Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1944-01-28
CHAPTER XIX

watch were stopped at nine-nlne.
But that is an impossible hour;
Rumble was alive at that time and
with us in the bar. He checked out
of the hotel at ten-thirty, and dis
appeared. His body was found float
ing later near the wharf. His bag,
discovered in the water at the edge
OF the wharf, indicates that he was,
in spite of his quarrel with Dwight
Nichols, determined to go aboard
the Orizaba and accompany us
swordfishing the next day. Rumble
was like that, senior; he was
strange man."
'The hour of nine-nine has no
meaning, unless we can explain it
satisfactorily. That, think, is quite
simple. Of course, the watch could
have stopped of itself, but I'm sure
that's not the explanation. The first
day ashore after the Orizaba ar
rived in Mazatlan, we met Rumble
on the street. The time of day was
mentioned. He looked at his watch,
which l noted did not agree with
mine. In fact, it was two hours
slow. He explained it by saying
that he was still keeping Los Ange-
les time, which is two hours slower
than Mazatlan time.
"Now, then," Rogers went on ear
nestly, assuming that, on the night
he died, his watch was still keeping
Los Angeles time, what does that
signify? He must have died at elev-
en-nine. That simplifies things i'm
mensely. Where were we all at
that time? Barry Madison and I
at that time were on board the
Orizaba. The others-Elsa, Dwight
Nichols, Sam Chatfield and Reed
Barton-came aboard about mid
night. Reed Barton arrived alone
at the wharf, having had to go
around by his hotel for his things.
Elsa, her father, and Dwight Mich
OILS went to the wharf together. What
time, Reed, did you reach the
wharf,"
How long had you been waiting
when the others arrived"
"I'd have to guess, Hunt. Per-
haps twenty minutes. Maybe half
an hour"
did you see anything of Rum
ble?"
mo"
Rogers turned to Dwight. What
time did you reach the wharf?"
"Oh," said Dwight, 1--WE left the
hotel at quarter to twelve. Went
down in a taxi. Shouldn't have
taken five minutes"
"Now, this question, Dwight: Aft
er Barry and I left you and Sam
Chatfield together, what happened?
We're you together the remainder
of the evening""
Dwight was slow to answer. At
length he replied: mo. Sam and
separated at ten-thirty. He said
there was something he had to do
yet before he could go aboard the
Orizaba. He came back about an
hour later. 1t was eleven-thirty, at
any rate, when 1 met him again"
"Perhaps, senior, we have made
a wrong assumption somewhere
our discussion has not disclosed the
murderer. Perhaps" he paused,
his manner somewhat hesitant,
perhaps this testimony you've
heard just now seems rehcarsed,
senior; but l assure you it is not.
l have realized that Dwight Nichols
and Sam Chatfeld could not have
been in each others company all
that evening, but l have not known
the facts until now.
Earlier" Rogers continued, a
new note of confidence coming into
his voice, 81 assumed that it was
proper to exclude from suspicion all
those persons who, subsequently, to
Katherine Chatfield's death, died by
violence. I named Chesebro, Sam
Chatfield and Rumble as victims of
and not the probable killer"
Eyes, sir"
Consider for moment Sam
Chatfield-"
"Senor Chatfield?"
Eyes. He had a most excellent
motive for killing his sister. Mrs.
Nichols, some months ago said this
of him: He clutched decency to
himself with all the passion of a
fierce new love- Now, then, had
not his sister, an unmarried woman,
disgra.ed the family by bearing a
"hiJ Had she not committed an
{ { greater wrong against his
daughter Elsa?
"And TO-" Rogers drew from his
pocket tie, rotogravure clipping and
gave ! ~ Lombardo. after Sam
Chatfield had died, I found this on
his desk at the rancho. Senior Lom-
bardo, you did not know Chesebro,
and, therefore, the point is lost upon
you. But the child in the picture
bears an unmistakable likeness TO
Chesebro. I believe that Sam Chat
field did not know that Chesebro