BUCKY FOLLOWS A HOT TRAIL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 April 1939, Page 10

BUCKY FOLLOWS A HOT TRAIL

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT. COPYRIGHT.

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CHAPTER XVI. (Continued). “Hope you have your alibi all fixed up for the Valley holdup,” the lawyer said. “I think we have. Julia and Miss Graham and the cook can testify I didn’t leave the ranch -all day. After you called me up I sent men out to check up on all the CC riders. Unless the officers take the view we’re all liars and in it together, we have an air-tight defence.” “That ought to help us, Neil. People are inclined to think that whoever did this robbery did the other too.” "Do you know who robbed the Valley?” “None of the bandits were recognised. My opinion is that this was done by a band frpm outside, probably, one that has held up other banks. Garside thinks so too. He reached town about an hour ago.” “Tuffy Arnold and Big Bill Savage were at Toltec during the robbery.” “I didn’t know that,” Lewis replied. “West and Quinn were here too, but they seem to have a perfectly good alibi.” Bucky told the lawyer about the visit they had paid the ranch. “And by the way,” Bucky said, ,‘they are back here again tonight. Passed me on the way in.” “Better be careful, son.” “Yes ... I want to see O’Sullivan at once.” “Good. Make it clear to him you’re not in this. I’ll walk with you to headquarters.” Chief O'Sullivan gave Bucky his stony stare. “You’re always around when there’s trouble, aren’t you?” “After,” corrected Bucky amiably. “Prove that, can you?” the chief growled. He was not in a good humour. The robbery at the Valley Bank had p/, him on the spot again. “Yes. There’s not a hole in my alibi.” He went on to tell the facts, including the visit of the Red Rock men to the ranch. “Is it your idea that these three men came there to tackle the whole CC outfit,” ihe officer jeered. “It’s my idea,” Bucky replied curtly, “that they knew I had sent my riders out. on posses to intercept the robbers.”' “How would they know that?” Bucky met the hard gaze of the chief steadily. “A leak somewhere in Toltec. One of their spies heard you telephone to me or picked the news up later when you mentioned it. Or else got it from the girl on the wire. If you could put your finger on anybody who might have overheard and phoned to West ——” “I cant. And if I could, that would n’t help me any. The fact that West tried to get the drop on you —if he did —doesn’t tie him up with the robbery.’'’ ■ “If he had a spy keeping him in touch with your plans, doesn’t that imply a mighty strong personal interest in the bank holdup?” “I might claim the same about you, since Judge Lewis phoned you within. ten minutes of the, crime.” “So you might. I want you to investigate my alibi and see whether it stands or falls.” “You can bet I will, young fellow.” The telephone bell rang. O'Sullivan listened impatiently. “He’s here now —in my office . . . No . . . No . . let him get back to the ranch and stay there. My men are detailed on more important business.” He slammed the receiver back into place, then turned and'glared at Cameron. ‘“Some woman—l didn’t catch her name —wants me to give you a police guard while you hell around in town. I’ll say you sure want to hog the spotlight.” “Did the name sound like Graham —or Cameron?” “I told you I didn’t catch it.” The chief added bitterly, “You ought to be in movies. You certainly are wasted here.” Bucky laughed. “I’ll be at the Toltec tonight if you need me, Chief.” As Bucky and Lewis walked along Front Street, Bucky’s gaze swept back and forth. As they turned the corner Cameron’s quick eye picked up a man across the street, two others on his side a little farther down. Some instinct warned him of danger. The roar of a gun filled the night. Bucky flung Lewis into the entrance area of the office building they were passing. Revolvers crashed. Bucky fired, and at the same moment dived into the hall. He pushed the lawyer back of the cigar stand and stood crouched near the end of it. Brad Davis and Big Bill Savage appeared at the entrance, both armed. “There he is!” Davis cried, and ripped out an oath. He fired twice. A bullet shattlered the glass of the cigar stand. Bucky’s finger pressed the trigger. He knew he had scored a hit. Davis clutched at his heart. His big body swung half around. His knees buckled, and he went down, the revolver dropping from a slack hand. Savage turned, without firing another shot, and bolted into the street. There was a slap of running feet, then silence. “You all right?” Cameron asked his friend. "Yes. And you?” “Okay.” More feet sounded, moving cautiously toward the building. Some one said, “They ran in there.” A policeman showed. "It's all over,” Bucky called to him. “Judge Lewis and I were attacked. I had to shoot a man.” Other men in uniform came into the lobby, their revolvers out. Bucky and the judge moved forward. One of the officers was kneeling beside the man on the floor. “Dead,” he pronounced. “It was self-defence,” the lawyer said. Unexpectedly another man endorsed this. “I saw it al) from the drug store. Judge Lewis is right. The other men fired at him and Mr Cameron, and followed them into this building.” Another policeman said, stooping over the dead man, “Why, it’s Brad Davis.” “They were waiting for us,’ Bucky said. “Some one must have tipped them off we were with the chief. They would have got us if we hadn’t bolted into this building. That gave me the advantage. They stood in the -light, and it was darker in here.” 'Bucky spoke deliberately, to con-

WILLIAM MACLEOD RAINE.

ceal the fact that his voice was unsteady. During the battle he hqd been cool and efficient. Now the reaction was upon him..

Guarded by the police, he and Lewis were taken back to headquarters, and into the office of the chief. O'Sullivan listened to the report of,his men. “You’re the luckiest daredevil alive,” the chief told Bucky bluntly.

“I’m sorry I had to kill him. He forced it on me.” Bucky added, gravely, “Get me right, Chief. I didn’t come back to Toltec to stir up trouble, but to protect the good name of my uncle and myself, and to see that our property isn’t stolen from us. I want peace, if I can get it on any decent terms.”

“Looks to me as if that young woman who phoned me knew what was going to happen,” O’Sullivan said, slamming the palm of his hand down on his desk. “You’re either getting out of town or going to goal for safe keeping,” he announced harshly. “I’ve got my hands full without looking after you.”

“I’ll go to the Toltec tonight 1 and leave tomorrow,” agreed Bucky. “See you do. By the way, that government man Mitchell was in to see me today.” “Did he say he was a government man?” Bucky asked, surprised.

“Yes, but he didn’t want it known. Showed me credentials. Said you knew. He’s here of course on the First National robbery. Says he’ll have it cleared up before he leaves. I wish to heaven he’d get it done soon. It’s making me grey . . I’m sending two officers with you to the hotel. You’re to stay in your room and not go out tonight. I run a rooming house for the city—with bars. I can put you there and know you’ll stay put.” “Think I like the Toltec better. I’ll not go out.” The chief called two policemen and told them to take Bucky to the Toltec and to see that Judge Lewis got home safely. CHAPTER XVII. Bucky called up Mitchell on the house phone. “I’m at Toltec,” he said. “I’ve promised Chief O’Sullivan not to leave my room tonight. If you’re not busy would it be too much trouble for you to step in for a little while. "Be up in three minutes,” Mitchell replied, and almost within the time he had set he knocked on Bucky’s door. “Have you heard the latest news?” Bucky said, looking at his visitor inquiringly. “I can tell you that when I know what it is.” “I killed Brad Davis half an hour ago.” Mitchell stared at him. His eyes asking questions so urgently there was no need to put them into words. “Judge Lewis and I were leaving police headquarters when three men attacked us at the corner of Front and Prospect. We ran into the Holden Building. Two of them followed us into the lobby. I was forced to shoot down Davis while he was firing at me.”

“Do you know who the other two were?” /

"One was Big Bill Savage. I didn’t have time to recognise the other.” “They’re determined to get you, aren’t they?” Mitchell said, his eyes narrowed in thought. “Have you. some evidence against them that I don’t know?”

“No.” Bucky added an explanation: “Perhaps I understand the psychology of these men better than you do. I was raised in constant contact with them. They don’t always act on logical motives based on self-interest. To begin with, they have a constant hatred of all my family. They have stolen our stock, but we have sent several of them to the penitentiary and killed others caught rustling. My father was shot from ambush by some of them. My return filled them with resentment because they thought the Camerons were driven but for good. In my encounters with them since then I nave had good luck. Once I gave them a tongue lashing in public. They didn’t like that. You must remember they are proud of their reputation as bad men. Today they came to the ranch while my men. were away to make an end of me, and again my luck stood up so that they had to sneak off with tails dragging. Knowing that I’m not popular now. they feel they may murder me and escape punishment for snuffing out an alleged bank robber. What I’m getting at is,this: these attacks on me may not be caused by what they -fear I know, but by their angry hate of me.” Mitchell shook his head. “I wouldn't say so. They are in such a hurry. They can’t wait. And if they knew I am a detective here to clear up the First National robbery, they would try to kill me too.”

The telephone bell rang. It was Chief O’Sullivan talking. "I have run down the call that came to my office while you were here,” the chief said. “It was from Miss Garside. She says your friend Miss Graham called her up, told her you were in town, and asked her if she could get you police protection. I called up Miss Graham to verify the story. She says she was worried about you and thought Miss Garside would have more influence with us than she.” "And Miss Garside is in the clear."

"Yes, but your friend the nurse is not. Except Judge Lewis, nobody else knew you were in town. She may have tipped off to Davis or some ol his crowd.” "Not in a thousand years,” Bucky denied vigorously. "Nancy Graham is a fine girl, to be trusted in every way. l told you how she brought me the gun this afternoon.” “Yes. What’s that got to do with it? She’s absolutely dependable.” "Hump! 1 expect you would think a girl couldn’t be a double-crosser if she was pretty enough, and made eyes at you. I'm having her brought in. Some one got busy mighty quick and spilled it to the Red Rock crowd that you are here.” “Sure. One of their scouts saw me on the street, as 1 went into police headquarters, so they came swarming down from the saloon they were infesting all hell bent for trouble.” “Might be that way.” (To be Continued).