TWO STRIKES, THREE BALLS!
MUTT AND JEFF
IT'S A
HIT!
A FTER KEEPING. THE BALL OUT OF JEFFS REACH ON THE FIRST FIVE PITCHED BALLS, JEFF TAKES THE LAST
ONE ON A PONY, DETERMINED TO MAKE
A HIT AND
6-4
COME ON, BOY! FIRST BASH!
SECOND!
THIRD!
THE CHINA MAIL, JULY 9, 1988.
By BUD FISHER
Q.K., TEA-BISCUIT, TAKU
IT EASY!WE GOT PLENT
OF TIME!
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PHOTOGRAPHIC
EXHIBITION
by
FRANCIS WU
July 7-July 16
Daily from
11 A.M. -8 P.M.
SUN YING MING STUDIO
40, Queen's Rd,
Opposite Queen's Theatre
1st Floor(Left Door Entrance)
THE DAILY SHORT STORY
SIMPLE MYSTERY
A CONVICTED murderer had been "As the time drew near for Squint
despite, the absence of newspapers and bled the guard in his block. We wat- radio, the prisoners in a mid-western ched him night and day, and all the time we were racking our brains to state's prison knew all the details.:.
"Grapevine," Deputy Warden Tom think of the means by which he was Squiers explained it. "That myster- communicating with the outside. fous means of communication known to "It was just about then that Henry Mortimer, the great criminologist, all nrisoners"
In desperation I "Mysterious my eye!" Warden Tal- visited, our prison. bot scoffed, "Tom, you're young in told him my fears and suspicions. I this business and given to dramatics thought he might think me besides. Don't you realise that the silly, talking about the 'uncanny feel- minute you begin talking about my ing I had.. But he didn't even smile. sterious somethings that no one can Instead he asked me a lot of pointed explain, you're sticking your chin out questions regarding the precautions I for John Public to sock it? You can't had taken and my investigation. pass the buck like that. There's noth- ing mysterious about the so-called grapevine."
"Everyone thinks there is." "Sure. And let them. Those out side like to talk in awed tones about what goes on inside of prisons. They like to refer to the grapevine as though
a little
Then he asked to see the next let- ter Squint wrote to his wife.
"Squint wrote one the following day. We intercepted it and gave it to Mor- timer. He went to his quarters. hour later he summoned me.
An
"Well, I've solved part of your my- stery. I know the means. McGee is
it were a form of magic stupid prison- using to communicate with his friends, ers could perform, and the authorities but as yet I don't know all the cir- are too dumb to catch onto. That's cumstances or the date of his planned swell until ต break occurs. Then break. My advice is to postpone the Johnnie Public wants to know how the execution for a month or so. By doing
By James Freeman
can
prisoners communicated with cronies this, Squint will feel he has more time. on the outside who helped them escape He'll set ahead the date of his break by providing get-away cara etc. Well, and make other plans. If this hap- we can't pass the buck by saying it's pens, you can relax till the time comes.' "I stared at him in amazement. But the mysterious, grapevine, and expect that to excuse it all.
when he explained to me the means of "You mean you know how informa- communication Squint was using, L agreed readily. We set ahead the date tion gets in and out of prisons?"
"I know that there's nothing my- for the execution, and the very next sterious about it. Guards be day Squint changed the date for his bribed, and new prisoners coming in break. In the days that followed the revealed to us by always have bits of information to entire plan was
We pass around and then there are other. means of Mortimer's discovery.
not only thwarted Squint's plan, but means."
succeeded in capturing three of his ac- "Well 7"
That's where the mysterious busi- complices."
"But how," Squiers asked,
"was ness comes in. Sometimes there is sa mystery until we solve it. I have in Squint communicating with the out- mind the time Squint McGee was inside? hore Squint had been a big shot in "Simple," Talbot smiled. “Just as the underworld....... He was due to be all mysteries are simple when once ex- executed. We expected he'd try to es- plained: Mortimer had taken. Squint's letter apart bit by bit. He found that- 'cape, and he did,natuurge
He a few words had been scrawled - be- "Squint had plenty of money. could buy himself luxuries that other neath the postage stamp on the en- prisoners couldn't have. Also, he velope.!!! could bribe guards, if the guards were
·911
"
(Copyright, 1988, By The Associated
willing. Some were. We apprehend- Newspapers). ed one and discharged him. As the time drew near for Squint's execution we assigned trusted men to the block where his cell was located. ·
"Still; we had reason to suspect he CEREMONY SEEN BY was communicating with bis henchmen on the outside. We suspected he was planning a break. That's all we knew.
TELEVISION
His means of communication was at The televising of the Trooping mystery. The guards were questioned
and searched every night. We were ceremony for the first time was a certain they were not the means of complete success. The close-ups. carrying messages. Squint's lettern to were particularly good.
his wife and son were carefully gone Viewers saw with realistic near- over. We thought they might contain some sort of code. But there was DOBB Queen Mary and the Prin- nothing in them to indicate a hidden cesses as they arrived; the King as message.
he rode on to the Parade, the state- ly progress of the Royal inspection: the Ensign taking the Colour, and the Trooping itself, and then the march past to the music of massed bands.
A week passed and we hadn't gotten any nearer a solution of the mystery. I was frankly worried. I'd been in this work a long time, and I know Squint was scheming to get free. know him well enough to know that once outside he'd have means provid ed to assure his safe getaway, wellbust
The camera. near the saluting views of the
He was a model,, prisoner. He base gaye. Intimate never complained or argued. Ho seem- King. From time to time the screen od resigned to his fate. This in it showed in bold reller the dignified
me dead certain somethingon
pats Squint wasn't the type central figure around whom the
military pageant moved.