Page:Weird Tales v01n03 (1923-05).djvu/47

46 "One moment, officer!" he said sternly.

OR A breathless instant the tableau held. Then Corcoran, closing his amazed mouth, thrust his flushed face close to Captain Dolan's.

"What business have you got, butting in on this, anyway?" he shouted. "Who told you to give orders? You seem to have been a friend of this fellow's, by what Tom here says. But how do we know you didn't have a grudge against him and doped him tonight aboard your boat? How do we know you didn't give him wood alcohol or something to drink that put him down and out? You'd better just keep quiet and stick around here till the doc takes a look at him."

Captain Dolan's wrinkled, parchment-like face turned an angry red, and his bony hands clenched. Then, suddenly, he relaxed, uttering a short, mirthless laugh.

"In remaining here, as you request," he replied, tis my idea to see justice done. Little love as Terence had for Jerry Kramer and his gang, he would wish fair play, even for 'Big Jim' there. And for that reason I'll be asking your kind indulgence while I tell you a little of Terence McFadden."

Corcoran glared at the old man. Kenton shrugged his shoulders.

"Go ahead," he said. "We've got to wait for the car."

Captain Dolan stood erect beneath the grimy electric bulb, which cast a brassy gleam upon his grizzled locks. At his left stood Corcoran, scowling, one hand gripping his subdued prisoner. Beyond him Kenton leaned against the loading platform. I watched them from the shadows,

"Every man of us has his secret fear," began Captain Dolan abruptly, and a trifle oratorically. "With one it's the open sea. With another it's a horror of great heights. But we all have it. As for Terence McFadden, it took no more than a little, long-tailed, hand-organ monkey to set him a-shivering.

"And they seemed to know it, too, the grinning devils. No sooner would he pass a Dago organ-grinder on the corner than the little red-capped ape would let out a chatter and make a rush for Terence. And would you believe me, the man would actually turn pale.

Come away, Ira,' he'd say, clutching at me, 'come away, Ira. Sure, and he'll be looking for a bite from the leg of ye.'

"I mind me of a day when we went to the Zoo, Terence and I. Tis understood,' says he, when we reached the gates, 'that we make no visit to the monkey house.'

"But I give him the laugh, with hints about his courage, d'ye mind, till at last he sets his teeth determined-like.

No man shall say Terence McFadden is a coward,' says he. 'Let us go in.'

"The minute we enter the room, the place is in an uproar. The little yellow-haired monkeys are hanging by their tails and chattering, and even the big apes down in the corner are roaring like devils let loose. 'Tis no use for me to point out to Terence that the hour for feeding is at hand. He will have none of it.

The beasts know me,' he mutters between chattering teeth. Tis my blood they would be having.'

For why would they be having your blood?' I asks.

I know not the why of it,' says he, shaking in every limb, 'but 'tis so.'

Rubbish!' says I, for I wished to rid him of this foolish fear of his. 'Walk with me to this cage, and look the big chap in the eye. There's no harm he can be doing to you, and him safe behind the bars!'

"Terence was fair sweating with fear, but he grits his teeth, and arm in arm we walk over to the cage. The big tawny fellow—the ugly-faced one by the far door—sits there humped up in his corner, glowering at us with eyes like coals.

Look, man,' says I, 'and give over your foolishness. Why, even in the open ye'd be a match for him.'

"No sooner are the words out of my mouth than the beast makes one jump from his corner and lands half way up the bars at the front of the cage, with a roar that would blast the very soul of ye. I own I was startled, little as I fear monkeys and their likes.

"But poor Terence gives a sort of gasp and leans against me, actually paralyzed with fear. His eyes are set in a glassy stare, like a dead man's. And I swear to you that after I got him outside, it was half an hour before the color came back to his cheeks and his knees gave over their quivering,

Did ye see the horrible face of him?' he gasps. 'And the long arms reachin' for me throat?'

"And then he'd fall to trembling again."

APTAIN DOLAN paused as abruptly as he had begun. So vividly had he told his story that he had been for the moment transported bodily to the monkey house at the Zoo. Now, in the sudden silence, we moved uneasily, glancing at one another.

Corcoran scratched his head in a puzzled manner.

"What's all this got to do with finding the murderer?" he burst out.

Captain Dolan shook his head.

"There is no murderer," he said.

We all looked startled, I imagine. Kenton would have spoken, but Captain Dolan motioned him to silence. Even Corcoran, for once, found himself without words.

"I spoke of an item in the paper tonight," continued Captain Dolan. "Doubtless 'twas seen by all of you. Did you not read that one of the gorillas at the Zoo had escaped from its cage and was at large in the city?"

In the breathless silence which ensued I felt a peculiar thrill of terror pass up my spine. Kenton was fingering the holster of his revolver with nervous, clumsy motions. In some uncanny manner the gaunt old sea-captain's grim words of doubtful import had woven about us all a web of superstitious fear in which we vainly struggled, unable to grasp the saving clew.

Twas that item which spoiled his supper for Terence, when he read it aboard the ship tonight. And no use I found it to reason with him. To his mind the grinning face of the big ape was peeping in at every porthole!"

Suddenly Corcoran whirled, peering into the blackness at the far end of the warehouse, where something stirred softly. Kenton drew his pistol. I felt the goose-flesh rising along my arms. Only the dead man, undisturbed, stared unwinkingly in the opposite direction.

The next moment a stray cat wandered leisurely into the circle of light and sat herself down to wash her dusty fur, blinking complacently up at our pallid faces. I wiped the cold drops from my forehead and breathed a deep sigh.

Corcoran turned almost pleadingly to Captain Dolan.

"The gorilla—" he said. "Was it the gorilla from the Zoo that killed Terence McFadden?"

Captain Dolan shook his head.

"I would not say that," he answered.

I stared at the parchment-like face in amazement. Like Corcoran, I had jumped to this conclusion. Kenton drew his hand across his forehead in perplexity.

"But you said there was no murder!” cried Corcoran. "Was it 'Big Jim' that killed him, after all?"

"I would not say that," repeated Captain Dolan.