ALIAS RED RYAN

P ATROLMAN MAHAFFEY could see an il-
      luminated clock as he stood at the corner
      discussing with an acquaintance the evils of
prohibition as he conceived them. By that circum-
stance he was able to fix the hour of the evening defi-
nitely in his mind when it came to making a report.
  "Besides anything else ye might say-and there's
plenty, such as makin' hypocrites out of dacint men
an' women, look at what it does for us," he observed
gloomily. "Here with th' paapers howlin' about
crime waves, with two fur warehouses robbed on me
own bate in wan week of time, an' all an' all, we've got
to spind our energies nosin' out bootleggers an
  He broke off abruptly, bending attentively for-
ward, and when his companion started to voice his
lugubrious agreement, the officer raised an imperative
hand for silence.
  "Stop!" he exclaimed. "Wasn't that a shot I heard
         It didn't sound like a blowout nor yet an
exhaust explosion     .   Hist! there it is again
       that way    . .   . sure, it's a pistol
barkin' !"
  Officer Mahaffey wheeled and went running to-
                       1