10-Story Detective Magazine Cover — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

that lake before the crooks eould take action. He used two taxis to begin the trip. He had to leap from the second cab, however, _ when its radio began broadcasting an urgent request to spot and hold a Ma- rine corporal wanted on suspicion of mur- der, They were even going that far. McKay secooted down an alley and wished he was in mufti. The uniform was a dead giveaway. Still, there was nothing he could do about it now. By keeping off busy streets and lurking close to building shadows, he was able to leave the metro- politan area without detection, Then he set out on the fairly long hike toward George Cunningham’s house and sailing vessel, ; OME of the wounds aehed by this time. McKay tried to forget them by thinking of Peggy Garrick and why she had been on his side one moment and brazenly lying the next. He hadn’t dreamed that ghastly sequence in the vacant building. There’d been no pool-. room there, not even a trace of one, He began wondering if the forces he worked against weren’t trying to prove him af- flicted with msanity. _ McKay growled at the problem this mess presented. To make matters worse none of it was his business. He’d merely tried to do a favor for a dying pal. McKay thought of Alex Garrick, and knew now why young Garrick had been such a strange person when he first joined Mc- Kay’s unit. He’d been almost sullen, rare- ly taking part in any sports beyond poker and dice. Then he played for all it was worth, More often than not the boys had suspected him of pulling an ace out of his sleeve. To learn now that Garrick had pre- viously been a crook, solved a lot of the mystery about him, McKay recealled watching the man develop into a real warrior with principles and an intense loyalty. How Garrick had often started to confide in him, then changed his mind abruptly. He’d only talked as he lay dying, with four Jap bullets through him. Then he’d honestly seen the true light of things and tried to atone for his past sins. It | a to ese as Sores Garriek’s ges- aay a mt TRIGGER MAN FROM TARAWA 13 would probably be in the hands of the crooks by now, lt was a long, tedious trek to the lake. McKay used up a good two and a half hours in eovering the distance. Being unfamiliar with the locale he got lost twice. But now, as he gazed down at the - shimmering surface of the water in faint moonlight, he began moving with extreme caution. He spotted the boat shortly afterwards. Certainly it must be Cunningham’s be- cause it was the only sailing vessel in sight. A big ship that really belonged on salt water. She had two sails, a sleek hull, and made a fascinating appearanee. McKay had to get aboard her homehow. He’d soon know whether or not the crooks had beat him to it. Slipping closer to the tiny dock, he used jungle-trained ears again. He could hear someone padding around on the deck, then rough oaths of men afflicted by frustra- tion. McKay grinned. That meant they hadn’t found what they were looking for. He stripped down to his shorts, slid quietly into the water, and waded part of the way to the ship’s stern. She was prow in toward shore. He hit deeper water and swam noiselessly, another [little feature he’d been taught by rough experience. He reached the anchor chain, crawled up it, heedless of the pain caused by stretching his muscles and body too much, and took a quick look across the deck. There were three or four men well for- ward, beyond the cabin and the com- panionway leading to the sleeping quar- ters below decks. CHAPTER IV HE Marine scurried across the deck. In bare feet he made no sound and was fast enough to practically flit from one shadow to the next. He went down the companionway ladder, put on the brake as he passed the three neat cab- ins, then resumed his speed. McKay was heading for a small hold. Now nothing more than a bulkhead door was in his way. He spent about twenty minutes in the hold, came out grinning broadly, then he grew serious. The hardest part was going to consist of getting off this boat. Just before he risked a quiek peek from — = ‘ } ‘oir ts