Maxwell Grant - The Shadow - 250 by Maxwel l Grant

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

CHAPTER XII. CHARGED BATTLE

TO Buram's credit, Clyde noted that he didn't wilt under the strain of facing masked men with their guns.

The strain seemed over, where Buram was concerned. He'd been imagining things for hours, and the arrival of the crisis furnished him with a reality that offset his dread.

Slowly, Buram backed away from men who confronted him, eyeing them as though for future reference.

In fact, Buram was somewhat cooler than Clyde, who was more anxious to find an avenue of escape

than to waste time studying faces that he could only partially see.

Clyde wondered why he and Buram were being backed out into the light. It didn't seem good policy on the part of the masked gunners, until Clyde noted that there were other persons in the same fix as himself and Buram.

One was evidently the night man of the Zenith Building, for he wore a badge. The other was an elevator operator staring from his car, both standing with their hands raised, and in that feature they differed from Clyde and Buram, who were carrying burdens in the form of the packages that they had brought from the cab.

Not long did they keep those burdens.

Masked raiders approached and snatched the packages. While four kept their guns aimed, the other two ripped the bundles open, only to find what Buram had told Clyde was inside - batches of application sheets.

Snarls sounded through the handkerchiefs that served as masks, but those tones were forced. The crooks were angry enough, but they were taking pains to keep their voices disguised.

One robber thrust forward and made a snatch at Buram's brief case. It was then that the stooped man showed his mettle. He wrenched away, snatching the brief case open of his own accord.

Contemptuously, he flung its contents pell-mell on the floor. Only papers fluttered out. There wasn't a sign of a bank note in the flurry.

Then, while Clyde, forgetful of his own plight, was staring in real admiration, Buram demonstrated further how well he had foiled robbery. Raising the brief case, he shook it in the light; showing it to be quite empty. It was a fine display of bravado on Buram's part, but he carried it too far.

Their chance of robbery ended, men of crime naturally veered to thoughts of murder. There wasn't a doubt that these men were the tribe that had been on hand covering the respective flights of Laverock and Secane. Death had played a hand on these occasions, and these ruffians were prepared to see that it was dealt again.

Hearing the snarls that came his way, Buram recognized their threat. His panic returned, but he still retained the vestiges of his forced courage. With a sudden sweep, Buram swung the empty brief case at the masked face of the nearest man. As the fellow dodged, Buram leaped for the elevator, yelling for Clyde to come along.

Masked men were pouncing after Buram, but he flung the brief case at them and dodged farther. Clyde was shouldering to Buram's aid, and the elevator door was starting shut, ready to receive him and cut off the opposition.

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