Maxwell Grant - The Shadow - 124 by Maxwel l Grant

Author:Maxwel,l Grant
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf

CHAPTER XIII

THE LOST DUEL

THE SHADOW thrust his fist forward and to the right, aiming for Verdugo.

A

shift of half a dozen inches was all that his hand required. Simultaneously, Verdugo gave a forward thrust and twist to his cane.

The point of the long stick moved swifter than The Shadow's gun muzzle.

The cane point was far from the hand that whipped it. Verdugo's thrust was like

the lash of a striking copperhead. Eyes from the slitted mask guided the cane point to the fingers of The Shadow's gun hand.

The tapering ferrule jabbed between The Shadow's knuckles; even his iron fingers could not halt it. The cane tip hooked the trigger guard of the .45; a snap of Verdugo's wrist did the rest. The gun was whisked from The Shadow's hand; its trigger departed beneath his tugging forefinger.

There was the gun, scaling to the ceiling, unfired. Verdugo's cane, raised

upward, was the petard that had hoisted the weapon. The Shadow's gloved hand was

open, gunless.

Fading to the right, The Shadow sped his left hand to his cloak. He whipped out a second automatic. Once again, Verdugo's cane was on the move.

The

Masked Headsman was delivering a furious cross-slash. His stroke was as amazing

as his former jab.

The cane cracked The Shadow's fingers as they tightened on the gun.

Despite the numbing blow, The Shadow still clutched; but his fist held emptiness. That hard stroke of the cane had jolted the gun, as well as The Shadow's hand. The automatic thudded the floor, six feet from The Shadow; took a bound and clattered against the wall.

The Shadow had no reserve weapons. Those guns were the only weight that he

could carry on his climb down into the courtyard. Any attempt to regain them would be hopeless. Verdugo was ready for more drastic efforts with the heavy cane.

Already, the masked killer was starting a ferocious backswing, up toward The Shadow's head. The only move was to ward the coming blow. The Shadow accomplished that with his right arm. A quick fling stopped the cane point; and

The Shadow's right hand did more. The Shadow clutched the cane with a powerful grip, more than a dozen inches from the point.

This time, Verdugo's snarled laugh was audible. The Shadow's move was the one Verdugo wanted.

The masked man bounded backward. The cane remained in The Shadow's clutch,

but something slithered from within it. The Shadow saw the glimmer of a long, steel sword. Balancing lightly, with the pose of a fencer, Verdugo displayed the weapon that he had produced so promptly.

It was a trick long used by swordsmen. Verdugo's stick was a sword cane.

The game was to taunt an adversary with the cane; force him to grab it, then -

whisk! The sword was out of its camouflaged sheath.

WITH mock courtesy, Verdugo raised his sword handle to the elbow that still lay across his chin. The blade poised upward: Verdugo's salute to the enemy who was soon to die. Shifting his feet with the skill of a fencing master, Verdugo swung the sword downward and whipped into action.

His first move was a quick thrust.

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