Mad Eyes: A Doc Savage Adventure by Lawrence Donovan (pseud. Kenneth Robeson)

Author:Lawrence Donovan (pseud. Kenneth Robeson)
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Tags: fiction, Doc Savage (Fictional character), adventure
Publisher: Distributed Proofreaders Canada
Published: 1937-06-15T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter X

TEETH OF THE RATS

Doc’s double stepped quickly before the man of bronze.

“Picked bones in an old basement cellar, when and if they are discovered, mean little on New York’s East Side,” he remarked pleasantly. “Too many poor devils have died in too many unpleasant ways to cause much furor.”

Doc Savage now could see the other bronze man clearly.

“Regardless of your disguise,” said Doc, “I shall know you instantly when we meet again. In your case I shall have several items to remember.”

The oozy walls of the old cellar shook. The rumble might have been that of an “el” train or a subway. Doc Savage knew well enough his remarkable bronze double was speaking the truth.

This dungeon was not directly under a house. It was placed beneath what had been the end of an abandoned street. Years before, it had marked the outlet of an old storm sewer.

Apparently the route of the sewer had been changed. There was nothing now but the crumbling walls of broken masonry leading into the depths. No doubt, this emerged far under the East River. Possibly the outlet had long ago been broken and filled with sand and silt from the river’s bottom.

The gurgle and suck of the water could be heard.

“Remembering me will do you little good, Doc Savage,” said his double pleasantly. “The bones of one man are much the same as those of another. There will be no broken bones, no bullet marks. The rest of your brief existence lies now between you and your friends, the rats.”

Doc Savage was fully aware even his great strength could not break those rawhide thongs. They had been bound about him with uncanny skill. One knot or two might be severed, but the others would hold.

“The rats are keeping back in the shadows now,” said Doc’s double. “But even your strength cannot break those rawhide thongs. I could dispose of you now, but there must be no marks. None but ourselves—not even my men—have been in this basement tomb.”

Doc’s double strode toward ascending stone steps. His movements were a perfect imitation of the man he was leaving behind to die. His steps rang with a hollow sound on the stone. A heavy iron door clanged shut.

Doc Savage was alone with the horde of rats.

Doc’s body was nearly stripped. His arms and wrists were bound firmly behind him. All his tremendous strength only tightened the rawhide cords.

He could hear the distant gurgle of water in the old storm sewer. The opening of this was dimly visible. It was back of the main horde of rats.

Doc kept a close eye on the light bulb. All the time, he set his trained muscles against the rawhide cords. Perhaps one would yield.

But he was not seeing the cellar and the light bulb. Occasionally the writhing, leaping monsters filled the space.

They were a terrible weapon in the hands of unscrupulous persons. There was little doubt but that this bronze man who was Doc’s double was one of the world’s most unscrupulous men.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.