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"Yes, and they scattered with my skiff, too, and probably robbed Carline of his boat " "Carline! You know him?" "I came down with him from Yankee Bar, and we went up to Palura's together. I lost him in the shuffle, when the big cop killed Palura." "And Mrs. Carline, Nelia Crele?" Rasba demanded. "Why I they said she'd landed in. She's gone, too " "You know her?" "Why, yes I "
He was down the river somewhere, and when she landed in at Mendova in the late twilight she saw his skiff swinging from the stern of a motorboat. Having made fast near it, she quickly learned that he had gone up town, and that someone had heard him say that he was going to Palura's. Palura's! Nelia had heard the fascination of that den's ill-fame.
Her boat floated out to'd mornin', one of the boys said." Carline had discovered his wife in the excitement at Palura's, and with the cunning of a drunken man had shadowed her. He followed her down to Mousa Bayou, and saw her go on board her cabin-boat. He watched, with more cunning, to see for whom she was waiting. He had in his pocket a heavy automatic pistol with which to do murder.
They had dinner, and about 9 o'clock they went around to Palura's. It was an old market building made over into a pleasure resort, and it filled 300 feet front on Jimpson Street and 160 feet on the flanking side streets. A bright electric sign covered the front with a flare of yellow lights and there was one entrance, under the sign.
The cotton broker thought it was a good joke, and he explained the whole situation to Terabon and Carline for their entertainment. "Dalkard called in Policeman Laddam and told him to stand in front of Palura's, and tell people to watch out.
Palura knew the consequences of failing to meet the challenge. "Give 'im hell!" someone called. Palura turned and nodded, and a little yelping cheer went up, which ceased instantly. Terabon, observing details, saw that Palura's coat sagged on the near side in the shape of an automatic pistol. He saw, too, that the man's left sleeve sagged round and hard a slingshot or black-jack.
As one man, the men who had been Palura's marched. They gathered up the remains of Palura and the men with broken skulls, and carried them out into the street. The crowd followed, men and women both. But outside, the hundreds scurried away in all directions, men afraid and women choking with horror.
She laughed to herself when she thought that Terabon would excuse his going there on the ground of its being right in his line of work, that he must see that place because otherwise he would not know how to describe it. "If I can catch him there!" she thought to herself. She went to Palura's, and Old Mississippi seemed to favour her.
He went up town with Carline, who found a cotton broker, a timber merchant, and others who knew him. It was easy to draw a check, have it cashed, and Carline once more had ready money. Nothing would do but they must go around to Palura's to see Mendova's great attraction for travellers.
Palura supplied entertainment and excitement for the whole community, and this happened to be one of his nights of special effort. Personally, Palura was in a temper. Captain Dalkard, of the Mendova Police, had been caught between the Citizens' Committee and Palura's frequenters. There were 100 citizens in the committee, and Palura's frequenters were unnamed, but familiar enough in local affairs.
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