Maxwell Grant - The Shadow - 102 by Maxwel l Grant

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

CHAPTER XIV. THE PURPLE LAIR

UNTIL his arrival at Myram's Folly, The Shadow had followed the simple process of performing the most direct action that offered. Through that policy, he had arrived quickly at Doctor Mocquino's headquarters. The most obvious step would be to choose the shortest route into the house itself - with the exception of the front door, which would naturally be guarded.

The Shadow, however, decided against quick entry. He knew that Mocquino's henchmen were many.

He could picture patrolling groups, keeping constant eye on spots where intruders might try to enter. The Shadow's choice was the most difficult one; for that would mark an unguarded place.

One portion of the building filled the bill. That was the high, castellated turret at the rear. It could not be reached directly without crossing a stretch of water. Therefore, The Shadow chose a roundabout course.

He circled along the edge of the clearing, swinging past the extent of pond behind the house. Following almost to the front of Myram's Folly, The Shadow paused on the far side. The house stood between him and the moonlight. The bulk of the building shaded a direct approach.

Like a ghost come to haunt the monstrous building, The Shadow approached the front corner. He could see a portico beneath the pillars; the space was flooded with moonlight. The Shadow observed three automobiles parked in a cluster. He recognized the rakish touring car in which he had last seen Doctor Mocquino.

Edging to the side wall, The Shadow glided toward the rear of the house. He came to the forward end of the moat, which was nothing more than a slimy ditch dug frontward from the pond. There was space between the moat and the wall. Clinging to that precarious fringe, The Shadow continued his rearward course.

He came to the stone-walled extension that was topped by the castellated turret. The stone was dark, untouched by moonlight. It was rough; it offered projection for gripping hands, space for toe-holds.

Clutching the wall, The Shadow began an upward course. Black against the wall, he remained invisible as he climbed like a human beetle.

The Shadow's climb was comparatively easy until he reached the tower. He encountered difficulties, but slits in the stone of the tower aided him. Climbing farther, he found the crenelles of the battlement.

Hunching himself up from the darkness, The Shadow rolled over the edge and lay flat upon a rounded roof.

THE moonlight showed The Shadow's cloaked form clearly; but no observers could have seen him. Not only was The Shadow above the level of the square room that topped the center of the house; he was also hidden by the irregular wall that girded the small turret.

Here, as he had hoped, The Shadow discovered a trapdoor. Lying flat, he produced a compact jimmy.

Prying in expert fashion, he loosened the fastenings that held the trapdoor from beneath.

Once inside, The Shadow lowered the trapdoor above him. He risked a flashlight's blink, keeping the rays almost covered by folds of his cloak. The beam showed the top step of a spiral stairway.

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