BUCKY FOLLOWS A HOT TRAIL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 April 1939, Page 12

BUCKY FOLLOWS A HOT TRAIL

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT. COPYRIGHT.

BY

WILLIAM MACLEOD RAINE.

CHAPTER XVII. (Continued). “Must be. Listen, Chief. If they had been tipped off by Miss Graham she would have told them I was heading for Judge Lewis's house, and they would have picked me off from the dark as we came out. But the word came to them in the saloon where they had been drinking hard. Couldn’t wait till I had got more than a block from the city hall. You can forget Miss Graham, Chief.”. “After I’ve had a talk with her I’ll decide that.” “Suit yourself.” , Bucky chuckled. “You took the trouble to verify Miss Garside’s story. You had in mind what I told you the other day, to dig deeper and find out who benefited most by the First National robbery.” “Nothing of the kind,” O’Sullivan protested. “I still think that’s all hooey. The man you're putting the finger on hadn't any more to do with it than I had.” “Yet you called up Miss Graham because you were afraid Miss Graham might have picked up some information that I was about to be attacked.” Bucky’s low laugh mocked the officer. “It occurred to you that maybe—by some millionth off-chance—somebody in- that house might be in this thing up to his neck.”

The chief sputtered an angry “No,” and hung up abruptly. “Talking with O’Sullivan?" Mitchell said. »

“Yes. Nothing important. About a telephone call he had.” “I’m not dumb.” Mitchell smiled. “It’s still in your mind that Garside is connected with these robberies.” “By jove!” Bucky frowned at Mitchell, struck by a new idea. He had not as yet reached a suspicion that the banker had staged the robbery of the Valley. But why not? If Garside was desperately hard up for money, if he had used funds of the bank which must be replaced to avoid discovery, why could he not have arranged this holdup to account for the cash that had disappeared? Robbing banks might have become a habit with him. He said to Mitchell: “I dare say I’m prejudiced and getting a wrong squint at this thing. If so, that’s bad medicine. I want to think straight, even though 1 don’t like Garside.” Mitchell nodded agreement. “Several times I’ve gone wrong on cases because I have let my feelings dominate my brain.” “What do you make of the Valley robbery?” “It looks to me like the work of an experienced band. They knew just how to do the job, and make a clean getaway. The, robbery wasn’t cooked up by amateurs.” “Then you don’t think the Red Rock gang had anything to do with it?” “No. It seems to me more likely that some organised gang, perhaps made up of men who don’t live in the state at all, read of the first robbery and took the trouble to find when the money for the Malpais dam workers would be here. Of course one of them looked the ground over. He may have spent weeks here. I’m checking up rooming houses to find if any suspicious strangers have been staying in town. Garages, too. Any man who has been here for some time and left today might be one of the gang we want.” “There’s no connection between the two bank robberies, you think” Bucky asked.

“If outsiders did the First National job they probably would' not have taken your uncle with them but would have killed him on the ground. He did not mean anything to them. Why encumber themselves with him? ’ “An outside gang did not do that job,” Bucky said decisively. “I don’t know about this one. You may be right. It was smooth work. Maybe professionals did it. If I knew that I would be so much interested in it.” “When are you leaving town?” “Tomorrow morning. Give me a call at the ranch occasionally and let me know how you are getting along.”

Bucky read in the morning “News” over his breakfast bacon that there had been a shooting affray in front of the Holden Building on the previous evening. From the story he gathered that the combatants had belonged to different factions of lawless cattlemen from the hill country. One of those engaged in the battle had been killed by Neil Cameron, a nephew of Cliff Cameron, former president of the First National bank, who was very much wanted by the police for questioning in connection with the robbery of that bank. On another page of the ‘News” there was an editorial calling upon the police to stop the Toltec reign of lawlessness, beginning with the muider of Buchmann and the looting of the bank with which he was connected. Evidently Big Bill Savage had not been arrested yet. Bucky had not expected he would be. No doubt he and his friends had been on their way to the fastnesses of the hills within five minutes of the time when he had bolted from the Holden Building. Bucky folded the newspaper and strolled into the street. Ten minutes later he pushed the bell at the iront door of a residence. Of the Filipino, who answered the ring he inquired foi Mi' Garside. The banker had not come down for breakfast yet. "Miss Garside,” suggested Bucky. Kathleen presently appeared. "Oh. it's you," she said, her chin up. "Yes. 1 came to thank you for your kind interest in me," he answered, smiling sardonically. “Thank Miss Graham,” she flashed back. "1 haven't any interest in you. She asked me to telephone the chief. o c police, and I obliged her.” "Then I'll thank you for obliging her. Unfortunately the chief had other uses for his cops.” “So he let you walk out Ironi his office and kill a man inside ol five minutes not a block from headquarters,” she flung at him. _ „ “Yes. That annoyed him. “Annoyed him!” . Her voice was sharp with contempt. “It ann °y^ h h ' l "; did It, that he was careless not to take precautions against muidei when he had been warned “Luckily it did not run to murder, Bucky mentioned.

"Didn't it? I read in the ‘'News” that a man called Davis was killed in a street battle.’

"Quite true,” Bucky drawled. “He was attempting assassination and his intended victim shot him down in self-defence.”

Kathleen deserted abruptly her line of attack to try another. “It’s your own fault. 1 told you weeks ago what would happen. But you know everything so much better than any one else. You always did, even when you were a schoolboy. If some one had dared you to jump from a roof, you would have jumped and broken your neck. It's your enormous vanity.”

Bucky petted his little mustache, to irritate her. He pulled a handkerchief out of a sleeve and brushed away some imaginary dust from his coat. “My best friend and most severe critic,” he murmured.

A tide of angry colour beat into her cheeks. Even as a small boy he had known the trick of how to make her furious. She brushed back impatiently an unruly copper curl. It was a grown-up way of stamping her foot. “If you’re quite through, don’t let me detain you from taking your thanks to the proper girl,” she said. “I d6n.’t want to be ungallant after such a cordial reception, but I’d like a few words with your father too while I'm here,” Bucky answered. “Oh, that’s why you came. Fernando said you wanted to see me,” She v.alked to the door, in. too much of a rage to say more, and called upstairs. “Dad, Mr Cameron is here to see you.” "Who?” boomed a heavy voice from above.

“Neil Cameron, the play actor, the movie hero.” There was a moment of silence bebofe the banker answered. “Take him into the library.” Kathleen turned and said the visitor, with formal politeness, “This way, Mr Gable, if you please.” She showed him to the room and left. CHAPTER XVIII.

Garside came into the library with a chip on his shoulder. He was always grumpy before breakfast. “What’s on your mind?” he demanded bluntly. “I came to report progress, Mr Garside—or rather no progress,” Bucky said amiably. “You made me a little proposition. ' That was before you took over the receivership of the First National.”

“That’s not true. James Ankeny has been appointed receiver, as you know very well.” “So he has. Your man Friday. I ■ don’t know wnether your offer still stands. Twenty-five thousand for the ranch and the bank, lock, stock and barrel. Anyway, I can’t deliver. 1 haven’t been able to find Uncle Cliff. My opinion is he’s dead.” “My opinion is he’s in Gautemala—or Mexico —or Timbuctoo,” Garside differed harshly.

“Sometimes the smartest men are the dumbest,” Buck said. “He was killed by the fellows who robbed the bank.”

There was no expression but rigid arrogance in the face of the banker. “My offer is withdrawn,” he told the younger man curtly. “I’ll not wait any longer. You may not know it, but I have bought up the ranch mortgage. I’ve owned it for six months.” f “I know that.” , “Then perhaps you know how to clean up the back interest.” “Our beef round-up should take care of current liabilities.” Garside laughed harshly. “With rustlers running off your prime stuff?” “How do you know that?” Bucky asked. “Have they been reporting to you?” “Don’t talk to me like that,” Garside roared. “I won’t have it, from an impudent young squirt like you.” “Then we’ll leave your rustler friends out of our conversation, if it disturbs you . . Who robbed the Valley bank?” The swiftness with which Bucky flung the' question startled Garside. His quick look, ot once wary and suspicious, stabbed at Cameron. “What you mean —how do I know?” His voice took on a bullying note. “Maybe you can tell me.” “How much did the bandits get?” The banker’s hand slammed down on the table. “What do you mean coming here with your impertinence?” “The robbery must have been a surprise to you,” Bucky commented in his soft drawl. “What are you trying to insinuate?” stormed Garside. “Coming so soon after that of the First National, which must have been another shock to you.” The eyes of Bucky, hard and cold as steel, fastened on those of his enemy. Was it alarm they saw filter into the stony face of the older man, before anger banished it? “I don’t know what you mean,” Garside flung open the door of the library. "Get out of here, or I’ll throw you out.” “On my way,” Bucky replied, still, watching the face of his family foe closely. “Why get so flustered, Mr Garside? All I said was ” "I heard what you said, and I don’t want to hear any more.” ■ "All right with me,” Bucky smiled, blandly. "As Van Dyke Mitchell says —but no, we’ll save that for another time.” This time Bucky was sure he had scored u hit. In the angry eyes he caught a flicker of dismay, instantly wiped out. "There won’t be another time. Keep out of my way. if you know what’s good for you. No killer can come here and bully me.” The banker was still . shouting at Bucky as he followed him into the hall. But Cameron was no longer paying attention. He was listening to another voice, coming from the living room. "Neither you nor any one else can treat me like a dog,” it snarled. “When we<*meet you’ll speak to me like I was a human being or I’ll —” Kathleen’s cool contemptuous retort, with the singing sting of a whip in it, interrupted the threat. “Get out of the way and let me pass, you ruffian.” “I’ll get out of the way when I’m ready. Listen, you vixen ” (To be Continued.)