Maxwell Grant - The Shadow - 149 by Maxwel l Grant

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

CHAPTER XIII

THE BLIND TRAIL

UPON leaving his sanctum, The Shadow went directly to the neighborhood of Margale's mansion. The hour was late; the huge mansion loomed dark beyond the

wall that surrounded it.

Clad in black, The Shadow formed a gliding, evanescent shape, as he skirted that outer wall. The shelter offered perfect opportunities for concealment. There wasn't a chance that watching eyes from within the house could spy The Shadow.

Nevertheless, The Shadow avoided direct entry to the grounds. The side gate, like the front one, was obviously one of the spots that would be under observation. The easiest method of access, from The Shadow's standpoint, was to

scale the wall itself.

The Shadow managed that with upward glide. For a few seconds, he took on the semblance of a human beetle, as he found crevices for fingers and toes.

Then his gloved hands gripped the wall-top, probed there momentarily. Finally, The Shadow rolled flat upon the ledge itself.

His new location gave him an admirable view of the mansion, as well as a prospect of the surrounding streets. Crawling along the wall, The Shadow remained in blackness, stretching flat at places where an ordinary creeper might have been noted from the house.

All the while, he was taking in the details of the mansion: its big windows and formidable doors. Yet, in those intervals when he paused to view the street, his brief glances were sufficient to tell him that no lurkers were about.

The Shadow's ears were also keen. Catching the distant pound of footsteps,

The Shadow waited, watching a corner of the wall. A bulky man came into sight; he was clad in blue uniform. The arrival was the patrolman who regularly covered this beat.

Pacing slowly past, the officer looked upward toward the wall edge.

Though

this was part of his regular procedure, he was not lax in its performance. The patrolman's eyes were sharp enough to spot any ordinary lurker flattened on that wall. It was The Shadow's uncanny ability to merge with blackness that enabled him to remain undetected.

The officer continued along his beat.

Again The Shadow was in motion, timing his progress to the fade of the patrolman's footsteps. Then, again he flattened. The sound that he heard this time was almost indistinguishable, yet The Shadow sensed it; not only that, he knew what to expect.

THE SHADOW was watching that wall corner, expecting new figures to come around it. He was not disappointed. Close to the shelter of the wall, two sweater-clad men crept into sight. They stopped on the sidewalk, just below The

Shadow.

"Hold it," gruffed one, his voice well muffled, "until we lamp the harness

bull!"

The reference to the patrolman brought a suppressed guffaw from the other hoodlum.

"Him?" demanded the fellow. "He's clear around the next corner! We ain't runnin' no risk. All we gotta do is case the place and make sure nobody else ain't near here."

"Who else would be around?"

"How do I know?" Again, a chortle sounded. Then: "The Shadow, maybe."

That reference didn't please the thug who heard it. He said so with a growl, remarking that wise guys weren't smart when they kidded about The Shadow.

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