The Wilmington morning star., 1947-02-03

reached out eagerly. Haven't
seen. an American cigarette for
months" Deeply he inhaled. then
perched on the table, and Cliff no.
ticed that the heels of his riding
boots were almost twice the usual
height-Claribel's nephew was EVIL.
IDENTIFY sensitive about his lack OF
stature.
Abruptly Madison SIX e d,
"Where's Janet?"
Cliff pointed to the shack across
the clearing, and Madison's face
lighted.
Lord. but I'll be glad to see
her!" He sneezed, and felt his wei
shirt. 'I'll get a whale of a cold
from this wetting. l wonder" He
b e g a n rummaging about the
shelves. Wade used to hide his
liquor somewhere around here"
he muttered, then triumphantly
lifted a bottle from behind a worn
dictionary. This will help" He
pulled the cork with his teeth.
Join me?"
Cliff shook his head, and Florian
took a liberal drink, then gave a
ordnance of displeasure. THAT old
buzzard must put alligator oil in
the stuff" He perched on the table
again. 'Now, before I see Janet.
bring me up to date or what's
happening. Early tonight l got a
message from her to come down
here. That was the first l knew
she was in the country. Claribel
never let out a peep about her.
1 think that's why she sent me
off to the upper range. What's the
plot?"
THE plot is that Janet is being
thrown out-so am l."
Il knew you were thrown out
two weeks ago. But what has
Janet to do with you?'
Briefly Cliff told the story. and
when he came to their final clash
with Claribel. Madison laughed
"The old lady is jittery about
starting trouble with the Black
landers."
you're all pretty jittery," Cliff
said softly. Its hard to believe
an American colony hasn't the
CUTS to handle its own property
Madison flushed. 1.-THE thing isn't
quite SO simple. These Black
landers look on all the country
around the rubber plantations as
their own. Claribel knows that if
we let you in, it's bound to bring
a showdown with them-a finish
fight"
Wouldn't it be worth a fight?"
Cliffs voice was quietly insistent.
You'd bring boom times to New
Dixie and earn the everlasting
gratitude Of the United States
Government. I'm ready to furnish
the equipment and build the
camps. I'll need a lot of rubber
gatherers, and that will mean
steady wages for a good many
families. Suppose w do collide
with the Blacklanders-I have a
hundred men down on the coast,
and they're all two-fisted fight
ers.'
Cliff stopped-he saw Madisons
eyes grow Thoughtful.
do you really believe those
men Of yours would fight? Madi-
son asked.
They always do when anyone
tries to push them around.
For a moment Madison sat in 81
lence; once he picked up the
bottle, then changing his mind, put
ii back on the shelf and swung
down from the table. you've Civ.
en- me an idea, Bogard. We may
be able to make a deal. But I'll
have to talk with Janet first. He
looked at his watch. II suppose
she'll give me thunder for waking
her so early, but its been SO
darn long-See you later. He
hurried out the door.
With speculative eyes Cliff fol-
lowed the diminutive figure across
the clearing. Head erect. he walk
ed with a certain arrogance, as
if to compensate for his lack of
inches, but even beyond that there
was an alertness about him, as
if he was always conscious of a
need to be on guard. Cliff re-
membered the indulgent lips, the
quick laugh, and the slate-colored,
~unchanging eyes, and he wonder
ed if in Madison Florian he had
not found a personality even less
understandable than Janet herself.
Whether or not such a man had
the force to change Claribels
mind about the rubber contract
seemed dubious, even if he de-
cided to try. But one thing at
least was clear-anything Madison
did would be guided entirely by
se~lf-interest and by whatever in
fluence Janet might have over
him. Cliff gave a half smile-he
was making some strange allies.
Then, realizing he was hungry, he
went out to the cook shack.
He had just finished a second
cup of hot, bitter coffee when a
din Of angry voices brought him 20
the door, and he saw Madison and
Janet hurrying down the path,
with Sloan and a dozen men
crowding about them. Sloan was
talking too rapidly for Cliff to hear
the words, but as they passed the
snack Madison halted and faced
Sloan in open FURY.
How could be get away? he.
shouted. where did you keep
him, you laundering fool?
sullenly Sloan answered, "In
Wades steel cage. Tied hand and
foot. Pm tellin' you somebody
helped him.
Madisons face twitched. S,,r-