Tough as Nails: The Complete Cases of Donahue From the Pages of Black Mask

by Frederick Nebel

  “Maybe I liked your face right off the bat.”

  “It’s quite an ordinary face.”

  “Maybe it’s the way you wear your clothes.”

  “They’re quite ordinary clothes.”

  “I was talking about the way you wear them.”

  She looked up at him. “Honestly, did you believe in me implicitly from the first?”

  “I don’t think I did.”

  “When did you begin to?”

  “I can’t remember exactly.”

  She said with sudden warmth, “That’s what I like about you—you’re so downright honest.”

  “Listen,” he said, clasping his hands together. “Let’s cut out all this and make a date. I’ve got a cheap car and I never drive while drunk but sometimes I go around ringing strange doorbells.”

  She broke into a gay little laugh. “I think we’d have fun. And if you got tight—well, I could drive.”

  “That’s a pal for you. That’s a real pal!”

  Miss Laidlaw came in with a telegram. Donahue read:

  Details Instanter or You Are Canned Dummy.

  Hackett.

  Donahue chuckled to himself and wrote out a reply. “Send this right off, Miss Laidlaw,” he said.

  Miss Laidlaw, in her front office, read the reply. Her small prim mouth grew round with astonishment.

  Horse on You Funny Face Stop Read Press Tomorrow Morn.

  Publication History

  This page is an extension of the copyright page. Please direct queries pertaining to copyright to Keith Alan Deutsch, keithdeutsch@mac.com; www.blackmaskmagazine.com.

  ROUGH JUSTICE by Frederick Nebel. Copyright © 1930 by Pro-Distributors Publishing Company, Inc. Copyright renewed by Popular Publications Inc. 1947. From Black Mask Vol. 13 No. 9 (November 1930). Reprinted by special arrangement with Keith Alan Deutsch, proprietor and conservator of the respective copyrights, and successor-in-interest to Popular Publications, Inc.

  THE RED-HOTS by Frederick Nebel. Copyright © 1930 by Pro-Distributors Publishing Company, Inc. Copyright renewed by Popular Publications Inc. 1947. From Black Mask Vol. 13 No. 10 (December 1930). Reprinted by special arrangement with Keith Alan Deutsch, proprietor and conservator of the respective copyrights, and successor-in-interest to Popular Publications, Inc.

  GUN THUNDER by Frederick Nebel. Copyright © 1931 by Pro-Distributors Publishing Company, Inc. Copyright renewed by Popular Publications Inc. 1948. From Black Mask Vol.13 No. 11 (January 1931). Reprinted by special arrangement with Keith Alan Deutsch, proprietor and conservator of the respective copyrights, and successor-in-interest to Popular Publications, Inc.

  GET A LOAD OF THIS by Frederick Nebel. Copyright © 1931 by Pro-Distributors Publishing Company, Inc. Copyright renewed by Popular Publications Inc. 1948. From Black Mask Vol. 13 No. 12 (February 1931). Reprinted by special arrangement with Keith Alan Deutsch, proprietor and conservator of the respective copyrights, and successor-in-interest to Popular Publications, Inc.

  SPARE THE ROD by Frederick Nebel. Copyright © 1931 by Pro-Distributors Publishing Company, Inc. Copyright renewed by Popular Publications Inc. 1948. From Black Mask Vol. 14 No. 6 (August 1931). Reprinted by special arrangement with Keith Alan Deutsch, proprietor and conservator of the respective copyrights, and successor-in-interest to Popular Publications, Inc.

  PEARLS ARE TEARS by Frederick Nebel. Copyright © 1931 by Pro-Distributors Publishing Company, Inc. Copyright renewed by Popular Publications Inc. 1948. From Black Mask Vol. 14 No. 7 (September 1931). Reprinted by special arrangement with Keith Alan Deutsch, proprietor and conservator of the respective copyrights, and successor-in-interest to Popular Publications, Inc.

  DEATH’S NOT ENOUGH by Frederick Nebel. Copyright © 1931 by Pro-Distributors Publishing Company, Inc. Copyright renewed by Popular Publications Inc. 1948. From Black Mask Vol. 14 No. 8 (October 1931). Reprinted by special arrangement with Keith Alan Deutsch, proprietor and conservator of the respective copyrights, and successor-in-interest to Popular Publications, Inc.

  SHAKE UP by Frederick Nebel. Copyright © 1932 by Pro-Distributors Publishing Company, Inc. Copyright renewed by Popular Publications Inc. 1949. From Black Mask Vol. 15 No. 6 (August 1932). Reprinted by special arrangement with Keith Alan Deutsch, proprietor and conservator of the respective copyrights, and successor-in-interest to Popular Publications, Inc.

  HE COULD TAKE IT by Frederick Nebel. Copyright © 1932 by Pro-Distributors Publishing Company, Inc. Copyright renewed by Popular Publications Inc. 1949. From Black Mask Vol. 15 No. 7 (September 1932). Reprinted by special arrangement with Keith Alan Deutsch, proprietor and conservator of the respective copyrights, and successor-in-interest to Popular Publications, Inc.

  THE RED WEB by Frederick Nebel. Copyright © 1932 by Pro-Distributors Publishing Company, Inc. Copyright renewed by Popular Publications Inc. 1949. From Black Mask Vol.15 No. 8 (October 1932). Reprinted by special arrangement with Keith Alan Deutsch, proprietor and conservator of the respective copyrights, and successor-in-interest to Popular Publications, Inc.

  RED PAVEMENT by Frederick Nebel. Copyright © 1932 by Pro-Distributors Publishing Company, Inc. Copyright renewed by Popular Publications Inc. 1949. From Black Mask Vol. 15 No. 10 (December 1932). Reprinted by special arrangement with Keith Alan Deutsch, proprietor and conservator of the respective copyrights, and successor-in-interest to Popular Publications, Inc.

  SAVE YOUR TEARS by Frederick Nebel. Copyright © 1933 by Pro-Distributors Publishing Company, Inc. Copyright renewed by Popular Publications Inc. 1950. From Black Mask Vol. 16 No. 4 (June 1933). Reprinted by special arrangement with Keith Alan Deutsch, proprietor and conservator of the respective copyrights, and successor-in-interest to Popular Publications, Inc.

  SONG AND DANCE by Frederick Nebel. Copyright © 1933 by Pro-Distributors Publishing Company, Inc. Copyright renewed by Popular Publications Inc. 1950. From Black Mask Vol.16 No. 5 (July 1933). Reprinted by special arrangement with Keith Alan Deutsch, proprietor and conservator of the respective copyrights, and successor-in-interest to Popular Publications, Inc.

  CHAMPIONS ALSO DIE by Frederick Nebel. Copyright © 1933 by Pro-Distributors Publishing Company, Inc. Copyright renewed by Popular Publications Inc. 1950. From Black Mask Vol. 16 No. 6 (August 1933). Reprinted by special arrangement with Keith Alan Deutsch, proprietor and conservator of the respective copyrights, and successor-in-interest to Popular Publications, Inc.

  GHOST OF A CHANCE by Frederick Nebel. Copyright © 1935 by Pro-Distributors Publishing Company, Inc. Copyright renewed by Popular Publications Inc. 1952. From Black Mask Vol. 18 No. 1 (March 1935). Reprinted by special arrangement with Keith Alan Deutsch, proprietor and conservator of the respective copyrights, and successor-in-interest to Popular Publications, Inc.

  Bibliography of the Works of Frederick Louis Nebel

  Grouped by magazine title chronologically. Compiled by Rob Preston.

  Ace High Magazine: “Pound for Pound,” 2-27-31, rpt. The Danger Trail 11-28.

  Ace High Novels: “Wolves of the Wild,” 4-32.

  Action Stories: “Raw Courage” (by Lewis Nebel), 12-25; “Sunken Sovereigns” (by Lewis Nebel), 1-26; “The Bluff That Worked” (by Lewis Nebel), 2-26; “Doom Lagoon,” 3-26; “Some Grudge” (as by Eric Lewis), 3-26; “Somewhere East of Singapore,” 7-26; “Claws of the Jungle,” 1-27; “Captain Fortune,” 4-27; “Isle of Lost Men,” 11-27; “The Crimson Diamond,” 4-28; “No Law Beyond Khyber,” 12-28; “Typhoon McQuade,” 1-29; “Flame Island,” 11-29; “The Coast of Hate,” 1-30; “The Darjeeling Diamond,” 4-30, “The Skin Game,” 9-32; “The Ice Giant,” 10-32; “The Tumbleweed Kid,” 6-38.

  Air Adventures: “Boomerang Barnes,” 1-29.

  Air Stories: “Flyers of Fortune,” 8-27; “Birdmen of Borneo,” 9-27; “Flying Jade,” 12-27; “The Shanghai Jest,” 1-28; “Sky High Nerve,” 2-28; “Yangtze Yellow,” 3-28; “Wings of Doom,” 4-28; “The Hard Fly Hard,” 5-28; “Birdmen of Passage,” 6-28; “Outcast Ships,” 7-28; “
Sky Trap,” 8-28; “Proud Eagles,” 9-28; “Bolt from the Blue,” 10-28; “Wings of Mercy,” 11-28; “Winged Chivalry,” 12-28; “High Prey,” 1-29; “Plane Nerve,” 2-29; “Sky Wise,” 3-29; “Eagles of Ind,” 4-29; “High Flying Chance,” 5-29; “Crate Crashers,” 2-30; “High “Flying Highbinders,” 3-30; “Siren of the Wind,” 4-30; “Winged Salvage,” 5-30; “South of Saigon,” 6-30; “Fighting Wings pt. 1,” 10-30; “Fighting Wings pt. 2,” 11-30; “Fighting Wings pt. 3,” 12-30; “Fighting Wings pt. 4,” 1-31; “Sky Blazers,” 3-31; “Sky Spoilers,” 4-31; “Sky Scrappers,” 5-31; “Skyline Two,” 8-31; “Flyers of Fortune,” Spr-37.

  American Magazine: “All the Good Times,” 9-41; “No Time for Tears,” 1-42; “Remember the Good Times,” 6-42; “You Owe It to Yourself,” 2-46; “Unfinished Marriage,” 6-47.

  Argosy: “The Creed of Sergeant Bone,” 2-14-31.

  Black Bat Detective Mysteries: “The Missing Car,” 10-33.

  Black Mask: “The Breaks of the Game” (as by Lewis Nebel), 3-26; “Grain to Grain,” 11-26; “Dumb Luck,” 1-27; “China Silk,” 3-27; “Hounds of Darkness,” 4-27; “A Man With Sand,” 7-27; “Emeralds of Shade,” 8-27; “A Grudge is a Grudge,” 9-27; “With Benefit of Law,” 11-27; “The Penalty of the Code,” 1-28; “A Gun in the Dark,” 6-28; “Hell to Pay,” 8-28; “Raw Law: Crimes of Richmond City pt. 1,” 9-28; “Dog Eat Dog: Crimes of Richmond City pt. 2,” 10-28; “The Law Laughs Last: Crimes of Richmond City pt. 3,” 11-28; “Law Without Law: Crimes of Richmond City pt. 4,” 4-29; “Graft: Crimes of Richmond City pt. 5,” 5-29; “New Guns for Old,” 9-29; “Hell Smoke,” 11-29; “Tough Treatment,” 1-30; “Alley Rat,” 2-30; “Wise Guy,” 4-30; “Street Wolf,” 5-30; “Ten Men from Chicago,” 8-30; “Shake Down,” 9-30; “Rough Justice,” 11-30; “The Red-Hots,” 12-30; “Gun Thunder,” 1-31; “Get a Load of This,” 2-31; “Junk,” 3-31; “The Kill” (as by “Grimes Hill”), 3-31; “Beat the Rap,” 5-31; “The Spot and the Lady” (as by “Grimes Hill”), 5-31; “Death for a Dago,” 7-31; “Spare the Rod,” 8-31; “Pearls Are Tears,” 9-31; “Death’s Not Enough,” 10-31; “It’s the Live Ones That Talk,” 11-31; “Some Die Young,” 12-31; “The Quick or the Dead,” 3-32; “Backwash,” 5-32; “Shake Up,” 8-32; “He Could Take It,” 9-32; “The Red Web,” 10-32; “Red Pavement,” 12-32; “Doors in the Dark,” 2-33; “Rough Reform,” 3-33; “Farewell to Crime,” 4-33; “Save Your Tears,” 6-33; “Song and Dance,” 7-33; “Champions Also Die,” 8-33; “Guns Down,” 9-33; “Lay Down the Law,” 11-33; “Too Young to Die,” 2-34; “Bad News,” 3-34; “Take It and Like It,” 6-34; “Be Your Age,” 8-34; “He Was a Swell Guy,” 1-35; “It’s a Gag,” 2-35; “Ghost of a Chance,” 3-35; “That’s Kennedy,” 5-35; “Die Hard,” 8-35; “Winter Kill,” 11-35; “Fan Dance,” 1-36; “No Hard Feelings,” 2-36; “Crack Down,” 4-36; “Hard to Take,” 6-36; “Deep Red,” 8-36; “The Green Widow,” 1-51 rpt. Detective Fiction Weekly 2-11-33.

  Black Mask (UK): “The Breaks of the Game” (as by “Lewis Nebel”), 3-26; “Grain to Grain,” 11-26; “Dumb Luck,” 1-27; “China Silk,” 3-27; “Hounds of Darkness,” 4-27; “A Man With Sand,” 7-27; “Emeralds of Shade,” 8-27; “A Grudge is a Grudge,” 9-27; “With Benefit of Law,” 11-27; “The Penalty of the Code,” 1-28; “A Gun in the Dark,” 6-28; “Hell to Pay,” 8-28; “Raw Law: Crimes of Richmond City pt. 1,” 9-28; “Dog Eat Dog: Crimes of Richmond City pt. 2,” 10-28; “The Law Laughs Last: Crimes of Richmond City pt. 3,” 11-28; “Law Without Law: Crimes of Richmond City pt. 4,” 4-29; “Graft: Crimes of Richmond City pt. 5,” 5-29; “New Guns for Old,” 9-29; “Hell Smoke,” 11-29; “Tough Treatment,” 1-30; “Alley Rat,” 2-30; “Wise Guy,” 4-30; “Street Wolf,” 5-30; “Ten Men from Chicago,” 8-30; “Shake Down,” 9-30; “Rough Justice,” 11-30; “The Red-Hots,” 12-30; “Gun Thunder,” 1-31; “Get a Load of This,” 2-31; “Junk,” 3-31; “The Kill” (as by “Grimes Hill”), 3-31; “Beat the Rap,” 5-31; “The Spot and the Lady” (as by “Grimes Hill”), 5-31; “Death for a Dago,” 7-31; “Spare the Rod,” 8-31; “Pearls Are Tears,” 9-31; “Death’s Not Enough,” 10-31; “It’s the Live Ones That Talk,” 11-31; “Some Die Young,” 12-31; “The Quick or the Dead,” 3-32; “Backwash,” 5-32; “Shake Up,” 8-32; “He Could Take It,” 9-32; “The Red Web,” 10-32; “Red Pavement,” 12-32; “Doors in the Dark,” 2-33; “Rough Reform,” 3-33; “Farewell to Crime,” 4-33; “Save Your Tears,” 6-33; “Song and Dance,” 7-33; “Champions Also Die,” 8-33; “Guns Down,” 9-33; “Lay Down the Law,” 11-33; “Too Young to Die,” 2-34; “Bad News,” 3-34; “Take It and Like It,” 6-34; “Be Your Age,” 8-34; “He Was a Swell Guy,” 1-35; “It’s a Gag,” 2-35; “Ghost of a Chance,” 3-35; “That’s Kennedy,” 5-35; “Die Hard,” 8-35; “Winter Kill,” 11-35; “Fan Dance,” 1-36; “No Hard Feelings,” 2-36; “Crack Down,” 4-36; “Hard to Take,” 6-36; “Deep Red,” 8-36.

  Black Mask (Canada), incomplete listing: “Song and Dance,” 7-33; “Fan Dance,” 1-36.

  Blood ’n’ Thunder: “Death Alley,” Spr. 2011 rpt. Dime Detective Magazine, 11-31.

  Boston Post Sunday Magazine, The: “Remember the Music,” 8-27-39 rpt. Collier’s 5-13-39.

  Collier’s: “Dance No More,” 9-23-33; “Scoundrel’s Choice,” 12-23-33; “The Man Who Couldn’t Spell,” 6-30-34; “Unfriendly Call,” 4-7-34; “Protecting Monica,” 10-5-35; “The Grand Manner,” 3-6-37; “Woman at Bay,” 3-13-37; “The Real Thing,” 5-8-37; “Never Sing Again,” 6-5-37; “Reprieve at Eleven,” 6-26-37; “Case Against Women,” 7-17-37; “The Human Side,” 8-7-37; “Dreams Are Real,” 9-4-37; “The Bars Between,” 10-2-37; “The Hard Way,” 4-2-38; “Accidental Night,” 10-22-38; “Chance is an Enemy,” 3-11-39; “Remember the Music,” 5-13-39; “The Simple Life,” 1-6-40; “One Cold Night,” 2-17-40; “A Girl Must Be Sure,” 8-17-40; “The Man Who Lost Everything,” 10-12-40; “The Girl With the Blonde,” 11-16-40; “Something to Remember,” 11-30-40; “Best of Luck,” 4-5-41; “When the Time Comes,” 6-7-41; “Case for Innocence,” 11-1-41; “The Great Big Hearted People,” 1-31-42; “No Shadow of Doubt,” 8-22-42; “Wait Till I’m on My Feet,” 12-26-42; “Give Me This,” 4-17-43; “Scandal in St. Louis,” 2-18-55.

  Columbia: “The Secret Vanity,” 4-29; “Behind the Shield,” 8-29.

  Complete Adventure Novelettes: “Passage to Macassar,” 5-32; “Malayan Peril,” 11-32 rpt. Five Novels Monthly, 12-28.

  Complete Mystery Novelettes: “Forbidden River,” 4-33 rpt. Five Novels Monthly 6-30.

  Complete Stories: “Hands,” 3-15-33; “The Command to Kill,” 5-36.

  Coronet: “Rendezvous With Treason,” 2-42.

  Cosmopolitan: “Nothing to Lose,” 1-37; “Moment in the Dark,” 1-44; “You Haven’t Changed a Bit,” 5-45; “You Can’t Have Everything,” 7-45; “Roses in the Rain,” 11-45; “The Woman Who Changed Her Mind,” 1-47; “The Web,” 6-47; “The Bribe,” 9-47; “Nightfall,” 12-47; “White Villa in Rio,” 4-55.

  Cowboy Story Magazine: “Soda-Pop Mary,” 9-26 rpt. Lariat Story Magazine 1-26; “High Jinks at Sky High,” 6-27 rpt. Lariat Story Magazine 11-26; “The Drifting Kid,” 7-27 rpt. Lariat Story Magazine 12-26.

  Daily Mail Sunday Magazine, The (West Virginia): “The Human Side,” 1-23-38, rpt. Collier’s 8-7-37.

  The Danger Trail: “Doom Drums,” 10-27; “Pound for Pound,” 11-28.

  Detective Action Stories: “The Mystery at Pier 7,” 9-31; “The Crooked Spot,” 10-31; “Whispers of Death,” 12-31; “The X Circle,” 1-32; “The Crimson Fist,” 3-32; “Murder by Ballot,” 4-32.

  Detective Fiction Weekly: “Call It Justice,” 2-15-30; “Muscle Man,” 6-10-31; “Nobody’s Fall Guy,” 8-8-31; “The Pinch,” 9-17-32; “The Devil’s Slouch,” 12-10-32; “The Green Widow,” 2-11-33; “The Lemon,” 5-6-33; “Strangle Hold,” 7-29-33.

  Detective Tales (UK): “Hell’s Pay-Check,” 1-62, rpt. Dime Detective 12-31; “Death Alley,” 2-62 rpt. Dime Detective 11-31; “Tailormade Clue” 3-62, rpt. Dime Detective 6-32; “Rogues’ Ransom,” 4-62 rpt. Di
me Detective 8-32.

  Dime Detective Magazine: “Death Alley,” 11-31; “Hell’s Pay Check,” 12-31; “Author Profile,” 12-31; “Six Diamonds and a Dick,” 1-32; “And There Was Murder,” 2-32; “Phantom Fingers,” 3-32; “Murder on the Loose,” 4-32; “Tailormade Clue,” 6-32; “Rogues’ Ransom,” 8-32; “Lead Pearls,” 9-32; “The Dead Don’t Die,” 10-32; “The Candy Killer,” 11-32; “A Truck Load of Diamonds,” 12-32; “The Murder Cure,” 1-33; “Me—Cardigan,” 2-33; “Doorway to Danger,” 3-1-33; “Heir to Murder,” 4-1-33; “Dead Man’s Folly,” 5-1-33; “Murder Won’t Wait,” 5-15-33; “Chains of Darkness,” 7-1-33; “Scrambled Murder,” 7-15-33; “Death After Murder,” 8-15-33; “Murder and Co.,” 9-15-33; “Murder à la Carte,” 11-15-33; “Spades Are Spades,” 1-1-34; “Hot Spot,” 3-1-34; “Kick Back,” 4-1-34; “Read ’Em and Weep,” 5-1-34; “Red Hot,” 7-1-34; “Not So Tough,” 8-15-34; “Too Hot to Handle,” 9-15-34; “Pardon My Murder,” 11-15-34; “Leave It to Cardigan,” 12-15-34; “Hell on Wheels,” 2-1-35; “Hell Couldn’t Stop Him,” 4-15-35; “A Couple of Quick Ones,” 6-1-35; “The Dead Die Twice,” 8-35; “Death in the Raw,” 10-35; “The Curse of Cardigan,” 12-35; “Blood in the Dark,” 1-36; “The Sign of Murder,” 3-36; “Lead Poison,” 4-36; “Murder By Mail,” 6-36; “Make Mine Murder,” 11-36; “Behind the 8 Ball,” 3-37; “No Time to Kill,” 5-37.

  Elks Magazine, The: “The Brave Tradition,” 11-27; “Proud Youth,” 12-28; “The Makings of Command,” 10-29; “Ask Me No Questions,” 9-38; “Welcome Home, Soldier,” 1-44.

  Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine: “Too Young to Die,” 11-42 rpt. Black Mask 2-34; “Dead Date,” 4-46 rpt. Black Mask 8-32; “Chance is Sometimes an Enemy,” 4-56 rpt. Collier’s 3-11-39; “Try It My Way,” 6-56; “You Can Take So Much,” 10-56 rpt. Women’s Home Companion 12-40; “The Man Who Knew,” 12-56 rpt. Liberty 3-9-40; “That’s Just Too Bad,” 5-57 rpt. Collier’s 11-30-40; “No Kid Stuff,” 4-58; “Wanted: An Accomplice,” 7-58; “Pity the Poor Underdog,” 8-58; “The Fifth Question,” 1-59; “Killer at Large,” 9-61; “Needle in a Haystack,” 8-62.