess
work. "You came in through Sole
dad on the destroyer that called
there week ago Monday"
A rigidity in the other convinced
Curt he was right. He went on.
You'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 from going without sleep. and
that hungry look from doing without
food. For about two days, huh?
Three days? The whole things a
build-up. Why?"
Collins gave in.
81 needed good background. Nc
Innis says can trust you. ! think
so, too, first judgment. It's a long
story, and I can't even give it to you.
All of it, anyway. I'm asking you,
as fellow American" he empha-
sized the words, 'sto give me job.
I want to get established here"
Steps mounted hurriedly to the
door in the outer room. The door
snapped open. Curt picked up the
application blank Collins had been
working on, and was studying it as
Emilio entered, black-browed.
Everything is ready" the native
announced hardly.
Curt looked up. osOkay.s Wen
have to hold it few minutes. All
right, Collins" he snapped at the
ragged man, sit so happens I do
need men. I'll give you try-out,
but you better be as good as you say
you are. You can 60 up to camp
with me now"
He looked the man over with dis
tootS. Act, ~ " tiiS AiSAe AOOiAA
and take off those rags. Get UNI
der the shower and I'll find you
some clean clothes. There's ra-
zor in the bathroom. Get those
whiskers off. And hustle it up"
Scarcely a word passed on the
chugging trip to the levee camp.
Esteban, 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 on Emilio and gazed at the
rivers edge slipping by. Collins
was far stretch from the tramp
of an hour ago. In spare shirt and
breeches Curt kept on hand in his
Tempujo quarters, Collins showed
up tall, rangy, athletic person.
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 ito
see MITCHELL" but Mitch had been
dead for days before Collins had
presumably-left the Canal Zone.
Did he come to investigate Mitch's
death? If so, then he had plenty
more to investigate.
True, violent deaths of three
Americans would assume an impor-
lance that Mitchell's alone didn't
have, but these other deaths hadn't
occurred until Collins was already
on his way. So that couldn't be the
answer. Besides, he wouldn't have
needed a disguise for this.
Now, it was to the United States
interest, Curt reasoned, so far as
it could to see that peace was pre-
served throughout these countries.
Did it mean that Montaya, innocent
as he appeared to be of such aspira-
tons, actually had political yearn-
ings?
But here again were objections.
DR.. Areca, the provisional" Presi-
dente of TERRA Libre, was good
executive, the people not abused,
their economy prospecting reasona-
bly, well. 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 eve
and while the camp cook was re-
plenishing the lunch basket, he
turned the man over to Monahan.
'tPut 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
lins."
Curt left his musette bag in camp.
went briefly into the few questions
accumulated since he was here two
days ago, then took of upriver
again.
There were three of them this