January 1958

GUS FINDS THE SCENT

byMartinBunn

When a new tire blew up,

Gus smelled a rat - or was it the old fox who sold it?

GuswassurprisedwhenHaroldStromphonedfromupcountrytosaythatoneofhistireshadblownout. Foronlyafewweeksbefore,Gus'shelper,StanHicks,hadreportedindignantlythatStromhadboughtafullnewsetsomewhereelse.

"Don'tfretaboutit,"Gushadsaid. "Haroldprobablyhadtoarrangefortimepaymentsanddidn'twanttoaskme. He'sagoodkidevenifheisabithigh-spiritedwhenhe'sbehindthewheel. I'mgladhehasnewrubber,whereverhegotit."

Andnow,withalmostbrand-newtires,Stromwasphoningaboutablowout.

"It'stherightrear,"hecomplained. "Itsimplyblewapart,andI'vegotnospare.

"I'mstuckunlessyoucanhelp,Gus."

"Let'sseenow,"saidGus,thinkingfast. HeknewHaroldwasdoingoddjobsandsavingeverycenttogettocollege.

"I'vegotafairusedtireinyoursize. I'llbringitmyself."

Itmusthavebeensheercuriosity,Gusthoughtashedroveoverroadsmadedangerousbyarecenticestorm,thatimpelledhimtodothisnuisancechoreinsteadofsendingStanHicks. Buthefoundrewardinthegratefulsmilethatgreetedhimashedroveup. Harold,agawky,wide-shoulderedkidwithacow-lick,hadalreadyremovedthedamagedtire. WithhimwasBertVickers,asquirrellyyoungdriverwhoseownjalopystoodaheadofHarold's.

"Lookatthis,Gus,"saidHarold,thegrinfading. "SpankingnewfromPopBinford'semporiumofhighpricesandlowdownpayments. Halfpaidfor-andallshot."

"That'stough,"Gusremarkedsympathetically. Hesquatteddowntoexaminethetubelesscarcass. Itsbeadwasbrokenandalongripextendedintothetread. Repairwasimpossible.

"Ican'tseehowanewtirecouldblowlikethat,"saidGus,"unlessyouranoversomethingsharpenoughtocutit."

Hiseyesfollowedthecar'stracksbackthroughtheicysnow. Theyturnedout,asthoughHaroldhadbeenpassinganothercarwhentheblowoutoccurred,andascuffedstreakintherighttrackindicatedthattheblowntirehadbeenslippingunderacceleration. GuslookedsharplyatBertVickers.

"WereyouandHaroldracing?"

"No!" ItwasHaroldwhoanswered.

"Berttriedtocrowdmeover. Isteppedonittoclearhim. That'snothingtoblowatire,isit?"

"No,itisn't,"Gussaidsoberly,takingausedtireoffhistruck. "Thisonewilldoasaspare,Harold,butdon'tuseitforregularservice."

Haroldansweredangrily,"I'lluseitjustlongenoughtodrivetoBinford'sservicestationandmakehimcomeacrosswithanewone."

"Fatchance,"Vickershootedfromhissouped-upjalopy,andtookoffinaroarofdualexhausts.

AsGusmountedandinflatedtheusedtire,hewasinclinedtoagreewithVickersaboutgettingareplacementoutofPopBinford. Popwasawilydealerwhopreyeduponthosealwayshardupforcash,particularlyhigh-schoolandcollegestudents. Hechargedoutrageouspricesforhisofteninferiormerchandise,andgotawaywithitbysellingonverylowdownpaymentsandweeklyinstallments.

If notexactlycrooked,Popwasatleastrazor-sharp.

WhileHaroldletthecardown,Guspickeduptheblowntiretoputitintothetrunk. Suddenlyhepaused,nostrilstwitching. Afterabriefhesitation,heslammedthelid,thenstoodwatchingHarolddriveaway.

BackattheModelGarage,thatafternoon, GuswasinstallingarebuiltenginewhenHaroldpulledin.

"Ofallthelousydeals,"hedeclaredangrily. "Binfordwouldn'treplacethattire,Gus."

Gusturnedfromhiswork,dugoutandlithispipe. "Tellmeaboutit."

"Binfordsaidhe'dordinarilyreplacesuchatire,butthatinthiscaseithadbeenabused,thatmydrivingwas-"

"Squirrelly,"Gusinterrupted.

"Butitisn't,"Haroldprotested.

"No,"Gusagreed,"butyoucouldn'tquiteresistthatchallengefromVickers,whoissquirrelly. Nevertheless,thattireshouldn'thaveblown,andBinfordknowsit. I'dliketoturnthetablesontheoldfoxjustthisonce. Let'stakeanotherlook,orrathersmell,atthattire."

"Smell?"Haroldasked,surprised.

Gusdidn'tanswer,butliftedthetireoutofHarold'scarandsniffedatit.

"Hah!"hegrunted,andstrolledbackintotheoffice. Shufflingthroughpapersonhisbattereddesk,heselectedone,turnedtothetelephone,anddialed.

"Binford?" hesaid. "GusWilson.

How'sbusiness...? Samehere. Thiscoldwavehasushopping."

"Bawlhimout,Gus,"Haroldhissed.

"Say,"Gusasked,"haveyouhadtroublewithairhosesgatheringmoistureandformingice? Youhave? Whatdidyoudoaboutit? Alcohol,eh? Well,thanksforthetip,Binford."

Gushungup,alookoftriumphinhiseyes.

"Youdidn'ttellhimoff,"Haroldcomplained. "Allyoutalkedaboutwastheweather. Ithoughtyouwere- "Goingtotalkaboutyourtire? "Myhearing'sgonesour! Ididn'theartiresmentioned-justtheweather." "Whynot?" Guschuckled. "Inaway,theweathercausedyourtiretoblowout."

"Comeagain?"theyoungsterasked.

"Yousee,"Gusexplained. "IknowhowBinfordoperates. Togetanycreditfromhim,youhavetobuyyourgasthere. I'llbettheairinyourtirescameoutofhishoses-amIright?"

"Right,"Haroldsaid. "Whatofit?"

"WhenBertVickerscrowdedyou,yousteppedonit,eventhoughthestreetswereicy. Thatcouldbeaquickwaytocommitsuicide,incidentally. Inthiscaseyourleftreartiretookhold,buttherightspun,anddevelopedalotofstaticelectricity."

"ButIdon'tsee..."

"Indampish,freezingweather,suchaswe'vebeenhaving."Guswenton,"airhosessometimesgathermoistureandformiceinside. Someservicestationoperatorsputantifreezeintheirhosestopreventthis. Ethyleneglycolisallright,butwithanalcoholbaseantifreezethere'sapossibilityofgettingalcoholfumesintothetires. Nowsparkachargeofstaticelectricityinthemand-boom!"

Haroldscratchedhishead. "Youmeantotellmethatyoucouldblowatiretopiecesthisway?"

"Yes,"Gusdeclared. "WhenInoticedasmellofalcoholaroundthatblowntireIrememberedabulletinsenttomebyawell-knowntirefirm. Itwarneddealersnottousealcoholintheirairhosestopreventicing,andtoldofseveraltiresblownapartjustthatway."

"Howcouldtheybesurethat'swhatdidit?"Haroldasked.

"Theyprovedit,"Gussaid. "Weldedasparkplugintoawheelrim,injectedalittlealcoholintothetire,thenfurnishedaspark. Thetesttiresblewthewayyoursdid,withthebeadtorn."

Harold'seyeslitup. "Gus,canIhangthisonBinford?"

"Itwashisalcoholicairthatdidthedamage,wasn'tit?"Gusaskeddryly.

"Here,takethisbulletintohim. TellhimGusWilsonsaidwhentheysendfreeinformation,itpaysamantoreadit." "Thatwon'tpryanewtireoutofhim."

"Iwouldn'tsuggestthatyoublackmailhim,"Gussaid. "Butyoumightsaywhatagoodstorythisalcoholbusinesswouldmake. Ifthatdoesn'twork,thengethimtophoneme."

Gusdidn'texpectBinfordtophone. Nordidhe,butaboutfiveo'clockHaroldStromdroveslowlybytheModelgarage,tootinghishornandholdinguptwofingersinthevictorysign.

StanlookeduptocatchagleamofsatisfactioninGus'seyes. "EnjoyedthatlittleruckuswithBinford,hey,Boss?"

"Yep,"answeredGus. "ThatwassomeblowoutHaroldhad. Youmightsaywebothgotabangoutofit."

END