it for you. Ah Kim—you drive Mr. Eden in town in half an hour. Savvy?”
“All time moah job,” complained Ah Kim. “Gettum up sunlise woik woik till sun him drop. You want’um taxi driver why you no say so?”
“What’s that?” cried Madden.
Ah Kim shrugged. “Allight, boss. I dlive’um.”
When, later on, Eden sat in the car beside the Chinese and the ranch was well behind them, Chan regarded him questioningly.
“Now you produce big mystery,” he said. “Barstow on business has somewhat unexpected sound to me.”
Eden laughed. “Orders from the big chief,” he replied. “I’m to go down there and meet Al Draycott—and the pearls.”
For a moment Chan’s free hand rested on his waist and the “undigestible” burden that still lay there.
“Madden changes fickle mind again?” he inquired.
“That’s just what he’s done.” Eden related the purport of the millionaire’s call on him the night before.
“What you know concerning that!” exclaimed Chan wonderingly.
“Well, I know this much,” Eden answered. “It gives us one more day for the good old hoo malimali. Outside of that, it’s just another problem for us to puzzle over. By the way, I didn’t tell you why Doctor Whitcomb came to see us last night.”
“No necessity,” Chan replied. “I am loafing idle inside door close by and hear it all.”
“Oh, you were? Then you know it may have been Shaky Phil, and not Thorn, who killed Louie?”
“Shaky Phil—or maybe stranger in car who drive up and
