Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, December 1956 — page 144: what you’re looking at

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

ton turned to Kelly and me, and- said, “Let’s stop looking at each other as if one of us is a maniac. It seems as though I made a mistake when I didn’t have Burke exe- cuted. He has returned to the island intent on destroying us. Our only course is to hunt him down and destroy him.” | It seemed like sound thinking and made Kelly and me feel a little ashamed of ourselves. June 10 We set out at daybreak this morning after what I am sure was a sleepless night for all three. We decided to scout along the shores of the island to see where Burke had landed. About a mile and a half up the beach we found the boat and the bones of Seaman Burke. It does not take long. for buzzards to strip a man of his flesh but there was a three weeks’ growth of barnacles along the wa- terline of the anchored boat. Ap- parently he had anchored just off shore in order to keep a rendez- vous with one of us. He would be safe from roaming snakes, animals or from mosquitoes out there. But he had not been safe from the mur- derer. June II We all three sleep, or should I say lie, in the same room now. Last. night was one of the most fantastic I have ever spent. My cot is next to the window, the moon 142 to my back. About three feet away is Benton’s, and on_ the other, side Kelly’s, I. was lying on my back, the moon streaming across my cot and into the room, listening, for what I do not know, when I be came aware of the absence of Ben- ton’s usually heavy breathing. I was afraid to roll over to look at him, afraid that if he saw me look- ing at him he would think I was the murderer. I struggled with my- self, but I had to look. I realized that the moon would be to my back and that he would not be able to see my eyes. I rolled over on my side, facing his cot. Benton was lying on his side plainly visible in the moonlight, his eyes wide open, wa tening me, breathing very softly. June 13 We go_ everywhere _ together. Never is one of us out of the sight of the other two. Nor has one of us slept a. wink in the last three nights. Nay, sleep is the one thing we fear ... or at. least two of us fear, For. with sleep the murderer, we know, will do his handiwork. | June 15 We brought Burke’s remains in- to rest yesterday, the sixth cross in the row. Benton. said a prayer and I could not help wondering if it were not the master hypocrisy. Kelly stared insanely. He could surely not last much longer. When the prayer. was finished Benton ALFRED HITCHCOCK'S MYSTERY MAGAZINE Gomichbooksneo