10-Story Detective Magazine Cover — page 91: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

KILLER OF THE CRAGLAND————_——_—__89 even the neat khaki uniform draped like the weathered folds of a scare- crow’s garment. He was tall, and raw- boned, and almost Lincolnesque in his complete lack of handsomeness. Yet that unlovely exterior covered a shrewd brain that caused MacFar- lane’s fellow rangers to call him “Sherlock” with a great deal more of honest respect than of laughing mock- ery. Slats drew the tough assignments when the Rangers ran up against something outside of the usual police routine. Which was doubtless why Roland Steele, a crack agent of the War Department, chose him as a com- panion in the investigation of Crag- land and its teasing mystery. Queer things had been happening at Cragland, and Roland Steele thought that the lanky ranger was just the man to help him find out why. Right now, however, Steele was close to re- gretting that decision. He regarded MacFarlane with evident uneasiness. “Tf it’s all the same to you, you can take these corners a little easier,” he suggested. “I don’t seem to be able to remember when I paid my last insur- ance premium!” MacFarlane grinned. ‘‘Believe me, mister, I’m in no rush to get to Crag- land,” he declared. ‘‘I haven’t lost any- thing in that spooky neighborhood, and that’s a fact. Y’ ought to be with me some time when I’m in a hurry!” Steele groaned. “No thank you,” he declined politely. “I prefer my air- planes to have wings! Say, just what do you mean by spooky? I’ve noticed that you use that term a good bit.” “Spooky can mean anything that’s odd, or queer, or generally haywire,” MacFarlane explained. ‘And take it from me, Cragland is all three! At that, it ain’t a dang bit worse than the gang that hangs out there. Old C. D. Bushner is the king pin, and he’s got a laboratory built a little ways off from the main house. From all accounts, Bushner is an ace inventor, and it’s a cinch that he’s made plenty of jack, but nobody would hole up in such a forsaken spot unless they had something plenty disturbing on their minds!” “You think that he’s hiding from somebody?” Steele inquired. “Somebody or something,” Mac- Farlane agreed. “From all accounts, old Bushner’s done lots of folks dirt.” “He must have quite a force of servants,’ Steele suggested. “It ain’t Bushner that keeps th’ servants,” the ranger replied. ‘“Y’ see, Cragland proper belongs t’ Robert Speer, Bushner’s partner. Matter of fact, I guess that Speer really holds th’ purse strings. He’s the business end of the partnership, and helps Bushner dope out stuff on the side, particularly radio stuff. Speer is an electrical wizard. It’s a funny com- bination, especially since there’s been talk about Bushner handing Speer a nasty double-cross some time back. Me, I wouldn’t take Speer for a for- giving cuss, but then I don’t like Speer, and Speer don’t like me.” “Interesting, but personal,” Steele commented. “I’m after something dif- ferent. We’ve had a man keeping an eye on things, and he’s sent in some disturbing reports. Shadowy prowl- ers, &@ mysterious woman, midnight conferences behind locked doors. And now, all at once, our agent seems to have disappeared. Frankly, Bushner is engaged in perfecting a new self- aiming anti-aircraft gun, and we sus- pect that certain foreign powers are plotting to secure it.” “'There’s been a bunch of strangers hanging around the Park,’ MacFar- lane said slowly. “They might be mixed up in it. As for women, there’s Virginia Trace, Bushner’s secretary, but the only mystery about her is why she works for such an outfit. She’s prettier than a picture, and smarter than a whip, and I'll swear that she’s as straight as a string! And that’s something, because neither Bushner nor Speer has a good reputation as far as women are concerned!” His’ face wrinkled thoughtfully as he again turned his attention to the road. Gomichbooks:com: