Page:Raymond Spears--Diamond Tolls.djvu/225

 "I got a hunch I mustn't take no chances with that little boy," Gost grimaced. "He's shot a gun before. He'd cave my face in now if he saw me."

Gost aimed his own rifle at Murdong, with his finger on the trigger, but he thought he knew better than to shoot in broad day. He thought that he ought to wait for night to do the thing he was to do. It was not in him to commit a daylight crime when a little patience would make it possible to have friendly night for the same job.

He retreated to his boat down the bend and after dark he drove out into the river and up stream. Apparently, there was nothing to prevent him from performing his task. He steered wide of the entrance of the bayou, thinking that perhaps Murdong would be watching for his friends to drop down.

Swinging wide, he felt his motor jerk, missing a stroke. A minute later it missed again, and with a curse he tried to look at it in the dark. A few more explosions, followed by alternate misses, and the engine died where he was, in midstream, with one hundred thousand dollars' worth of diamonds almost in sight in a dark and lonely bend—just the place for what he had to do.

"What in h—l!" he choked, giving the wheel a savage whirl over.

The motor started up hopefully, and turned over