the two men and had the satisfaction of seeing him stagger. He raised the gun to fire again, but Culter appeared to slip and cannoned into him, spoiling his aim.
The two men had now disappeared down the alley.
Shoving Cutler aside, Adams raced down the escape, three steps at a time.
CHAPTER VIII
I
While Ken rowed across the dark, oily water of the estuary, he tried to think how he was going to get Johnny into Adams' hands without raising Johnny's suspicions, but the problem defeated him.
Johnny had a gun. He sat in the stern of the boat, watching the outline of the Willow Point as it slowly faded into the darkness, holding the gun in his hand.
'I should have killed that punk,' he said suddenly. 'He'll come after us. I was a mug not to settle him while I had the chance.' He peered at Ken in the dim light of the moon. 'Who the hell are you? How did you appear exactly at the right time?'
'My name's Holland,' Ken said. 'I had been told Tux was a good man if you were in trouble. I wanted somewhere safe to hide. As I came alongside the cruiser I heard two men talking. They were arranging to murder you. I thought you might want help, so I horned in.'
'Well, I'll be damned! You certainly turned up at the right time, but you don't know what you've let yourself in for. Tux won't forget you. I'm getting out of town. You'd better come with me.'
'Where are you going?'
'I know a guy who'll lend me a car. We'll go to Los Angeles. I have friends there.'
'I wouldn't get far,' Ken said. 'The police are looking for me.'
'I'll get you out of town,' Johnny said. 'You leave it to me. You helped me; I'll help you. The cops in this town are a dumb lot.' He shoved the gun in his hip pocket. 'Here, move over. Let me handle one of the oars.'
It took them twenty minutes to reach a lonely stretch of the shore. As Ken got stiffly out of the boat he heard the distant engine of a motorboat.
Johnny heard it too, and he looked across the dark street.
'That's Solly going back. We'll have to get under cover fast.
Those two guys will come after us, and they're a damn sight more dangerous than the cops.'
Leaving the boat, they walked quickly along the path that led towards the waterfront.
'If we run into a cop, let me handle him,' Johnny said.
It took them ten minutes to reach the line of shops and cafes that had been Ken's starting-point.
The waterfront appeared deserted. The amusement arcade was in darkness. The only light that showed was the electric sign that flashed on and off above the hotel, spelling out the word WASHINGTON.
Then suddenly a cop appeared out of the darkness.
Both Johnny and Ken stopped short.
'Hey you!' the cop said, pointing his night stick at Ken. 'I want a word with you.'
'What is it?' Ken said, his heart sinking.
Johnny stepped back.
'You answer to the description of Kenway Holland, wanted for questioning at headquarters. Are you Holland ?'
Ken saw Johnny move slightly behind the cop, his hand flash to his hip pocket.
'No!' Ken exclaimed. 'Don't ... !'
The cop spun around, but he was too late.
The crash of gunfire shattered the silence. Horrified, Ken saw the cop
drop to his knees and then roll over. He made to bend over him, but Johnny grabbed his arm and dragged him down a dark alley.
'Run!' Johnny said thickly. 'Come on, you fool! They'll be after us!'
Immediately above them a gun barked. Ken heard the slug zip past his face and saw Johnny stagger.
'Run!' Johnny snarled, recovering his balance.
Panic-stricken, Ken bolted down the dark alley after Johnny as a police whistle shrilled in the darkness.
They hadn't run more than fifty yards when Johnny suddenly staggered, lost his balance and fell on hands and knees.
Ken pulled up and bent over him.
'Were you hit?' he panted.
'Got it in the arm,' Johnny gasped. 'I'm bleeding like hell.'
Ken looked frantically to right and left. He could hear someone running down an iron staircase not far off. He
