BUCKY FOLLOWS A HOT TRAIL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 April 1939, Page 10

BUCKY FOLLOWS A HOT TRAIL

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.

COPYRIGHT.

BY

WILLIAM MACLEOD RAINE.

• CHAPTER XIV. (Continued). A small sedan was parked by the curb in front of the side door of the Valley Bank. In the driver’s seat a heavy-set man lounged. Beside him a newspaper had been spread. Occasionally a nervous hand felt the paper, as if for reassurance of what lay beneath it.

The eyes'of Hie man were alert and restless in the gross beefy face. They searched the street anxiously and found a figure coming down the sidewalk. It was that of a medium-sized man whose hat was drawn low over the face. The cold shallow eyes lifted to meet those of the driver. A messags flashed between them. The pedestrian walked into the bank. Simultaneously two others were entering by the front door, the man in the car felt sure. He started the engine and let it run quietly. One hand slid under the newspaper and found the submachine gun lying there.

He as a stolid man, unimaginative, but the wait seemed to him unending. Then there came the crash of an explosion. The man in the sedan raised the sub-machine gun a few inches from the seat, his lips now. a thin cruel line. Out of the bank came three men, all armed, all in a hurry. Two of them carried sacks. They tumbled into the sedan pell-mell, flinging the sacks on the floor. Already the driver was in motion.

He swung the sedan around a parked mail truck, almost crashed an approach coupe, swerved, dashed down the crowded thoroughfare. A red light did not stop him. He honked across the intersection widely. Bystanders watching the car, as it circled recklessly in and out among traffic, guessed that the man at the wheel was drunk. The sedan raced past a stop sign

into a wide avenue, taking the curve at a mad pace. After two or three blocks one of the men in the back seat announced that no police car was following. The driver’ cut the speed to forty miles. It was wise not to attract attention.

“Bump off anyone?” the beefy-faced man asked, from a corner of his slitted lips. “One,” the man beside him said. “Grabbed at a gun . . . Next street’s where we turn.”

They swung to the left. Squealing tyres slid to a halt. Out poured the men. They scrambled into an open car parked just in front of them. The engine roared. The bandits were on their way to the safety of the hills.

A siren screamed. At the Valley Bank Chief O’Sullivan flung himself out of the still moving car and ran up the steps. A policeman opened the door. Excited witnesses told the chief that three men had held up the bank. They knew the money to pay the Malpais dam construction gang was here and demanded it. Simpson, assistant cashier, made a pasS for a gun and was shot down by a squat bandit wearing a cowboy hat. None of the robbers was masked, and none of them

was recognised as familiar by any of those in the bank. The whole affair had not taken five minutes. The cashier could not tell until a check-up was made how much had been taken. The switchboard operator passed the word down that the chief was wanted on the phone. “It’s Neil Cameronout at the ranch, I think.” O’Sullivan hesitated. He was a busy man. Still i “What do you want, Cameron?” he demanded abruptly. “I’ve just heard of the Valley Bank holdup. If there’s anything I can do —any roads you want blocked " “How did you hear of it?” the chief interrupted. "It didn’t happen more than ten minutes ago—not that long.” “Judge Lewis called me as soon as he heard of it.” “What for?’*O’Sullivan asked harshly. “You know why, Chief. So I can protect myself against lying enemies. That's not important now. The point is. can you use a posse of my men? If so, I’ll get one on the road as fast as I can.” O’Sullivan thought fast. He was not sure of Bucky. This immediate call had a suspicious aptness. The CC man was fixing his alibi. But he would want to establish that whether innocent or guilty. In any case, it would do no harm to string him along, and : there was always the chance that he might head off the outlaws if they : were making for the Red Rock country.

“All right. Hop to it. Send your boys out. Report to me later.” “Do you know by which road the holdups left town?” , "No, but your best bet would be to patrol the road leading to the Red Rock country." . “I’ll send a car out at once,” Bucky promised. “I'm calling the boys back from the range. As soon as possible I’ll send a posse into the hills. Do you know whether the bandits got away with much?” "No.” O’Sullivan thought of asking, “Do you?” But he decided he had better not.

Three CC men, armed with rifles as well as revolvers, were ready to take off in a rattletrap car. Curly Teeters was in charge. Bucky gave last minute instructions.

“Don’t take any desperate chances, boys. Run down the gun-barrel road to the willows and find cover there. What I chiefly want is to find out if any of West’s gang have been in town today and are heading for home in a hurry. It is not necessary for you to arrest them unless the opportunity is too good to lose. You can’t assume they are guilty, but you have authority to stop their car and search it. Unless you get the drop on them you must not try to do this. I don't want two or three of you killed or wounded. Primarily you are a scouting party.” “What about other ears?” Curly asked. “Do we search them too?” “Yes. Stop all cars, unless the hazard is too great and those in them show fight. But don’t get gun-crazy. We’re in bad enough already and can't afford any mistakes.” “We ough to get back by supper time,” Curly said. “I won’t be here,” Bucky replied. “I’m going to town.” “Not alone?” “Yes. I don’t want the impression to get around that I’m holed up here

because I’m afraid of the law. We’re out on bond, but the bond doesn’t cover the robbery of the Valley Bank." “I’m not talking about the law,’’ answered Curly. “It wasn't the law took those three cracks at you, Bucky. I’d call it dumb for you to go in and ask for more.” Bucky shook his head. “I’ve got to play this hand my own way, Curly . . . Good luck, boys.” CHAPTER XV. An hour later Tim Murphy started with a posse of horsemen for the hills, to cut off the bank robbers if possible as they returned. Bucky had been careful not to mention to him his intention of going to Toltec. His reaction would have been the same as that of Curly Teeters, but much more positive.

Bucky went upstairs and packed a suitcase. This he carried down and left in the hall. He did not want to start in time to get into town before dark. Julia found him sitting on the porch glancing over a magazine. “What is your suitcase doing here? Where are you going?” his cousin asked.

“Going to run into Toltec,” he said. “Want to find out if this hold-up ties itself up with the one at the First National.” His voice was even and placid.

“Oh, Eucky—Bucky, why must you do that?” Julia wailed. Nancy Graham stood in the doorway. She said nothing “I mustn’t miss any chance of getting at the truth, Julia,” he explained. “You’ll be —be —killed if you go,” she said unhappily. “No. They are not worrying about me now. Too much else on their minds. When you are busy covering your tracks you don’t start more trouble. I’ll be perfectly safe.” Nancy went upstairs and began packing her own bag. She had decided to go to town too. The clatter of horses’ hoofs took her to the window. Three men had ridden into the yard. They swung from their horses and strode forward to the house. Something about them stirred appulse of alarm in her throat. A strident mocking voice said,

“Thought we’d drop in and see how you was getting along from your recent accident.”

She did not wait to hear Bucky’s answer, but ran downstairs to the living room. She pulled open the drawer of the desk where he worked. Bucky knew he had been caught flat-footed. Some one in Toltec had telephoned the information to West that the CC riders were out combing the country for bank robbers. He and his confederates had taken advantage of their absence from the ranch. Bucky was unarmed. If they meant to strike now, he was doomed. He looked at Brad Davis, coolly, no flag of terror fluttering in his eyes. “I’m doing pretty well, thank you,” he said. “You ought to practise shooting before you go hunting, Brad.” “That so?” the dark man jeered. “You’ll probably find I’m good enough right now.”

The bandy-legged man in chaps . spoke. “I hear you robbed another bank today.” . The indolent gaze of Bucky drifted to Quinn. The ‘devil-may-care derision in it was an achievement the CC man felt proud of later. “Where did you hear that —up in the hills, or in town?” he asked. “Never mind where we heard it,” West broke in, a cruel leer on his mal(ignant face. “We know where to look for bank robbers in this part of the country. This little posse is calling your own bluff. You're going to town with us.” So it was to be that way. Bucky saw their purpose written on the evil faces of : the men. The intention was to arrest him, pretend to start to Toltec, and kill him at some lonely spot. Their story would be that he had drawn and they had shot in self-de-fence. Thus neatly they wold avenge the rubbing out of Dutch Dieter. Bucky sparred for time. “I see,” he said. “A personally conducted tour. You want to make sure I get there safely.” While he spoke, his mind raced. If they did not know that Curly Teeters was covering the gunbarrel road there was a chance for him, providing they did not make an end of him before they reached the willows. A long shot. It was a ten to one bet they would pour lead into him as soon as they were out of sight of the house. “You needn’t bluff, fellow,” Davis told him'harshly. “We’ve got your number. You’re scared as a brush rabbit that's been shot at.” “We'll run up and rope 3 horse for you, seeing you claim to be an invalid,” West said. Out of the house walked Nancy, slim and erect and apparently oblivious of any trouble. She carried something under a napkin. It might have been a glass of milk or a drink of medicine. “Time to take this now, Mr Cameron,” she said quietly, standing beside her patient.

“Sure,” Quinn jeered. “Take your medicine like nurse says.” Whisking the cloth to one side, Nancy passed Bucky’s revolver to him. She drew a chair very close to his and sat down in it. Bucky said, “much obliged,” a jump in his voice. He was as much surprised as his enemies. Not for an instant had he guessed what she was bringing him. But as his fingers slid around the butt of the weapon his heart lifted. Abruptly the situation had changed. They had not taken the trouble to draw their weapons yet, sure they had him trapped. He had his ready. Casually Bucky rested his hand on a knee, the barrel of the .38 pointed in the direction of the hill men. Quinn ripped out an astonished oath coupled with an epithet directed at the nurse. “A lady present," Bucky reminded him. “Such language, Mr Quinn. And by the way, we can excuse the lady now, with many thanks for the medicine.” Nancy sat tight. As long as she stayed so near Bucky no fusillade of shots would be poured at him.- “I’m going to stay here,” she told him in a low voice. (To be Continued). 1