Maxwell Grant.........................................................................................................................................1

CHAPTER I. TRAILS IN THE NIGHT ..................................................................................................1

CHAPTER II. WAIL OF DEATH ...........................................................................................................5

CHAPTER III. ALLIES OF DARKNESS..............................................................................................9

CHAPTER IV. AT SEVEN OAKS .......................................................................................................13

CHAPTER V. BATTLE BELOW .........................................................................................................17

CHAPTER VI. CROOK VERSUS CROOK .........................................................................................21

CHAPTER VII. CRIME'S CROSSROADS ..........................................................................................25

CHAPTER VIII. DEATH ON THE HIGHWAY ..................................................................................29

CHAPTER IX. NEW TRAGEDY .........................................................................................................33

CHAPTER X. CLUES TO THE FUTURE...........................................................................................37

CHAPTER XI. MOVES AT MIDNIGHT .............................................................................................41

CHAPTER XII. OUT OF THE DARK.................................................................................................46

CHAPTER XIII. FRIENDS OF THE NIGHT......................................................................................49

CHAPTER XIV. NIGHT OF MENACE ...............................................................................................52

CHAPTER XV. DEATH COMES HOME...........................................................................................56

CHAPTER XVI. WITHIN THE SNARE ..............................................................................................60

CHAPTER XVII. THE ROUNDUP ......................................................................................................63

CHAPTER XVIII. CRIMES CONFESSED ..........................................................................................66

CHAPTER XIX. DEATH'S DOUBLE TALE......................................................................................69

CHAPTER XX. THE THING FROM THE PAST...............................................................................73

THE sleek sepia roadster slid to a stop near the crossroads. It stood there, motor purring idly, while the driver

It was night, but strong moonlight predominated, etching the car and its driver. The roadster was of the

convertible type, an expensive custombuilt job. On its door the initials "C.T." were visible, and the lowered

The man at the wheel was unquestionably "C.T."; he needed nothing more than his appearance to prove

himself the owner of the elaborate roadster. He was handsome, his smooth face darkish; but it was tanned

rather than sallow. He was hatless, and his black hair showed sleek in the moonlight.

His was a face of lines. Black eyebrows formed straight streaks above narrowlidded eyes; his nose was

high, aristocratic. His lips, also straight, marked C.T. as a man of experience, quite satisfied with his place in

life. There were other lines, such as furrows in his forehead, which formed another index.

Either C.T. was older than he looked, or he had lived a life of strenuous action. He appeared to be about

thirty, though a skeptic might have added ten years or so to that total and been right. Whatever his age or

Even the way in which he placed a cigarette between his lips, his manner in reaching for the lighter on the

dashboard, showed ease and poise. His choice of a car was an added key to his character.

This youngish man seemed intent on getting the most out of life with the least expenditure of effort; but

behind his smoothness, one sensed a latent energy that could carry through to any purpose.

One arm of the signboard pointed to Northdale. It was the road that C.T. wanted. Sliding the car into gear, he

cruised along a narrow but wellpaved road, scanning the rolling landscape that spread beneath the

The car reached a hilltop; in the far distance, the sleek man saw the tiny twinkles of the town. He reduced

speed to a slow coast, as the car descended a winding road through a thick woods.

Trees filtered the moonlight, almost blotting it out. The roadster's headlights cut a gleaming swath ahead; out

of the darkness, twin masses of gray rose like ghostly sentinels, to warn of a curve ahead. Pressing the brake

The gray things were pillars; between them ran a roadway that formed the entrance to an estate. Above,

Instead of continuing along the road to Northdale, the sleek man veered his roadster between the pillars. The

As he pushed the gear into reverse, he heard an approaching roar, saw headlights curving in from the road

Directly in the path of the arriving car, the sleek man calmly nudged his roadster forward, expecting to be

clear of any reckless driver. But the car that took the turn did a most unusual thing.

Its driver saw the roadster dead ahead; instead of staying to the road, he slashed for the gateway, jerking his

The incoming car was a rakish sedan. Clashing fenders with the roadster, it blocked the fancy car from the

driveway between the gates. Doors slapping open, the sedan disgorged a quartet of active ruffians, who made

a united drive for the man in the roadster. As they came, the fringing lights of headlamps showed the glitter

Against such odds, the man in the roadster had no chance. With one hand, he grabbed for a revolver in the

pocket of the roadster's door; with the other, he snatched a suitcase from the seat beside him. Such delay was

Overwhelming their victim, they hauled him from his car. Hands plucked away the gun before he could use

it. The suitcase was torn from his clutch. Slugging guns descended upon his head, as he tried to ward off the

blows with his arms. Another minute would have brought complete disaster to the sleek man, if a third car

It came from the same route that the other cars had used. The rapid spurt of its motor, the sudden shriek of

brakes, told that another combatant was anxious to join the fray. Instinctively, the four attackers flung their

sagging victim into a gully and swung, with aiming guns, to greet the new challenger.

Guns could not help them; not against an adversary who opened fire as he came. The stabs of an automatic

crashed the night air, and with those shots figures began to stagger in the gleam of powerful headlights.

As a token that such shooting was the work of a master marksman, foemen heard a mocking laugh.

Long, strident, the taunting mirth brought ghoulish echoes from the surrounding slopes, as though the tongues

of a thousand demons had joined in the challenge. Out of those echoes came the hoarse cries of the scattering

THERE were other men in the rakish sedan. Crouched low, they opened a counterattack against the lone

marksman, trying to flank him while their pals found safety. But they did not reckon with the strategy of their

He was gone from his car before bullets raked it. Still flinging his evasive laugh, the taunter swung suddenly

into sight directly in front of the headlights. Still voicing his sardonic mockery, he invited the depleted crooks

They saw The Shadow a tall figure cloaked in black, a slouch hat clamped upon his head. His hands,

thingloved, held a pair of automatics, their muzzles smoking, as a reminder of his marksmanship.

Eagerly, two men in the car lunged for the cloaked opponent, aiming as they came. Others, stumbling or

Guns blasted. Their spurts were livid tongues, adding color to the brilliance of the headlights. The shots

became a volley; but the only result was another rise of that strange, outlandish mockery. Bullets had found

How, where he had vanished was a stunning mystery to his half dozen foemen. They didn't stop to reason that

The Shadow, cloaked in black, was a veritable creature of night itself; that his sudden appearance in the glare

had been a feint to draw them in the same direction, while he whisked back into darkness.

They might have calculated it, particularly those who had been crippled by The Shadow's bullets, had he not

followed his quick exploit with another of those mocking laughs. The challenge riveted them, leaving them

Terror overtook them, even the hardest of that thuggish crew. They were ready to fling their guns away, to

plead for mercy, rather than continue strife with an invisible foe who could be everywhere, yet nowhere.

Then, when victory was in The Shadow's grasp, a new gleam sliced from the descending road. More mobsters

were at hand, a reserve crew that the others had not expected so soon. By rights, those new arrivals should

have pushed themselves into the same plight as their pals; but luck turned against The Shadow.

A swerve of the headlights caught the blackcloaked shape directly in the glare, showed crime's chief enemy

in the center of the roadway, away from any shelter. Only The Shadow's swiftness saved him from calamity.

He needed cover and took it, against a background of trees; but this time, his enemies gauged the direction

Even then, they could not outshoot their shifty foe. The Shadow was somewhere in the gully, like the victim

that the crooks had abandoned. Their shots were high, but his aim proved accurate. Even the low shots that

Counting upon the reserves to cover them, wounded crooks reeled to two cars, the roadster and the sedan.

By then, the reserves were tasting The Shadow's fire. They didn't attempt to capture the cloaked fighter's car,

which he had left in a turnout near the gully. As frantic as the rest, the coverup crew joined the flight. Rising

from his improvised intrenchment, The Shadow fired final shots at the last of the departing cars.

A jutting rock saved tires and gasoline tank from The Shadow's amazing aim. By the time the cloaked

marksman had an open target, his guns were empty. Delivering a parting laugh that made fleeing evildoers

expect immediate pursuit; The Shadow climbed up to the road and stowed his guns beneath his cloak.

Though crooks had not guessed it, The Shadow's car was ditched to stay a while. The turnout had looked

The wheels on the right were mired, and getting them out was something that would make pursuit useless.

They had done better than they supposed, those fleeing fighters, when they took along the roadster.

One trail was lost, but The Shadow had another. He was thinking of the man that he had rescued. The

He had seen the fellow sprawl into the gully before a single shot was fired. There was a chance that the man

THE SHADOW already knew the identity of the attackers. They were a band of dangerous criminals,

operating under the leadership of Clint Flenn, long under suspicion as a bank robber. Clint was a specialist in

Having learned, through secret sources, that Clint was leaving New York with a picked crew, The Shadow

Why they had chosen to attempt highway robbery was one problem; how they had happened to pick their

victim was another. The two matters could prove links in an important chain. If the rescued man knew

enough facts, he could not only help The Shadow to trace Clint Flenn, but might prove a valuable ally in the

Such was The Shadow's summary, when he reached the muddy spot where the man had sprawled. There, The

There was no answer from the mire. Blinking a tiny flashlight, The Shadow turned its rays downward. All

that the light showed was a patch of mud recently compressed by a flattened form.

The little light moved upward. It revealed loose sod above the gully, where tufts of grass had been torn away

by clutching hands. Beyond was broken underbrush, showing where a man had scrambled, seeking flight

Moving through the briers, The Shadow saw torn cloth among the brambles. He reached the driveway beyond

The hard surface of the paved drive showed traces of muddy footprints, which zigzagged. At intervals, the

marks were well apart, indicating that their maker had taken long strides. Other spots showed where the

Following those revealing marks, The Shadow saw moonlight penetrating the thinning trees along the

ascending driveway. In the distance, dim lights showed a mansion, the house called Seven Oaks. A whispered

laugh came from The Shadow's hidden lips; the tone was lost in the wind that whipped the open hillside.

The Shadow had lost his trail to men of crime, but this route pleased him better. It promised the unknown,

There was prophecy in The Shadow's laugh; yet even he could not foresee the singular future that lay beyond

DINNER was over at Seven Oaks, but a silent group still sat at the big table in the dining room.

The man at the head of the table was elderly; his gray hair had a droop that matched his tiredfaced

expression. He was Grover Melridge, owner of the mansion, and age had crept upon him during the past few

Opposite Melridge was his wife, Lucretia, the cause of his worry. She looked younger than her husband, but

Lucretia Melridge was nervous, restless. Whenever her eyes steadied, they took on a distant gaze, and her

wan lips formed a smile. She had a way of staring through people that Melridge did not like. She acted as

Frequently, Melridge glanced at the others of the family: Robert and Janice. They were twins, twenty years of

age, and they had an understanding that their parents lacked. Often, Melridge had noted, the twins seemed to

speak through glances alone. Like Melridge, they were anxious about their mother.

This was one of Lucretia's bad evenings. Whatever her mental ailment, it was aggravated by the howling

wind and the rattle of doors and shutters. Those were the sounds that made her smile, as though she heard

There was a witness to the scene, who stood near a deep window watching Lucretia Melridge. He was Dr.

Martin Heverly, the family physician. Though scarcely thirty, Heverly had a professional air that made him

Heverly had already gained a reputation as a psychiatrist, and was a consulting physician at the Northdale

Looking past the others, Heverly caught Robert's eye and gave a slight beckon. Janice was gazing toward her

mother, but she turned toward Robert the moment that he arose and watched him join Heverly. As the two

talked, Janice could almost sense their conversation from her brother's expression.

"Don't worry, Bob," said Heverly, in an undertone. "I doubt that your mother's condition is serious. It seems

to be induced more by outside circumstances than by her own subconscious moods."

"We've kept her quiet," whispered Bob. "For the past week there hasn't been the slightest excitement here "

"Which may be the real trouble," inserted Heverly. "I think it would be better if she lived closer to the world.

Janice saw Bob glance toward his mother, then turn back to Heverly with a nod. Somehow, she caught what

was in her brother's mind and knew why he was agreeing with Heverly. She watched Heverly speak again,

"A few minutes ago," said Heverly, "I thought I heard gunshots, probably from the gate. I think we should

investigate. I am going down there, and if your mother should ask where I have gone, it would be best to tell

"Suppose I go," suggested Bob. "Then you can stay here and watch her reactions."

While Heverly pondered, the others arose from the table. Heverly nudged Bob, and they followed out into the

hall. Janice joined them, just beyond the doorway; quietly, she insisted upon knowing the reason for their

"I shall tell her, Bob," decided Heverly. "You take my car and go down to the gate. But don't mix into any

Nodding, Bob started toward the front door. As if timed to his action, a surge of wind whistled about the

As the blast ended, shutters beat a tattoo with their rattle, and from the medley came a shrill, prolonged shriek

LUCRETIA MELRIDGE was standing in the center of the hall, her arms lifted, hands clenched. Her eyes

were agleam and her head tilted back. Her lips were wide, for they had delivered that laugh, which she meant

as a welcome. Her fixed eyes seemed to pierce into the past, seeking some longburied tradition.

Shivers swept Janice, and she saw that the others felt the same chilling sensation. Bob was halted halfway to

the door. Grover Melridge stood swaying, very pale. Even Dr. Heverly, usually complacent, betrayed alarm.

"The wail of the banshee," cackled Lucretia. "The wandering spirit that comes to foretell death! I can see him

hovering among the oaks, waiting for someone to admit him! When the banshee summons the "

Words failing at that moment, Lucretia gave another highpitched laugh, sharper than before. It was

answered by a curious noise from the living room, a basso whimper, so deep that it sounded like a giant

"I'm going out," gritted Bob, suddenly. He turned to Heverly. "If mother asks where I've gone, tell her."

Lucretia was staring toward the door as Bob reached it, but she did not seem to see him at all. Her mind took

It wasn't Lucretia's voice that riveted Bob. It was the thing that interrupted; a sound so startling that it seemed

an answer to a prophecy. From the door came a muffled pounding, that finished with a scrape. Some hand,

It was the scraping sound that made Bob realize that the thing outdoors was human. With a quick jerk, he

In with a gust of wind came a sprawling, bedraggled figure that took a rising stumble, then stretched

He saw the wild gaze leave her eyes; a look of sympathy replaced it. She was the first to reach the

At a motion from Heverly, Bob mechanically closed the door. Profiting by Lucretia's mood, Heverly had her

help him place the man upon a couch. Her mind returning to things about her, Lucretia Melridge again

became mistress of the mansion. She began to call the servants, telling them to bring hot water and bandages.

Janice stepped over to the couch to help Heverly. By the time he had bathed the victim's forehead, the

"No deep cuts," he said. "Some bad bruises, but no chance of a fracture. Probably a slight concussion"

He propped the man's head higher. As he did, a wallet dropped from the pocket of the victim's coat. Like the

pocket, the wallet had been ripped apart; evidently the man had fought to get it back again.

It contained no money, but there were some cards, among them a driver's license and an automobile owner's

"Put in a longdistance call, Bob," suggested Melridge. "Find out what they know about this chap."

Before Bob could reach the telephone, Thayner stirred. Janice saw his eyes open, watched a weary smile

form upon his lips. Even with its pallor, his face struck her as handsome. There was something plaintive in

"The Clairmont," muttered Thayner. "Haven't lived there... for months. Been driving... everywhere. Fellows...

from the other car... tonight " He settled back; his narrow eyes went shut. Then: "Look out for my bag," he

THE question jolted Thayner like an electric shock. He came up stiffly from the couch, staring at everyone

about him. His eyes went to the door, as he tried to gain his feet. Thayner's action was startling enough, but it

Other eyes had been watching the entire scene eyes from the blackness beyond a window near the door.

Intent upon Thayner, no one had thought of looking toward the window. But as Thayner started toward the

Perhaps it was the rising wind, lifting to a new wail, that brought the woman to her former trend. That, plus

Lucretia's shriek reached new heights; coupled with the wind's howl, the words were like a call:

A vast roar interrupted. With a tremendous lope, a huge dog came from the living room. The dog was a Great

Dane, his coat a dark gray. Timed almost to the dog's leaps, the door came clattering inward. Bob had left it

Thayner was staggering toward the door, when he saw the huge beast. The wind seemed to spin the man

As Janice shrieked, "Vulcan!" the Great Dane's lifting forepaws struck Thayner's shoulders and flattened him

upon the floor. Bob made a frantic dive for the dog and went rolling with Vulcan, dragging the great beast

Lucretia was pointing past Thayner to the door, as though she spied something in the moonlight, flitting

"There will be death!" she cackled. "Death in this house soon! I have seen the banshee "

Heverly slammed the door and bolted it. Melridge tried to quiet Lucretia; he and the servants started her

upstairs. Vulcan was supplying huge growls as the door went shut, when Bob silenced him with a cuff and

Settled in her prophecy, Lucretia quieted. The maid went upstairs with her, and Melridge returned. Thayner

had risen groggily and was beginning an apology, so heartfelt that it brought a quiver to Janice's lips.

For a man who had undergone misfortune at the hands of highwaymen, Thayner's regret at having caused the

"I feel better," he said, "and I think I can be on my way. I thank you all for helping me. I shall be all right

when I get to " He paused, his hand to his forehead. "What is the name of the town near here?"

"Northdale," said Janice. "I'm sorry about Vulcan, Mr. Thayner. He must have seen something outdoors."

"Vulcan?" Thayner's gaze went blank; then his weary smile returned. "Oh, yes, the dog. He rather startled me,

"Catch him, Melridge!" broke in Heverly, springing forward. "Quickly! Before he falls!"

Melridge was too late to stop Thayner's sway. It was Heverly's quick grasp that broke the man's heavy

sprawl. Bob came dashing in from the kitchen, to help the others lift Thayner back to the couch where he had

"He's really out," declared Heverly, solemnly. "I was right; he has a brain concussion."

"A gritty chap," approved Bob. "Say, what were you folks doing? Letting him walk out into the cold?"

"Not at all," returned Janice, indignantly. "He's welcome to stay here as long as he likes." She turned to

"He is," assured Melridge. "We have never been lacking in hospitality. Prepare a room, Janice, and we shall

From the floor above came a high, trilling laugh, that marked the end of Lucretia's hysterical outburst. There

was a muffed bark from the kennel behind the house, where Bob had chained Vulcan. The low, sullen moan

of the wind was followed by a rattle at the hallway window, as though a ghostly hand had rapped a reminder.

Those tokens passed unnoticed by the persons in the lower hall. They had forgotten the prophecy of death as

voiced by Lucretia Melridge. Yet that prediction was to be recalled in the near future.

Already, the hand of death was hovering over Seven Oaks; nor would the menace end until that hand had

THE next half hour brought quiet to the mansion; even the troublemaking wind had faded. In Melridge's

study on the ground floor, Dr. Heverly was talking about Lucretia's condition. Arms folded, Grover Melridge

"The facts bear out my theory," declared Heverly. "You noticed how lucid Mrs. Melridge became when an

actual emergency arose. She needs life; not gloom. We have been giving her the wrong treatment."

"I agree," said Melridge. "Lucretia was herself again, the moment that she saw a stranger in trouble. I am glad

that we are keeping Thayner here. Lucretia will probably ask about him, the first thing in the morning. The

"Several days, at least," assured Heverly. "It would be unwise for him to overtax himself. If he needs any

Bob came into the study. He announced that Thayner was asleep, after taking some pills that Dr. Heverly had

prescribed. Bob had seated himself beside the desk, when Janice arrived and spoke from the door.

"Mother is asleep," she said, "and I have a headache. I'm going to bed and get some rest, so you won't have

As she spoke, Janice glanced upward, then was gone. Heverly noticed Bob turn his head, as though inspired

by his sister's gaze. Heverly had seen the twins do that before, and the fact interested him. In this case, they

had simply chanced to look at a portrait on the wall behind their father's desk.

In the darkness of her secondfloor room, Janice felt her headache lessen. Viewing the moonlit lawn, she

wondered about the old theory of the full moon taking sway upon strained minds. She was quite sure that her

mother's condition was not serious; nevertheless, it had come at the time of the full moon.

There was another theory, too that dogs were troubled by the moon. It could account for Vulcan's actions

this evening. The dog's kennel was just around the corner of the house, and Janice listened for any sounds

The sound startled her; it didn't seem like Vulcan. Even when he whimpered, the big dog's tone was rumbly.

But these whines were high, almost yelps. Mechanically, Janice approached the window and raised it.

With the whines, she heard the clatter of Vulcan's chain. Puzzled, the girl stared across the lawn at random.

It wasn't the breeze from the window that chilled her, although Janice was nearly unclad. The breeze was

mild, compared to the harsher gusts that had wailed earlier. Janice was frozen by the distant figure that she

saw moving past the oaks. It was a shape of blackness that had every quality of a wandering ghost.

Janice wondered if her mother had seen that cloaked figure off beyond the house. If so, her talk of a banshee

hadn't been imagination, even though the threat of death could be regarded as groundless.

Lucretia Melridge had read deeply into the lore of apparitions, and believed that old mansions attracted

specters from the night; but, so far, she and no one else had claimed that such visitants were about.

This was Janice's turn to see the apparition, and the way that the darkness suddenly swallowed the cloaked

shape seemed further proof of its spirit origin. Next, Janice caught the blinks of a tiny light, which made her

Shakily, the girl came from the window and found kimono and slippers. By the time she had put them on,

fear overwhelmed her. She made a record dash downstairs and arrived, panting, in the lighted study.

TRYING to pour her story in one breath, Janice made a botch of it. Her father gripped her shoulders, found

that she was trembling. He was looking anxiously at Dr. Heverly, when Bob intervened, saying:

Again, the mental bond between the twins was demonstrated. Collecting her wits, Janice spoke calmly to

Bob, as if expressing thoughts to herself. There was firmness on Bob's face when he turned to the others.

"She saw something," he said. "I know it as positively as if I had been there myself. A figure in black, off by

the oaks, that faded into the trees below the drive, followed by tiny blinks of light. Two blinks, you said,

The girl nodded. Heverly reached for the telephone and gave a number that the others recognized.

"I'm calling the sheriff," he stated. "I'll tell him to start a search, beginning from the gateway. Apparently,

Outside the mansion, Vulcan was still straining at his chain. The big dog was whining no longer; he was

putting full effort into his tugs, with an intelligence that seemed almost human. Each jerk was wearing at the

Janice had mentioned Vulcan's whine, and she and the others were listening for it. Not hearing the sound,

Yet Vulcan, in his way, was giving proof to Janice's story. He had seen the fading figure and the dwindling

The Shadow had returned to the gate. There, he was checking the ground for every possible clue. He was

interested first in tire marks, and found those of Thayner's roadster, where they cut in toward the gate,

He identified the tires of the other cars, made careful recordings of their treads. In a ditch, he found a crook's

revolver; farther along, he came across a darkgray hat, new and of expensive make.

Judging from the new condition of the tires, the modern revolver, and the new hat, Clint Flenn had brought

along a wellequipped crew. Probably they had working clothes for any bank jobs, but they were certainly

How they had come across Thayner and how much they had gained by robbing him were questions that only

the victim could answer, and such information could wait until he recuperated from his adventure. Thayner's

car, alone, was quite a prize, but The Shadow doubted that Flenn would attempt to peddle it.

Clint Flenn was after more than ordinary game; that was a certainty. He would do nothing that might put a

crimp in his present activities. Handling stolen cars wasn't one of Clint's rackets. He would avoid it.

Other clues were trivial, hardly worth the time that The Shadow spent in finding them. The cloaked

investigator started past the gateway, toward the turnout where he had ditched his own car.

There was a stir from the underbrush; The Shadow wheeled, shoving his hand to a ready gun. Before he could

Whipping his hands apart, gunless, The Shadow thrust one to the throat of the giant creature that hit him like

an avalanche. He wrapped his other arm higher, folding it about an enormous muzzle that bristled with

Though braced for the onslaught, the blackcloaked fighter was swept from his feet and rolled halfacross

It was Vulcan, loose with all the fiery spirit that he had shown earlier. Such a dog, launched upon a

selfappointed mission, could prove himself a killer. Vulcan had given evidence of his ability, and The

Shadow had witnessed it, through a window. But he had also seen the way in which the beast was handled

Intuitively, The Shadow had provided the process: one grip to fling the dog's head aside, another to muzzle

him. As they struck, The Shadow gave a shoulder roll that tightened his grip on the powerful dog.

But Bob's system wasn't the only one The Shadow used. Even before he struck the ground, he had voiced a

SOMETHING in that strange whisper spoke of mastery. The Shadow demonstrated the needed prowess that

went with it, and on the second roll, he felt the dog relax. Halfbeneath Vulcan's bulk, he released his grip, at

As Vulcan let his mouth yawn, The Shadow's arm eased in between the dog's jaws. Playfully, Vulcan worried

the cloaked arm without an attempt at a bite. Rolling the dog to his feet, The Shadow came up with him. He

Vulcan did exactly what The Shadow expected; he caught his new friend's wrist between easypressing teeth

Reclaiming the gun, The Shadow warded the dog away, speaking another command. He turned toward his

car, followed obediently by his new ally. In Vulcan, The Shadow had found a most unusual dog one trained

in police methods, which meant that he had intelligence in proportion to his bulk.

While The Shadow jacked the rear wheel of his car to insert gravel between the tire and the mire, Vulcan sat

The Shadow paused at moments, to pat the dog's head, assuring him of some future opportunity. It was good

About to step into the car, The Shadow saw lights swing in along the road from the direction of Northdale.

Crouching on the far side of the car, he drew Vulcan beside him. The arriving automobile swung in toward

the gates; the turn of its lights threw a glare straight toward The Shadow's car.

Gruff voices sounded. Gravel churned beneath heavy boots, as men alighted. It wasn't Clint Flenn Co.

returning. These were newcomers, obviously some of the local police authorities. They thought that they had

found an empty car; nevertheless, they were drawing revolvers as they approached.

Easing Vulcan forward, The Shadow spoke a low command. The dog showed even more vigor than when on

his own. He became a canine thunderbolt as he sprang for the approaching deputies, taking them totally off

Even in the dim light, Vulcan saw his targets: the glittering revolvers. He disarmed one man with a superfine

twist that carried the fellow into a somersault. As the other deputy wheeled about, Vulcan met him with both

That done, Vulcan was around again, ready to overtake the scrambling men and demolish them before they

reached their car. But Vulcan had an ear wide, waiting for a mere word from his new master.

It came, a sibilant tone that the deputies didn't hear amid their clatter. Stopping short, Vulcan barked in

There was a loud voice from the car, audible despite Vulcan's huge bark. It was the sheriff who shouted:

"It's Melridge's dog! Stay in here, you fellows. We'll swing up and take a look at that car."

The Shadow saved the sheriff the trouble. He had pressed the starter while Vulcan barked. With a twist, the

rear wheel caught the gravel and jerked the car out to the road. Before the sheriff had time to swing his car

about, The Shadow's machine was zooming past him, whining in highspeed second gear.

Forgetting that Vulcan had disarmed the deputies, the sheriff kept yelling for them to shoot, drowning out

their loud replies that they couldn't. Lights glimmered suddenly from The Shadow's car, but all that the

A laugh trailed back from distant darkness, to be answered by the farewell barks of Vulcan, The Shadow's

LIFE slipped by pleasantly at Seven Oaks, as Carl Thayner learned during a few days of residence there. The

Melridge hospitality, once established, proved itself wholehearted. The house was wide open to the

unfortunate stranger, and thanks to his appreciative way, Thayner was regarded almost as a member of the

Thayner's hurts, though not serious, proved numerous. In addition to his bandaged head, he carried his right

arm in a sling, due to a severe sprain which troubled him. He had a limp which tired him when he walked;

He talked often with Lucretia Melridge, and his chats proved a better tonic than any that Dr. Heverly could

have prescribed. Thayner had traveled to many distant places; he talked of Buenos Aires and Shanghai in the

same breath as New York. His descriptions pleased Mrs. Melridge, for she had a flare for travel, too.

Moreover, Thayner was tactful, as Dr. Heverly noted. When he mentioned the pampas of the Argentine,

Lucretia asked eagerly if he had ever seen any of the huge vampire bats that frequented those plains. Thayner

promptly swung the conversation to descriptions of the gauchos, telling of the riding feats performed by those

When Thayner happened to speak of Irish castles that he had visited, Lucretia swung the talk to banshees,

whereupon Thayner skillfully shifted to humorous legends concerning the famed Blarney Stone, thereby

Grover Melridge felt himself indebted to Thayner, and said so. Smilingly, Thayner discounted the praise and

assured Melridge that the obligation was the other way about. As for Bob, he and Thayner became pals.

They talked about polo, which both liked, a game which Thayner had played in the Argentine. When it came

to adventures, Thayner had many to relate, which he did in a matteroffact style that captured Bob's

Meanwhile, of course, Thayner had described his most recent adventure the battle wherein he had somehow

managed to escape from murderous attackers down by the gate. Who his assailants were, whether they had

If they were New York mobsmen, they might have marked him while he was in Manhattan, for there Thayner

had been a large spender. If they had come across him while he was driving toward Northdale, his car was

probably the reason for their attack. Ruefully, Thayner admitted that the big sepia roadster was too

So far, the car had not been located, and Sheriff Rawley, a gruff, bluntspoken man, told Thayner that he

could probably kiss the roadster goodby. Crooks had cleared the neighborhood, taking the car with them,

and about the best that Thayner could do would be to collect what insurance he had on it.

Thayner took the situation cheerfully. What worried him more was the loss of his bag, which contained all of

his funds. Thayner computed the total at approximately ten thousand dollars, his savings of the past five

years. But he treated the matter philosophically, when he spoke to Janice Melridge.

"All my life," said Thayner, in a reflective tone, "I have been making friends, not money. There are dozens of

"Is Seven Oaks such a place?" inquired Janice, hopefully. "I hope you have added it to the list."

"I have," assured Thayner, soberly, "and you can be sure that I shall some day return your hospitality tenfold.

I am getting older, Janice, and it is time that I made my fortune. I know of opportunities: forgotten gold

mines, islands with buried treasure. Friends have often wanted to stake me on such ventures."

THEY were on the veranda, and dusk was gathering. Janice suggested that they go through the house and

walk out to the Italian Garden, to view the rising moon. As they entered the front door, Thayner noted a

It was an interesting face, firmfeatured yet lovely. At most moments, Janice seemed softly feminine. Her

smile was winsome; her blond hair had a way of dropping its stray locks across her forehead, almost to her

roundish cheeks. When she became conscious of the fact, she brushed her hair back, tightened her lips and

At such times, she most resembled her brother, Bob, who always kept his chin up. When Bob became

reflective, his face seemed to mature. That was where they differed. Bob had shaken off his youth, whereas

"You say you're growing old," Janice told Thayner. She was speaking in Bob's style. "Just how old are you?"

"Twice your age," laughed Thayner. Then, as Janice showed surprise: "In experience; though probably not in

In Janice's opinion, he didn't. She was contrasting him with Dr. Heverly. When so compared, Thayner

seemed really young, and his buoyancy was the sort that would last. Despite herself, Janice began to reflect

how little difference ten years made. She was about to express the thought, when they heard an interruption.

The voices came from the stairway. Grover Melridge and his wife Lucretia were coming downstairs,

engaging in an argument. It was seldom that Melridge lost his temper with Lucretia, but this was one such

"I've had enough of your folly!" stormed Melridge. "I can put up with many things, Lucretia, but not with this

"It is time that I should speak!" shrieked Lucretia. "The truth must be known! The world must learn!

"About banshees?" interrupted Melridge. "We've heard enough of that silly chatter! Forget the ghosts,

"Some ghosts are real," cackled Lucretia. "You cannot deny it, Grover. They are ghosts of the past, that live

Her words broke off into a gargly sound. Thayner was about to start forward, when Janice caught his arm and

drew him into the nearest doorway, which happened to be Melridge's study. They heard Lucretia's shriek turn

"If you do" Melridge's outburst was punctuated by his wife's choking "you know what will happen,

Chokes changed to moans. Looking from the doorway, Thayner and Janice saw servants arrive to help

Melridge lift his wife's limp form. Melridge's hands were fidgeting, as though they regretted the recent grip

that they had taken on Lucretia's throat. Watching his wife steadily, Melridge saw that her mood had passed.

"Help her upstairs," he told the servants, wearily. "Keep her quiet; while I summon Dr. Heverly."

Melridge went to the hallway telephone. Janice drew Thayner into the study and gently closed the door.

"You mustn't think too harshly of father," the girl told Thayner. "He's lost his temper that way before. Bob

"They would not understand," inserted Thayner. "Servants never do. It is too bad that they chanced to be

around. But there is no need to worry, Janice. Your mother's hysteria was brief. It is a sign that she has

OFFERING the girl a cigarette, Thayner lighted one himself and glanced around the study. He noted the

It showed a firmfaced man, with grizzled hair, whose graytinged mustache gave him an ironclad

expression. The eyes were of a steely hue, but in them dwelt a kindly expression that the artist had captured

"Howard Loyden," replied Janice. "My father's finest friend. I must have met him, though he died nearly

twenty years ago. Every time I look at the portrait, I seem to feel it speak. Bob has said the same."

"Almost," declared Janice, "but that is either memory or imagination. The picture speaks with its eyes, the

way that Bob and I do, sometimes. But there are never words. We just feel that the portrait sees us and

"Not at all," mused Thayner. "It is a very fine thought, Janice. Your father was very fortunate to know such a

Thayner was still studying Loyden's portrait, when Janice opened the study door and tiptoed a few paces into

"Come, Carl. Father has gone out to the veranda, to wait for Dr. Heverly. We can go to the Italian Garden."

As they went through the hallway, Janice looked about her. The house was dark, except for the few lights that

the servants had turned on. Something in the blackness of the living room made Janice think of the night

In one glance, she fancied that she saw burning eyes that might belong to a blackcloaked figure. Then she

decided that they were embers in the fireplace; that any shape in the living room was purely her imagination.

Yet there was a shape, that neither Janice nor Thayner saw. It came from the living room after they had gone

outdoors. It was the gliding figure of The Shadow; he paused by the door of the study and looked into the

There, The Shadow observed the portrait of Howard Loyden and noted the characteristics of the lifesized

Moving from the study, The Shadow paused to look toward the veranda, then upstairs. It was plain from his

actions that he had witnessed the entire scene between Grover and Lucretia Melridge, though he had not

overheard the conversation in the study between Janice and Thayner. Gliding ahead, The Shadow went out

Already outside, Janice and Thayner were passing Vulcan's kennel. The dog was gnawing a huge ham bone;

he forgot his meal, to rise with a deepthroated growl and give a violent clank at his new chain.

Vulcan didn't quiet. His growl became a fierce bark, as the girl approached with Thayner. In the moonlight,

Vulcan could have passed for a huge werewolf, a mighty creature ready to slaughter all humans in sight.

Letting his growls subside, Vulcan resumed operations on the ham bone. Rejoining Thayner, Janice laughed.

"Even a toy dog will fuss when having dinner," the girl said. "Vulcan doesn't like to be disturbed, either, so

he puts up an argument, too. Only he does it on such a huge scale that he sounds terribly dangerous, which he

Thayner agreed. They continued to the garden, where they chatted lightly on subjects that included

moonlight. Janice was trying to forget the recent scene in the house, and Thayner did his utmost to soothe her

CHIMES from the house announced the dinner hour. They left the garden, with its marble pillars and

benches. Looking back, Janice observed a moving blot of blackness that seemed to efface itself. For a

moment, she thought that it was a living figure, and started to grip Thayner's arm in fright.

Then she noted that the night was clouding. Probably the blackness had been caused by a cloud drifting

across the moon. Remembering Vulcan, Janice drew Thayner toward another doorway, to give the kennel a

Yet they heard Vulcan bark as they entered the house. The great dog had seen something sneaking beyond the

house. Janice was about to turn back, when the barks subsided. She went into the house with Thayner; as a

result, the girl failed to see the singular thing that occurred beside the kennel.

The darkened blotch from the marblepillared garden was more real than Janice supposed. It had become a

It was the arrival of that form that quieted Vulcan. The Great Dane recognized his friend, The Shadow. Under

The Shadow, too, was crouched, invisible against the dark gray of the weatherbeaten kennel. Like Vulcan,

he was watching for another sight of a furtive figure that had slipped beyond the house. A prowler had come

In seeking new traces of the shifty stranger, The Shadow was counting on another trail. But the master of

darkness had not forgotten the things that he had seen, and learned, at Seven Oaks. There was a whispered

laugh beside the kennel. Vulcan nestled his great head in the folds of The Shadow's cloak.

This was the night The Shadow had awaited. Trails had crossed beneath the darkening moon. Soon, The

SLEEK and shiny, except for one dented fender, Thayner's sepia roadster was parked under the shelter of

thick trees, on a dirt road to the rear of Seven Oaks. At the wheel sat a crouched man who indulged in

A flashlight glimmered from a wooded path. Another man stumbled through to the road. As his light played

"Wouldn't I know it?" growled the man in the car. "Clint must have been screwy when he put you on the job,

Gumbo! Cripes! You were tripping over your own shoe leather worse than some flatfoot cop."

"I was all right in the open," argued Gumbo, "and that's what I was sent for, to case the house up on the hill. I

"Sure, I did, Trigg. You'd have taken longer. It was moonlight when I went up, which made it tough. The big

Faces showed in the dashlight. Trigg's was hard, squarejawed, with an ugly glint to its eyes. Gumbo's

countenance was thin and pasty, with little, blinking eyes that were both sharp and shrewd. His reply to Trigg

Trigg shoved the car into gear. He hadn't been in a hurry to get started; not until he had quizzed Gumbo.

Finding that the sneak was closemouthed, Trigg saw no use in lingering longer. At the same time, he

So it had been, but not for Trigg. The roadster had waited just long enough to suit another arrival, who had

reached the road in absolute silence. Contrasted with Gumbo's stumblebum approach, a quiet advent had

Despite the darkness up by the mansion, The Shadow had observed Gumbo steal away from shelter of the

house. A slight whine from Vulcan had certified The Shadow's impression. Leaving his canine friend, The

At present, he was riding the curved back of Thayner's fancy roadster, having reached that vantage point just

as the sleek car pulled away. He had learned the identity of the two men in the car, and one of them was

important. The man in question was Trigg. The Shadow knew his full name: Trigg Ungrel.

Clint Flenn, the bigtime criminal sought by The Shadow, was a man who trusted very few of his own ilk.

Yet Clint, like other bigshots, occasionally needed a lieutenant. He had chosen one a few years ago, and the

If any man could speak for Clint, and tell something worthwhile, that man was Trigg. The fact was one that

The roadster took a twisty path along a network of dirt roads. Peering over the side, The Shadow recognized

landmarks in the glow of the headlights. During the past few days, The Shadow had inspected the terrain

around Northdale and found marks of incriminating tire tracks, but they were too infrequent to produce a

However, The Shadow had learned what Sheriff Rawley did not guess: that the crooks who attacked Thayner

were still in the vicinity. On all his trips to Seven Oaks, The Shadow had been on the lookout for members of

The present route interested The Shadow. It was doubling back along a paved road, which accounted for The

Shadow's difficulty in tracing the intermittent tire marks. The car was surprisingly close to the little town of

The ground was too hard to show tire marks; and the quarry had another peculiarity, which The Shadow had

There was an outlet at the rear of the quarry a curved road that led up to an old, deserted house that clung to

a hillside. Trigg extinguished the headlights as he approached, and with good reason. Through the trees that

Those lights represented Northdale. The abandoned house was on the very outskirts of the little town, yet

unapproachable except by the quarry road. Choice of such a hideaway was proof that Clint Flenn was crafty.

He had tucked his crew safely away, almost within shouting distance of Sheriff Rawley and the latter's

TRIGG UNGREL rapped at the side door of the house, then shoved it open. He entered, followed by Gumbo,

and The Shadow immediately took up the short trail. Working the door open, he saw what he expected.

There was a guard inside, but the fellow had dropped his duty as soon as Trigg and Gumbo arrived. He was

following the pair into a big room at the end of a hall. Using darkness as his cover, The Shadow reached the

The house looked like an old store that had once supplied the quarry workers. Clint Flenn was seated on a

cracker barrel under the light of a swinging kerosene lantern. Longjawed and hardfaced, Clint nevertheless

He was well dressed, and his manner went with it. In New York, Clint had made a specialty of appearing at

gaudy restaurants and gilded nightclubs. He had used those places every time he needed an alibi.

In the light, Trigg Ungrel looked like an imitation of Clint Flenn, and the rest of the band even Gumbo

Some had difficulty, because they had arms in slings and shoulders thick with bandages, tokens of their

recent battle with The Shadow. There was a dapper man among them; when Clint addressed the fellow, he

called him "Doc." Evidently Doc had served an apprenticeship at some hospital, and knew enough about first

In a smooth, easy tone, Clint inquired what Gumbo had learned. The pastyfaced snooper put it in a nutshell.

"The guy is still up at the house," declared Gumbo. "Thayner, I mean. There's a dame there, that's gone sweet

on him. They were talking mush out in a garden that was rigged like a cemetery. I figure it will be tough to

"There's three other guys in the house," replied Gumbo. "Old man Melridge, his son, and a flunky named

Jasper. The medico comes there a lot, too, which makes four. Besides, there's the pooch. He's half as big as an

Stroking his long chin, Clint pondered on Gumbo's details. Then, rising from the barrel, he decided:

There were mutters from the dozen men who surrounded the bigshot. Trigg Ungrel shoved himself forward,

motioning the others to be silent. Acting as their spokesman, Trigg demanded sarcastically:

"What's the matter, Clint? Afraid you can't build an alibi, like you did when the Feds knocked off that partner

The Shadow caught the full point of Trigg's caustic challenge. The Bargo case had often been discussed in

Manhattan's crime centers. Everyone knew how Nick Bargo had been trapped right after a bank job, and had

There was another question that Trigg could have asked. It concerned fifty thousand dollars that Bargo had

taken in his last haul. Though Bargo had been killed in the getaway, the Feds had never found the cash. If

In fact, there had been rumors that Clint had doublecrossed Nick. The fact that Clint had an alibi meant

nothing. It would have been easy for him to go on the job with Nick, leave his partner to the Feds, and slide

Still, mobsters agreed that Clint had probably profited through circumstances, rather than by intent. He wasn't

Yet such service carried an element of mistrust, as voiced by Trigg Ungrel. The rest of the crew expected

"Sometimes, Trigg," said Clint, "you open your big face too wide. You'll swallow something, some day, that

Ignoring Trigg, Clint turned to the others, to resume his theme. His tone was almost casual.

"What did we get from Thayner the other night?" he queried. "Only a couple of grand. Maybe the guy hasn't

got any more dough. If that's the case, putting the heat on him won't do us any good. If we make a regular

"I say the Thayner job is off. That goes! I've got a better plan. Gumbo says that Thayner is making a play for

the Melridge doll. All right, we'll snatch her instead: Her old man has dough, and can pay. Besides" Clint

gave a gloating chuckle "it will put this guy Thayner in a tough spot. They'll figure he's a finger man,

THERE were grunts of approval from the listeners. Clint threw a contemptuous look at Trigg. The lieutenant

"Clint has gone screwy," began Trigg. "This is another of his smart ideas that won't work out. What's the

dope, Clint?" He turned savagely to the bigshot. "Did you get more dough out of Thayner's bag than you

Clint's answer was a lightning punch that came straight from the hip and took Trigg's wagging jaw as a target.

Clint's knuckles seemed to draw back as they landed, retarding so they wouldn't feel the blow. Trigg took a

"Outside, Trigg," ordered Clint, smoothly. "You're demoted to doorkeeper. Talk to yourself awhile."

Sheepishly, Trigg accepted the demotion. His hand stopped as it reached the gun on his hip. With his other

hand he rubbed his chin, and muttered something about Clint being "all right." He was still mumbling when

Drawing back into darkness, The Shadow had found a deep doorway and was waiting for Trigg to pass. He

heard Trigg's utterances. Sensibly enough, Trigg was cursing his own foolishness. His mutters indicated that

he still wanted to take over Clint's racket and run it his own way, but the chance was gone.

In fact, Trigg was debating whether or not he wanted to stay in the racket at all. Maybe he'd be getting some

of those pills that Clint talked about bullets from a .38 to be delivered when he wasn't looking. Trigg was

Shifting silently from the doorway, The Shadow decided to make up Trigg's mind. There were facts that The

Shadow wanted to know, particularly concerning the former partnership between Clint Flenn and Nick

Bargo, as well as the reasons why Clint had taken up the present expedition. Trigg Ungrel was the man to

Out of the darkness came two things: a whisper and a gun muzzle. The whisper reached Trigg's ear; the

gunpoint pressed icily against the crime lieutenant's neck. Trigg's lips moved in darkness. They formed a

"Keep moving, Trigg," the whisper said. "We're going for a ride in Thayner's car. Clint said you talk too

much. Perhaps" the hissed word chilled Trigg "perhaps you haven't talked enough. Sometimes, Trigg,

Trigg was gasping, as though he wanted to talk right then and there. A few seconds more, The Shadow would

have marched the shaky lieutenant right out of Clint's camp and away. But an intervention came.

The door of the main room opened and Gumbo stepped out, followed by Clint's voice telling him to bring

The Shadow's free fist clamped like a vise on Trigg's arm, jerked the faltering lieutenant into the deep

doorway. Swinging Trigg fullabout, The Shadow pressed him against the door itself, intending to keep him

covered while Gumbo passed. It was a hard shove, the sort that Trigg needed, but the door didn't stand the

With a rip, the barrier gave on broken hinges. Clutched by Trigg's frantic hands, The Shadow went headlong

into lower darkness, down into the cellar of the ramshackle house. Together, the cloaked fighter and his

prisoner hit the steps with long bounces that ended as they struck the cellar floor.

Despite his efforts to land Trigg underneath, The Shadow took the final thump a vicious shoulder thud that

somersaulted him across the floor, where he tumbled a stack of boxes with terrific clatter.

Trigg, rolling clear, grabbed for his revolver, but couldn't find it. The gun had left his pocket somewhere on

It didn't matter, though, to Trigg, when he heard shouts and heavy thumping feet from the floor above. There

was silence from the boxes where The Shadow lay, half stunned, and that, to Trigg, spelled opportunity.

Reaching the steps on hands and knees, Trigg came across his gun and promptly grabbed it; then raised a

triumphant cry. He was squaring himself with Clint Flenn, and at the same time building himself into an

For Trigg's call could mean but one thing: sure death to The Shadow, crime's greatest foe.

TO The Shadow, sprawled beneath the mass of boxes, Trigg's shout was a hazy thing, a voice that didn't

belong. The whole place was a whirl of darkness that couldn't be Thayner's car in motion. Answering shouts

Mere moments seemed endless. The Shadow felt as Thayner must have felt when tumbled in the gully. All

Shifting groggily against the pressing weight, The Shadow received a glancing blow from a falling box. The

As he yelled, Trigg turned and stabbed bullets at the boxes. He had heard one spill and guessed its direction

well. But Trigg was simply splintering a box above The Shadow's head. The cloaked fighter had not risen.

His leg wouldn't lift him; the wrench that it took produced a half groan from The Shadow's lips.

Gunshots had aroused The Shadow, as they always did. His hand gripped the butt of the automatic that he had

clutched throughout the fall. His grip on the gun brought back his fighting desire: a wish for battle, regardless

of odds. His crippled condition didn't matter to The Shadow. Flat on his back, he was still ready to shoot his

The Shadow did not reckon that the only out in this case seemed certain death for himself.

Fate had played serious tricks upon The Shadow, and this was as bad as any. But the situation was a freaky

one, more so than The Shadow could realize. Odd factors were at work, and they were due to produce odd

The first factor was Trigg Ungrel. He heard the groan, and misinterpreted it. To Trigg, it sounded like a death

rattle from The Shadow's throat. In the darkness, Trigg wheeled toward the boxes; then, as flashlights burned

Trigg saw the face of Clint Flenn thrusting forward. Pointing with one hand, brandishing the gun with the

"I croaked The Shadow! Hurry down, Clint, and take a gander. He's right here, cold "

At that moment Clint interrupted, by shoving Gumbo forward with the light. He was sending the spotter

down first, and intended to follow, when another interruption came. This time, it was The Shadow who

Through a rift between the boxes, The Shadow saw the downcoming light. He poked his gun muzzle into the

Never had The Shadow provided a more timely shot. Even his wavering hand could function, for the gun was

jammed in place. His target was a big spot of light that he could pick out, although groggy, and there was a

With a shriek, the scrawny spy dived into a breakneck spill, the flashlight bobbing along like a giant firefly

imitating a grasshopper. Another flashlight was swinging into sight, but Clint Flenn didn't wait for it to

Beyond Gumbo's bouncing form, Clint saw Trigg Ungrel, standing with an upraised revolver that curled

Though Trigg was rooted, his lips still wore a gleeful smile at thought that he had finished The Shadow. It

Clint's gun spoke first; it was followed by a combined roar, as other marksmen eagerly sought to prove their

loyalty to their chief. They didn't stop to think, for it didn't seem necessary. All got the same quick flash that

They saw Trigg and his smoking gun. They thought that he had fired the shot from the cellar. They knew that

Trigg couldn't have seen Gumbo, for Clint's face was the first that had pushed into the light. To them, Trigg

THE barrage withered Trigg. He went down crazily, mouthing something about The Shadow. Clint was

sneering when he reached the sprawled lieutenant and found him lying half across Gumbo's dead and twisted

"So you got The Shadow," scoffed Clint, as he yanked Trigg's face into a light that another thug provided.

"Yes, you did not! Swell hokum, raising hob down here, to bring me! All you wanted was a shot at me, that

"You'd have said that The Shadow got away, wouldn't you? Yeah, got away, like he always does. Easy

enough to say; when The Shadow isn't even around. You'd have told the bunch that The Shadow plugged me,

"Smart stuff, Trigg, but it didn't work. I'm still running this racket. All you're getting out of your smartness is

Dropping Trigg's head, Clint supplied a facial massage in the form of a kick. Taking a flashlight, he

approached the boxes and stared at the slats that Trigg's bullets had ripped. Clint was far closer to death than

before, as he started to yank boxes away simply to show his contempt for Trigg's supposed game.

One box more and Clint would have received a death bullet from The Shadow's handy gun. The cloaked

fighter, his wits returned, was simply withholding fire until it became the only course. In his present plight,

The Shadow recognized that battle, for once, would be folly and preferred to avoid it.

The cellar was still reeling; The Shadow could see nothing but wavering lights. His free arm was trapped

beneath the boxes; he couldn't reach his other gun. The cartridges remaining in his one automatic weren't

enough to settle Clint's entire crew. It was better that they should think that Trigg had played a crazy game,

One box more. Clint's hands were on it, when a call came from above. A watchful crook had spotted lights

coming up the steep hill from the town. Savagely, Clint flung the box back in place and snapped orders to his

"Get going!" he told them. "Take all the wheelers, except Thayner's. Let them find it; they'll suspect us,

anyhow. It will make them think we've really lammed. We'll get together, out at Kendry's farm.

"Mouser is there already. He's made a deal with Kendry, and the guy will take us in. Only, don't leave any

trail to the joint. Guys like Kendry are all right until they get jittery. We don't want to spoil a good thing

Leaving the bodies of Trigg and Gumbo, the crooks piled for the stairs. Clint went with them, and found that

he had given his orders just in time. The men from the town had made a quicker trip than Clint supposed.

Leaping into three cars, the crooks wheeled away by the quarry route. They abandoned Thayner's roadster, as

Clint had ordered, but they had practically no choice in the matter. The sepiahued car was the first one that

the sheriff's men saw, and the nearest. They had already occupied it when the crooks began their flight.

From the cellar, The Shadow heard the rattle of fading guns, knew that the fight had been wild and futile on

both sides. Pushing boxes away; he managed to crawl to the window and pull himself upright, hoping that he

By then, the cars were off through the quarry, and the sheriff's squad had no vehicle except Thayner's. They

The keys were still in the dead man's pocket, but The Shadow did not look for them. Instead, he stumbled

back to the boxes and dragged a strong one to the window. Favoring his wrenched leg, The Shadow managed

to crawl out. Clutching the turf outside the groundlevel window, he flattened in darkness and lay there.

Deputies were heading into the house. Their shouts told that they had found the bodies in the cellar. Others

joined them, leaving a silence outdoors. Painfully, The Shadow crept around the house, found the steep hill

Below, a car was whizzing through the village of Northdale, its occupants shooting away at closed

storefronts. It was one of Clint's cars, its crew supplying what their chief would have described as a false trail.

THE hill was a cliff at spots, but sliding down it was not difficult. The Shadow had reached the bottom before

They found The Shadow later, but he was well away from the bottom of the cliff. He was lying beside a car

parked near the main street, and he was no longer garbed in black. He had stowed his cloak, hat, and guns in

Weakly, The Shadow introduced himself as Lamont Cranston, from New York. Bound on a trip to the Middle

West, he had stopped in Northdale, intending to look for a hotel. Getting out of his car, he had been struck by

Cranston's ill luck was marked up as another misdeed on the part of Clint's unidentified crew, which

happened to be quite correct, although he had been injured in a fashion other than the one he described. He

Northdale thought in terms of only one physician, Dr. Heverly. As Cranston, The Shadow had his first

meeting with Heverly, and the doctor found the patient in a talkative mood. Since Cranston's condition was

Heverly told of Thayner's misadventure; how the band of highwaymen had turned up close to town. This

However, the sheriff had ordered an intensive manhunt throughout the county. Two crooks had died in a fight

among themselves, evidently in a dispute over Thayner's cash, which totaled considerably more than ten

They had obviously taken the money with them, but they had lost the stolen car through their strife. It would

be returned to Thayner tomorrow; and since Thayner was also one of Heverly's patients, Cranston could meet

him later. Not for a few days, however, for Cranston would have to rest that long.

When the obliging physician had gone, The Shadow rose from bed and reached the window. Resting there, he

Heverly's advice was to take a rest, and The Shadow intended to follow it, for one night only. He knew that

Clint Flenn would not attempt further crime until the band was properly established at Kendry's farm.

Despite his near disaster, The Shadow was pleased with his night's work. He had pieced important facts,

although Trigg Ungrel had not lived long enough to add some needed embellishments. Considering Clint

Flenn and the crimeleader's smooth ways, The Shadow could see deeply into the game.

It was a game within a game, carrying a strong dash of the double cross that Clint would not avow. The

episode with Trigg had given Clint full control, but he couldn't afford to let his crew get out of hand again.

Crime could not afford to wait beyond tomorrow night. That was when Clint Flenn would move to kidnap

Janice Melridge and throw what blame he could on Carl Thayner. It would seem safe enough to Clint, who

It happened that The Shadow knew both. The rest that Dr. Heverly had advised was pleasant, but it did not

belong on The Shadow's calendar. Stopping crime was not enough; its whole purpose had to be revealed. One

THAYNER'S sepia roadster, glistening beautifully in the afternoon sun, stood in front of the Melridge

mansion. The car was spickandspan, the dents gone from its fender, which bore fresh paint instead. Janice

Like the roadster, Thayner was in shape again. The bandage was gone from his head, his arm no longer in a

"You shouldn't have had the car fixed," he told Janice. "How am I to pay for the repairs? In fact, I'm sorry

that the roadster came back. I was counting on the insurance money to start me on my way again."

"We'll keep the car here as security," bantered Janice, "and you'll have to stay with it. Meanwhile, I've run up

"The servants have the night off," explained Janice. "So you and I are going out to dinner."

"I'll get some from Bob," interrupted Janice, "and charge it up against the car. We'll go over to the Cherry

Thayner had heard of the Cherry Tree Inn, a dozen miles from Northdale, but understood that the place was

closed. Janice explained that it had opened again; she had heard about it from a trucker who had stopped at

"The inn is under the same management," said the girl, "and the man told me they were hoping that their old

patrons would come back. He was going over there with a load of vegetables, so I told him to have them

"I remember the man in the truck," recalled Thayner. "You were talking to him while I was strolling in from

"And Vulcan began to bark," added Janice. "I really don't know what's wrong with Vulcan lately. He usually

has some reason when he barks at people, but I'm positive that the vegetable man did not make a move in his

They went into the house. The afternoon was late and Janice remarked that she would have to hurry, so that

they could get started before dark. With the servants gone, there were many household duties for Janice to

Such matters took longer than Janice anticipated. Dusk was settling when the girl came down the stairs,

Thayner was in the hallway, gazing with admiring eye. He added a smile, as Janice scampered cutely across

"Hello... Oh, it's you, Dr. Heverly..." Janice's tone was pleased. "Yes, I was going to call you before we left...

Left for where? Over to the Cherry Tree Inn... Yes, it has reopened haven't you heard?

"I'm going with Carl, and we'll be back early... Yes, mother is quite all right. She went to sleep an hour ago...

Father is here, in the study, and Bob has gone out somewhere... Yes" Janice sobered at something that

Heverly said "I suppose that it would be best for you to come here... Thank you, doctor."

HEVERLY was making the call from Cranston's room in the Northdale Hotel. The physician's face was

troubled as he laid the telephone aside; but his lips relaxed when he turned toward Cranston. Propped in the

"It won't blow," said Cranston, ruefully, handing the whistle to Heverly. "Maybe I'm weak. You try it, doctor.

Heverly tried to blow the whistle, while Cranston looked hopefully from the window. But the whistle gave no

sound. Pedestrians plodded along the main street, undisturbed. The nearest thing to excitement was a friendly

scrap between two dogs across the street, but the mongrels stopped their capers and sat in attentive attitudes,

"Give me the whistle," said Cranston in a tired tone. "I'll send it back to the fiveandtencent store. By the

"It's a roadhouse," replied Heverly, "a few miles beyond Kendry's farm. I thought the place had gone out of

"Not this evening," interjected Heverly, firmly. "You're staying right here, Cranston and I have to go up to

"Thayner is fully recovered," he said, dryly, "because he followed my advice, to rest. My concern is for Mrs.

Melridge. Her mental condition has been on the border line for some time. Something has been preying on

"If you want me," said the doctor, "call Melridge's. I'll be there all evening. Grover Melridge has been under a

severe strain, bearing the brunt of his wife's mania. If one of them should crack" Heverly gave a worried

By the time Heverly's car had pulled away from the hotel, a marked improvement had come over Lamont

Cranston. His expression was wearied no longer. Instead, a gleam had come to his hawklike features.

He was out of bed, dressing rapidly, though he was still careful of his injured leg. His arm twinged him, too;

as he paused, he lifted it gingerly to shoulder level and soon found how much effort it could stand.

With a slight limp, Cranston left the hotel room and descended a stairway to the lobby. His limp was a

halfglide, as he went out through a side door, unnoticed by the clerk, who was buried deeply in a magazine

Within the next few minutes, The Shadow became an actuality in the duskshrouded town of Northdale. As

Cranston, he stopped behind a coupe stationed in a secluded parking lot alongside the hotel.

From the rumble seat, he brought a black cloak and flung it across his shoulders. Clamping a slouch hat on

Closing the rumble, he swung himself in through the door of the coupe and started the car slowly from the

parking lot. His speed was normal as he drove along the main street, until he had passed the three traffic

Then, with the open road ahead, The Shadow pressed the accelerator to the floorboard and sent the coupe

MEANWHILE, Thayner was driving his roadster at a leisurely speed along roads that Janice pointed out.

Dark had come sooner than they expected, for heavy clouds cut off the struggling moon. There were

moments when the girl looked up hopefully; she felt sure that the clouds would clear and allow them

Then, snuggling close to Thayner, the girl watched the path of light ahead. The car was moving through a

"In this car?" queried Thayner, in a tone of mild surprise. "It has brought me a lot of trouble, Janice."

"Finding you?" rejoined Thayner. "I'll say it was! I'd have gone through a hundred fights, like that one the

other night, to get the reward that came my way. But I wouldn't want to drag you into trouble, Janice."

The girl smiled. Thayner saw it, and understood. She was thinking that there were sorts of trouble that she

would enjoy if she could only be with Thayner. Drawing his right hand from the wheel, Thayner let his arm

His embrace was mild, almost brotherly. As his hand settled on the girl's arm, Janice was thrilled by the light

tenderness of its touch. Perhaps Thayner was experienced in such niceties, but Janice did not care. She found

that when she snuggled closer, Thayner's hand responded, still in its gentle style, and she became even

"It's so peaceful tonight," said Janice, dreamily. "There can't be any trouble, Carl. No trouble anywhere in this

"I wish I could agree," returned Thayner, softly. "Unfortunately, I still remember toughgoing, even in this

"This time, he knows," assured Janice. "He and his men have searched everywhere, even up in Rocky Cave.

They have inquired at every farmhouse, and no one has seen a sign of the crooks. They can't possibly be

Thayner gave a grunt of agreement, as the roadster swung a curve. Janice lifted her head, then pointed.

"We're passing Kendry's farm," she said. "Turn right at the next crossroads, Carl."

The crossroads loomed. Remembering how he had misgauged the gateway at Seven Oaks, Thayner gave the

car a sharp turn. This time, the move was the wrong one. Thayner was caught by an opposite situation. He

Piled in the car's path was a barricade of fence rails; boxes, and other assorted junk that formed an absolute

Thayner tramped the brakes in time to prevent a crash, for the barricade was well back from the crossing.

There was purpose in its position; it hadn't been visible from the corner. The ruse had pulled the roadster right

MEN were springing from both sides of the barricade, with guns. Thayner had a revolver, one that he had

wisely borrowed from Melridge's study, and he grabbed it as he shoved Janice out through the far door.

Pointing the girl toward the crossroads, Thayner swung to aim at approaching crooks.

Just then, Janice screamed. Two other men had bobbed up from bushes beside the road, to seize her. As

Thayner sprang in to aid, they choked his gun arm, but he managed to deliver worthwhile strokes. His battle

couldn't last, however, and Janice, seeing the reason, gave a frantic warning cry.

Then men from the barricade had rounded the roadster and were heading for the strugglers. They weren't all

who were coming into the fray. Flickering moonlight, bobbing flashlights showed half a dozen others at the

Then how it happened, Janice could scarcely guess rescue came. Not in a human shape, but in the form of

a zooming juggernaut a fastmoving car that lunged like a great creature of the darkness from across the

Lights out, the driver of that car had picked his final objective by the moon's feeble glow. Upon the mobsters

Attackers heard the car's approaching roar and went into spinning dives for safety, popping their guns blindly

at the rocketing thing that threatened their finish. They were ready to harry this arrival, to force him to a crash

Perhaps they had forgotten The Shadow. The supposed fakery committed by Trigg Ungrel had made them

think that their archfoe was no longer in the terrain. But the fierce challenge that issued from the zooming car

It was a peal of mighty mirth, its mockery louder than the motor's roar, its taunts punctuated with the stabs of

CRIME had found its crossroads a turning point where anything might happen. Crooks knew it, as The

Shadow's car stopped with a swerving jerk, so sudden that the thugs fired short of it, into a blinding path that

The glare showed Janice, struggling bravely against a pair of brawny enemies. She was ripping free from

hands that clutched her collar and sleeves, as they sought to choke her into silence and suppress her struggles.

Thayner, meanwhile, was fighting with another pair, who had him backed against the embankment beside the

There were shouts from the remaining crooks, the voice of Clint Flenn booming louder than the rest. They

were calling upon their pals to hurry; to help them settle their archfoe, The Shadow. Gunners who had fired in

By then, The Shadow was gone. His tactics, however, differed from his normal form of battle. He had to

gauge his work upon his own condition, remembering that one leg would buckle under strain; that he must

depend upon a single gun, because of his weakened arm. In a way, necessity favored The Shadow.

As flashlights showed the vacant space behind the wheel, Clint Flenn shouted warnings. He expected The

Shadow either to swoop down upon his main crew, or to go to the rescue of Janice and Thayner.

The Shadow did neither. He had gone as far as he capably could; to the front of his coupe. There, braced

With the motor as a shield between himself and Clint's main crew, The Shadow stabbed wellaimed shots at

spurting guns. The crooks didn't have strong shelter, like The Shadow. Their responding shots were too wild

As on a previous night, The Shadow was dealing deadly damage with his .45, though his present

As wounded foemen howled, their companions went for shelter, dragging the cripples with them. Clint Flenn

was smart enough to realize that the barricade would serve them as an entrenchment, so they went in that

Cognizant of Clint's plans, The Shadow had purposely refrained from aiding Janice and Thayner. He knew

that the thugs intended to kidnap the girl; that they considered Thayner, alive, to be more useful than dead.

Therefore, the two were in no immediate danger. Under present circumstances, Clint wanted Thayner brought

Had Clint's four henchmen dragged their two prisoners to the barricade, they would have handicapped The

Shadow, for his shots could spell doom to the captives as well as the crooks. But the four did otherwise,

despite Clint's new shouts. The Shadow was baiting them. He was on their side of the car, where they thought

One pair hurled Thayner into a ditch. The other two tried to do the same with Janice. She broke away, thanks

to a ripping of her dress. Her belt, of thin leather, snapped as a hand gave it a hard tug.

Tripping, Janice rolled into the ditch, and the two thugs thought that they had flung her there. Like the other

A fresh gun answered their fusillade. Steady jabs seemed to issue from their own stream of bullets!

They ruined one of the headlamps; they battered the radiator, fender, and hood with redhot lead. But their

blind barrage did no damage to the human target that they sought. Only The Shadow's bullets were driving

One crook twirled; then another. Bullets exhausted, the remaining pair broke for cover, stumbling across their

sprawling pals. All that saved them was the timely action of Clint Flenn. He fired at the other headlight,

SIMPLE, but effective, strategy accounted for The Shadow's success against four frenzied fighters. The

blackcloaked marksman had flattened himself along the running board when the barrage began. His gun was

thrust between the wide front fender and the side of the hood, its muzzle projecting beneath the headlight.

Opponents had fired close, but not close enough. The nearest shot was the one that had smashed the

headlight, but the metal structure of the lamp itself had stopped the bullet. The curved front of the fender had

Still, Clint and his crew were dangerous. The only way to offset the barricaded tribe was to take advantage of

Though badly battered, The Shadow's coupe was still serviceable; he could use it for his own purposes. The

Like The Shadow, Thayner recognized that fact. He shouted for Janice to get to the car. She called back that

she was starting, and shots promptly spurted from the barricade, in the direction of the voices. At this stage,

Fortunately, those shots were wide in the darkness. There was a scramble as Thayner, up from the ditch,

made a dive across the embankment. He still had his gun, and he opened fire from the brush, to cover Janice's

Such shots were a giveaway, but Clint's crew couldn't take advantage. The Shadow had reloaded, and was

Thinking Janice safe, Thayner took to the woods, as Clint bellowed for some of his men to "go after the guy."

Two of the crooks darted for the woods, from the far side of the barricade, but by then, Thayner had a start.

Clint had heard Thayner's order to the girl. Should Janice reach the roadster and start it, she would promptly

become a target for Clint's huddled marksmen. Thayner had overlooked the fact, but not The Shadow. He had

Swinging from beside his car, The Shadow flung out an arm and caught Janice as she passed.

The girl started a shriek, which a gloved hand promptly suppressed. Weaponless, Janice clutched her

dangling belt, tried to flay The Shadow with the puny weapon. She couldn't wrench free, for The Shadow

clamped her arms behind her, instead of merely gripping her tattered dress. Then, at the tone of a whispered

She realized that this blocker could not be a foe; that it was he who had really brought rescue and borne the

To her mind flashed a recollection of that strange blackcloaked figure that she had seen upon the lawn at

Seven Oaks. She remembered Thayner's hazy talk of gunfire at the gates; how the sheriff had spoken of some

This being with the weird whisper was a friend; he was taking advantage of a lull in battle to offer Janice a

"They are waiting," he undertoned, "until you start the roadster. Whether or not I open fire, you will be the

A hopelessness swept Janice. She heard popping shots from the woods, far enough off to tell that Thayner

was well away. She wondered if the same route would be best for her. But The Shadow deemed otherwise.

His whisper seemed tuned to the throb of the coupe's motor, which was still running, its idling note the only

"Get to the roadster," said The Shadow. "But make no move to start it until you hear "

His words ended. Close to Janice's ear came a suppressed semblance of a laugh; a shivery touch of mockery,

When she heard that taunt The Shadow's challenge in full force, she was to make her departure in

Thayner's car. The Shadow would do the rest; but how he would manage it, Janice did not guess.

UNDER The Shadow's nudge, Janice crept toward the roadster, carefully skirting away from its dimmed

Silently, he swung himself into the coupe and settled behind the wheel. In the midst of a complete blackness,

One foot on the clutch, the other on the accelerator, The Shadow kept one hand upon the wheel. His other fist

gripped an automatic, as he calculated the brief interval that Janice required to reach her goal.

Vague moonlight showed the barricade, but gave no view of the enemies who crouched there, ready with

their guns. How or in what spots they lurked did not concern The Shadow. He was thinking in larger terms.

His left foot released one pedal, as his right pressed the other. There was a roar as he launched the powerful

At the same moment, The Shadow laughed. His fierce mockery accelerated even faster than the car. Higher,

louder than the roar of the motor, it broke into a shivery crescendo, as the coupe juggernauted down upon the

barrier like a mammoth bullet in itself. The wild break of The Shadow's taunt was a prophecy of the crash

Smearing the center of the barricade, the coupe smashed fence rails like toothpicks. The splintering rails

acted like levers, that catapulted boxes, barrels, and other objects high into the air. Amid that splintering

A few were in the middle of the crash. They were flung like creatures of straw and bashed by the descending

debris. The rest were staggered by the shock, for even the fringes of the barricade were hurled against

Out of that mass came reeling figures of men bent only on flight, among them, Clint Flenn. They would have

been helpless quarry for The Shadow, had he been able to spy them; but, like a powerful Samson, The

The stout structure of the coupe saved The Shadow from destruction. The car's turret top was dented, its body

twisted. Hurled forward despite his bracing efforts, The Shadow's head met the car top.

Sagged behind the wheel, he felt his senses swimming; his hand couldn't keep its grip upon the automatic.

Like a sound from far away, The Shadow heard the weapon thud the ruined running board below the window.

There was another sound, actually more distant. It was the snort of the roadster, as Janice backed the car to

the crossroads and hurriedly swung it about. She was starting back along the road to Seven Oaks, hoping to

Momentarily, though, the girl paused. She wasn't worried about Thayner; she felt that he had surely reached

Then, from the ruins of the barricade, the girl heard a repetition of The Shadow's laugh. She didn't realize that

the mirth was forced, mechanical. It seemed a call, telling her to follow orders and make a quick departure.

As the roadster's purr faded, The Shadow still thought that he could hear its throb. It dawned upon him

gradually that the sound was wheezy, that it came from the motor of his own car. Bumper, fenders, radiator,

Shoving into reverse, The Shadow backed the coupe in wabbly fashion. It zigzagged to the crossroads, made

a somewhat lucky swing about. Its motor was banging; rims were clattering as they pressed flattened tires.

Nevertheless, the car started forward when The Shadow jerked it into gear and took the direction opposite to

There was a shout from the shattered barricade. Guns gave spasmodic bursts. Clint Flenn had seen the

maneuver of The Shadow's crippled car and was trying to rally his bruised and battered crew, to attempt a

pursuit. The idea was futile; the mobsters had no cars at hand, and they could hardly drag themselves together

From the fading, wabbly clatter that dwindled off along the other road, Clint heard the trailing tone of a

A crippled battler was leaving. He had delivered rescue, and was bound for shelter of his own. Death on the

TO Janice Melridge, as she sped along in the roadster, the highway was a mass of flowing paving that she no

longer recognized. The first bend that she took nearly ditched the car. When Janice applied the brakes, the

roadster skewed around in the middle of the road and halted, leaving her wilted and breathless.

She was only a half mile from the crossroads, but she felt safe, until she realized the car's bad position. In

gingerly fashion, Janice worked the roadster straight, started its stalled motor and prepared for new flight.

Sounds from far back made her listen. She heard a metallic bangbang, that gradually faded on the night air.

She fancied, too, that she heard little bursts, like gunshots. It occurred to her that The Shadow must have

taken his own course; that enemies were still around. It would be better for her to travel on.

Proof of that fact came when guns spoke from somewhere in the woods that flanked the road. They seemed

off at an angle, and meant that prowling crooks could still be after Thayner. But with her first fright ended,

Janice decided that the shots were good tokens. They meant that Thayner was still at large.

She had an urge to wait, and aid him. She had pressed the bright lights and they would guide him to the

roadster. Then it struck her that the prowling marauders could see the lights, too, and that there were at least

From the moment that thought gripped her, Janice imagined things. The whisper of the breeze, the creak of

trees, became the approach of monstrous men intent upon capturing her, despite The Shadow's earlier effort.

Fright mingling with reason, Janice started on her way again, assuring herself that a quick return to Seven

Oaks was the best course for herself and Carl. In addition, it could bring aid to The Shadow if he needed it.

The speedometer was climbing to fifty as Janice steadied for the next turn, a few tenths of a mile ahead. She

could take it at this speed, for her hands were tighter on the wheel and she did not intend to slacken.

The curve was through the woods a low embankment on one side. Janice wanted to get past it, for beyond,

As she struck the turn, her own shriek mingled with that of the brakes. Instinct ended Janice's wish for speed,

Janice saw his flinging arms; if his feet had responded, he might have been able to save himself. But he

Janice yanked the wheel as something heavy thudded the car front. One light went blank; but the other

showed the man's whirling figure, tossed into a windmill sprawl. Then the figure was gone, and the car was

It was at least a hundred feet before Janice could stop it. The front wheels had climbed the embankment and

the car was tilted at a sharp angle to the left. Slumping behind the wheel, Janice nearly fell out across the

In her daze, she heard a voice call. She thought it could be the man that she had struck; then knew it couldn't

be. The voice was from the woods; Janice heard someone scrambling along through the brush.

It must be that the crooks were coming, but Janice did not care. Gunfire, the smashing of a barricade, seemed

The man from the embankment couldn't have stopped the roadster. Perhaps he hadn't wanted to halt the car.

He might have been a hunted man, like Thayner. In fact the thought horrified Janice he could even have

If only the poor chap hadn't stumbled! The whole thing was terrible, and Janice, unmindful of her own plight,

broke into convulsive sobs. Then, her head was resting on a shoulder, she was sliding from the car, into

She could hardly believe that it was Carl's voice, saying: "Janice!" The whole thing seemed a flashback into

"What happened, Janice?" inquired Thayner, as he panted. "I heard the brakes, saw the lights jump, while I

"I struck somebody," the girl sobbed. "A man who stumbled right in front of me. I must... must have killed

"Probably one of those rascals who were hounding me through the woods," observed Thayner, bitterly. "It's

PLACING Janice upon a grassy knoll, Thayner fished in the roadster for a flashlight. His revolver was empty

and he had no spare ammunition; nevertheless, he told Janice to wait while he went back and looked at the

Warily, Thayner kept to the brush, and Janice felt anxious moments when his light temporarily disappeared.

At last, it moved in sight again; it roved the center of the road and finally stopped.

After a long pause, Janice heard Thayner's guarded call, saw the flashlight move in beckoning fashion:

The girl hurried back. As she neared Thayner, she saw the crumpled thing that lay at his feet and stifled a

"I mean he is dead. Killed instantly, which was fortunate. The sight isn't horrible, though. The poor chap

The words "poor chap" impressed Janice. She stared into the light, as Thayner turned it. She saw the dead

man. His figure was badly twisted, his head had a tilt that meant his neck was broken, and there were streaks

He was more like a crushed bird, or some wild creature of the forest that had fallen into some unexpected

trap. In a way, his face looked peaceful, as though resigned to the sudden stroke of fate.

As she stared, Janice knew why Thayner had summoned her. This man couldn't be one of the crowd who had

His stubblybearded face, the square hand that lay palmup across his chest, made Janice class him as a

farmer. His clothes, too, fitted the part. They were rough and spoke of honest toil. As Thayner turned the

The doublebarreled weapon added to the farmer impression. Janice decided that the man must have flung it

ahead of him when he tripped from the embankment. It indicated that he lived in the neighborhood; that

A terrible recollection flashed to Janice, as Thayner turned the light on the dead face again.

"I know who he is!" the girl gasped. "Joshua Kendry the farmer who lives all alone out here! You

Thayner nodded; he caught Janice as she swayed. The girl plucked her torn dress, felt the dangling belt, but

couldn't seem to grasp it. She was sobbing again at the thought of this unnecessary death, when Thayner

"What are we going to do about it?" Janice pleaded. "Can't you do something, Carl?"

"The best thing is to go back to Seven Oaks," returned Thayner, his tone worried. "We mustn't forget that our

"But we can't leave Kendry lying where he is. If those same men should find him "

THAYNER took the wheel, with Janice beside him, and worked the roadster, one headlight working only,

from its tilted position. Moonlight was reappearing as they retraced the route to Seven Oaks, but Janice's

thoughts of romance were gone. She looked very forlorn as she shrank deep in the seat, keeping here eyes

Mere sight of the road, rolling in beneath the wheels, brought back impressions of a helpless, sprawling

figure unable to save itself from destruction. At moments, Janice's lips phrased words, always the same

"You mustn't keep saying that, Janice. You weren't responsible for what happened. Those men who tried to

ambush us are the ones to blame. They forced you to drive the car at an uncontrolled speed, in order to escape

"They will if you tell them," interposed Thayner. "But why tell them? By this time, those shots at the

crossroads may have been reported. The sheriff will find evidence enough to blame Kendry's death on the

"They were actually responsible. They are murderers at heart. Sometimes it is difficult to prove guilt against

There was logic in Thayner's statement. Ordinarily, Janice would not have cared to shift blame from herself

to anyone else. But this case, as Thayner argued it, was one wherein such a process was justified. As he

swung the roadster between the gates of Seven Oaks, Thayner voiced an afterthought.

"I believe it was all a putup job," he declared. "Those rogues were out for revenge, because I escaped them

before. The trucker who told you about the Cherry Tree Inn was probably one of their band. They wanted us

"That could be true, Carl!" exclaimed Janice. "I understand, now, why Vulcan growled when the fellow was

"I'll put the car in the garage," decided Thayner. "Let me talk to Dr. Heverly. You scamper in through the side

Walking from the garage to the front door, Thayner brushed his clothes and made them presentable. Vulcan

had been growling in his kennel; apparently, he hadn't recognized the car when it arrived. But Janice stopped

to soothe the big dog while on her way to the side door. Hurrying upstairs, the girl changed her attire.

The process was a rapid one. Her ripped dress practically fell apart when she gave a tug at one shoulder. The

belt was no longer dangling: it was gone. Ridding herself of muddied shoes and damaged stockings, Janice

slid her feet into slippers, then put on a negligee. By the light of a dressing table lamp, she restored her

Strolling downstairs, she heard voices from the study, and approached. Her father was there with Heverly,

and Thayner was telling them a credible yarn about finding the Cherry Tree Inn closed when they arrived

"You're a great one!" he jollied. "You started me out to find a place that wasn't open after all. You forgot the

road, and took us all over the county! Say, doc" he turned to Heverly "how do you get to Cherry Tree Inn,

"Kendry's farm?" repeated Thayner. Then, to Janice: "We didn't go past that place, did we?"

The girl shook her head. Her response was truthful. They hadn't passed Kendry's farm. The entrance to the

"I'm sorry, Carl," said Janice, with a smile. "I really did get mixed tonight. What's more, we didn't get our

AS Janice turned away, she noticed the portrait of her father's friend, Howard Loyden. Its face looked severe,

but the girl fancied that she saw an understanding smile beneath the irongray mustache.

As she reached the hallway, she recalled another personality; that of a being in black, whose face she had not

She had found a true friend in the rescuer who had come from shadows and returned to them. He did not

know of the accident that marred Janice's flight from the crossroads, but he would piece the facts when he

Would The Shadow approve the course that Janice had taken, at the advice of Carl Thayner?

The girl felt that The Shadow would. She was certain, too, that if she needed further aid, her cloaked friend

Lulled by the recollection, Janice Melridge failed to foresee that crime's thrusts were not yet finished; that she

OTHER things were happening while Janice and Thayner made their return trip to Seven Oaks; events that

were to have an important bearing upon the future. Elsewhere, persons had taken it upon themselves to cover

Driving his battered coupe back to Northdale, The Shadow stopped short of the town and worked the battered

vehicle into an automobile graveyard near the outskirts. One of a few hundred ruined vehicles, the coupe

would not be noticed in its new surroundings. Had The Shadow taken the car to the hotel parking lot, its

Bundling cloak and hat over his arm, The Shadow did some limping of his own, finally reaching his hotel

room. He called Melridge's and spoke to Dr. Heverly; he learned that the physician was ready to leave Seven

Getting into bed, The Shadow whispered a weary laugh as he settled his head into the pillows.

The fact that Heverly was leaving gave proof that Janice and Thayner had returned. Since Heverly promised

to stop by and see Cranston, there would be a chance of piecing further facts tonight.

OUT by the crossroads, occasional moonlight showed a frantic band at work. Clint Flenn and his crew had

not fared as badly as might have been expected. They had been wary in their fray with The Shadow, and luck

It happened that the crooks hit hardest in the early fray had chosen the center of the barricade. It was Clint's

doing, for he expected a flank attack and therefore put the strongest men on the fringes.

When The Shadow turned his car into a batteringram and reduced the barrier to pulp, Clint's cripples were

As matters stood, Clint had to dispose of some bodies; but the living members of his outfit were in

comparatively good shape, and Clint put most of them to work, disposing of the bodies and clearing up the

The two who had chased Thayner returned, reporting that they had lost him. The news made Clint rush the

"We've got to cover our tracks," decided Clint. "Make it look like nothing happened here. It will make

"We'll snatch the doll later, and old yap sheriff will figure tonight's stunt was a buildup, with Thayner faking

hero stuff to kid the dame. Only, we've got to be away before old yap comes along."

Having restored the scene to a peaceful look, Clint's crew went to Kendry's farmhouse, where their amateur

There were shrugs in reply. Clint concentrated upon a sallow, squeamish crook whose chief distinction was a

"Old Josh wanted to get in on the fun," he said. "He loaded up his shotgun, so I went along with him. We

heard The Shadow's haha before we got to the crossroads. I came over to help you, and old Josh went

"You mean Josh Kendry lammed," he said. "If any of the sheriff's bunch catch up with him, he'll say we

"Come on, all of you" Clint swung to the crowd "and fix up this joint like it was when we found it. We'll

make a liar out of Kendry, too. Then we'll head to another place that I know about."

AT about the time when Clint and his tribe were leaving Kendry's farm, Dr. Heverly stopped at the Northdale

Hotel, to visit his patient there. Heverly found Cranston weaker, and used the fact as an argument in favor of

"You need rest, as I said," insisted Heverly. "What have you been doing worrying yourself weary?"

"I suppose so," replied The Shadow, in a tired tone. "I've been thinking how much I would have enjoyed a

"Better forget it," said Heverly, as he shook a thermometer. "The inn isn't open after all. Carl Thayner told me

"They didn't seem to think so. They took the wrong road, and had trouble finding the place. Thayner was

As Heverly left, he failed to hear the whispered laugh that came from Cranston's lips. The Shadow was rather

pleased that neither Thayner nor Janice had reported the battle at the crossroads. Then, his low mirth ending,

None was apparent until morning, when Dr. Heverly called. Finding his patient completely rested, the

physician displayed a copy of the flimsy local newspaper. It had a large headline, telling of tragedy. There

wasn't a mention of any battle at the crossroads. The news concerned an unfortunate farmer named Joshua

"I've seen the body," declared Heverly. "Kendry was certainly struck hard. Killed instantly."

"A few," replied the doctor. "The sheriff gathered all the fragments of a broken lens from a headlamp. He

found a chunk of the car's front bumper. Those ought to be enough to trace the car."

"There's other evidence," insisted Heverly. "A strip of leather, with a buckle, was found near the body. It

"It wasn't anything he'd use around the farm. It's a light strap, almost like a belt, which it may be."

Heverly spread the newspaper, showed the paragraph where the story was continued. The mentioned clues

were listed, as Heverly had given them. Reading the account, after Heverly had gone, The Shadow learned

There had been too much crime around Northdale, according to Sheriff Rawley, and he intended to

This was Saturday, and on Monday the sheriff expected a technical expert from New York. Such men had

ways of remolding broken lenses and identifying odd parts of automobiles, to learn the make and model of

As for the strap, it would be dusted for fingerprints, its leather analyzed and traced to the manufacturer. By

the time the expert was finished with the job, Northdale would know whose car killed Kendry and who had

The fact that Kendry was carrying a shotgun meant little to the sheriff. In this locality, it was usual for a

farmer to take along such a weapon, particularly since highwaymen had recently been in the vicinity.

To The Shadow, of course, the whole case was plain. The car was Thayner's roadster; the strap, Janice's belt.

As for Kendry, he deserved what he had received, for The Shadow knew that the farmer had been harboring

It was easy, too, to account for the silence that Janice and Thayner were preserving. Almost in detail, The

Shadow could picture their conversation on the trip back to Seven Oaks. He also saw how such silence might

Whether Clint knew of Kendry's death hardly mattered. He would probably have played his game the same.

Looking through the newspaper, The Shadow found nothing that furnished a new lead to Clint. The only

other story of any consequence concerned an association of businessmen in Northdale.

Alarmed by recent crimes, particularly the wild ride that crooks had taken along the main street, the

businessmen had demanded special protection. Today was Saturday, and the merchants expected the usual

weekend influx of farmers. Business was always good in Northdale on Saturday afternoon and evening.

The local bank closed at noon. Merchants were in the habit of holding funds for deposit on Monday morning.

Fearing robberies, they wanted the sheriff to put deputies on duty, guarding the stores over the week end; a

In vain had Sheriff Rawley asked the bank to open in the evening. He had argued with the merchants,

claiming that danger of new crime was past; but they would not listen. So the sheriff had finally announced

that he would take charge of the funds himself and keep them in his office safe from Saturday midnight until

The Shadow estimated that the cash would total about five thousand dollars. As he folded the newspaper, he

Down the street, he saw the oldfashioned courthouse, set back behind rows of ancient elms. He knew the

Off beyond the town, The Shadow saw the road to Seven Oaks and the tiny mass of trees that surrounded the

Melridge estate. In the distance, dim in the morning haze, were rocky hills, the probable habitat of Clint

There was a keen glint to The Shadow's eyes, as they pictured how that same scene would look after dark.

Then, Northdale would be blanketed by night, a likely setting for crime. Also a proper surrounding for The

Clues from the past meant more to The Shadow than they did to the law. Those items, including the sheriff's

THAT Clint Flenn would keep posted on events in Northdale was a foregone conclusion to The Shadow.

Obviously, the crooks had planned their ambush the night before; therefore, they must have found out that

Janice and Thayner were going to Cherry Tree Inn. It was probable, therefore, that Clint had somehow

If Clint could learn what was going on at Seven Oaks, he could keep tabs on Northdale quite as easily. His

band of outlaws were an assorted lot, and The Shadow had not seen all their faces.

To pick Clint's spy from the many strangers who came to town at Saturday afternoon was a task that The

Shadow considered futile, particularly since he was banking on something else. The Shadow, therefore,

It was near dusk when a car crept up a wooded road among the distanthills, took to a turnout and followed a

The man who climbed out was Mouser; other mobbies greeted their returning pal, and conducted him up a

There was a crevice in the rocks: the entrance to Rocky Cave, where the sheriff had searched for the missing

crooks while they were hiding out at Kendry's. Entering, Mouser found Clint Flenn in a roughhewn cavern,

Kerosene lanterns provided illumination, but when Mouser handed Clint a copy of the Northdale newspaper,

the leader carried it to a corner of the cave. There, a thin shaft of fading daylight penetrated from a higher

In fact, the upper slit was so narrow, that a man would have had trouble squeezing through. That fact, plus an

Clint had his men keep a check on the crevice when they patrolled outside, but he regarded it as nothing more

than a speaking tube, and the space below it served as a reading room, during daytime.

Holding the newspaper under the streak of daylight, Clint chuckled over the accounts of Kendry's death.

The light was fading as he finished reading it. Clint shoved the paper in his pocket and turned to the crew.

"The dame plowed Kendry under," he chuckled. "That got rid of him, and it's put her in a jam. Say if she

and Thayner told their story now, the sheriff would call it an alibi! A phony one, too!"

Inasmuch as Clint specialized in making phony alibis seem real, his pals agreed that he could tell when the

case was the other way about. Their guffaws echoed loudly through the cavern, until Clint gave a sudden

"Maybe that's not so good," he argued. "If they put the arm on the doll, on a manslaughter charge, we'll have

a long wait before we can snatch her. Say I'd like to yank that evidence out of the sheriff's office before

"We could sell it to old man Melridge, as part of the ransom deal. Wouldn't that be slick, giving him his

daughter back and fixing it so she wouldn't have to take the rap on the hitandrun proposition? That would

Whatever doubts Clint's followers had held of their leader's merits, all were certainly dispelled by this new

scheme. Trigg Ungrel had sown discontent among these outlaws, and it had revived since the flight from

Kendry's farm. But Clint Flenn was winning back the loyalty he once received, and more.

"Get this, too." Clint wagged a finger, driving the point home. "The Feds won't be in on it. You can bet old

Melridge won't call in Washington. We'll tell him, if he does, that we'll ship his darling daughter into town

Glancing at his watch, Clint decided that it was time for the crew to eat dinner, and get going. As he summed

it, Northdale was an eighto'clock town, dead as a cemetery by nine. It was Mouser who put an objection.

"Not on Saturday night," reminded Mouser. "The town keeps awake until midnight, or pretty near. What's

"Take another gander at that bladder" Mouser tapped the newspaper that poked from Clint's pocket "and

When Clint read about the plan whereby the Northdale merchants were to place their funds in Rawley's

custody, he thwacked Mouser's shoulders so hard, the frail crook nearly telescoped. Clint fairly shouted the

"Two jobs at one whack!" he gloated. "The storekeepers are leaving their take with Rawley over tonight and

Sunday. That means a sock of dough, along with the evidence against the Melridge dame. O.K., we'll wait

HALFWAY between Rocky Cave and Northdale lay Seven Oaks. There, as dusk hovered over the Italian

Garden, Janice Melridge and Carl Thayner were engaged in a worried conversation over the evidence that lay

"I can't stand it much longer, Carl," said Janice. "Keeping your car hidden in the garage has worried me all

"They won't," inserted Thayner. "Not since you moved Vulcan's kennel over by the garage. He seems to

recognize his duty. I tested him, and he growled before I came within forty feet."

"But what good will it do?" queried Janice. "By Monday, they'll have traced your car. They'll come here to

"Very well." Thayner spoke emphatically. "I shall tell them that we ran into trouble at the crossroads; that I

"Certainly." Thayner's tone was very steady. "We two are the only persons who will ever know that you were

driving the car. I intend to say that I was at the wheel, and I expect you to back my statement."

Janice's voice broke into sobs that she muffled on Thayner's shoulder. He was telling her that it would be all

right; that their story would include stopping the car to look at the dead man, which would account for

"You'll go to prison, Carl!" she exclaimed, in a horrified tone. "Think of what that would mean!"

"I've been in worse places," declared Thayner, calmly. "Why should I mind a few years, Janice, if I know that

The girl thought of many things to say, and tried to blurt them all at once. The burden of her words was that

"I couldn't make you a criminal, Carl," said Janice, finally. "It would simply prove that I am one, instead. We

"We must equalize it, then, Janice. I shall put myself in your class. Tonight, I shall go down and remove that

"Why not?" queried Thayner. "If I am caught, I can admit the truth. But if I succeed, you will be clear."

Before Janice could reply, a car came wheeling into the drive. The girl motioned Thayner to the house, saying

that they shouldn't be seen like a pair of conspirators. Thayner hurried away from the garden just as the car

Janice dashed out to warn Dr. Heverly not to go too near to Vulcan's kennel. The physician introduced a

friend who had come with him, Lamont Cranston. While Janice was welcoming the visitor, Heverly went into

As Janice turned toward the house, Cranston started to light a cigarette. Apparently he didn't notice the

direction that the girl had taken, for he started the other way. He was nearing the garage, when Janice saw

Cranston didn't seem to hear the warning. He was almost at the kennel. Janice shrieked as a great, gray mass

Vulcan, the great maneater, had reached the end of his chain with a great leap, which enabled him to land

both paws on Cranston's shoulder. But he wasn't biting the stranger; he was nuzzling him, lapping Cranston's

His arm embracing the Great Dane, Cranston settled Vulcan on his feet. Even then, the dog's back was table

high, so Cranston let one arm rest on Vulcan's neck, while his hand stroked the dog's head.

Janice, totally amazed, saw Cranston place the cigarette to his lips. It wasn't lighted; she supposed that

As a matter of fact, Cranston didn't have a cigarette at all. The thing that Janice saw was the whistle that he

had shown Heverly. It still didn't seem to work when he blew it; but Janice, by then, was watching Vulcan.

The big dog pricked his ears, looked attentively at Cranston. He regarded the stranger as an old friend, which

There was only one time that Janice could remember when Vulcan might have behaved this way. That was

the time when she had seen The Shadow outside the mansion. At that, Janice wasn't sure that The Shadow

With a fond farewell pat to Vulcan, the remarkable Mr. Cranston accompanied Janice into the house. He was

introduced to Thayner, who promptly noticed Janice's wideeyed expression and showed concern himself. A

mere flicker was Thayner's sole change of countenance, but The Shadow observed it.

Entering the study, The Shadow shook hands with Grover Melridge; then politely stepped aside, so Melridge

From the doorway of the study, where he calmly lighted an actual cigarette, The Shadow could see Janice and

The girl was telling Thayner what had happened at the kennel. With a bland smile, Thayner showed his relief.

"So that was all it was," he declared. "I guess that Cranston is one of those doggy chaps, the kind that even

"No, he didn't," assured Janice. "But Carl, you can't mean that you're going to the sheriff's office tonight."

"I am," insisted Thayner. "If I can borrow Bob's car. I certainly can't use my own. I shall start before

Janice nodded a promise. The Shadow moved back into the study, as the two came to join those already there.

He noticed Janice as she entered. When the girl's eyes went to Loyden's portrait, The Shadow's did the same.

There wasn't the slightest change of expression to show that the picture intrigued Lamont Cranston quite as

much as it did Janice Melridge. When Bob Melridge arrived, a little later, The Shadow again found time to

It was later, when Cranston had left with Heverly, that Janice pleaded again with Thayner. Smilingly, he

resisted her appeals; the most that he could promise was that if he should be caught, he would admit that

"I've talked to Bob," said Thayner. "He's leaving his keys in the car, so that I can use it at any time. Don't

SOON afterward, Thayner was chatting with Melridge. Janice found Bob and drew him into the study. Before

"There's something on your mind, sis," declared Bob. "I was going to ask you about it. Tell me about last

Another nod. Janice wasn't breaking her promise. She simply couldn't keep anything from Bob. They were

"Yes," rejoined Janice. "More than that, he's borrowing your car, so he can go down and steal the evidence

Often, when Bob laughed lightly, Janice found it difficult to guess what was in his mind. Besides, Bob was

glancing at Loyden's portrait, and Janice did the same. When she looked at the picture, it always occupied all

"Come on, Janice," suggested Bob. "Let's go out and chat with the others. I'll have to tell Carl that I'm using

A great worry had dropped from Janice's mind. Bob went out soon afterward, and as the evening waned;

Janice began to feel really tired. She went to bed before eleven. As on a previous night, she found herself

Janice could not hear Vulcan; nor could she see him, for his kennel was even farther around the corner of the

In a sense, it was fortunate that Janice's window did not open toward the garage. Had she seen the kennel, she

would have been startled by the way a blotting darkness suddenly encroached upon it.

That darkness produced a muffed jangle from Vulcan's chain. What happened afterward was even more

amazing. A tall, cloaked shape stalked across the lawn, the figure of The Shadow. At the heels of the

More than an hour later, Janice awoke from a light sleep, to hear the distant clangs of the courthouse clock

donging through the crisp night air. She counted the strokes; there were twelve. Confident that Bob would not

Midnight. A more important hour than even Janice realized. It was the time when moves were under way;

when crosspurposes were at work. Men of crime were banking on that hour. It was a time that Carl Thayner

Most important of all, midnight was The Shadow's hour. Yet even the blackcloaked master of the night

THE midnight clangs of the town clock jarred the old courthouse and everything in it, including Sheriff

Rawley. Rising from his desk, the sheriff poked a couple of sleepy deputies and told them to come along.

"Midnight was what I said," he announced, "and midnight was what I meant. 'Tain't Saturday night no longer;

it's Sunday morning. If anybody else wants his money looked out for, he can lock it up himself. I've put over

five thousand dollars where it's going to stay, so I've done my share of the bargain."

The sheriff gave a proud nudge toward a large, oldfashioned safe near the corner of his ample office. He

was very proud of that antique, and regarded it as formidable. So it had been, in the days when safes were

first invented. But Sheriff Rawley regarded anything as tough to open that couldn't be handled with a pair of

His rolltop desk was another example. It had a strong lock, and that was enough for the sheriff. There was a

tin box lying on the desk; it bore a label with the word "Exhibits" written in red pencil.

Rawley left the exhibit box where it was and slammed the roll top, which locked with a satisfactory click.

After turning out the lights, the sheriff locked the office and pocketed the key. Anyone could unlock that

same door with a skeleton key, and Rawley knew it, for he had used one when he lost his own key. But, as

Rawley put it, nobody had any business monkeying around the courthouse, so locking the office was mostly a

The office had windows, too, but, the sheriff never thought about them. One of those windows slid upward,

as soon as Rawley had gone. A tiny flashlight blinked, as The Shadow swung across the sill.

He had made an easy climb from the ground below; but when he turned to the window again, his eyes were

on the roof of an old horse shed that encroached within twenty feet of the courthouse.

The Shadow placed the soundless whistle to his lips. There was a muffled scamper from the shed roof and a

thing half as big as the window came lurching through the space. Sheriff Rawley wouldn't have bothered to

lock the door, had he seen those blazing eyes come in at him. He'd have kept going, right out to the main

But the sheriff wasn't on hand. Only The Shadow greeted Vulcan. With a guiding blink of his tiny flashlight,

he pointed the dog to the space between the safe and the corner of the room. There, Vulcan settled on his

Swinging outward, The Shadow drew the window down and dropped from the sill. Landing lightly on the

ground, he skirted away from the courthouse. He was counting on his inside ally to start the proceedings as

soon as anyone entered. There wasn't any need to worry about Vulcan. The big dog was posted to rout

No one would linger in the sheriff's office after a setto with Vulcan. Outside, The Shadow had assigned

himself to double duty. He intended to block off anyone who fled from the courthouse, and at the same time

It wasn't long before The Shadow caught signs of a muffled glow within the courthouse. Someone was using

a flashlight, rather clumsily. Its light leaked out like the glow of a firefly cupped loosely between two bands.

The Shadow was where he could watch one of the sheriff's windows. The light entered and began a series of

The arrival couldn't be Thayner. The Shadow was sure that Vulcan would growl before the guest of Seven

Oaks even entered the office. Perhaps the dog would have been more lenient with certain of Clint's men, but

Looking across the street, The Shadow saw a car pause, then move away. It was a local car; it bore a tin tag

marked "Northdale." There was a chance that it carried some of Rawley's deputies; they might have noticed

Matters weren't going as The Shadow wanted. He changed tactics and approached the courthouse, taking a

rear route. All was silent and very black under a building's shelter. As he neared the rear door, The Shadow

Another man promptly supplied a flashlight, a very dumb thing to do. But sometimes dumbness counted. It

did on this occasion. A hoarse whisper voiced: "Douse that glim!" and the offender let his light swing about,

as he tried to find the switch. It brought results that the owner didn't expect.

Between the light and the brick wall of the courthouse loomed a figure, silhouetted as plainly as a picture

flashed on a screen. Before The Shadow could shift to darkness, a concert of rough voices lifted their battle

ALL depended upon splitsecond swiftness, which The Shadow supplied before the light actually reached

him. His keen hearing had told him that he was in the midst of Clint Flenn's crew; the swing of the flashlight

In the uncertain moments while the flashlight veered, The Shadow had instinctively resolved upon another

course; one that could take care of matters here and in the sheriff's office. His hands had gone to his cloak, to

The guns were ready, as the crooks gave their shout. Big muzzles blasted; with their thunder, The Shadow

issued a mocking peal of laughter that brought volleys of echoes from the courthouse wall. He wasn't aiming

for the crooks; not even for the man who blazed the light. He wanted to scatter them, and the shots did.

Like scared rabbits, the outlaws scudded for shelter. As they rolled behind shrubbery and trees, they jabbed

return shots with their guns, a course that they immediately regretted. Meeting The Shadow on his own terms

was always poor policy, and this fight was on the cloaked fighter's terms, though his foemen did not know it.

He knew every niche of the oddly built courthouse; otherwise, he would not have acted as he did. His shots

came while he was on the move, picking corners that he had looked over that very afternoon from his hotel

window. Mobsters reeled as bullets clipped them. Their answering shots nicked chunks from bricks; nothing

Always, The Shadow's laugh resounded, its gibe increasing with every hit he scored. The crooks took to their

Swinging out from cover, The Shadow began firing in the open, so rapidly that the startled outlaws actually

Cars were rolling up the main street, horns tooting raucously. Sheriff Rawley hadn't gone far from the

courthouse, and the sounds of battle turned out his deputies faster than any other sort of alarm. The local men

It pointed to a complete rout for Clint and his band. The Shadow's one task was to block off a few of the more

wary, including Clint himself. Wisely, however, The Shadow took a quick look toward the courthouse and

The flashlight was on again, in the sheriff's office, indicating that the intruder hadn't made the departure that

he should have. Sheriff Rawley saw the glimmer, as his yell proved, which was bad enough. Worse, Clint

Flenn spotted it and gave a raucous order. Sheer desperation brought a response from Clint's crew.

While Clint and two others were smashing in through the rear door of the courthouse, which was away from

The Shadow's angle, the rest of the outlaws rallied and turned the tide against the deputies.

Scared by a wild but earnest fire, the deputies abandoned their cars, and Rawley went to shelter with them.

Their flight was away from the courthouse; they didn't know that Clint had entered.

With quick strides, The Shadow made for the brickwalled building. He was keeping to darkness, away from

any door. As he moved, he drew the little whistle from his cloak. At this moment, it was more important than

UPSTAIRS, a man was at the sheriff's desk, which he had pried apart with a chisel at one of the weaker

He was huddled in darkness, the tin box tucked under his arm. His excited breathing told that he knew he was

He hadn't any gun; nothing but the tin box, which he gripped as though wondering if it would make an

effective missile. He shifted to the window, found it closed. He yanked it open as footstepspounded from

The door of the office was open; the intruder had left it that way, to hear if anyone approached the door.

Like a thing conjured from space, a great hulk launched from the corner of the room, went through the door

The hulk was Vulcan; he came into the glare of flashlights with a long bound that carried him in midair. The

They didn't have time to shoot, those startled thugs who served Clint Flenn. Nor was Vulcan able to stage his

They went toppling from step to step, their bounces increasing. Vulcan went along with them, worrying them

Only Clint managed to roll across the rail, as the whirling mass went past. Coming back he made a last dash

up the stairs. At the top, he jabbed gun and flashlight into the sheriff's office. The glow showed a man

The man was Bob Melridge. His youthful features were set firmly, but they betrayed resignment. Seeing the

box beneath Bob's arm, Clint gave a chuckle, which turned to a snarl when he saw that the safe was still shut.

A taunt came from the window. It was The Shadow's laugh; inserted when Clint least expected it. Madly, the

bigshot dived out through the door. He had reached the stairs, when a gun spoke from the office window.

The Shadow hadn't been in sight when he delivered that challenge to Clint. Scaling the wall, he had seen the

direction of the flashlight and heard Clint's snarl, as telltale as a rattler's venomous warning.

With a stretch, The Shadow had thrust his head up to the sill, to voice the taunt before he could hope to back

Clint had fallen for the ruse. Once in flight, he could not return, for by then, The Shadow's gun had come to

action, speeding him on his way. Crooks in the dark had found The Shadow; still in the dark, they were

WITH guns still rattling outdoors, Bob Melridge couldn't realize that the way was clear. He was halfway

between the window and the desk, huddling the box to his body, when The Shadow gripped his shoulder.

To Bob, that hand signified the strong arm of the law, apprehending him in crime. It took a hard shove from

The Shadow to start him to the office door. From then on, things were speedier. Bob was halftumbling

down the stairs, still gripping the box, while The Shadow steered him on his way.

Near the bottom, Bob heard the front door rip open and instinctively dropped back. The Shadow sped ahead;

His shots were high by inches, purposely. Sheriff Rawley was at the head of the invaders; the rest were

Those skimming shots scattered them immediately. Grabbing Bob, The Shadow thrust him out through the

back door, firing a few departing shots to warn away pursuers. Once in the open, Bob knew which way to go.

Shots could be heard through Northdale. The firing was scattered, and confused by the roar of cars. The

crooks were managing to pull themselves together, which meant that Clint must have caught up with them.

There were spots where forms lay silent; they were the outlaws wounded by The Shadow. Their misery was

Hoping for their pals to help them out, the crippled thugs had opened fire on the deputies and had been

bombarded in return. Unable to shift, they had been flattened to stay. That, at least, would be a help to Clint.

Following Bob, The Shadow again brought the whistle into play. There was a rattle of a high board fence, as

Vulcan grazed the top and bounded toward The Shadow; just as Bob was starting the car.

A snap of The Shadow's fingers sent Vulcan into the seat beside Bob. Then the car was away, its driver quite

From the moment that the light had glimmered in the sheriff's office, The Shadow had known that the

intruder must be Bob. Vulcan would never have remained quiet, had anyone else entered. Again, The Shadow

He knew exactly what had happened up at Seven Oaks after he had left. Janice had talked to Bob; impressed

by Thayner's willingness to undertake selfsacrifice, Bob had decided to risk the task himself.

The Shadow had not wanted the tin box to go. It was better that the whole case should be cleared. It could

have been, if Thayner had come for the box. But Bob's move altered matters. Once having the box in his

possession, and finding himself under stress, Bob needed direct and immediate help.

In providing it, The Shadow had sent Bob on his way, even though it meant the escape of Clint and the

remaining outlaws. Still, there was work ahead for The Shadow. More things were coming as a consequence

of the courthouse fray, and he had to adopt a course that would suit the new conditions.

Silently, The Shadow blended into darkness and took a weaving course to the outskirts of the town. Deputies,

driving wildly here and there, failed to see the blackcloaked figure that faded whenever their headlights

SLEEPING lightly, Janice was awakened by the noise of Bob's car, as it came up from the drive. She looked

from the window, expecting to see dawn. Then, excited, she hurriedly turned on a light and glanced at her

Had Bob forgotten his promise to stay out late? Janice had to learn. Hastily finding slippers and negligee, she

went downstairs. As she neared the hall, she saw Thayner, fully dressed, moving toward the side door. She

"You can't stop me, Janice," said Thayner, with a smile, "so don't try. Remember your promise. Bob is back,

"Maybe Bob will object," argued Janice, desperately. "After all, you've no right to use his car."

"Of course! But you didn't tell him why you wanted it. If you trust me, you should trust Bob."

Thayner nodded, solemnly. His expression showed complete agreement. Linking his arm to Janice's, he said:

They heard a growl as they walked toward the garage, where Bob was near his car. The growl came from the

"Don't come any closer," rejoined Bob. "Wait where you are. Carl is with you, isn't he?"

"I don't want Vulcan to bark." Bob was moving forward, as he spoke. "He's done enough tonight. He must

have gotten loose and followed me. Here" Bob gave a long breath "here's your precious box!"

Janice couldn't realize what the box was, until she opened it and saw the contents when Bob supplied his

"It was either myself or Carl," broke in Bob. "I had the car, so I took first whack at it. Anyway, we're all in

Bob's tone brought an anxious query from Thayner, who clapped his hand on the young man's shoulder.

"Trouble?" demanded Bob. "The town was full of it! I'd forgotten that cash in the sheriff's office. Some

"I don't know. Probably, I'd say. Anyhow, they were driven off, and I got out of it, thanks to Vulcan and "

"The rest of it was like a dream," he declared. "I really don't know all that happened. But with so many

With that, Bob headed into the house. The others followed; they went to the study, as a place where they

could talk. There, with Loyden's portrait looking on, Thayner did his best to comfort Janice, but failed.

The girl couldn't be at ease while Bob was in trouble. She kept looking anxiously toward the door, until her

In his other hand, Bob was carrying a smallcaliber revolver. Thayner opened a desk drawer and produced

"No. Mine will do." Bob's tone was firm. "Don't worry, Janice. I've chained Vulcan, just see that he doesn't

One arm around Janice's shoulder, Bob extended his other hand to Thayner. Then, picking up the bag and the

gun, he stepped to the door, stopping only to point to the sheriff's box, which Thayner had placed upon the

"Don't forget the box, Carl," said Bob. "Stow it where nobody will find it. Janice can probably pick a good

REACHING his car, Bob drove slowly past the mansion. He was anxious not to awaken anyone besides Carl

and Janice, hence he kept to the shadowy side of the drive and passed beneath a portecochere that formed a

The car jolted very slightly at that spot but Bob did not guess the reason, until he reached the gates. Eyes

fixed, Bob was about to turn away from Northdale, when a quiet voice spoke from beside him:

With a quick grab, Bob had his gun. A hand clamped his, took the weapon as if it were a lollipop. Frozen at

Until that moment, he had doubted the reality of the cloaked being who had come upon him like a specter.

Bob had actually fancied that he had mistaken Vulcan for a human being amid all the turmoil.

As he saw The Shadow's burning eyes, heard the whispered voice that he remembered, Bob's whole mood

changed. He was no longer desperate, covering his feelings by a show of nerve. He realized that The Shadow

Relaxing, Bob turned his car toward Northdale. As they neared the town, silence greeted them, for all strife

had ended there. All that while, Bob Melridge was hearing things that The Shadow told him; facts that

Bob was to be a fugitive, but under proper auspices. He was to travel no farther than Northdale, which would

be safe enough. Remembering his miraculous escape from the sheriff's office, Bob nodded his agreement.

Anywhere would be safe for those who obeyed The Shadow's orders. That, to Bob Melridge, was a certainty.

DURING the next two days, all Northdale was astir with rumor. The battle at the courthouse had left an

Sheriff Rawley was complimented on his victory over invaders and his protection of the funds belonging to

the local merchants. There wasn't a doubt that largescale robbery had been the motive of the crooks.

The menace was ended. Dead members of Clint Flenn's band were identified as New York mobbies, like

Trigg and Gumbo. Boastful deputies claimed that they had wiped out practically the entire crew. As a matter

of fact, they hadn't even chopped Clint's gang in half, and the sheriff felt that their estimate was too high.

Nevertheless, Rawley was quite sure that the remnants had fled, this time to stay. It never occurred to him

that they had become outlaws, of the old brigand type, and were ensconced and fortified in Rocky Cave.

What bothered the sheriff most was the disappearance of the evidence in the Kendry case. But such minor

problems as a hitandrun accident were forgotten by the people of Northdale. So the sheriff simply kept

Like the deputies, Rawley took it for granted that Bob's light had belonged to some advance member of the

raiding band. As for Vulcan, no one except a few fleeing crooks had caught sight of the battling dog.

It was Monday noon when Mouser crept in through the mouth of Rocky Cave, bringing the latest news from

By the light from the upper crevice, Clint Flenn read the details of the midnight fray; then glanced over other

"Here it is," announced Clint. "Society news, they call it. Young Melridge has gone on a motor trip to

Canada; he left Saturday afternoon. Baloney! We know where the kid went. He was the palooka up in the

"I lamped his kisser just before The Shadow showed up. The kid had grabbed the box with the Kendry

evidence. He's trying to help his sister beat the rap. He was kind of smart, bringing the big pooch with him. It

was old Fido, and not The Shadow, who really got him out of his jam. But neither of them will matter; not

Tearing a piece of wrapping paper from a package of supplies that Mouser had bought, Clint spread the sheet

upon a slab of rock and wrote a note. He read it aloud to his listening crew, who seemed to drink it in through

"'Dear Carl,'" read Clint. "'The crooks got me, after all. They thought I queered their job for them, up in the

sheriff's office, but I explained different. What they want right now is ransom, and they're ready to talk

"'The fellow in charge is named Clint Flenn. He says if you come to Rocky Cave, he will talk confidential.

His gang knows nothing about it, and all Clint wants is cash to pay them off and make up for his past losses.

My father is wealthy enough to pay, and it will be better for all concerned. Bob.'"

While the outlaws stared at one another, Clint added a few lines to the note. He read them:

"'P.S. Don't tell my sister about this. Clint says he isn't sore at her or you for the things that happened, and

Folding the note, Clint wrote Carl Thayner's name on the outside. He handed it to Mouser.

"Get hold of that vegetable truck," ordered Clint, "and drive down to Seven Oaks, like you did the day when

you told the dame about Cherry Tree Inn being open. Only, don't hand the note to the doll. Make sure that

Mouser didn't like the assignment, and said so. He argued that Thayner might suspect that the note didn't

come from Bob. Clint's answer was a repetition of his order, and he drew a gun to back it. Then:

"What diff does it make, Mouser?" he demanded. "This guy Thayner will have to play ball. He knows we can

put a crimp in everything, by phoning a tipoff to the sheriff that it was Thayner's car that killed Kendry. All

Rawley has to do is look in Melridge's garage and get evidence as good as what he lost."

SHORTLY before three o'clock, Mouser reached the Melridge grounds and spied Thayner on the veranda.

Turning the truck around, the squeamish crook muffled his face in his coat collar and pulled up near the

portecochere. He wadded the note and flung it over the veranda rail, as he gruffed:

Driving fast for the gates, Mouser chuckled to himself as he veered away from Northdale. From now on, he

felt safe. Clint Flenn had calmed all worries on the part of his outlaw crew. Rocky Cave was impregnable, so

Besides, Mouser was to stop at a remote railway station and pick up a batch of triggermen that Clint had

summoned from New York. No one would suspect that the gang had been amplified; and the cave would

Janice was out when Thayner received the message. He paced about the house, and finally went out into the

garden. When Janice drove up from town, she looked for Carl, but postponed her quest when she heard

Peering past the edge of the door, Janice saw Grover Melridge at the desk. He was on his feet, wagging his

"You can't be hearing voices!" exclaimed Melridge. "It is impossible, Lucretia! Besides, you didn't tell us."

"I have heard voices." Lucretia's tone was as far away as her stare. "By day and by night. They told me to

"I heard his voice!" Lucretia spoke impressively, and Janice noted that she was staring at the portrait of

"Enough!" interrupted Melridge. "Go upstairs and rest, while I send for Dr. Heverly."

"It was his voice!" Lucretia shrieked. "He said that I must tell! The time is almost here! When he speaks

Grover Melridge swooped past the desk and seized his wife. Fearing that he would choke her mother, Janice

dashed into the room, to separate them. The servants arrived on the run: Jasper the butler, and the maid,

Lucretia Melridge had become hysterical; the servants helped her upstairs, to the tune of her mad, wild

Grover Melridge went to the hallway, picked up the telephone and called Dr. Heverly. Thayner had come into

the house, brought by the excitement, and Janice drew him out to the veranda. While she told him what had

"Strange, that mother's malady should have returned," expressed Janice. "We thought that it had passed. Then

"No more strange than this," interposed Carl, handing Janice the note. "Tell me, Janice, do you think that this

Janice shook her head, emphatically. Thayner folded the note and tucked it in his pocket.

Thayner shook his head, then stroked his sleek hair. His tone showed deep thought.

"They could easily hold me for ransom," he declared. "Your father would pay, should they tell him that you

killed Kendry and that they intended to force me into signing a statement, as witness of the tragedy."

Grover Melridge was calling, worriedly, from the door. He wanted Janice to go upstairs and see how her

mother was. The girl said that she would come; then, as her father went back into the house, she asked

"Just one thing," replied Thayner. "I shall show this note to the sheriff. Fortunately, it doesn't give away the

facts that we have hidden. The crooks will receive a real surprise tonight, when Rawley and his men come to

"None will be captured," interrupted Carl, firmly. "They will be wiped out. One man certainly will die: this

fellow Flenn, who appears to be their leader. He is the only one whose testimony could count."

JANICE went upstairs. Her mother had quieted, and the girl was still in the room with her when Dr. Heverly

arrived. He was disturbed by Lucretia's condition, and said so, later, when he conferred with Janice and her

"I think that Mrs. Melridge should go to the sanitarium," decided Heverly. "Tomorrow would be soon

enough. I shall leave orders for an ambulance to come over here whenever you call. I am going to the

Leaving Seven Oaks, Heverly went to make his report to The Shadow. Of course, Heverly did not know that

he was giving important information to the cloaked fighter who had dominated so many events in Northdale.

Though customarily taciturn, Heverly chatted more than he realized, when under the persuasive influence of

Cranston. Since Cranston already knew about Lucretia Melridge, the physician mentioned new developments

"The treatment must change," declared Heverly, "along with the moods of the patient. That has been my

theory, and it has produced results at the sanitarium. There are times when a demented person should be

humored; on other occasions, argument seems to help them. When she comes to the sanitarium tomorrow,

When Heverly had gone, a door opened between Cranston's room and the next. Bob Melridge stepped into

sight; he was staying at the hotel with Cranston, who had decided that he needed a tworoom suite.

The Shadow had told Bob to contact Cranston, and the young man supposed that the hawkfaced stranger

"You're going out?" queried Bob, as he noticed Cranston's actions. "Do you think there may be trouble; that

"Something peculiar has happened," returned Cranston, calmly. "I think I shall contact our friend, The

Shadow. Meanwhile, Bob, you need some rest. Perhaps you might try that mild sleeping dose that Heverly

prescribed for me. Not too much of it, however. The Shadow may need both of us, later."

Dusk had begun to gather. Cranston's tall form was scarcely noticeable, as it crossed the parking lot beside

the Northdale Hotel. Reaching a car, Cranston produced black garments that he had left there, and became

The car was Bob's, but it was a common model, and it now had the license plates belonging to the car that

The Shadow had junked. Because of its New York licenses, everyone supposed that it was Cranston's car.

Picking secluded streets, The Shadow drove from town. Soon, his headlights were blazing a trail in the

direction of Seven Oaks. From the statements of Dr. Heverly, The Shadow suspected that other developments

This night promised strange consequences; events that might bring a complete showdown in matters of crime

and things of mystery that had shrouded all past episodes. The Shadow intended to shape the future to its

Sometimes, tragedy could stalk, despite The Shadow's efforts to forestall it. The Shadow was to have proof of

THE curious whines of Vulcan disturbed Janice Melridge, as she waited on the veranda. Carl Thayner was

still upstairs, getting ready for his evening excursion. Grover Melridge was in his study, and Lucretia had

gone to sleep. All being peaceful, Janice decided to see what was wrong with Vulcan.

Even the servants had avoided the kennel lately. Only Bob and Janice seemed to have proper control over

Vulcan, and with Bob away, the girl had taken the full duty. Tonight, especially, she wanted Vulcan to be

Janice could hardly see the kennel as she approached it. Oddly, Vulcan looked overlarge and seemed to loom

like something black. His whines had ended; the sound that Janice suddenly heard was a whisper.

It was rather amazing, because Vulcan's paw pressed her arm; then she felt a hand clamp her other wrist. Its

Already her rescuer, The Shadow was truly a friend, in Janice's estimate. The fact that he could manage

Vulcan, proved it. Once Janice had believed that Vulcan's opinion as to people was infallible. She had

modified that view, because the dog was too choosy, but she still felt that Vulcan's acceptance of strangers

The Shadow's whispers were questions, though they sounded like commands. Without wasting time on

preliminaries, he was seeking facts from Janice. Much to her surprise, the girl was giving them.

She was more troubled over the note that Thayner had received from Clint Flenn than she was about

Thus, Janice found herself relating everything, realizing, as she spoke, that The Shadow had a right to know.

She told of her accident after leaving the crossroads; how Bob had acquired the evidence that pointed to her

Finally, she gave the story of the note, repeating, almost verbatim, the message that Thayner was supposed to

When Janice concluded her account, The Shadow put a question, which, quite oddly, related to the earliest

"Tell me again about Kendry," insisted The Shadow. "How he stumbled, and how he tried to seize the bushes

Janice repeated the details. She could see the thing as plainly as when it happened; in fact, she felt that the

horrible sight would be forever etched in her memory. Her voice was strained when she finished. Calmly,

"I'm going to the sheriff's with Carl," said Janice. "I'll let him have my car, and then I'll look up Dr. Heverly.

The Shadow started Janice toward the house. The hallway was empty. Pointing the girl inside, The Shadow

"Call the sanitarium. Ask Dr. Heverly to send the ambulance at once. Tell him that you believe your mother

Janice made the phone call. Listening, The Shadow learned that Heverly was not at the sanitarium, but that he

had left instructions regarding the ambulance. Though ordered for tomorrow, it would be dispatched to Seven

Watching while Janice strolled the hall, The Shadow saw Thayner come downstairs. The two went out

together, and The Shadow returned to Vulcan's kennel. When Janice and Thayner had driven away, The

Among them was an interesting item. She and Thayner had put the box of evidence in a drawer of Melridge's

desk; one that he always kept locked. He had lost the key, and Janice had found it. Instead of returning it to

her father, she had decided to keep it a while, and use the special drawer in the meantime.

Glancing back from the gate, Janice scanned the darkness, which tonight lacked moonlight. She couldn't

possibly have seen The Shadow, but she fancied that he must be on his way somewhere.

Her guess was right. All was silent; deserted, by Vulcan's kennel. The Shadow's own plans were completed,

FINDING Sheriff Rawley at his office, Thayner showed him the note and explained his theory. Janice sat in

It was preposterous, Thayner declared, that crooks could have captured Bob, who had started for Canada on

"They don't know that we had a telegram from Bob," declared Thayner, lying in what Janice considered an

admirable style. "He's safe and sound. These outlaws are trying sheer bluff. They're sure that I won't show

Rawley agreed, with a nod. He, too, was in an admiring mood. He appreciated Thayner's analysis.

"I'll gather a posse," declared the sheriff. "We'll close in on Rocky Cave and wipe out the gang."

"Not too quickly, sheriff," advised Thayner. "They may have pickets posted. Entrenched as they are, they will

hold the odds, unless we use strategy. Suppose you keep your men at a distance, while I move in ahead."

"Not at all," replied Thayner. "If I come alone, they will receive me, cordially. They won't try rough stuff

"I won't go into the cave," Thayner chuckled. "Supply me with a couple of guns, sheriff, and I'll be ready to

start shooting the moment I see a false move or find myself getting into things too deeply. They'll come after

The sheriff didn't give Thayner a chance to finish. With an enthusiastic thwack, he slapped his desk so hard

"They'll spread after you!" ejaculated Rawley. "And we'll close in on them! The first shots we hear will be the

Thayner's smile proved that Rawley had grasped the full sense of the scheme. Announcing that he would go

ahead in Janice's car, Thayner remained in the sheriff's office, to help him complete the arrangements. The

She stopped first at the hotel, but Heverly wasn't there, though they expected him. From outside came the

clang of the ambulance that Janice had ordered from the sanitarium. The girl gave a pleased smile, knowing

Still watching for Heverly, Janice saw Thayner come from the courthouse and get into her car. The sheriff

was with him; he waved good luck as Thayner drove away. Then Rawley began to talk to arriving deputies.

Worriment seized Janice, but she managed to choke it back. Murmuring Carl's name, she felt sure that he

Behind that thought, Janice remembered The Shadow and was confident that the cloaked fighter would be

At that moment, Janice had a real cause for worriment, had she known it. In the hallway at Seven Oaks,

"The ambulance?" he queried. "Why, I didn't think that it was coming until tomorrow But, of course, if Dr.

Heverly is sending it tonight What's that?... Oh, I see. Some deputies stopped it outside of town, because

"More trouble tonight?" Melridge gave a hopeless cluck. "Well, never mind the ambulance... Yes, Dr.

Heverly can bring Mrs. Melridge over in his car. I'll give him the message when he arrives here... Yes, yes.

I'm sure she will be well enough to go. The car may be better than the ambulance "

It struck Melridge, as he left the telephone, that Janice could take her mother to the sanitarium. But Janice

wasn't about when he looked for her. Both Jasper, the butler, and Matilda, a maid, thought that they had heard

Nor could they agree how long ago they had heard it. Jasper said more than half an hour; Matilda said less.

One thing was certain, however. Janice wasn't at home, and both servants knew that she had intended to go to

Northdale with Thayner. So Melridge left the servants and went back into his study.

HALF across the threshold, Melridge stopped short. Lucretia was standing behind the desk beneath Loyden's

portrait. Her manner was imperious, her face showed the youthful vigor that characterized her mental malady.

In her hand, Lucretia gripped Melridge's revolver. How she had obtained it, her husband did not know. He

"The time has come, Grover!" spoke Lucretia, in a low, tense voice. "The time for me to speak. The voice has

"Loyden's voice?" interjected Melridge, quickly. "Did it come from the portrait?"

Lucretia turned to stare at Loyden's picture. Her lips tightened, as she shook her head.

"Not from the picture," she began. "The voice came from the void. It said that I must speak; that I should

allow no one to stop me. The voice meant that you might try to stop me; that you would interfere "

Interfere, Melridge did. He showed vigor of his own, as he lurched across the desk and grabbed the gun from

Lucretia's hands. She tried to retain the weapon; it bounced to a corner of the room. Struggling, both went

They tripped as they neared the door. A lamp overturned and shattered, leaving the room in darkness save for

Melridge managed to gain the revolver, as Lucretia shrieked and seized his throat. Melridge's head slammed

against the wall; his eyes saw flashes of red. His anger, at that moment, was as great as Lucretia's madness.

The gun went off; not once, but twice. Sagged back against the wall, Melridge opened his eyes and clutched

for the weapon, as it was slipping from his fingers. A horror gripped him at thought of how he had let himself

go berserk. Sheer instinct, perhaps, using the gun while it was in his hands. Still, he was to blame.

Trying to get to his feet, Melridge dropped the gun. With a groan, he pressed his hand to his head. He was

slumping as he heard voices, along with the clatter of arriving feet. From the floor, he snatched the revolver,

These could be the voices that Lucretia talked about! He wouldn't let them madden him, the way they had his

Then hands were shaking Melridge. Another light was on, to replace the broken lamp. The arrivals were

Jasper and Matilda. Melridge recognized them, but couldn't understand their portrayal of horror. Their faces

looked like those of persons he had seen while coming out of ether, after an operation.

The servants were staring at the floor. Glancing in the same direction, Melridge shared their horror. Sprawled

Her dressing gown was dyed with crimson, from the two bullets that had penetrated her heart. Those shots

from Melridge's gun had fulfilled the prophecy that Lucretia had made on a night that seemed very long ago.

Death had come to Seven Oaks; doom to the woman who had foreseen it. Stiffening, Melridge thought that

he could hear a distant sound that might have been the banshee's wail. Then, out of a mental whirl, he became

Grover Melridge seemed to shrink, as he placed the revolver on his desk. Turning to the servants, he said in a

CROOKS were crouched about the neighborhood of Rocky Cave. Clint Flenn, sneaking back and forth

"Treat Thayner easy," he told them. "Let him get right up to the mouth of the cave. Leave it open. All the

Creeping up the slope, Clint found a lone guard near the narrow upper crevice, told him to speak the word if

The interior blackness was total. Clint flashed a light about, picking spots where his men were posted. They

were around the edges of the cavern, partially entrenched by chunks of rock. There were other spots nearer

the center of the cave, but Clint had them all covered by his men. He sat down on a stack of boxes containing

"If Thayner gets in here," said Clint, "let him fool around. Don't pop out on him until he gets too close. I'll do

Posting himself in a good spot, Clint waited. The whole hillside seemed to push its silence down into the

cavern, which Clint had changed from an impregnable fortress into an absolute trap.

People hereabouts knew all about Rocky Cave, for it was a favorite picnic ground during other seasons. But

the cave would become more famous after Clint was through with it. Tonight's visitors would find out why.

Outside the cavern, the guards kept duty, occasionally giving lowvoiced reports to the man up by the little

fissure. He didn't bother to answer, as all reports were routine. No sign, yet, of Thayner.

Clint hadn't discounted the chance that Thayner might do more than merely visit the cave. Therefore, Clint

was set for whatever might occur. He had one plan, if Thayner came alone; another, if the sleek prey chose to

Many men would give themselves away, and the guards would therewith give an alarm. But if Thayner kept

Everything was perfectly set to coax Thayner into a snare from which there would be no return, except at

Clint's sayso. Clint had tested the trap, by firing shots inside the cave, and outlaws, listening outside, had

Maybe Thayner would try something if he ran into pickets, as greeters. But he wasn't going to meet the

pickets. He was going to find the mouth of the cave wide open. By the time he figured himself a fly, and

As minutes passed, sounds occurred near the cave mouth, so slight that the surrounding guards did not hear

them. One picket spoke to the crook up by the fissure, saying that everything was still the same. Soon

The man above heard them. He thought for a moment that a prowler was near; then, hearing sounds from the

opposite direction, he decided that two men were about, hence they were his companions and not Thayner.

Then, as the sounds came closer, he was struck by the thought that the pickets weren't supposed to be up

Something else struck him, at almost the same moment, before he could voice word to men below, either

outside or in the cave. The thing that struck him was the butt of a .45 that came through the dark, with the

swish of a cloaked sleeve trailing it. The guard's skull took the blow. He collapsed.

ROLLING the fellow to one side, The Shadow shifted in the darkness, finding the narrow crevice. Then,

discovering how tight a squeeze it was, he descended to the cavern's usual entrance and crept through. Once

It wasn't The Shadow's usual flashlight; it was a larger one, the sort that Thayner would probably use. The

Shadow's actions were slow and a trifle clumsy. He brandished the light in what seemed a worried fashion,

They didn't realize that they were being spotted during the sweeps; although The Shadow did no more than

glimpse them. They thought that Thayner was wondering why no one was about. As the flashlight blundered

toward a rocky portion of the floor, Clint Flenn poked up from his own position.

Thayner, so Clint decided, was right where he should be close to the supply boxes. They certainly told the

visitor that the cave was occupied, if nothing else did. Clint gave a quick call for lights. They came, half a

With the lights were shouts from startled thugs, as they saw the figure of The Shadow. They had guns, but

before they could use them, the cloaked arrival performed their own trick of bobbing into cover. He chose the

lumpy floor near the center of the cave. It didn't offer shelter from the flanks, but The Shadow attended to

As he dropped, he hooked the supply boxes with his arm, tumbling them endwise. They landed at an angle,

filling one space that Clint had considered a sure path of fire, should crooks need to use it.

One man was stationed at the rear of the cave, but rocks intervened. To make his fire sure, he would have had

The fellow wouldn't risk it with The Shadow; not unless a second gun was ready to join his. There was a

second gun, from the other flank. Mouser was the man who gripped it, and the thug with the little mustache

But The Shadow was taking care of that flank. He had a gun muzzle pointing at Mouser, indicating that the

mustached sharpshooter would start the battle with his own death, if he did so much as budge his gun an inch

Perhaps The Shadow's position was more precarious than crooks recognized. The Shadow saw to it that they

did not lessen their opinion of his strength. From the barricade that he had chosen, the blackcloaked avenger

delivered a powerful laugh of challenge that was magnified by the confines of the cavern.

Echoes resounded from the very spots where foemen crouched, as though they, not the rocky walls, were

Startled, the crouching men stared at each other. Even Clint wheeled in alarm, thinking that his whole tribe

Then shudders seized the mobsters. It was worse that these echoes should be provided by The Shadow, than

by their own pals. It was as if the laugh had come among them; that The Shadow himself was at every man's

There was this about The Shadow's challenge. Normally, when he surprised men with his taunt, it numbed

them momentarily; sometimes longer. In heat of battle, The Shadow's gibes made crooks excited and caused

them to fire blindly; or wildly, which was a great factor in The Shadow's victories.

But there were times when the amazing features of a setting produced unpredictable results. This was one

such time; wherein The Shadow, trapped, had turned the tide upon his trappers. Their very thoughts were

Chance was that they would fling their guns away; come creeping, whining, with arms lifted, Clint Flenn in

the lead. Such behavior on the part of enemies had been part of The Shadow's experience.

Conversely, they could go the opposite limit, becoming demons who would fight to death. Once the fever

Though The Shadow could not tell beforehand which thing would result, he was able to divine the symptoms.

For a full quarter minute, crooks were on the verge of the most abject surrender imaginable. One gesture from

Clint and he actually began it, at one moment they would have declared The Shadow to be the trapper

CROOKS would have lived, had they chosen that course. The Shadow would have preferred to have them go

to prisons, where they could circulate details of his victory, a triumph so astounding that it would do more to

But Clint did not complete the gesture. His strained mind took a pendulum swing. From the way that Clint

went taut, The Shadow knew that the reverse was coming: battle, as brutal and unreasoning as that which

Resting one gun on the rock beside his hand, The Shadow drew an object into sight. Crooks saw the thing and

recognized it as a whistle. It went to The Shadow's lips; they saw the effort that he made. But the whistle

Clint gave an insane howl that echoed through the cave as gloating irony, in response to The Shadow's earlier

laugh. Shrieking similar glee, the outlaws sprang from shelter in a body, ready to bring disaster to their

He had dropped the whistle; he had both guns ready and he gestured the first at Mouser, then aimed it

rearward. The gun spoke as Mouser ducked, still thinking it was covering him. At the same instant, the man

at the rear of the cave did a tumble as he lurched into sight, his own gun beginning an aim, which it failed to

The Shadow's other .45 beat Clint and the rest to the shot, but couldn't stop them. They were firing, too, as

The Shadow blazed away. He was shifting hurriedly, keeping shelter, drawing them in a body, so they

couldn't flank him. He was making for a side portion of the cave, where thugs were sure to box him despite

Only the aid of another fighter could have served The Shadow in that scheme of strategy. Such couldn't

come, crooks thought, for, by this time, the mouth of the cavern was sealed. There wasn't a way whereby a

He wasn't depending upon such assistance. The attack that joined The Shadow's was provided by a creature

quite able to join the combat; a fighter who had heard the signal, though crooks had not.

A great thing squeezed itself through the crevice in the cave roof, launched itself into a twentyfoot spring

Clint and an exultant crook beside him were flattened by the weight of the great beast that struck them

crosswise. Vulcan had squeezed through the crevice, and expanded himself into a mammoth batteringram

Sprawling crooks went rolling, as guns popped in futile fashion. The rest were stumbling over Clint and the

other man in front. Like the snare, battle had turned against the crew that had devised it.

Triumph was to be The Shadow's. His fierce laugh told it, and with that mighty burst of mirth came the

IN the matter of an instant, The Shadow and Vulcan had turned battle to their favor, but the fight was not yet

finished. There was no stopping Clint and his tribe, once they had gone berserk, except by keeping up the

Crooks were shooting desperately, and it took remarkable efforts to offset them. The Shadow's guns were

jabbing needed shots at aiming men. His stabs stopped those who were still on their feet, while Vulcan took

In his tricky fashion, the dog snatched revolvers before the gunmen could use them. As he disposed of each

The dog's neat tosses were landing the weapons at the feet of his present master, The Shadow. As the

disarmed men tried to escape, Vulcan pawed them back where they belonged. He was ready to chew them, if

they made more trouble. Already mauled, they were ready to surrender, when Clint Flenn made a sudden

Lucky enough to slip past Vulcan, and chancing to scoop up a gun which a wounded marksman had dropped,

Clint made for the mouth of the cave, blazing wild shots as he went. The Shadow was after him, so was

Gunners were coming in from the cave mouth, attracted by the muffled shooting. Clint yelled for them to get

The Shadow, and they tried. They couldn't see that cloaked fighter; hence their shots were wild, for they had

all the cave wherein to aim. In their turn they were cooped, caught in their tracks, when The Shadow returned

Two other men went with Clint; they were the only ones still in action. Vulcan rolled one over and over; then

went after the other, who happened to be Mouser. The dog caught the squeamish crook by the belt and shook

When Mouser's pal found a gun and tried to shoot at Vulcan, The Shadow paused, in passing, and slugged the

That settled matters in the cave. Clint had fled, followed by those of the reserves who still could run, after

having tasted the fury of The Shadow's fire. Speeding out into the darkness, The Shadow spotted fugitives by

Wisely, The Shadow had conserved what bullets he could, as was testified by his slugging tactics against the

last man who tried to finish Vulcan. He knew that his shots would bring a response.

Clint yelled that there was still a chance to trap The Shadow, and his remaining men believed their leader.

They were the new mobbies that Mouser had collected on his tour in the truck. They had the shelter of

darkness, the wide hillside where they could dodge. It was The Shadow who was boxed, and they believed

that they could get him. He had made a bad slip, so they thought, in resuming battle before he was fully in the

His challenging laugh was absent, which spoke of desperation on The Shadow's part. Mobsters not only

turned and fired; they began to close in warily, counting upon their numbers to turn the tide. They didn't

suspect that The Shadow was now playing a part allotted to Thayner, the man who had not yet arrived; that

The crooks, themselves, were bringing disaster their way. From far down the hillside, the sheriff and his

deputies were hurrying up. They didn't need flashlights; the spurts of revolvers guided them. The noise they

When the closing cordon suddenly revealed itself, it did so at close range. The sheriff's men charged, a

Scuffles ended with the groans of suppressed outlaws; there were a few mad scrambles down the slope.

Flashlights were sweeping toward the cave mouth, when The Shadow turned toward the heights above. He

had blown the whistle once more, and Vulcan was with him. They were gone, when deputies invaded the

FROM his vantage point, The Shadow watched the blink of lights down the hillside; saw them waver, and

return. There were occasional spurts of guns, telling that Clint and a few desperate outlaws were reversing

Lights converged from several angles; The Shadow noted one that hurried up the slope. Then, as he shifted

along the higher level, he reached the meeting point. The brilliance of many lights revealed the climax.

Deputies were piling upon the panting crooks. One man, most vicious of the lot, was still trying to get free.

The Shadow held him covered, but had no need to fire. The fellow was brandishing an empty gun, as was

A few deputies fired, frantically. Others warded them back and leaped for Clint, hoping to capture him alive.

Slugging blindly, Clint tore free, staggered toward the first open path he saw. More deputies came angling in

to cut him off, as a flashlight burned squarely from the path that Clint had taken.

With a dodge, Clint foolishly aimed his gun. He was tugging away, at the unresponsive trigger, when the man

Without a moan, Clint curled, a bullet in his heart. As deputies reached him, the marksman joined them. The

"A great job!" complimented Rawley. "How you got away from them was the best part of it. We thought

Thayner's expression showed bewilderment, which The Shadow understood. The sheriff supposed that it was

the result of a haphazard flight that Thayner had taken to get clear. Finally, Thayner stroked his hair and

"I wasn't in it, like I wanted to be," he declared. "But, anyway, I got Clint Flenn!"

"No; here." Thayner paused, as he pointed to the figure on the ground. "I'd say this fellow was Clint Flenn,

The sheriff took a look at Clint's face and nodded a partial agreement. Deputies were bringing up some

captured crooks. Rawley stopped them and asked the prisoners to identify the dead man. Some wouldn't talk,

"Take those fellows down the hill. Put the wounded in the ambulance that you brought from Northdale.

At the word "ambulance," The Shadow made a sudden shift, that brought a responsive growl from Vulcan.

The Great Dane thought that the move meant new battle, and Vulcan was more than ready to fight again at

The Shadow's side. All men with guns were alike to Vulcan; he was trained to take their toys away. He was

about to take a great lope at the deputies, when The Shadow clutched his collar and silenced him with a quick

As a procession of lights went down the hill, The Shadow followed, bringing Vulcan along. He could see the

lights of a car scudding in along a road and felt sure that it was bringing unwelcome news.

Again, The Shadow was just beyond the fringe of gleaming flashlights, when Sheriff Rawley reached the

road where the ambulance stood, with other cars. Just then, the speeding car arrived.

A man leaped out and spoke hastily to the sheriff. His words couldn't be heard, but surrounding deputies

stood silent, guessing that some new trouble had occurred. The sheriff turned to the group and gruffed the

"Go back to town," he told them. "But some of you stick around, in case I want you. Mr. Thayner and I will

drive over to Seven Oaks. They've had trouble there." He turned to Thayner and added, solemnly: "It sounds

"No," replied Rawley. "Mrs. Melridge was the victim. Her husband killed her. He says he's ready to confess.

Cars pulled away, one by one. The ambulance went with them, loaded with the wounded. Others, like

Mouser, were taken away in cars. Rawley and Thayner drove off together. Soon, the scene was deserted,

By then, The Shadow had moved off through the woods. He reached Bob's car, parked on an abandoned road.

With Vulcan beside him, The Shadow drove away. Low, meditative, his grim laugh brought a whine from

This was no laugh of triumph. It was a mirthless tone, of regret. While The Shadow was winning victory at

Crime which The Shadow had supposed could not happen, because of his measures to prevent it. The damage

GROVER MELRIDGE sat behind his desk, facing the stern eyes of Sheriff Rawley. There were others in the

room the two servants who had heard the fatal shots, as well as persons intimately concerned with the case.

One was Dr. Heverly; another, Janice Melridge. They had arrived soon after the crime, and sent word for the

Carl Thayner, of course, was present. He had come with the sheriff, and Thayner's arrival had eased Janice's

strain. Finding her mother dead and her father a selfadmitted killer, had been a double shock for the girl.

She had been bewildered until Carl arrived, but the fact that he was still alive seemed to break the chain of

Janice had already heard her father's story. With Carl's arm steadying her, she listened again while he

recounted it, simply and patiently. He told of the argument; how Lucretia had produced the gun.

He said that he hoped people would believe him when he declared that his original intention had been merely

"But I cannot condone my crime," added Melridge, solemnly. "It was murder, and my stress was no excuse.

When I managed to get the gun when I was jarred in the struggle I simply did the wrong thing.

"I'm not sure I even saw Lucretia. I can't even remember in which hand I held the gun. I was like another

person; yet I must still have been myself. My own shots actually roused me; and when the lights came "

He broke off, burying his face in his hands. As Janice shuddered, Thayner whispered encouragement. He told

her that her father could make a plea of insanity. Melridge overheard it and raised his head.

"Insanity?" he queried. "That can never be my plea. It would do for Lucretia's actions. She was not herself.

But I have no excuse. I killed her in cold blood. I saw her body" he pointed, graphically "lying on that

Janice looked to Loyden's portrait. It seemed severe tonight, as though it approved of Melridge's confession.

Again, the girl shivered. She felt that her mother's death was an accident, not murder; but she was not the

person to judge. Memory of another tragedy the death of Joshua Kendry was too fresh in her own mind.

There was another witness to the scene in the study. The Shadow was standing in the gloomy hall. He saw

that Melridge's story was finished; time, therefore, was short. Stepping to the telephone, which was well away

His tone was low, whispered close to the mouthpiece, as he spoke to Bob Melridge at the hotel.

When The Shadow returned to the study door, he heard Grover Melridge asking a request of Rawley, to

which the sheriff acceded. Melridge wanted to give some things to Janice, before he went to jail. He produced

Fortunately, it wasn't a key to the bottom drawer. There was only one such key, and Janice had it. She was

worried, however, when Melridge produced a box, until she saw that it was made of wood, not metal. It

"This is a birthday gift," he said. "You are not to open it until next month, when you are twentyone. It is for

Bob, as well as yourself. I wish" Melridge's eyes were troubled "that I could intrust it to Bob, along with

As Thayner nodded, Melridge beamed approval. He knew of the romance that had blossomed between Janice

"I wish you both happiness," said Melridge. "Look out for her, Carl. I am glad that you are here. This is an

THE SHADOW had drawn away again. He was back at the telephone; his voice, unheard by those who were

Melridge returned to his desk. Janice gave a worried glance toward Thayner. She knew that it might be quite

Thayner assured her that all would be well; that trouble would blow over. The only other person who heard

The sheriff was producing handcuffs, apologetically affixing them to Melridge's wrists. He said it was a

formality, but he had to do it. Janice's gaze was troubled, but her father smiled in her direction.

"Don't worry," he said, "and don't think too harshly of me, Janice. You will understand some things, later.

Enough to know that while my act was inexcusable, I still had a certain trust in mind."

A car was pulling up in front of Seven Oaks. The Shadow watched the big door; when it opened, he gave a

beckoning motion and drew quickly away from the study door. He was gone when Bob Melridge arrived and

There was a determination on Bob's face that Janice had never seen before. Somehow, it steeled her, too. She

wanted to voice approval, when Bob demanded why the sheriff was arresting his father. The sheriff gave the

"If my father has confessed his guilt," said Bob, suddenly subdued, "I should do the same." He turned to his

"The key to the bottom drawer of the desk," replied Bob, "where you put the metal box. I know all about it,

"You'll help me, won't you, Carl?" he queried. "You'll let me admit what I've done. How I stole, to cover up a

There was a gasp from Janice. She felt Thayner's hand tighten on her arm, to steady her. Slowly, Thayner

"You're a fine fellow, Bob," said Thayner. "Willing to make every sacrifice. But I shouldn't let you do "

"You will let me, though?" Bob's query was eager. "For Janice's sake so that her conscience can be clear?"

"No one has a better right," interposed Bob. "I want you to be happy, Janice, when you go away with Carl."

The girl looked at Thayner. He was nodding, slowly. As Janice still hesitated, he said soothingly:

Janice found the key in a pocket of her dress. She sobbed as she let it fall into her brother's hand.

To Sheriff Rawley, this new drama was a riddle that heightened at every stage. Apparently, Bob wanted to

Not until Bob opened the drawer. Then, when the light glimmered on a metal box that bore a label, Rawley

"These were from Thayner's car," said Bob. "It's out in the garage. Go look at it, sheriff, if you don't believe

it. But Carl wasn't driving the car when it hit Kendry. This belt belongs to Janice. She dropped it in the car,

"I was driving the car, sheriff. I struck Kendry and killed him. That's why I took the box from your office. I

didn't want other people to be blamed for something they didn't do. They were foolish enough to want me to

BOB thrust his hands forward, but Rawley did not have another pair of handcuffs. He said he'd take Bob with

"If my father needs them," he argued, "so do I. But father is more to blame for what happened here than I

"Things can be decided now," declared Bob, firmly. "You need more evidence, sheriff. Wait a few minutes

The sheriff waited half a minute, then suddenly became impatient. He told both to come along; that he'd

handle the formalities. He was the law, and would prove it. During Rawley's harangue, Bob looked troubled.

Then came the sound of more cars new arrivals stamping in through the front door. Relaxing, Bob laughed

As if in answer, Bob heard a whispered mirth that crept in vaguely from darkened doorway across the hall.

THE arrivals were deputies, bringing five prisoners, men who had been captured at Rocky Cave. While

Sheriff Rawley stood half stupefied, his men herded the captives into the study and grouped them in a corner,

"Your order, sheriff," said a deputy. "At least, that's what we were told down at the courthouse."

"Wait!" Bob was facing Rawley. "I said there would be new evidence. Ask them about Kendry."

The sheriff wheeled on the group. One man looked weaker than the rest; ready to talk without persuasion.

The man was Mouser; his mouth looked as droopy as the halffinished cigarette that hung from his

"What about Kendry?" repeated the sheriff. "Answer me, if you know what's good for you."

"He was with us," replied Mouser. "Working with the mob. Clint told me to grease the guy; so I did. We were

The meaning of the thing drilled home to Rawley. He demanded more details, and Mouser gave them. The

captured thug told how Kendry had started out with the shotgun, to help with the ambush at the crossroads.

"Which means that either of them had a right to run him down," argued Bob. "He was armed, and bent on

Talk, Janice did. She told her story in detail. As he heard it, Rawley shrugged at first; then reached to the box

of exhibits and dumped the contents into the wastebasket. He summed up the case in satisfactory fashion.

"What we did with guns tonight," declared Rawley, "you did with a car that time, Miss Melridge. We went

"I can't arrest you, either," he decided. "If you hadn't gotten into my office, we wouldn't have seen the light

that brought us there in time to rout the crooks. Only, I'd like to know why you took the evidence, instead of

Bob's tongue was in his check, as he glanced toward Janice. Then, methodically, he gave his reason; one that

he hadn't had before, and which Janice therefore guessed had been suggested by their mutual friend, The

"You were hot after the wrong person, sheriff," said Bob: "You wanted a hitandrun driver, when you

should have been looking for outlaws. I figured that Kendry was in it, but I knew I couldn't prove it until you

"So I took the evidence and kept it, until you got on the right track. You made a swell cleanup tonight, and

the time was ripe. If you want an apology, sheriff, I'll be glad to make it. You have my thanks, already."

The sheriff clapped Bob on the shoulder. Then, stiffening, he turned to Melridge.

UNCONSCIOUSLY, the group had clustered toward the center of the study. No one was near the door; the

only persons looking in that direction happened to be the prisoners. Mouser suddenly became squeamish, and

Blackness was streaking in across the threshold a foreboding patch that looked like a huge silhouette. It

Looking up, Mouser saw the figure that was coming through the doorway and gave a shriek.

All turned. They saw the tall form in black. The Shadow stood with folded arms; his burning gaze surveyed

the entire group. There wasn't a solitary move, not even from Sheriff Rawley, when the grim avenger

Both Bob and Janice noticed that their father faced The Shadow without fear; a fact that pleased them.

Somehow, they couldn't blame him for their mother's death. They knew that Melridge, more than anyone, had

"You were mistaken in one instance, sheriff," spoke The Shadow, in a grim whisper that made the captive

The sheriff cleared his throat with a gruff cough. Who this stranger was, did not matter. He was willing to

"As his son did," interposed The Shadow. "He has described a crime that he did not commit. His own

"Your wife spoke of voices," declared The Shadow. "Perhaps, for once, those voices were real."

The Shadow's eyes turned toward Heverly. The doctor was suddenly prompted to give testimony.

"They might have been!" Heverly exclaimed. "Her condition had changed so, Melridge. She liked to talk of

voices that she thought she heard; but she had mentioned none for several days. The voices that she told you

Centering upon Melridge, The Shadow caught a change of the grayhaired man's expression. Steadily, The

"She did!" exclaimed Melridge. "She said that she heard his voice. She meant" he hesitated, then looked to

"Yes, as she had before. Tonight, she meant it more than ever. There were things "

Hunch by hunch, The Shadow was picking up Melridge's story, carrying it further along. Both Bob and

Janice were amazed; so, for that matter, was Melridge. The presence of The Shadow seemed to grip him like

"I can say no more," began Melridge, hastily. "Nothing more. It could do no good."

"You have said enough," declared The Shadow. "Let us examine your confession further. Your wife had a

"I don't know," admitted Melridge. "The fact really puzzled me. The gun belonged here, in my study. Why

There was a slight gasp from Janice. She suppressed it grimly, as Melridge continued.

"Unless someone left it where she could find it," he said. "At any rate, she had the gun. I took it from her, as

MELRIDGE was pointing to the corner, near the door, where the lamp lay. It was a tall floor lamp with a

He had been looking at that lamp before. He gave the lamp a hard shove with his foot. It slid, weightily, but

"Like this" finishing the first action, The Shadow jolted the lamp with his shoulders "or like this?"

"I don't know," stated Melridge. "It's odd that the lamp won't upset. It seems as though those pushes merely

The Shadow had stepped through the doorway. All that they saw was his hand, as it swung inward. Catching

the lamp with his fist, The Shadow overturned it from the wall. It fell into the exact position where it had

A sudden light came to Melridge's eyes, but The Shadow ignored him. Again inside the doorway, the cloaked

"You saw Kendry with both arms flinging," reminded The Shadow. "But there was a shotgun with Kendry's

body when Thayner found it. Perhaps Kendry did not stumble from the road bank. It is more probable, that he

had lost his gun in a struggle; that he was half helpless when someone pushed him into the car's path.

"Just as someone" The Shadow swung again to Melridge "pushed the lamp over, from the doorway, and

came into the struggle amid the darkness. Someone who bashed you hard against the wall, picked up your

As if to illustrate the action, The Shadow wheeled about. His gloved hand, quick as a whippet's start, whisked

an automatic from his cloak and aimed it, not at an imaginary form, but directly at a living, scheming man.

The rapid move was timely. The other man was also on the draw. But The Shadow's automatic had him

covered before he could tug a revolver from his pocket. Letting the weapon slide back again, the helpless

This time, Janice Melridge did not gasp. She already understood. The man with the upraised hands was Carl

Thayner, a man of murder who had used friendship as a disguise for deeds of crime.

FROM a medley of conflicting thoughts, Janice could think of only one thing: Vulcan. She remembered her

old belief in the dog's judgment of humans. It had been proven, more than ever, after she began to doubt it.

Of all who dwelt within this household, only one had failed to welcome the friendly stranger, Carl Thayner.

Vulcan had repeatedly shown his distaste for the new guest. Perhaps The Shadow had observed it on his visits

to Seven Oaks. Certainly, The Shadow had mistrusted Thayner. That was why he had ordered the ambulance

tonight! Fitting closely was the fact that The Shadow and Vulcan were themselves friends.

Janice's thoughts went to the wooden box that had tumbled from Thayner's arms when his hands came up.

He could have stolen it earlier, if he wanted it. Why had he waited, and committed crimes in the meanwhile?

Looking at The Shadow, Janice suddenly divined the answer, as his gaze briefly met her own.

For some reason, Thayner had needed Janice, as well as the box. That was why he had sought to ruin

Craftily, Thayner had taken advantage of every opportunity. He had made Janice think that she killed Kendry.

Subtly, he had talked Bob into going to the courthouse, to steal the box. He had foreseen as he proved

tonight that he expected Bob to take the blame for the tragedy on the road, as well.

Still an opportunist, Thayner had provided them, particularly this afternoon, after he had received Clint's

message. He had talked in terms that Lucretia Melridge understood, probably speaking outside her room. He

Maybe he hadn't cared which of the two died: Grover Melridge or Lucretia. He wanted one dead, the other

put away, either in prison or an asylum. All because he wanted Janice to be dependent upon no one but

himself. Knowing that she trusted him, the mysterious box would thereby become his trophy!

A laugh ended the chill silence. Its tone was shuddery. The Shadow was voicing other facts, reminding

Thayner of the night that he had come to Seven Oaks. The Shadow asked why Thayner had turned his car

"You were coming here," declared The Shadow, when Thayner remained silent, "to introduce yourself and

gain the good will of the household. Whatever your original plan of entry, luck gave you a better one. You

entered as a helpless wayfarer, robbed on the highway, which created the very sympathy you wanted.

"You did not expect Clint Flenn to overtake you." The Shadow was drawing closer to Thayner. "But Clint

expected more money than was in your bag. A great deal more perhaps as much as fifty thousand dollars!"

Turning, The Shadow faced Mouser and the other crooks. The facts that Thayner wouldn't admit were easily

DURING those outbursts, Grover Melridge was standing stolidly beside his desk. Turning, he raised his

handcuffed hands and took Loyden's portrait from the wall. His face was solemn as he faced the listeners,

who knew, from that moment, that the greatest of Thayner's crimes was to be exposed.

"Howard Loyden was my best friend," declared Melridge. "He died of a broken heart, after his wife, Clara,

left him for another man. Who that man was, Loyden never knew. But he placed his two children in my

"Yes, Bob and Janice, Howard Loyden was your father. I often wondered" he glanced toward The Shadow

"why no one detected the family resemblance. But I was not to tell you until you were twentyone.

"When Lucretia's mind wandered, the secret troubled her. That was the thing I did not want her to tell. I feel

that I can state those facts, at present, because Loyden gave me the privilege on one condition. If I should

Approaching Thayner, Melridge held the portrait face to face with him. The stern eyes of Loyden seemed to

He was the culprit, and he could no longer hide it. He, alone, could have spoken facts concerning Howard

"You had only one regret," accused Melridge. "You wanted to steal Loyden's money, along with his wife.

You did not get the money, so you waited. You came here, seeking to gain the fortune that Loyden left, by

"You were a young man, Thayner, much younger than Clara Loyden. That much, I should have known. You

still look young, much younger than you are. You used the same smooth policy to win Janice's trust that you

Janice no longer had a lot of trust in Thayner, as Melridge saw, when he glanced toward his foster daughter.

The girl's eyes were ablaze with accusations of her own, and Bob was drawing to her side, his fists clenched.

Together, they were ready to seize Thayner and choke him into something that the sheriff would have to carry

His smugness seemed gone. His handsome face looked coarse. Indeed, Thayner had a pitiful expression,

seemingly his last play for sympathy, as he cowered. But even in that pose, he had design. His huddle carried

Like a flash, Thayner shot into action. He grabbed the portrait from Melridge and slashed it at his accuser's

head. As Melridge dodged, Bob and Janice sprang in. Whirling them between himself and The Shadow,

Mobsters surged. They struck The Shadow, as Janice and Bob dived away to let the cloaked fighter get a shot

at Thayner. The Shadow fired as Thayner dived through the doorway. Attackers reached The Shadow at that

Then, as the quickest way of reaching Thayner, The Shadow demonstrated how he could settle crooks. They

were armed, for they had snatched guns from astonished deputies while making the drive, but weapons did

His blows felled a pair of enemies, and he sagged with the sprawling crooks. The others, shooting, found

targets coming at them, not The Shadow but their pals, lurched forward by the fading fighter in black.

Accompanying a strident laugh, The Shadow's gun spoke, aimed for two crooks who had missed him.

As they floundered forward, The Shadow dived between them, bowling the last of the five prisoners to the

floor. By then, the sheriff and the deputies were in it, for they had acted almost as quickly as the crooks. They

took prompt charge of the overwhelmed outlaws, while The Shadow was speeding out through the hall.

THE roar of a motor told that Thayner was starting away in a deputy's car. Bob's car was out by the garage

and he was hurrying for it, when The Shadow overtook him. As Bob jerked the car about, The Shadow

They whizzed under the portecochere. Thayner had rounded the first curve in the drive. It would take a hard

chase to overtake him, for they were forced to follow the same winding course to the gates. Once outside,

there was a good chance that the murderer might get clear, for Bob's car was none too speedy.

As the car neared the final bend, Bob heard The Shadow's laugh, strangely whispered. Gazing ahead, Bob

The big dog didn't have to stay to the drive when The Shadow released him. Speedy as well as powerful, he

Ahead, Thayner wheeled his car through the gateway, taking the sharp turn in proper fashion. He was

pressing his foot to the accelerator, laughing as the sound of Bob's motor came from well back in the woods.

Things from the past meant nothing to this man of crime. He had lost Janice's fortune, which he had hoped

would include Bob's share, as represented by bank books and other documents in the oblong box. He

Yet there was one thing from his recent past that he was to remember, though not for very long. It came upon

him like a mighty cyclone, hurling in from space. It was a living hulk that cleared a wide ditch in one

Struggling to keep his car on the move, Thayner was also fighting with his nemesis, Vulcan.

It was a wild struggle between dog and man. During the madcap battle, the car roared onward, with Thayner's

arm crooked through the wheel. He had his gun and was using it, but to no avail.

He knew Vulcan's trick of snatching guns and managed to twist the weapon about; but before Thayner could

With a swoop of his big paw, the dog hit the revolver aside, sending Thayner's bullets to the roadway. Then

Vulcan took a real hold, not on Thayner's gun but on his neck. Again the gun hand was coming up; once

The road veered toward a ravine crossed by a slender bridge. Choking, tortured by the clutch of Vulcan's

fangs, Thayner managed to see the bridge rail, but not the roadway that went with it. He picked the wrong

Too late to stop the climax, The Shadow and Bob Melridge witnessed its fulfillment. Thayner's speedy

roadster looked as much alive as the figures that were struggling within it. It acted almost with a pause, as it

As the car dipped forward, Thayner was carried to his doom, but in the same instant, Vulcan's great frame

launched through space. Huge forepaws followed a twentyfoot arc and shot across the bridge rail.

Momentarily; Vulcan dangled there; then the crash of the car on rocks, some fifty feet below gave inspiration

to the fighting beast. His hind legs fairly clawed the bridge rail and propelled him upward, forward, over to

AS Bob halted the car, Vulcan came panting toward him and sprang into the seat. That was when Bob first

noticed that The Shadow was gone. Waiting, Bob watched a tiny flashlight, twinkling down the sides of the

It stopped beside Thayner's smashed car. Bob saw it sweep, as he listened to the dull thunder of the creek

down in the gorge. Then, like a knell floating up from some abandoned tomb, came a peal of mirthless

That tone was a token of final triumph. It told what Bob Melridge or Bob Loyden expected. It meant that

Carl Thayner had met with the inevitable. The murderer had failed to survive the tremendous crash. His

There was more to The Shadow's strangely trailing laugh, as Bob recognized when he heard it fade and saw

the tiny light no longer. Choosing his own route through the ravine, The Shadow had departed. His laugh was

It would be Bob's duty to carry the word back to Seven Oaks and tell them that the curse of the past was

gone. Janice would be waiting for that word, as would Dr. Heverly, the man she had forgotten while under

They would all remember their friend, The Shadow. Realizing it, Bob turned to Vulcan. He saw the dog's

head raise, watched the curious tilt of Vulcan's ears. Then Bob recalled a mysterious whistle that Janice had

Pitched to a tune that no human ear could hear, that whistle had served The Shadow when he needed his ally,

Perhaps he hadn't understood The Shadow's laugh to be a farewell. But he recognized the whistle trill that