The Crawling Creature by Donald Bayne Hobart Page 3

  Lucky because you hated hunches. This killer He flung himself at the other man.

  here said that he was McNally, but he was A heavy hand clasped Ayres by the

  talking of having hunches about something.”

  throat and dragged him to his feet, held him.

  “You’re right so far,” McNally

  With his left hand McNally reached for the grinned. “What else?”

  automatic in the holster at his belt.

  “I had heard that one of the strange

  “Tell me where you hid that money,”

  things about Lucky McNally was that he never he growled. “Or I’ll give you the same thing I cursed. This Dill here cussed plenty. Then I gave Buckly!”

  got to figuring things out. I knew that Dill had Dix Ayres saw death staring at him

  brought me back here for some reason. Then I from those glittering eyes in the big distorted remembered that when I first met him I told face that gazed into his. He knew that any him that the Crawling Creature had gotten all moment the automatic might crash down upon the money that Dan Buckly and I had. He

  his head, cracking his skull.

  knew that I was lying—for he had learned

  “I’ll tell you,” he gasped. “It’s—”

  somewhere that Dan and I had ten thousand between us—”

  FROM the jungle behind McNally there came

  “Yes, I knew that,” said McNally.

  the roar of a rifle. A bullet plowed into the big

  “Early last night this Dill found my camp.

  man’s shoulder, spun him half around. He

  Planned to kill me just as he did your partner, released Ayres, and turned swiftly, the but I got away. I had to move fast though to automatic in his hand. As the automatic do it and I had to leave my gun behind. I barked rapidly Ayres dropped to the ground.

  followed him, saw him murder Buckly—but I McNally howled with pain as a second

  was unarmed and helpless—so I could do

  bullet from the rifle of the marksman in the nothing then.”

  brush seared his cheek. The automatic was

  “But why didn’t you warn me later?”

  still barking as the big man turned and dashed demanded Ayres.

  madly across the clearing.

  “I couldn’t last night. After Dill left

  The Crawling Creature

  11

  here he picked up my trail again. I spent the Sorry you had so much trouble digging up the rest of the night ducking him. In the morning I grave to get Buckly’s rifle—and then found it did follow you,” McNally smiled grimly. wasn’t loaded.”

  “Both you and Dill took a shot at me back

  “Yes, that wasn’t so good. You

  there on the trail. That was close.

  showed a lot of sense when you tossed me

  “Later I climbed up in that tree. I those bullets as you were sitting there by the planned to slip that noose over Bull Dill’s tree. If you hadn’t Dill might have got you.”

  head, but it was dark—I couldn’t see very well

  “I know that. Dill tried to bluff me into and I got you instead,” McNally looked at believing that you had done the shooting after Ayres earnestly. “I’m sorry, old man. Right he went into the jungle and took a shot at then was when I certainly played into Dill’s me—but I knew Buckly’s gun wasn’t

  hands. He had you convinced that I was really loaded—and I was almost positive that poor the Crawling Creature, I’m sure.”

  Dan didn’t have any cartridges in his pockets

  “But you haven’t any hunches about

  but I wasn’t quite sure. When I saw that the it,” Ayres smiled. “I finally figured it out. That grave had been refilled I knew that whoever was why I pretended to be looking for the the Crawling Creature was he was absolutely place that I had hidden the money belt. I knew insane.”

  that Dill was watching me. I wasn’t surprised

  “You were right,” said McNally,

  when you warned me from the brush. I smiling. “And I haven’t got a hunch about it!”

  thought you might be somewhere nearby.