BUCKY FOLLOWS A HOT TRAIL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 April 1939, Page 12

BUCKY FOLLOWS A HOT TRAIL

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.

COPYRIGHT.

BY

WILLIAM MACLEOD RAINE.

CHAPTER XI. (Continued). “Forget them!” Mitchell repeated, surprised. “Why, a week ago you had a battle with them. They wanted you and all your men arrested for murder. They shot you down in the street.” "Somebody did,” Cameron corrected. “Who did, if they didn’t! West and his men were in stirring up the town against you. They said openly they meant to get you one way or another.” “Give them the benefit of the doubt. Likely you’re right.- Dry-gulching a man would be their style. Besides, the fellow who shot me got away on a horse. He wasn't a Toltec man. We think it was Brad Davis.” “All right. Why was he so anxious to kill you? Because he was afraid you would find out about the bank robbery.” “You’re jumping at that. He might have shot me because he and his friends want me out of the way so they can make a wholesale steal of CC cattle. Or he might have been hired to do it.” “Hired? By whom?” “By the man who is afraid I will find out he engineered the bank robbery,” Bucky said quietly. Mitchell’s- eyes searched his face. “Some one I know?” “Some one you know.” “Not West or any of his bunch?” “No.” Bucky’s visitor continued to stare at him. Plainly his interest was keenedged. “I can’t think who it could be,” he said, after a pause. “The bank was robbed for profit, wasn’t it? Who profits most by the robbery?” ~ “Why, the fellows who got the loot?" Bucky’s smile was cryptic. “What loot do you mean —the money taken from the bank, or that to be made as a result of the hold-up?” “I don’t get your point, Mr CamerOri “With my uncle wiped out. with me under a cloud, and perhaps destroyed, what becomes of the CC ranch? Who gets it, after the mortgage is satisfied? Who takes over the bank and inherits its assets?” Mitchell shook his head. “I don’t know.” But if he did not know he could guess. The startled look on his face told that. “A certain prominent citizen, told me before I had been back in town an’hour, that he had been waiting twenty years to min my uncle, and take over the ranch and the bank, Cameron said quietly. “I heard a rumour today that he is to be appointed receiver of the First National. One of his dummies of course will be onicial receiver, but he will be only a rubber stamp.” ; “You mean Garside? The brown eyes of Bucky were steelhard/ “I mean Garside.” “But that’s not reasonable, Mr Cameron,” the visitor objected. ‘Hes the biggest man in town —important, ric , respected. It doesn’t make sense that he should jeopardise everything on such a hare-brained lawless scheme. Why, he’s being talked of locally fi United States senator.” “Clem Garside had always been a gambler,” Bucky' replied. “He started on a shoestring, and he has n-in *t up to a million six times over Always he has been unscrupulous. Evei since I can remember he has hated us Camerons, especially my uncle Cliff. He knew we would always stand in the way of his ambitions. As long as Cliff Cameron was alive and powerful he could never be senator, could never rule the roost here. The two tbrngs Garside loves, outside of his daughter, are power and money. With us out of the way he takes over a fortune and clears the path for the political honour he wants. All his life he has played for big stakes, but never bigger ones than these. If he has had nothing to do with this damned villainy of wrecking the First National and putting Uncle Cliff out of the way, if a bunch of outlaws played his hand for him without being asked, then I’ll say he is the luckiest man alive.” Mitchell considered, rejected the conclusions of Cameron. “I can’t believe it,” he said. “Mr Garside isn’t my kind of man. He’s too— too 1 self-centred and dominant. But he’s in big business—a banker—has a standing in the community. He wouldn't go in for crime not that kind. The idea is ridiculous.” “The idea doesn’t seem ridiculous that my uncle —a banker, in big business also, with a standing in the community—should kill his pwn employee and rob his own bank,” Bucky answered. “All Toltec fell for that view.” “You don’t think he actually robbed the bank himself, do you? I mean Garside.” Mitchell flung the question at the younger man abruptly.

“Not likely.” “Then who helped him—the Rod Rock outfit" “Maybe. Maybe some one else 1 don’t know yet" Bucky’s jaw set. His eyes grew hard as jade. “But I’in going to find out —and when I do

“I wouldn’t like to be one of the criminals, if and when you find out, Mitchell said, with a a smile. “I’m glad I’ve had this talk with you. My judgment tells me you are on the wrong track completely. But 111 say this. I think you are convinced ol your uncle's innocence, and you bave more than half persuaded me ol it.

“Anything to accommodate,” Bucky responded. "If you don’t like the lead I’ve given you I'll ofier another. Im quite ready to believe the Red Rock nesters arc in this business, but if they are, as I have said, somebody in town is supplying the brains. You object to Garside. I offer the name of Jud Richman, real estate dealer, crook, and all round scoundrel. He was with Davis and Quinn just before and just after they shot at me the day. I reached town. He was consulting with West and our precious sheriff an hour before I was wounded. He loves money, and he hated my uncle with all his rotten heart. It was Richman-and the sheriff was with hiih. by the way who discovered the fire m the bank at halt past one in the morning. Give him the once-over while you are considering candidates for the hangman.” “There might be something to that,” Mitchell said gravely “I’ll follow up the suggestion.”

“Also; follow up a young man named Philip Ferrill. who was a First National teller. He has been playing the. market in too big a way for one with his salary. He’s a long shot, but if

this was an inside job he might have had a hand in it” “Anybody else?” Bucky thought of mentioning Haskell again, then thought better of it. The sheriff would not be in anything so bold and reckless as this. “So far I’ve done all the talking,” Bucky apologised. “I’ll listen to you now.” \ CHAPTER XII. “Give me a day or two to work out one or two things that are in my mind,” Mitchell said. “I want to think over what you’ve told me. Mr Cameron, and verify some facts before I do any talking. But I’ll say this. Between us I believe we can clear this thing up. You’ve given me a lead or two I mean to follow.” "Hope you have more luck than I’ve had so far,”- Bucky told him. “Experience tells me that in crimes of this kind you do a lot of underground work before the case is solved,’.’ Mitchell said, rising to go. “A lot of it is unnecessary and leads to nothing, but yow can’t tell that in advance . . . Take care of yourself and keep out of the way of bullets. Much safer for me to do the investigating.” Nancy came into the room shortly after Mitchell left. “What did you think of him?" Bucky asked. "I rather liked him. Does a detective look like that?” “Like what?” “Why, just like any one else —like a prosperous business man.” Bucky laughed. “You’ve been reading fiction. All detectives haven’t pounded a beat. If you knew a man was a sleuth as soon as you saw him he wouldn’t be of much use, would he?” “I suppose not. But he looks so —so harmless. His kind come by the dozen. After I left, did he admit he’s a detective?” “Practically.” Bucky grinned. “He’s detective enough to have got out of me all I know without telling me anything he has found out.” “Doesn’t he feel that —you and Mr Cliff Cameron aren’t in this?” “He didn't tell me,” Bucky answered dryly. “Maybe I shouldn't have said that,” Nancy rushed on, the colour deepening in her clear skin. “But I want you to know —if it matters to you, though perhaps it doesn’t —I mean, to have people tell you they believe in you —that there’s one run of the mill nurse who’s sure you had nothing to do with the robbery.” He said, gently, “It is good to hear that from you. Why are you sure?” Airly she gave a woman’s reason. “Because.” She added an explanation: “You're a swell fellow.” “That’s a considered verdict, is it?” he asked. “Besides, I nursed your cousin Julia when she had her tonsils out, while you were away. I saw a lot of your uncle. He is a fine man. Anybody but a fool could see he wouldn’t do anything dishonourable I would trust him all the way.” Bucky shook hands with her. “You’re a gentleman, Nancy.” * * * * tBucky was sitting by the window. Nancy left the room to make him a lemonade, but returned almost at once, a queer look on her face. “Visitors to see you,” she said. “Your cousin and Miss Garside.” Bucky’s eyes danced. This was exciting, though surprising. Kathleen and Julia were not on cordial terms. | When they met they bowed stiffly “Please show them in,” he said. Julia kissed him. Kathleen did not offer to shake hands. She stood tall and erect, her dark disdainful eyes looking down at him "Nice of you to come,” he told the daughter of his enemy, his smile derisively grateful. “Miss Graham, would would it be too much trouble to ask. you to clear the newspapers from that chair?” Kathleen did not sit down The long lithe body with its fine animal vigour beneath the satiny skin, was uncompromisingly hostile. Yet she was feminine from well-shod feet to the crisp copper curls peeping out from the modish hat “I asked Miss Cameron to let me come with her.” she said stiffly. “I’m a fool for coming, but I had to see you.” Her voice was cold. “To warn you. I picked up the telephone extension in my room and listened in on a talk. No names were mentioned, but I knew you were meant.” “Who was talking?” Bucky asked. “I don’t know, for sure, who was at the other end. Sheriff Haskell was in the house to see father. He did thetaiking from our end of the connection.” “About me?" “Yes. I got in just in time to hear the other man say they had wailed long enough for Haskell to act. He said they would move themselves, and do your business “muy pronto.” I don't know what the sheriff had refused to do, but he got excited and asked them to wait. The other man laughed, a cruel laugh, and hung up.” “You don't know, but you can guess who was talking with Haskell.” Bucky said, his eyes on hers. “I can guess, but no better than you.” “West, maybe.” “Maybe. The sheriff called him Dan.” She broke out, “I supDOse you'll sit around and play at being a stuffed Buddha, just to show off how brave you are.” <To be Continued).