‘human being, insisted that it had more
nse than many people she’d met.

“Whoever - committed those murders,”
ratt checked over the rifled drawers and
~ynks again, “sure got out in an all-fired
urry. Look at this drawer here,” he pointed
) a somnoe. “They rifled this leather wallet,
ut left all those Federal bank notes and
il this silver lying right beside it.” He ex-
mined the coins closely. “Damned if they
ren't old coins of Civil War vintage.”
Yther bank notes of large denominations
-attered about, along with more silver, be-
poke the haste of the bandit’s getaway.

“It looks to me,” snapped Collingwood,
rying the lid from a large trunk which,
udging by the gougings, had evidently de-
ed all attempts of the murderers to open,
‘as though something scared them off when
hey were just getting into their stride. Just
yok at this.” The trunk gave up $1600 in

SERVICE WITH A SMILE

Cosy Nook

LIGHT LUNCHES
SODA FOUNTAIN SERVICE

ARMSTRONG B. C.

J. H. WILSON LTD.

Warehousemen and Shippers of

OKANAGAN FRUITS and
VEGETABLES

Specializing in the Famous
ARMSTRONG CELERY and HEAD LETTUCE

Armstrong, B.C.

x»
Armstrong Sawmill Ltd.

Manufacturers
Box Shook
Rough and Dressed Lumber
°
Armstrong,

*

B.C.

Phone 28 P.O. Box 537
ARMSTRONG FURNITURE
STORE

HOUSE FURNISHINGS and MEN’S WEAR
P. R. BAWTINHEIMER, Proprietor

Armstrong, B.C.

FOURTEENTH EDITION

silver and bank notes, and an additional
$1000 in promissory notes.

The housekeeper’s once neat room had
also been ransacked, curtains were torn
down and trampled underfoot, and a trunk
forced open, its dark recesses revealing a
wallet containing $900 in greenbacks and
$300 in gold and silver, while more bills
and silver littered the floor.

“Take a squint at this,” Pratt rummaged
through another trunk with forced hinges
bearing the housekeeper’s initials. Diving
in his hand he hauled out sparkling jewellry
and over $3000 in Federal bills rolled in a
linen skirt. “Something sure must have dis-
turbed these rats to send them scurrying in
such a doggoned hurry.”

“Help! Help!” This time the raucous cry
caused the gleam of understanding to

Will Elliott took photos

of the bodies of the
victims and helped police investigate the slaying
of South Hanson's

leading citizens.

lighten the detective’s eye. “I think,” he
turned grimly, “that explains plenty.
Chances are that cockatoo’s squawk for help
scared those birds off just as they got nicely
started. Figured someone had stumbled on
Thomas’ body and was raising the alarm.”

From the adjourning room the cockatoo’s
eerie imitation of the death rattle almost got
under the detectives’ skins. “If that bird
could only talk,” lamented Pratt. “He'd be
sure to give us the low-down on the beast
who pulled this job. That damned bird’s
almost human all right. Ill bet he even
knows what we’re here for. “Say!” he turned
to Collingwood, “we've got to find the club
that did this work. It may give us some-
thing to start on. Apart from that footprint
down the lane we've got just exactly noth-
ing. Not even a decent fingerprint.”

“There's a stake or something lying along-
side that woman’s body,” volunteered the
Sheriff.

Hurrying to the spot the officers found
the long, tapering birch stave covered with

dark stains and wisps of hair identical with
the housekeeper’s. Square at the bottom
and tapering somewhat, it was three feet in
length, and appeared to have, been recently
cut. Covering it carefully with his hand-
kerchief, Pinkham scrutinized the blood and
hair. “Guess this did the trick all right,”
he nodded. “Wonder where it came from.
Looks like something used around a farm,”
he surveyed it speculatively, “the end’s all
smothered in white powder.”

“That,” Pratt was all excitement, “ac-
counts for those gouges in the plaster ceiling
just above the bed where Simeon was
clubbed to death. I was trying to figure out
what caused them. Now I know. When
the killer was beating the life out of him
with this club it must have fouled the
ceiling!”

“That's just a wagon stave,” the Sheriff
commented. “That square end fits in the
metal bracket around a wagon rim when
carrying a bulky load.”

“Come on,” Pratt snapped, “we'll check
up on all the carts around here and see if
any stave like this is missing.”

“Hell,” the Sheriff spat disgustedly, “the
woods are full of these things. And there’s
wagons on every farm from South Abing-
ton to Halifax and Plymouth. If you figure
on locating the wagon that stave came from
you're liable to spend the rest of your life
here.”

Collingwood threw him a quick, puzzled
glance.

“You never can tell,” laughed Pratt
coldly, preparing to search the Sturtevant
farm wagons for the missing stave. Disap-
pointed, he returned to Simeon’s bedroom
and tried the squared end of the stave in

Geo. M. Forster
Night Phone 657

Carl V. Nesbitt
Day Phone 49 -

NESBITT & FORSTER

DODGE and DESOTO DEALERS
DODGE TRUCKS
General Car and Truck Repairs

WEST SUMMERLAND B. C.

JOHN H. PLEDGE

Tobaccos, Grocery and Confectionery
School Supplies
Gas, Oils, Tires, Accessories
e
Opposite Schools
WEST SUMMERLAND

NU-WAY HOTEL AND CAFE

HAZEL and ALF TAYLOR, Proprietors

Catering to the Public with Meals at
All Hours
e

| West Summerland, B. C.

= }

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