Argosy All-Story Weekly, August 9, 1924 — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

POOR LITTLE PIGEON. a dobe ranch house and some cattle and a few hands—Mexican peons.” ‘“‘ And Bernice,” Bryce suggested. ‘“ Just a minute, Haddon. You say a sort of a ranch—do you mean Rand was pressed for funds?” Haddon actually frowned. “ He’s not exactly prosperous, from what I can gath- er,” he said slowly. “I let the sheriff han- dle that end. He knows him, and I haven’t appeared in the matter to date to any great extent, outside the local camp, because— well, as Mr. Dual suggests, I’ve felt there was more than appeared on the surface to this thing. I even let the military authori- ties run the investigation that led us to Rand’s. Newton wouldn’t help us—he closed up like a clam, but it was easy enough to find out. We checked up on where Newton had sent the birds that came back at the time of, and immediately after, his arrest. And we found out that he’d been in the habit of sending them over in crates by rail to a little station between here and Fairbanks for some time. They were thrown off there and taken away by a messenger from Rand’s ranch.” ‘And what did Rand and the girl have to say about it after the sheriff brought them in?” Jim asked. Haddon smiled. “ They talked — at least,” he returned, “ the girl did, with a surprising freedom, and Rand with consid- erable force. Miss Rand made no attempt to deny possession of the birds. But ac- cording to her story, the entire thing took a romantic rather than a criminal turn. She said they had been sending them back and forth as a part of what was really the love affair between them—that he sent them over and she released them, each bearing a personal note.” ‘Which is practically what Newton said the night Cleland discovered the morphine,” I pointed out. “Precisely,” Haddon assented. ‘ And she sticks to it—says she released the last lot at twenty-four hour intervals, each with its note attached. At the same time, we know that each one of those particular birds came back loaded down with dope.” ‘There ain’t any question they was his birds, is there?” Jim queried quickly. 173 ‘““Newton’s birds returned to Newton,” Dual replied before Haddon could answer, speaking for the first time since the govern- ment agenmt’s narration had begun. ‘“ The homing instinct of the carrier pigeon is something that cannot be deceived.” Haddon shrugged. ‘ They literally came home to roost,” he said. ‘ Even if there was any doubt about it, the sheriff, when he was over at Rand’s, saw the case in which they had been shipped, with the ad- dress in Newton’s own handwriting tacked to it on acard. Furthermore, one of Rand’s hands, a peon by the name of Pablo, ad- mits calling for the birds and bringing them to the ranch. That practically sums up the matter, except that at the time of Rand’s arrest he looked over the place and says he found nothing whatever of an in- criminating nature.” For a moment Dual made no comment, and then he spoke in a voice that in some subtle fashion seemed to fill the room with its resonance. ‘“‘Om—the one God is great. So then the matter rests.” “Well, yes.” Haddon’s response was almost vague. ‘‘ Newton and Rand face almost certain conviction on the evidence, plus Newton’s dishonorable expulsion from the service, of course. As to the girl, it’s hard to say. She’s young and a pretty lit- tle thing—” “With brown hair and presumably blue eyes—a medium complexion,”’ Dual said. “Quite so. You set up her astrological figure.” Haddon’s lips twitched. “ The arrests have caused a mild local sensation. Newton was socially popular in town, and the Rands have lived in the region for years.” ‘“‘ Newton,” said Semi-Dual, “ is dark, of a good physique, with somewhat prominent cheek bones and square jaw.” “ Correct.”” All at once Haddon uttered a slightly uncertain laugh. “ Quite the offi- cer and the gentleman really, as well as a Southern type. One could almost fancy that it is a mistaken sense of chivalry as much as anything else which has caused him to close his mouth.” “Ts chivalry a mistake, then, Mr. Had- don?” Dual inquired. ‘“‘Eh?” Haddon looked back into the - COMmiclooo SS (©) nn