The Lake Frome Monster by Arthur Upfield

Author:Arthur Upfield [Upfield, Arthur]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: General, Fiction, Mystery & Detective, Anthologies (Multiple Authors), Police Procedural
ISBN: 9781856953405
Publisher: Eden
Published: 1966-01-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

Testing Needle Kent

ONCE AGAIN at the northern end of his section, Bony proceeded to test the theory of accident. Standing at the Bore Ten gate he found the ground clear enough to see through the trees to the stakes marking the place where Maidstone had fallen. He could not see the bore or its lake of water, as the trees to his left were too close together where they merged against the slope of the sand range. By walking northwards from the gate, at a hundred yards distance he obtained a still clearer view of the stakes and from there he could see the lake as well.

Assuming that Maidstone was walking back to his camp, a shooter at this hundred yards’ point could hardly fail to see him unless absorbed by the sight of a bunch of kangaroos, but if at the gate among the closer-growing trees the shooter was aiming at a ’roo, it was possible not to notice the man beyond them. All the shooter had to do was to slip the rifle barrel through the netting, take careful aim and fire. That he missed the kangaroos and hit the man could have been due to haste when the kangaroos were on the run. Summing up, Bony decided that an accident was possible, if not probable.

It was late on the day before Needle Kent was to meet the Lake Frome utility with his ration list that Needle arrived to shout his greeting before it was necessary and, having gulped the pannikin of tea waiting for him, he and Bony combined forces and proceeded to the lake. Needle was curious about the extra camel and was given the explanation passed on to Nugget. The sun was setting when, having watered the animals and filled the drums and taken a bathe, they returned to the camp and settled at the camp fire.

It was remarkable the amount of gossip they had to exchange, what with Bony’s meetings first with Levvey and then with Nugget, and with Needle’s story of his work and of the goanna that stole the remains of a cold stew he had forgotten to cover. When the stars were out and the bells were telling of the direction in which the camels were feeding, Bony opened with his questioning:

“Did you fire through the netting at a kangaroo hereabouts?”

“Don’t remember. Why?”

“At that time Maidstone was shot?”

“Don’t think so. No, I didn’t. What’s on your mind?”

“Nothing much. What do you do at night before turning in?”

“Talks to meself, I think. You know, bakes a damper for the next day, makes a stew for breakfast, all that.”

“It’s the same with me, but I haven’t yet arrived at talking to myself. I will do if I stay on the Fence for long. I’ve been looking around and thinking about the Maidstone murder, and I’m thinking now it was an accident. I’m trying to prove it was, for something to do.”

Needle took time to absorb this problem of something to occupy the mind after the day’s work.

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