The Shadow - 99 - The Salamanders by Maxwell Grant

Author:Maxwell Grant [Grant, Maxwell]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Street & Smith
Published: 1936-04-28T21:53:58+00:00

Through an alleyway next to the freight depot, The Shadow saw a line of railroad tracks that ran parallel to the main street. Those were the yards of the railroad that served the city of Sheffield.

Just after the freight depot, The Shadow came to a business block. This consisted of one large building, at least thirty years old. It was constructed of brick and wood. The ground floor showed store fronts, while the three remaining upper stories served as an apartment house.

As he neared the end of the block, The Shadow saw an important cross street. He decided to wait before he reached it, as the roadster was nearly due. There was a vacant space by a fire plug. No policemen were in sight. The Shadow pulled his coupe to the curb, turned out the lights, then watched from the cover of darkness.

THREE minutes ended The Shadow’s vigil. The roadster rolled up and passed the coupe. Its occupants did not even glance toward The Shadow’s car. As it neared the crossing, the roadster pulled to the center of the main street. A traffic light showed red; the roadster intended a left turn as soon as the light changed.

The Shadow eased the coupe from the curb. Another car had moved up in back of the roadster. The Shadow joined the line. The light turned green. The Shadow swung left with the cars ahead.

Though he had gained no inkling of the fact, The Shadow had viewed the scene of contemplated crime.

He had studied the very buildings that had appeared as squares on Colgarth’s numbered diagram. Drune, the master of crime, had given his approval to a campaign of destruction. The Shadow, alone competent to forestall evil, had unwittingly left the very place where trouble was due to break.

Nevertheless, The Shadow still had his trail. The roadster was heading westward from Sheffield. The Shadow had lessened speed; but he was keeping the car ahead in view. Caution was necessary. The roadster was taking to a highway that lacked traffic. The Shadow let the other car ride ahead.

He still had a way to trail the roadster. The road was hilly, with curves. By watching far ahead, The Shadow could see the tiny lights of the crook-manned car. The gleam bobbed in and out from strips of woods. The Shadow checked each reappearance of the lights.

There came a space of blackness. The lights did not reappear. Rounding a bend, The Shadow saw a dirt road to the right. He caught the glimmer of a tail-light, a path of brightness beyond it. The roadster had turned off to the right.

Extinguishing his own lights, The Shadow made the turn. The wheels of the coupe joggled roughly on the dirt road.

Guided entirely by the red spot ahead, The Shadow sped the coupe through the darkness. His daring brought him close behind the roadster, just before it took a bend in the road. The Shadow had reached a vantage point.

Close behind the roadster, he was able to drive by the glow of the other car’s lights.

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