Arkansas State press., 1943-12-24

dwight stood With one arm around
Margarets waist. She looked up
at him.
Darling" she said. II was fright
ened for few minutes.
so was l." said Dwight frankly.
Later on that evening Rogers and
! stood on the Street of the High
Waves near the Belmar Hotel. Reed
Barton had stayed behind at the
rancho to talk with Elsa The 9th.
ers had come down town Margaret
and Dwight went out to the yacht
saying that the launch would be
at the wharf for US whenever we
f, wanted it.
Lets look about Bit" Rogers
said. II Rumble is in town he'll be
loafing on the streets or In the bars.
1t shouldn't be hard to find him in
Mazatlan."
We went once more into the hotel
and. not finding him. came out
again. We walked to the plaza and
around it. The evening throng was
beginning to thin out. Nowhere was
there any sight Of the huge black
sombrero or the gaudy clothes he
wore.
He can be around. Hunt" said,
land still elude US. Mazatlan is .
fair-sized little city: there must be
many places Of conceal"
why should he be In hiding?"
Rogers demanded.
II don't mean that he Intentionally
Is avoiding us."
Eyes. ! know how you meant it.
But he should be hunting US. Barry.
instead. That was a broad insinua.
ton he made-that he knew some
thing Of interest to me in the death
OF Kitty Chatfield. II he meant it.
this is the time for him to talk;
so why isn't he trying to find us TO
tell what he knoWs?"
had no answer for that. Indeed
the more we talked the more hope
lessly involved we seemed to be.
come. Perhaps while we slept our
subconScious monitors could sort
over the many conflicting factors.
l remarked as much to Rogers.
Sleep not only knits up the raw
elPd sleeve Of care but also straight
ems out many things. It's fact"
he commented Suppose we see il
the launch still waits for US down
at the wharf"
We set out to walk the compare.
lively short distance down the mar.
row twisting streets.
Rogers hand suddenly was flung
out to stop me. Two figures were
idling under street light short dis
lance from the end of the wharf; the
rays OF the light shone down upon
a battered guitar which brown fin
gers were idly stunning.
Our two mariachis,' l said.
They observed our approach and
called out to US: "Buenas noches,
senores."
Rogers returned their greeting. II
was not until then that ! realized
what had drawn his attention SO
forcibly to them. We walked up to
them and halted. Rogers pointed
to the sombrero which Felipe, the
larger Of the two. was wearing.
"Que es esto?" he asked.
"Es I'm sombrero. senor," was the
reply.
Yves, l know" Rogers continued
In Spanish, but whose hat Is it,"
1T 10 the hat Of the gentleman
who wears the fine clothes. senor."
was the astonishing reply.
That's what thought" said Rog.
ers. How do you happen to be
wearing it tonight"
Il found it, senior"
Found it,"
"Oh, yes, senior. Come. I will
show you the very spot where find
It this morning"
Wonderingly we fell in behind the
two boys who plunged into a dark
passageway which, as we walked, l
discovered was leading US to the
waters edge underneath the wharf.
We were stumbling along In the
gloom when Rogers took out a tiny
pocket flashlight to guide our feet.
What is that?" asked Pancho,
the smaller. when the light cast its
feeble rays into the darkness.
"A Hashlight. Pancho." replied
Rogers.
Il have never seen one so small,
senor." the boy replied.
A few steps farther on and we
came out upon the damp sand. Here
Felipe asserted was the spot where
he had found the black sombrero--
the very spot, right on the sand be-
side this very piling.
WAS 1t in the water, Felipe7" in
CURED Rogers.
mo, sir, on the sand. The tide
was out"
Had 1t been In the water? Was
II wet?"
Eyes. sir; think 1t had floated
on the water and been left by the
tide on the sand"
"H-m-m!" Rogers voice was
tense. II should like to have the
sombrero, Felipe, to take with me-"
Yes, sir" The boy took II of
and oaye II tn RoUerc