The Spider Strain by Johnston McCulley

Author:Johnston McCulley [McCulley, Johnston]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Action, Adventure, Detective
Publisher: Anncona Media AB
Published: 1919-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6. Togo Takes a Hand

THAT particular brand of nausea which follows a dose of chloroform had been experienced by John Warwick before; and when he regained consciousness now, and experienced it again, he kept his eyes closed, pretending to be under the influence of the drug and waiting for his brain to clear, Warwick realized that he was stretched on a couch of some sort; and he heard the voices of two men in conversation. His wrists were lashed together in front of him, but his ankles were not bound and there was no gag in his mouth. After a time, he opened one eye and glanced around the room.

It was a medium-sized room furnished in quite an ordinary manner. There were half a dozen chairs, a table, and a buffet. Warwick could see a closed door and two windows at which the shades had been drawn. Two incandescent lights burned in a chandelier.

The men were still conversing. Warwick could not see them, for they were beyond his feet, and he did not want to turn his body yet and let them know that he was conscious.

"Ain't nothin' much to it," one of the men was saying. "We keep this bird here until Marlowe telephones that he's turned the trick, and then we give him another dose of chloroform, take him in the car out to the edge of the park, and drop him there. When he comes back to Earth, he can go home--and he won't know where we kept him. That's all."

"I thought he was one of these clever ones."

"He is--but he ain't as clever as Marlowe, I reckon. We haven't anything to worry about, anyway--we do as we're told and cash in on the coin."

"What's all this about a locket, anyway?" the other asked.

"You can search me! All I know is that Marlowe is crazy to get his hands on it--some secret, I suppose. None of our business! The big idea is to keep this man Warwick from getting it for The Spider--understand?"

"I don't believe there is any Spider!"

"Don't fool yourself! I guess Marlowe used to know all about him over in the old country. There's a Spider, all right, and he's a tough bird to go up against! I don't want him and his gang after me any--not any!"

Warwick groaned and turned his head, and then sat up weakly and held his lashed hands to his face. He heard the two men get out of their chairs and start toward him. So they were as much in the dark regarding the locket as he was, were they? They were merely engaged to detain him until Marlowe had obtained possession of the thing, and then were to release him.

"Alive again, are yuh?" one of the men asked.

"What--what is the meaning of this?" Warwick gasped. "Oh, yes--there was a fight--"

"It wasn't much of a fight, I guess--you didn't have a chance!" said the other, laughing.

"Where am I?"

"That's somethin' you ain't supposed to know, Mr. Warwick. Here you

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