ECTION FOR HONGE
THE BAD TASTE OF
TASTE OF DEATH
Some detective
work for you
By ROBERT BAU
THE cleaning woman had found Silas Rydcliffe's body at the rare interval when no one was with him.
As she pointed out to Inspector Philip Quill, some- body usually kept the old man company: either Doc Yates, who gave the old man his daily intravenous feedings; Rex Baxter, the druggist who filled the old man's prescriptions and shared a stamp-collecting hobby with him; or, Sylvester Rydcliffe, the old man's son.
Ordinarily the corpse would have received a death certificate from the district coroner easily, for it was evident that Silas Rydcliffe's days were numbered.
His wasted body showed all the ravages of disease that were- associated with his dread illness.
But rules were rules; an au- topsy was performed, and then the startling answer came out: Silas Rydcliffe had been pol- soned!
Quantities of rat poison were found in his organs, enough to kill any man, especially one in his weakened condition. ·
keep anything down-food or water. His dinner table was an intravenous needle, twice a day. I also put some stuff in it to kill the bad taste in his mouth cancer does that some- times you know.”
Quill turned to Baxter, the druggist. "You filled all those prescriptions made up those bottles for Rydcliffe?"
Baxter nodded. - "I've been Silas' friend for 40 years. We lived near each other, used save stamps together. Silas had
a beautiful set of albums.”
to
"How much were they worth?" "Hard to say," Baxter reflect- ed. "Maybe $200,000, maybe more. He spent nearly that much, and stamps usually increase in value as the years go by."
Inspector Quill pondered the puzzle as he stared at the three men before him. Why should anyone take the trouble to kill "When was the last time you an old, sick than who would saw Rydcliffe?" Quill asked. soon die anyhow? Money? Of "Day before yesterday. We'd course. Silas Rydcliffe had en- spent the whole week putting ough money. But if only the his albums in order, pasting killer had waited a little longer into the books.".
. He shrugged. People were Quill opened one album idly apt to do the silliest things. and glanced at the stamps, neatly "Doc," the inspector addressed pasted in with stamp hinges. Doctor Yates, you wouldn't Suddenly he snapped the book have been slipping some rat poi- shut. "Do you sell rat poison?" son into the old guy on the sly, he shot at Baxter. would you?"
Yates bristled, "I can have your job for slander like that! he snapped. "I'm a doctor. I cure people. I don't kill them if I can help it!"
Clues
Inspector Quill shrugged. "On- ly asking," he murmured. "What were you treating the old man for?" he inquired.
"Canter," the doctor said quietly, "Eydcliffe
couldn't
The 17-21 Club's five rules
"Of course I do!" Baxter re- forted. "Every druggist' does. Why, I sold some to Sylvester Rydcliffe only last week."
Gambler
Sylvester Rydcliffe flinched. "Sc I bought some rat poison. so what? Does that prove I poi- scned my father?"
The Inspector shock his head. "Nebody's accusing you Eut we checked up on you, Syl- - yet.
vester. You're a gambler-an un- lucky one. You owe your credi- tors more than a hundred thou- sand, don't you?"
Sylvester Rydcliffe scowled. "I still didn't poison my father," he insisted cbstinately.
Quill stared inte space. It sure was a poser! A man was pol- soned - a man who could rei- ther eat nor drink anything. How then did the poison get into his system? The needle? How else?
Once more Quill opened the
Credit card to Francis Lew.
Wrestling-the
Sume
way
When D. B. Dolly was in Japan he decided to find out all he could aboat Sumo wrestling and the wrestlers themselves. Here is what he learned.
SUMO is the Japanese style of wrestling. Dif-
it up in a top-krot
ferent from boxing or Western-style wrestl- the two higher classes, they te stamp album and peered close ing, Sumo has no weight limit. A 200-pound at the neat rows of colcured lightweight takes on a 300-pound heavyweight, bits of paper. Then he grinned.. of course!
but as Sumo requires agility and skill in a 15-foot Quill closed the bock and ring, a lighter man can topple a heavier opponent.
O Membership in the 17-Unless ...
21 Club is open to all within that age group. Contributions and all ac- tivitics of the Club will bo limited to members only.
What amazed me most when I was ance invited to break- fast by * 8timo Wrestler named Toyoda was that he devoured 36 ergs and a huge tumbler of milk while sitting cross-legged on the floor. He told me that was his normal
breakfast!
handed it to his assistant. "Bax-. ter," he said to the druggist, "you
Foreigners like myself, who vision and radio sets eager to Contributions may con-
must have wanted that old man see the Sumo wrestlers for the follow the matches. A termal sist of anything that is out of the way in an awful hur- first time, invariably marvel at tournament lasts 15 days. publishable articles, ry!"
the build of the contestants.. At the beginning of a match, e* Usually the wrestlers enter letters, stories, photo-
They are a great deal heavier, two of the great wrestlers enter the profession when sit in graphs, drawings, verses.
bigger and stronger than the the ring, exchange greetings- their mid-teens and work their normal Japanese.
and make a ceremonious bow. way right up from the bottom. But only the best will
There are many bouts held Then, when the time is ripe, The budding wrestlers have to be printed.
throughout Japan, and they in they hinge ferociously at each serve their superiors in a great clude six tournaments a year, other from a cock-fighting pos- many ways, but they all look Out of these six, three are held tion.
forward to the day when they in Tokyo; and one each in The clash may be over in a
will become strom and have Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka. split second, or it may last a lots of fans. A Traditionally, Sumo is very few minutes, depending on the The Sumo family is a huge
much a part of the Japanese initial impact.
one consisting of more than 800 people. During
official. A farcicating thing about ferbers Besides the grep takes place Sumo wrestlers is the way they plers, there are the judges, in an open arena, fans all over dress their hair. They all wear referees, retired wrestlers, the country crowd around tele- it long and when they get into helpers, and many more.
HOW DID INSPECTOR QUILL DEDUCE THAT BAX- ✪ All contributions MUST TER HAD POISONED RYD-
be original.
contributions
CLIFFE?
O. Written
If you know, write in should not consist of giving your reasons. more than 350 words,
credit card will photographs and draw- ings will only be accept awarded to the first cor- eď in black-and-white. rect answer opened.
be
tournament which
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