The Men Who Smiled No More: A Doc Savage Adventure by Lawrence Donovan (pseud. Kenneth Robeson)

Author:Lawrence Donovan (pseud. Kenneth Robeson)
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: fiction, Doc Savage (Fictional character), adventure
Publisher: Distributed Proofreaders Canada
Published: 1936-09-15T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter XI

VANISHED KILLERS

The illumination from the old burning house shed a weird light over the Shinnecock Hills. This emblazoned the countless rocky knolls with their stunted trees.

The fire had attracted attention. The pump of a volunteer fire department had attempted to use some water from an old and long disused well. The stones of this had caved in and cut off the supply.

A few country people stood in groups gabbling. Some State policemen had come up and were keeping every one at a safe distance.

Doc Savage and his companions ascended the hill.

“If Habeas Corpus don’t snap out of it pretty soon, I’m going to take that duck man’s shotgun and give you a dose of the same medicine, you miserable shyster!” Monk was promising Ham.

Ham grinned ironically at Monk.

“That pig was too smart to associate with an ape, so maybe he is only playing down to what little brain you’ve got,” was the lawyer’s biting comment.

“Holy cow!” rumbled Renny. “Doc, there’s that duck man again! He’s dancin’ around like he’d lost his shirt or something! Want me to grab him?”

“I suspect our friend has recently discovered the loss of much more than his shirt,” commented Doc. “For the time being, I imagine it might be as well to let John Scroggins have some rope.”

Doc did not mention the fortune in uncut diamonds he had taken from the dressed ducks. The bronze man was well aware why Scroggins was dancing around as if on hot coals.

Doc moved closer to the flaming house. The gaunt duck man had looked as if nothing much would ever affect him greatly. But he ceased jumping around and stood looking at the ancient structure crumbling into the flames.

And tears were running down John Scroggins’s leathery cheeks. His big bony hands were twisting together. The one cocked eye roved with bewildering rapidity. Doc was not close enough to hear the words, but the duck man was talking to himself.

The fire’s reflection outlined the man’s thin lips. That was all Doc required to learn what John Scroggins was saying.

“All I had—all I ever had—an’ they got ’em back! An’ now the whole thing goes up in smoke!”

Doc Savage had deliberately prevented further interference with the duck man. The uncut diamonds Doc had found represented only a small part of the fortune in gems taken from Harris Hooper Perrin. The bronze man had thought perhaps John Scroggins might lead him to the place where the rest of the jewels were cached.

Now the duck man’s words would indicate he had lost everything. Perhaps there had been a division of the stolen gems. And Doc had got only what had been John Scroggins’s share.

Doc glided back to his companions.

“I’m keeping Renny with me,” said Doc. “It will soon be daylight. I have a mission for you two, but you will have to proceed with the utmost caution. You will go at once to the vicinity of the home of Simon Stevens. I want to know the identity of every visitor to the Stevens home.

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