THE BLACK HUSH ...........................................................................................................................................1

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

CHAPTER I. CARDONA GOES ON DUTY .........................................................................................1

CHAPTER II. MURDER STRIKES.......................................................................................................4

CHAPTER III. THE SHADOW BEGINS ...............................................................................................8

CHAPTER IV. FROM THE TOWER ...................................................................................................12

CHAPTER V. BURKE REPORTS.......................................................................................................14

CHAPTER VI. IN GOLDY'S APARTMENT......................................................................................18

CHAPTER VII. THE SHADOW MOVES...........................................................................................21

CHAPTER VIII. IN THE PENTHOUSE..............................................................................................25

CHAPTER IX. THE ROBBERY..........................................................................................................28

CHAPTER X. SHOTS FROM THE SHAFT ........................................................................................31

CHAPTER XI. THE HUSH LIFTS .......................................................................................................33

CHAPTER XII. NEW ORDERS ...........................................................................................................37

CHAPTER XIII. THE SHADOW SPEAKS.........................................................................................40

CHAPTER XIV. AT HEADQUARTERS .............................................................................................43

CHAPTER XV. ON THE ELEVATED................................................................................................45

CHAPTER XVI. OUT OF THE VAULT ..............................................................................................48

CHAPTER XVII. THE POWER OF THE RAY ...................................................................................51

CHAPTER XVIII. FACTS FOR THE SHADOW ................................................................................53

CHAPTER XIX. GOLDY EMPLOYS STRATEGY ............................................................................56

CHAPTER XX. THE DEPARTURE....................................................................................................59

CHAPTER XXI. THE MAN WHO FEARED ......................................................................................61

CHAPTER XXII. PLANS OF CRIME.................................................................................................64

CHAPTER XXIII. THE SHADOW LAUGHS .....................................................................................66

CHAPTER XXIV. UPON THE TOWER.............................................................................................68

CHAPTER XXV. OUT OF THE RAY.................................................................................................70

CHAPTER XXVI. BELOW AND ABOVE ..........................................................................................72

CHAPTER XXVII. PURSUIT IS ENDED...........................................................................................76

CHAPTER XXVIII. THE FINAL STROKE .........................................................................................79

The spacious lobby of the Olympia Hotel presented an interesting study to the man who viewed it from a

corner chair. No longer a pretentious establishment, the old hotel at least gained its share of patronage. Nearly

all of the chairs and lounge seats were filled, and many persons were strolling back and forth near the desk.

The man who was watching from the corner had chosen a spot which was quite inconspicuous.

Hunched in the chair, watching from a gloomy spot, Detective Joe Cardona was effectively avoiding

recognition, and at the same time taking good measures to spot anyone whose features he might know. The

Cardona's watchful eyes picked out a small group of men who entered through a revolving door. The

detective's quick glance settled upon one individual a heavybuilt man of more than average height, whose

chief item of attire was an expensive astrakhan coat. As this arrival strode across the lobby, he half turned his

head in Cardona's direction. Grinning at a companion's remark, the man displayed a glimmer of gold in his

Cardona needed no further sign of recognition. This glitter from a full, heavy face was the identifying mark

AS Goldy and his friends crossed the lobby and entered an elevator, Cardona remained more watchful than

At length, satisfied by his inspection, Cardona arose and strolled toward the revolving door. He turned as he

Shifting the position of his derby, the detective slowly changed his course, so that it neared the row of

Waiting for a car, Cardona spotted the outer door from the corners of his eyes. He saw another man enter and

go to the seat which was now vacant at the edge of the lobby. Just the trace of a satisfied smile flickered on

Cardona's lips. This arrival was another detective who had come in response to Cardona's signal at the

"Ballroom floor," announced Cardona, as the elevator ascended. "Which way to the Mohawk meeting?"

"Over to the right, sir," responded the operator. "The meeting is in the Blue Room."

"The Blue Room?" quizzed Cardona. "I was told that the crowd met in the Red Room."

"They used to," explained the operator as he brought the car to a stop, "but they changed it for this meeting.

Reaching the Blue Room, the detective looked in through the door at an angle. He spied a waiter and

"I want to speak to Mr. Tancred," explained Cardona. "He just came in a few minutes ago. Wearing a fuzzy

Two minutes passed, then a head was thrust from the doorway. Cardona recognized the face. It was that of

He turned and waved to someone in the room. A moment later, Goldy Tancred appeared in person, to display

Dressed in Tuxedo, the goldtoothed man made an imposing appearance despite the hardness of his heavy

face. He joined Cardona outside the screen, and walked a few paces along the side passage. Then with a

"You know what," Cardona answered. "I've heard the boys are out to get you. What about it?"

"Listen, Joe," Goldy was serious, "that's all hooey that talk about them being out to get me. I'm not in any

racket. Never carried a gat in my life. Take a look, now. Do you think I'd be a sap if I was in danger?"

He spread the sides of his Tuxedo jacket, offering the detective an opportunity to frisk him for a weapon.

"You've got Bowser Riggins along with you," remarked the sleuth. "He sticks pretty close most of the time,

"Sure he does," admitted Goldy. "But he doesn't pack a rod, either. I'll bring him out. Look him over. He's a

pal, Joe, not a bodyguard. Maybe he does a strongarm job for me once in a while but it never amounts to

"Have it your own way, Goldy," remarked Cardona, with a shrug of his shoulders. "Just the same, I'm staying

The detective strolled along the corridor after Goldy Tancred had gone back into the Blue Room. He walked

toward the elevators, and stared suspiciously into the vacant blackness of the ballroom.

CARDONA noticed that men in Tuxedos were coming from an elevator and heading toward the Red Room,

at the other end of the corridor. He caught a few snatches of conversation and gained the knowledge that a

Moving back toward the Blue Room, Cardona began to wonder whether or not he had made a mistake in

Goldy Tancred had hit the nail squarely when he had suggested that Cardona must have been listening to

misleading rumors. Persistent rumors from the underworld had it that Goldy Tancred was going on the spot.

There was reason in such rumors. Goldy Tancred was a big shot deluxe. Informants kept him posted

regarding the doings of racketeers. He found ways to make it difficult for those whose activities bordered on

To be successful, a racketeer found it wise to keep in the good graces of Goldy Tancred. Time and again, soft

graft had been smashed because the perpetrators had ignored the big shot. Hence, there were many who might

Goldy was too wise to be at odds with the police. He could not be branded as a racketeer, for there was no

proof that he engineered schemes of his own. He merely sat back and watched others work. Here, tonight, he

was mingling with a group of quasipoliticians, who called themselves the Mohawks.

That was part of Goldy's game. He dealt in protection, giving it or refusing it as best suited his purposes.

Had someone crossed Goldy Tancred? Were important figures of the underworld anxious to launch a new

scheme of crime free from his clever, tribute taking surveillance? If such were the case, there was reason why

The detective was not here just to protect Goldy Tancred. He was here to thwart crime that might be in the

With a shrug of his shoulders, Cardona entered the Blue Room. He found a chair at a corner table along with

a group of lesser politicians. These men, enjoying their first evening with the Mohawks, were quiet in

demeanor. They accepted the detective as another of their ilk, and made no effort to open conversation.

The detective sensed that violent death would be attempted within the walls of the Olympia Hotel. On this

very night. He waited patiently while the Mohawks chattered and burst forth in boisterous song.

At last, restless and uneasy, Cardona pushed his chair from the table. He sidled along the edge of the room,

and paused as he neared the door. Something told him that danger might lie without. He felt that the crucial

Then, while the merrymaking was rising to a new height, the unexpected happened. One instant, Joe Cardona

was watching Goldy Tancred and Bowser Riggins as the pair were laughing at the capers of a stout,

Without a warning, the room was plunged in darkness. Every light, not only in the Blue Room, but

throughout the entire hotel, was blotted into blackness. With that unfathomable gloom, shouts and laughter

WHILE the Mohawks had been enjoying themselves so loudly in the Blue Room, a quiet dinner was in

progress at the other side of the Olympia Hotel. Within the Red Room, some thirty men were listening to a

This gentleman was Richard Reardon, a prominent member of the Association of Electrical Engineers, the

On this occasion, he was introducing a young man who sat beside him. In quiet, convincing terms, Reardon

was telling the assemblage that in Roland Furness, the association possessed a member whose ability would

While Roland Furness, redfaced and uncomfortable because of Reardon's praise, was glancing toward the

tablecloth, the darkness came to the Red Room. As promptly as if someone had pulled a hidden switch,

blackness replaced light. The change caught Richard Reardon in the middle of sentence.

After a momentary pause, the president resumed his discourse, in a voice that sounded strangely modulated in

"We shall wait," he announced, "until the light is restored. Then we shall be ready to hear from our associate,

A sharp exclamation came from the man beside the president. Roland Furness had risen to his feet in the

darkness. Something in the hushing power of the new atmosphere had evidently alarmed him.

He spoke excitedly almost gasping amid the thickened gloom as he turned in the direction where Richard

"Something is wrong," he said, in a low, muffled tone. "Something that I never believed could happen

Only Reardon caught the worried words. The president groped blindly and found his companion's arm. He

A sudden gleam of light was sweeping through the room. The brilliant rays of a powerful lantern were

focused upon the men at the head table. The diners could see Reardon and Furness, both raising their arms in

The light was coming from the door of the room. Held by an unseen person, it was a veritable spotlight that

had picked out the two principal men in this assemblage. Furness, openmouthed, was partly in front of

The bark of a revolver sounded from the darkness. Although its flash appeared behind the light, the shot had a

Roland Furness staggered. He collapsed upon the table, his falling form clearly revealed in the circle of

A second later, Richard Reardon dropped. Two men, living but a few moments ago, were sprawled lifeless

Not a man in the room possessed the immediate resourcefulness to cope with this unexpected situation.

Tragedy had happened before their startled eyes; tragedy that was hidden by an amazing blackout!

APPALLING gloom! The same black hush lay within the Blue Room at the other side of the hotel. There,

Joe Cardona, grim amid the darkness, still stood beside the door, expecting to hear the sound of shots before

But the man who expected did not hear. Those muffled reports from the other side of the hotel had not

Joe Cardona waited. A click sounded from his left hand. He had drawn his flashlight, and had pressed the

Cardona growled. He could not understand this. He jockeyed grimly with the button while his right hand

clutched a revolver. Seconds were ticking into minutes, still the torch was useless. The detective cursed his

Then came unexpected relief. The Blue Room was suddenly flooded with brilliance. The lights had come on.

For a moment, the detective saw a sea of whitened faces. Then a buzz started as the Mohawks resumed their

Cardona saw Goldy Tancred. The man was serious and worried in expression; then, slowly, he showed his

teeth in a sickly but glittering grin. Bowser Riggins, gaining courage from his chief, smiled feebly.

That was Cardona's momentary thought. Then, seeing that all was well here, the detective swung from the

door and entered the corridor. There, as in the Blue Room, light had been restored. No person was lurking in

Responding, the detective dashed along the corridor to the other side of the hotel. He arrived at the open door

of the Red Room. He dropped his flashlight into his coat pocket and displayed his badge as he encountered a

The sight of badge and revolver stayed the near stampede. Men dropped into their chairs. They looked at

Cardona for help. Pointing fingers and excited words directed the sleuth's attention to the sight that had

SLUMPED across the head table were the bodies of Richard Reardon and Roland Furness. Cardona needed

no testimony to tell him what had happened. His practiced eye knew that the middleaged association

Cardona calmly closed the door of the room and locked it. He ordered one man to telephone for assistance.

He motioned all who were standing, to chairs. Grimfaced, he took command; then, after studying the

It was not long before police arrived. Cardona unlocked the door to admit the officers.

The detective had done the best thing possible under the circumstances. Coming through the corridor, he had

seen no one who might have figured in this double murder. He felt sure that the killer had probably escaped;

nevertheless, it had been essential to hold all who were present. Cardona had done this effectively.

He learned immediately that the shots had been fired from the door; that the victims had been spotted by a

powerful light. No one present and most were close friends of Reardon and Furness could suggest a

Important details in the handling of this case required time. Inspector Timothy Klein arrived; more men came

on the job. At last, with testimony taken and witnesses examined, Joe Cardona found himself alone in an

emptied room. He went out into the corridor and walked slowly to the other side of the hotel. He looked into

The Mohawk meeting was still on. Politicians, highly convivial, were still at their merrymaking. They had

not heard the news of murder. Cardona saw Goldy Tancred and Bowser Riggins enjoying themselves at the

THE detective went back toward the Red Room. He met Inspector Klein. His superior noted the serious

"There's a meeting in the Blue Room." responded the detective slowly. "That's on the other side of the hotel.

"Yes," he said thoughtfully, "it probably has lot to do with it. A gang killing, inspector one that didn't

The pair started toward the lower lobby. Cardona paused a moment at the head of the stairs. He wanted to see

He drew his flashlight from his pocket, remembered suddenly that it was out of order, then stopped and

The flashlight was turned on! It had been gleaming in Cardona's pocket! The switch was just as it had been

pressed; the instrument that had failed to function in a time of need, was now casting rays of useless

Puzzled, the detective turned the flashlight off and on. He repeated the operation several times. The torch

With a grunt, Cardona extinguished the flash light and thrust it back into his pocket. Even though it appeared

to be in perfect order, he would get a new one. No use to rely upon a flashlight that had failed once at a

There was important work to do now. Cardona wanted to find out who had entered the Red Room and left,

probably scurrying down the stairs and out to the street amid the darkness. He wanted to learn what had

These proved insurmountable questions. When Cardona's investigation was finished, he had gained nothing.

He thought he knew the motive. He understood the style of killing. Those were important matters. But the

clue that he wanted the cause of the extinguished lights was something that he did not manage to gain.

Cardona, when he reached headquarters, was still disturbed because he had not obtained a shred of evidence

that involved the mysterious darkness. He sat at his desk, and scratched his chin. He felt something in his

Angrily, Cardona pulled out the faulty flashlight and tossed it into a wastebasket. He got up from his chair

and sauntered out to report to Inspector Klein. He did not realize the importance of the action which he had

Unwittingly, Detective Joe Cardona had thrown away the only clue that he possessed. That discarded

flashlight was the one link that might have led him to the solution of the black hush that had fallen over the

Headlines told of the double killing at the Olympia Hotel. New Yorkers read of gangland's outrage. Mingled

with bacon and eggs came the cry of murder as breakfasters perused their newspapers.

Richard Reardon and Roland Furness were unfortunate victims. Everyone granted that fact, and agreed that

the perpetrators of the outrage should be brought to justice. But in back of all the disapproval was the

Detective Joe Cardona had expressed that belief, and it had been accepted. Every journal in Manhattan was in

accord. The case was too obvious for doubt. Even the man who had been missed was known.

Unknown mobsmen, out to get Goldy Tancred, had made a blunder. Somehow, they had extinguished the

lights in the Olympia Hotel. Under cover of darkness, they had entered the Red Room where they had

Richard Reardon, heavy and conspicuous, had been mistaken for Goldy Tancred. Welldirected bullets had

marked Reardon's form. Roland Furness, also in the danger zone, had been put on the spot as well. It was

Newspaper columns were filled with hectic details which included garbled statements of the witnesses.

Members of the Association of Electrical Engineers, when interviewed, had given varied stories. Such

One man said that the shots had preceded the light; another told the opposite. One declared that he had seen

the light move away; another that it had been extinguished before it moved. One more declared that the killer

But the sum and substance of all the reports was that Goldy Tancred had been slated for the spot. A big shot,

liked by politicians, but unpopular among certain gang leaders, had escaped the doom that was intended for

Goldy, himself, knew nothing. He was staying close to his palatial apartment high up in the Hotel Marathon.

His famous astrakhan coat no longer would be seen at Brindle's restaurant. Goldy Tancred so reporters

DETECTIVE Joe Cardona read the morning newspapers with a real relish. His presence at the Olympia Hotel

was universally commended. He had used good sense in watching Goldy Tancred. It was not his fault that the

Commissioner Ralph Weston, overlord of New York police, had voiced his approval of Cardona's tactics. He

supported the detective's finding, and he had promptly deputed Cardona to handle the case.

Among the newspapermen who were active on the story was Clyde Burke, a reporter for the New York

Classic. A veteran news gatherer, Clyde believed that Cardona was right. Secretly, however, he wondered

what the outcome of this affair might be. For Clyde knew, from experience, that there was someone who

could deal with gangland's slayers even when the most ardent police measures failed.

Clyde Burke was thinking of The Shadow. For Clyde Burke, himself, was a secret agent of The Shadow!

In a room at the Metrolite Hotel, another young man was pondering upon the same matters that concerned

Clyde Burke. A resident guest of the hotel, Harry Vincent was scanning the day's headlines. Like Clyde

Burke, Harry believed that Joe Cardona had the correct information. Nevertheless, Harry was wondering

In an office of the huge Badger Building, a chubbyfaced man also studied the morning newspapers. With

careful shears, he clipped the columns that carried the story of the double slaying at the Olympia Hotel. By

profession, this placid individual was an investment broker. His name was Rutledge Mann, and his many

But Mann, who held no opinion regarding Cardona's theory, was also wondering about the future. Like Clyde

Burke and Harry Vincent, Rutledge Mann served The Shadow. Where the others were active and frequently

in the field, Mann acted as a contact agent. He supplied information and data that might be required. These

clippings, that he was gathering today, were being prepared for delivery to The Shadow.

His compilation completed, Rutledge Mann put all his clippings in an envelope. He left his office, took a taxi

to Twentythird Street, and entered a dingy building. On an upstairs floor, he stopped at the door of a

deserted office which bore the name "Jonas" on its cobwebbed pane. He dropped the envelope in the mail slit.

The mail slit was the delivery box that enabled Mann to reach The Shadow. Complete reports on the Olympia

outrage were now posted to the master mind. Whatever the sequel might be, Rutledge Mann would be ready

Clyde Burke's reportorial work Harry Vincent's perusal of the newspapers Rutledge Mann's clipping

service all these were productive of an important aftermath. A strange, unseen event occurred somewhere

INTENSE blackness was suddenly ended by a bluish light that appeared in the corner of a blackwalled

apartment. An uncanny glow was focused upon the polished surface of a table, directly beneath the shaded

In only one place could this phenomenon occur. That spot was The Shadow's sanctum. Away from all the

world, the very location of his secret room unknown, The Shadow, master of darkness, planned his warfare

Two hands appeared beneath the bluish glow. They were long hands, with tapering fingers that combined

smoothness with strength. There was no mistaking the hands of The Shadow, for upon a finger of the left

This was a gleaming gem that shone with a changing hue that symbolized mystery. The Shadow's girasol a

fire opal unmatched in all the world glistened like a sparkling eye in everchanging hues.

From azure, the girasol took on the shades of a rich purple. Its glowing depths became a brilliant crimson,

only to change to a deep maroon that gave the stone an appearance of unlimited depths. All the while, the

illusion of sparks persisted. Flashes of flames seemed to leap upward toward the light.

The white hands produced an envelope and removed its contents. Rutledge Mann's clippings lay in view. The

right hand brought forward a pen and a sheet of blank paper. While hidden eyes studied the reports, the hand

Brief, pointed facts appeared like thoughts. As the hand rested, eyes from the dark visualized those

statements. Bluish ink dried, then disappeared. The memory of the vanished words remained, locked in the

Could Joe Cardona have seen those inscriptions, he would have been amazed. For The Shadow, step by step,

was shattering the detective's theory! He was tracing a very definite connection between the big shot and the

Where Cardona had pictured Goldy as a man who had escaped a menace. The Shadow saw the big shot as

one who had known of a designed murder. Goldy Tancred threatened was the last person whom the

The change of the Mohawks' meeting from Red Room to Blue Room the holding of the affair on the same

night as the meeting of the electrical engineers those had been accepted as mere coincidence. To The

Coldblooded mobsmen who attacked beneath a barrage of blackness were not the ones to make so clumsy

an error. The Shadow, versed in knowledge of underworld tactics, was quick to reject Cardona's theory.

They were not men of crime. Yet the explanation must exist. From a study of the past, and an observation of

CRIME was impending crime that bore the mark of genius. The secret of mighty schemes was unrevealed,

yet there were ways to reach it. Where the police were content to look for unknown murderers, The Shadow

A soft laugh came through the gloom of the room. Its whispered tones awoke pulsating echoes. The hand

inscribed terse comments beneath the name that it had written. Goldy Tancred must be watched. There was a

Two other names appeared upon the paper. Side by side, The Shadow considered them.

Again, the hand began its comments. The careers of these men must be traced. Somewhere in the events of

Earphones slid across the table as the hands reached beyond to obtain them. The Shadow spoke into a

mouthpiece. His low tones were passing over a private wire to a listener as secretive as himself.

The quiet voice over the wire was that of The Shadow's hidden contact man. Always ready for the Shadow's

bidding, Burbank dwelt in obscurity and kept up a telephonic communication with The Shadow's agents.

Words that came to Burbank were relayed back and forth between The Shadow and his men.

"Clyde Burke on duty," responded The Shadow, in an even monotone. "Commence observation on the

The voice continued. Burbank listened. While The Shadow spoke, his hand was writing. Every word that he

gave to Burbank was inscribed in blue upon a blank sheet of paper. The statements, however, were in code.

The Shadow concluded his orders. As he told Burbank to stand by, he folded the paper before the writing had

reached the vanishing stage, and placed it in an envelope. This was to go to Rutledge Mann. The writing

"Harry Vincent on duty," The Shadow went on. "To cooperate with Rutledge Mann in uncovering facts

The voice continued; the hand wrote and closed its message. The earphones slid across the table. Instructions

to Burbank were ended. The orders to Rutledge Mann, sealed in separate envelopes, were carried away by

The light clicked out. Invisible within the walls of his windowless sanctum, The Shadow laughed again.

Weird echoes of a mocking cry reverberated from the hollow space. The Shadow's work had begun.

During the future, his eyes would watch the activities of Goldy Tancred, the man who had escaped.

Meanwhile, delving into the past, his investigating forces would discover facts regarding Richard Reardon

Somewhere, between the affairs of the big shot and the dead engineers, lay crime of an insidious nature.

Goldy Tancred, feigning a connection with smallfry politicians, was seeking to cover up the game.

Clearly, The Shadow saw that Goldy's pretensions were a bluff; that he was using the unsuspecting Mohawks

as an alibi. Just as plainly, The Shadow knew that there had been a definite purpose in the killings of Reardon

The echoes of The Shadow's laugh persisted. At last, like dying whispers from invisible ghosts, they faded

Strange darkness! Like a shroud it had veiled the presence of the master mind. From that darkness, The

Shadow had gone into light. He would find darkness again for The Shadow struck best from Stygian

This time, however, a curious analogy remained. Out of darkness had The Shadow gone. Into darkness he

For The Shadow, now, was dealing with strange fighters who also had used blackness to mask their crimes!

It was darkness that The Shadow sought. It was darkness that he would find. That strange black hush that had

Its sinister folds would envelop The Shadow along with fiends of crime. The Shadow had begun his

In contrast to the impenetrable gloom that always pervaded The Shadow's sanctum, the light of day still

shone above the island of Manhattan. It was waning afternoon and the city streets were darkening, but the sun

Glinting rays of light were reflected by the polished walls of futuristic buildings. Most conspicuous of these

was the new Judruth Tower, which lifted its jutting shaft ninetyfive stories toward the sky. A pinnacle that

formed a tribute to modern engineering, this structure added a new spectacle to Manhattan's sky line.

The highest office floor was the ninetythird. There, in a private office, a bespectacled stout man was

studying the afternoon edition of a New York daily. Behind his flattopped mahogany desk, he was reading

A knock at the door. The stout man laid the paper aside, ordered the person to come in. A stenographer

"It is after five o'clock, Mr. Fawcett," said the girl. "The office force has left. I am going now, unless you

"Quite all right to leave," responded Fawcett. "I intend to wait for Hobbs. He couldn't get back to town in

The stenographer nodded and left. Then, with a smile upon his lips, Fawcett went from his corner office. He

entered another room, and closed the door behind him. The glass panel of his private office bore the name:

Continuing, Fawcett reached another door, and stepped through it to an anteroom where a row of elevator

The elevator doors were heavymetal barriers that completely closed this anteroom from the outside world.

Hector Fawcett smiled in satisfaction. His eye ran along the doors. All but one were stopping points at the

ninetythird floor. The sole exception was a special shaft which ran exclusively to the observation floors

SURE that no one was loitering in the anteroom, Fawcett returned to his offices, leaving the door unlocked

behind him. This would be an invitation to the expected visitor. In the meantime, the president of the Climax

The entire space of the ninetythird floor was occupied by the one enterprise. Fawcett strolled from office to

office. Each corner of the floor had a private office like the one which the president occupied. But with the

exception of Fawcett's own room, these were devoid of desks and chairs. Instead, they served as display

Sunray machines, health devices, other items designed for treatment of illness these made up a galaxy of

shining apparatus. Hector Fawcett's business was in keeping with the times. People were ready to purchase

mechanical inventions of this type. The business was one that afforded tremendous profit.

Hector Fawcett continued to an inner office. This room, its door locked, served as a storage place for new

items of equipment. Fawcett, himself, had the only key. He opened the door, turned on the light, and looked

Most of the machines were duplicates of items on display in the corner offices. There was one noteworthy

exception. This was an oddly shaped device mounted on rubber wheels. It consisted of a cylindrical box with

a curved door in the front. Above it, mounted on a thick post, was a burnished projector that resembled a

There was a control switch at the side. There were also focusing levers and pivoting arrangements. These

were oddly designed, but they were not the chief item of peculiarity. That lay in the glazed front of the

An amazing paradox a device that seemed designed for the issuance of light yet it was coated with a

HECTOR FAWCETT'S smile became a laugh. The corporation president turned on his heel and left the

storeroom. He closed and locked the door behind him. He went back into his own office, and picked up the

telephone from the desk. In a methodical voice he gave a number. He recognized the tone that responded.

"Hello," greeted Fawcett. "Yes... Waiting now... Yes, I've been reading the newspapers right here... Exactly

Fawcett was moving toward the window of the office; standing there, he still talked on the telephone while he

"Yes," he continued, "I've made the observations. It's up to Hobbs now... No... No... A test is unnecessary...

Hector Fawcett hung up the receiver. He stood by the window and studied the vista of the city below.

Afternoon was waning, even at this height, where the final rays of the setting sun lingered.

This altitude gave the bespectacled man a sense of vast superiority. The feeling would have been justified

from even a commercial standpoint: the thought of salesmen who had issued forth from here to find limitless

sources of revenue among the thousands of potential customers in those buildings.

But Fawcett's ideas were of a vaster scheme. Commercial enterprise meant nothing to this watcher. To him,

those buildings were masses of ore, among which were veins of profitable material.

Within a huge radius from the Judruth Tower, that source of wealth was workable. From this office from

the other corner rooms Hector Fawcett could point his finger at the spots he wanted; then, when the proper

A promoter of experience, Hector Fawcett was now in back of a scheme that could mean millions. Completed

plans were ready. The first test had been made and, with it, the way had been paved toward success.

Such considerations did not restrain this man. His longing for gain surpassed all else. Behind an exterior that

denoted a business man of integrity, the real Hector Fawcett was an individual without conscience.

There was reason for his smile. In all his former schemes of promotion, Fawcett had carefully masked all

unscrupulous activities. He knew how to obtain the prestige that went with successful business. President of

Like Goldy Tancred, Hector Fawcett was a man who had avoided crime. But Fawcett had not even allowed

himself to deal with shady enterprises. Like Goldy, Fawcett had watched his actions purely because he knew

There were easier ways to make money, but when crime could be perpetrated with the dangers minimized,

that altered the aspect. It was the attainment of such a condition that had turned Hector Fawcett to his present

High above the world, safe from observation, he felt positive that his actions were also free from possible

detection. Sleuths could do their utmost, they would never reach this stronghold.

Many opportunities had come to Hector Fawcett. This was the time that he had engaged in the promotion of a

new and alluring enterprise that of crime. Here was crime that would be foolproof; crime that had stood

The sky was darkening now. In the gloom of his office, Hector Fawcett turned away from the window, where

He had heard the sound of an opening door. His visitor had arrived. Turning on the light, Fawcett took his

Hector Fawcett smiled in greeting. This was the person he had expected. Known to the office as Hobbs,

accepted by others as a traveling salesman who spent most of the time on the road, this visitor was actually

Goldy Tancred was seated in the living room of his luxurious suite at the Hotel Marathon. Bowser Riggins,

the man whom he called a pal, and others termed his bodyguard, was lolling in a corner by the window.

A heavily built man entered the room and turned a sour, motionless face in Goldy's direction. Although

dressed in a business suit, this fellow had the manner of a servant who had come to make an announcement.

"Reporter outside to see you," answered Curry. "Guy named Burke. Comes from the Classic. Wants an

"Say" the bodyguard's expression was a growl "ain't there no end to those guys? There's been half a

The big shot held out his hand when Clyde Burke entered. Although he made no effort to rise, Goldy's clasp

was cordial as he received the reporter's handshake. Burke took a chair that Goldy pointed out to him, and

"Listen, Goldy." Burke was serious as he took up the conversation. "You know what I'm after. A story. The

"Wise that somebody's out to get you," returned Clyde. "Why don't you give us something to work on? If you

"No?" Goldy's question came with a smile that showed his shining dental equipment. "Say, Burke, you're no

nitwit, like most of these news hounds. You don't think I'm a squawker, do you? If I was" Goldy indulged

in a contemptuous leer "I'd have been pushing up posies long ago. Squawkers don't go, that's all."

"Murder has been committed," said the reporter gravely. "If you have any way of rectifying it of bringing

Goldy Tancred leaned back in his chair, and loosed a long horselaugh. He looked toward Bowser Riggins,

"Listen to that, Bowser," chuckled the big shot. "This columnfiller talks like Joe Cardona. Remember the

"Say" Goldy was speaking to Burke now "if I couldn't tell Cardona anything, you don't think I'd have any

"I told him the truth," interposed Goldy. "I told him that I didn't know of any rat that had nerve enough to try

to get me. I admitted there were a lot of boobs who might have it in for me because I had queered their cheap

"Because Cardona already had the list. What do you think he pays a lot of stool pigeons for just to hear

them tell funny stories? Listen, newshound. If any guy was after me last night, Cardona has just as good a

"There's the whole lay. It's easier for Cardona to locate the bird he wants. I'm not worried. I'm not going

around to look for trouble. It's a police job; let him do it. It's his business."

Goldy smiled more pleasantly when he saw Clyde Burke nod in agreement to his statement.

"Murder," said the big shot, becoming somewhat serious. "That's what it was, Burke cold murder. Cardona

is a smart detective. As a matter of fact he's beginning to convince me that they were really after me but at

"Now suppose that a pot shot had been taken at me. Suppose that Bowser, here, had taken a dose of lead

trying to protect me from some sap who had more bullets than brains. Well, it would be different then, Burke.

"But as it is, I've got no proof. If I come out and try to place the marker on some bozo, I've got to mark every

one that I think is sore at me. What would that mean? I'll tell you it would give me a dozen enemies

"Instead of a flock of rats, I'd have a troop of foxes on my list. You know how those smallfry mobsters

work. They hide out and run away until they think they're in for something. Then they get nasty. So I'm just

"Satisfied?" came Goldy's interrupting quiz. "Say, boy, he saw the light mighty quick. You want to know

"Cardona," explained Goldy, "figures that the birds who bumped these electrical engineers won't be satisfied

until they take another crack at me. He believes me when I tell him I don't know who the killers are.

"So he's laying quiet, like I am. Why should he stir up a lot of other rats or force me to do it? There's a bunch

might take the trouble to come after me if they got worried. Then Cardona would be stuck. He wants the guys

"I'll tell you what I've done for Cardona. I'm laying low, playing possum, acting almost like I'm scared. That's

a good comeon, isn't it? Of course. I'm playing safe, even though this talk of danger may be hokum. But if

these tough bimboes want to waltz into trouble of their own making, I'll be satisfied. So will Cardona."

Goldy Tancred grinned and clasped one hand with the other to demonstrate an illustrative shake. It was an

effort to explain the entente cordiale that existed between Goldy and Joe Cardona.

"Thanks, Goldy," he said. "You've explained what was puzzling me. There's no story in it but it may mean

Despite his expression of new understanding, Clyde Burke had actually learned nothing which he did not

know before. This unofficial arrangement between Cardona and Goldy Tancred was a logical procedure. In

fact, it was possible that the detective and the smooth racketeer handler might have checked up the names of

Clyde's conversation had been intended as a stall. He wanted to stay in Goldy's suite as long as possible. That

was not part of his work for the Classic. It was a duty that had been ordered by The Shadow.

WHILE Clyde was thinking of some way to prolong the visit, the telephone rang on a table at Goldy

Tancred's side. The big shot lifted the receiver. Clyde caught a gleam of the gold teeth as Goldy talked across

"Hello... Yes..." Goldy seemed intensely interested. "Yeah... All right. It's settled, then... Hobbs will be there?

Intense interest had entered Goldy's eyes. Now, upon sudden thought, the big shot had apparently

remembered that a visitor was listening to his talk. Perhaps it was the fact that he had mentioned the name of

Hobbs. Whatever the cause of Goldy's change might have been, the result was immediate.

"That's all right," continued Goldy in a noncommittal tone. "Glad you called. Sorry I can't be at the party...

No, I'm feeling pretty good, but I'm sticking around the apartment for the time being... Sure I'll tell him

"Just been finding out I'm nothing but a big playboy," he remarked. "That's about the tenth guy that has called

me up to go on a nightclub party. Bunch of chorus girls and other molls. They can leave me out of the night

The pretense was well done. But Clyde Burke sensed that Goldy Tancred had sought to cover up a message

of real importance. The reporter remembered that name that Goldy had mentioned Hobbs.

Rising from his chair, Clyde Burke cast a glance about the room. He noted the elegant furnishings, and his

eye fell upon a corner by the window. A bookcase, set at right angles to the window, jutted out until it

reached a hanging curtain that draped to the window ledge. Beyond the window, Clyde espied the brass

"Wait a moment," suggested the big shot. "Bowser will ride down with you, Burke. He's going out."

The bodyguard joined the reporter. They descended to the hotel lobby, and left by the same door. There, their

Ordinarily, Clyde Burke would have gone directly to a telephone to communicate with Burbank. The

Clyde covered several blocks before he dropped into a drugstore and entered a phone booth. He obtained his

number quickly, and talked with Burbank. In short, low sentences, Clyde stated that Goldy Tancred had

received a suspicious call, which involved the name of Hobbs. He added the fact that he had noted

When Clyde Burke left the store, he called a taxi and directed the driver to take him to the Classic office. The

reporter's only regret was that he had lost fifteen minutes between the time of his departure from Goldy's

apartment, and his arrival at the telephone booth. On the contrary, he felt sure that he had escaped all

In that thought, the reporter was wrong. From the time that he had left the Hotel Marathon, a skulking figure

had followed him along the opposite side of the street. That same follower had waited outside the drugstore,

Now, a foxfaced, darksweatered gangster came into view, and scurried away along a side street. The

appearance of Bowser Riggins with Clyde Burke at the door of the hotel had been this skulker's tip to take up

Such was Goldy Tancred's game. Secretly, the overlord of racketeers was in league with forces of the

A big shot deluxe, Goldy Tancred, like Hector Fawcett, was a power in the menace that was now impending.

The black hush that had preceded murder at the Olympia Hotel had been no mystery to Goldy Tancred!

Clyde Burke, agent of The Shadow, had gained a partial inkling of that fact. Soon The Shadow, himself,

Hardly had Clyde Burke left Goldy Tancred's apartment before Curry entered to speak to his master. The

servant's expression was quiet. His tone was confidential. He was announcing another visitor.

A short, squat, hardfaced man was ushered into the room. With the frame of an orangutan, a visage like a

chunk of hewn rock, and hands that looked like mallets, Ping Slatterly looked like what he was the toughest

"How're ya?" returned the gang leader. "Say I've been stickin' around on the floor below, waitin' to hear

"Yeah? Well, leave the rest to me. I'll pull this one like I did that job at the Olympia."

"Say I'm like a dead log, Goldy. There ain't nothin' creepin' out, neither. There ain't nobody knows what's

comin' even the mob I've got. They're waitin' for the word; an' they're keepin' mum while they wait.

"I'm just nobody see? They think I'm through all tough looks an' no punch. That's the way they're goin' to

stay. I mean the guys that ain't in the know. I've got my mob trained all right."

"Stay away from here," warned Goldy, "until I send for you. That won't be until after we pull the job. You're

"Just the way we want it, Goldy. Douse the glims, an' I don't care if there's a hundred bulls in the place. How

Ping Slatterly's huge chest swelled. The evilfaced gang leader leered. He sauntered toward the door, with

Goldy Tancred following, and turned to deliver his parting expression of assurance.

"They'll all be close to me, see?" he concluded. "When I shoot on the bull'seye, the rest is easy. Each guy

has his place. Teamwork. Fast pickup and a quick getaway. You've got it set for fifteen minutes, huh?"

Curry appeared at Goldy Tancred's call. The servant went with Ping Slatterly down a flight of stairs. He was

taking the gang leader to a service elevator on a lower floor. A dumb operator, an exit at the rear of the hotel

BACK in his living room, Goldy Tancred strolled about, smoking a cigarette. His teeth gleamed in occasional

Minutes drifted by. Not a sound came to this apartment high above the street. Then, so slowly that its motion

was almost unnoticeable, a window sash began to rise. Through the opening came a long, black silhouette

Something blotted out the reflecting surface of the raised window pane. The sash moved downward. The

silhouette advanced across the floor. Seemingly from outer darkness, a tall figure materialized. It developed

With cape reaching from his shoulders, with hands encased in thin black gloves, his features obscured by the

turneddown brim of a slouch hat, The Shadow stood within the confines of Goldy Tancred's living room!

A soft, whispered laugh came from invisible lips. The blackhatted head tilted upward. A pair of burning

eyes studied the scene. Those glowing optics turned in the direction of the bookcase, close beside the

The position of the heavy articles of furniture answered Clyde Burke's description to Burbank. The Shadow

With calm precision, the strange visitant moved the bookcase slightly away from the wall and attached a

small instrument. The bookcase moved back. The Shadow's hands urged a thin wire behind the curtain. Then

Suddenly, the worker stopped. Stepping half behind the curtain, he became entirely motionless. Not even the

slightest rustling of the hanging betrayed his presence. The long silhouette still stretched its black shape

Curry had entered the room. The servant was closing the place for the night. He walked directly to the

window, passed within inches of The Shadow's hidden form, and tried the sash to find it locked. Wheeling,

Departing footsteps faded through the hallway beyond the room. The Shadow's laugh came in a sinister

whisper. By absolute stillness, this weird investigator had completely avoided discovery. That was The

The window sash moved upward. The Shadow reached the balcony. Invisible, he lowered the sash so subtly

that it seemed to creep downward of its own accord, inch by inch. A steel instrument entered between the

sections of the sash. An unseen hand relocked the window from the outside, so perfectly that no trace of the

The free end of the wire dropped from the balcony and hung down the darkened wall of the hotel. The

Shadow's phantom figure moved to the end rail, then stretched itself upward and outward. Long, strong

fingers caught the projecting cornice of a window above. Climbing like a human fly, The Shadow reached his

This place was occupied, but no one was awake. The Shadow's cloak swished slightly as its wearer made his

TEN minutes afterward, a window opened in an apartment a few floors below Goldy Tancred's domicile. An

invisible hand stretched out into the night, and caught the end of the slender, hanging wire. A tiny flashlight

threw a dollarsize disk of light upon the wall of the apartment where The Shadow now was. A gloved hand

drew the end of the wire to the bell box of a telephone that was set against the wall.

There, The Shadow attached another mechanism. The operation here required a multitude of details. When it

was completed, The Shadow stepped back and viewed the completed job with the light of his tiny torch.

This was a private telephone, and the owner of the apartment was away. Upstairs, in Goldy Tancred's living

room, The Shadow had attached one end of a dictograph connection. Here, he had hooked the line with the

Through a perfected mechanism of his own invention, The Shadow now had the communication that he

desired. It merely remained for Burbank to call up this apartment. The ringing of the bell would do the rest.

The call would apparently be completed; actually, a connection would be formed with the dictograph line.

This meant that Burbank could listen in at will to whatever was said in Goldy Tancred's place.

By hanging up his own receiver, Burbank would complete the supposed call. Thus The Shadow's hidden

agent could follow everything at a distance, whenever the occasion might require. There would be some long

The flashlight went out. The Shadow swished through darkness. The closed apartment was once more empty.

Impending crime! Could The Shadow learn its secret? Would his efforts frustrate the schemes of evildoers?

Tonight, Clyde Burke had gained an inkling. The Shadow, although too late to witness Ping Slatterly's visit,

had accomplished something that would reveal to him all telephone calls and conversations in which Goldy

Well had The Shadow planned! His eyes had seen; now his ears would hear. Important contact formed. The

Only one factor served to spoil The Shadow's measures. Tonight, Goldy Tancred had completed plans so

effectively that the big shot had decided to abandon all communications for the present.

Unwittingly, Goldy had acted with great wisdom. The black hush was due to fall again in a place other than

the Olympia Hotel. Where it came, crime would follow. Until then, Goldy was preserving silence.

The ingenuity of The Shadow had already been counteracted by the man who did not even suspect its

This was the statement that came over the wire. The reply, made from a telephone booth, was uttered in the

There was a tinge of helpless regret in Burbank's final word. The Shadow's hidden agent, usually unemotional

The receiver clattered in the telephone booth where The Shadow stood. Silence followed while The Shadow

Two days had passed since The Shadow's visit to Goldy Tancred's apartment. In that space of time, not one

report of consequence had come from Burbank. Night had come once more, and with it, a new threat of

The door of the phone booth swung open. It was not, however, a tall black figure that emerged. Instead, the

The Shadow, master of disguise, was garbed as a ruffian of the underworld. While Burbank waited, hopeful

This was the second successive night upon which The Shadow had visited the underworld. Denizens of the

badlands, unaware that their common foe was among them, had accepted the disguised visitant merely as an

Thoroughly familiar with every feature of the underworld, The Shadow was undertaking a swift and

methodical process of elimination. His analysis of approaching crime had connected Goldy Tancred with the

activities of some gang leader. One by one, The Shadow had visited the hangouts where representatives of

His keen eyes, obscured by the visor of a wrinkled cap, had studied the bloated faces of a score of sordid

mobsmen. His sharp ears had listened for snatches of conversation. Yet the cause had been fruitless. The

Shadow had learned many facts; but none of them gave evidence of a connection with the case that now

In the middle of a darkened alley, the shuffling figure paused and turned to descend a flight of broken stone

steps. His hand pushed open a rickety door. With hunched shoulders, the visitor entered an underground den

where some two dozen mobsmen were assembled beneath the glare of two large incandescents.

TOUGHENED gunmen turned toward the doorway as the newcomer appeared. They saw a grimy,

squarejawed visage beneath the cap visor. Somewhat suspiciously, they accepted this stranger as one of

No mobsman could truthfully boast that he had ever seen the face of The Shadow. There were a few who

claimed that they had seen his mysterious shape, and all descriptions agreed that The Shadow was a tall

being, habitually garbed in black. Had this stoopshouldered gangster announced his true identity, no one in

This was one underworld hangout that had no exact title. Once it had been called Gorky's Joint, in honor of

its proprietor. But Gorky's period of ownership had terminated amid a barrage of gun play that had counted

The unknown gangster drifted over to a table at the side of the room. He flung a crumpled dollar bill in front

of him, and a grimyfaced waiter brought in a bottle and a glass. The unknown poured out a long drink, but

Drifters of the underworld were here tonight, but among them were a few who looked like regular mobsmen.

The Shadow, in choosing his table, had picked a spot close by a promising pair. Now, apparently indifferent

to what was going on about him, he was listening to the conversation of these gunmen.

"You'd better be. Ping ain't the guy that'll stand for hokum. It's a long jump from here up to the old Windsor

Theater, an' we've got to do a sneak into the back alley when we finally get there "

The conversation broke as the gangsters prepared to leave. The Shadow, however, had learned all that he

needed to know. The objective of the gangsters could not be the Windsor Theater itself, for the old, closed

playhouse offered no attraction to men of crime. But the mention of the alley along side was a giveaway. A

fashionable apartment house was located next door to the theater, and it could well be a lure to smart crooks.

THADDEUS HARMON lived in that building. New Yorkers had heard much of him during the past few

weeks. A millionaire whose name was frequently in the news, Thaddeus Harmon had expressed his approval

He had spoken of important purchases which he had made through diamond merchants, and it was a known

fact that he had invited wealthy friends to see the collection of resplendent gems that he brought back and

Until now, The Shadow had been unable to lay his finger upon the exact type of crime which might be

impending. Murder cold and exacting had been the toll at the Olympia Hotel. More murder

But the connection of two sullenfaced gangsters with a rendezvous in a deserted alley between the Windsor

Theater and the nextdoor apartment was a definite clue that pointed to unusual crime.

The men had spoken of one whom they called Ping. The Shadow knew of Ping Slatterly a gang leader who

had recently dropped out of sight. The fact that these rowdies were connected with so formidable an evildoer

was important. Whether or not Ping Slatterly was Goldy Tancred's unidentified associate, it was in keeping

Such opportunity was here. The Shadow had gained a definite mission. With other possibilities exhausted, the

investigation had tapered down to a point where almost any definite warning of crime could be regarded as a

The Shadow knew their destination; he had knowledge of their possible goal. Nevertheless, he could

accomplish most by following them. Often, in the past, The Shadow had thwarted the schemes of malefactors

The pair had left through the door by the time The Shadow was standing on the floor. With the leisurely

His perfect disguise now served him well. Many eyes were upon him, but none suspected him to be other

There were two stone steps up to the door. On one side was the wall; on the other, an iron rail. The Shadow

His departure was timed to perfection. But for the intervention of chance, he would have been outside of the

AN unexpected occurrence stopped The Shadow's plan. As his forward foot reached the first of the stone

steps, the door of the speakeasy was flung open. A huge, broadshouldered, beefyfaced man stood

A buzz swept through the room. The newcomer was known to the assembled crowd. He was a hardboiled

gangster who went under the name of Smash Harlow; directly behind him was the stocky figure of his pal,

Glancing downward, Smash Harlow saw the disguised figure of The Shadow. He observed a face that was

In bullying fashion, Smash expressed an immediate dislike toward the person who blocked his path.

"Out of the way, dopey," he growled. "Whatcha trying to do hog the whole doorway?"

"Poke him one, Smash," came an urging cry. "He doesn't belong in this joint, anyway."

Smash continued to glower. When he saw that the figure before him did not move away, the bullying mobster

did more than try a punch. With a quick jerk, he pulled a large revolver from his pocket, and thrust the

Finger on the trigger, Smash was ready to shoot down this smallfry mobster who had no friends.

Then came swift action. The stoopshouldered figure seemed to lengthen. The Shadow's long left arm shot

directly upward, and caught Smash Harlow's wrist. As the beefy man fired, the bullet took an upward course,

Smash Harlow had no opportunity for another voluntary action. The Shadow's right arm had caught him now.

Raised by the crouching form that wore the sweater, Smash was lifted clear from the steps.

With a terrific upward snap, his assailant threw him headlong. The big man's body whirled as it swept over

the cap which The Shadow wore. Smash Harlow's revolver sailed from his grasp and clattered against the

Bozo Guckert was drawing his revolver. He never had a chance to use it. Straightening forward with

incredible swiftness, The Shadow made a sideswipe with his left fist. The blow knocked the revolver from

A fist like a trip hammer caught Bozo Guckert on the chin. The powerful punch lifted the mobster over the

rail beside the steps. Bozo Guckert landed back downward upon a table where two gangsters were sitting.

In the midst of the confusion, the unknown gangster who had so ably defended himself made a swift

departure. Guns flashed into view. Shots were fired at the spot where The Shadow had been. The bullets of

Nevertheless, the chase was on. Smash Harlow and Bozo Guckert were popular in this dive. Half a dozen

gangsters leaped to their feet, ready to avenge the downfall of their friends. The snarling mobsters swarmed

to the exit. They reached the alley and fired pot shots in the dark as they spread out in different directions.

WHILE the mobsmen were hustling along the alley, the stoopshouldered figure which The Shadow had

Swift, stealthy and spectacular, The Shadow would readily have met his pursuers in handtohand combat.

But, on this occasion, he could not afford the time. The encounter with Smash Harlow and Bozo Guckert had

consumed valuable minutes. The two gunmen whom The Shadow was following had gained too great a

headway. There was only one course now: to make for the destination which they had named.

This offered obstacles. The Shadow, still using the pose of a shambling gangster, was forced to choose a

circuitous course in order to avoid the mobsmen who were prowling in search of him. He could not afford to

At last, his scurrying figure appeared upon a street which bore the appearance of a respectable neighborhood.

Away from the borders of the underworld, The Shadow was free to make all speed. Stooped and hurrying, he

It was then that new eyes saw the huddled figure. A challenge came from across the street, as a policeman

hurried up to find out what this sweatered individual was doing beside the expensive automobile.

Quickly, The Shadow slipped within the car. His cap dropped to the floor beside him. The sweater seemed to

peel itself from his body. It fell, also; and from the back of the seat came a crushed opera hat, which popped

White hands came up and pressed against the grimy visage. They seemed to be wiping away the traces of

dirt; and with it, they were forming a molding process. The action continued as the officer circled the coupe.

Just as the policeman thrust a flashlight into the open window, the white hands dropped to the steering wheel

The officer's challenge ended with the sight of a surprised man attired in fulldress clothes and wearing an

"Guess I made a mistake, sir," returned the policeman. "Thought I saw a toughlooking rowdy fooling

"I saw no one," responded the gentleman at the wheel. "Perhaps if you look around a bit, you might find the

LAMONT CRANSTON'S lips wore a smile as his hands turned the wheel and the car pulled away. The

Shadow had worn a double disguise tonight. Beneath his sweater and baggy trousers was a closely tailored

fulldress suit. He was kicking off the trousers now. The officer had not seen them in the dark.

The bloated gangster face had changed to a dignified countenance as if by magic. The difference had lain

partly in expression; partly in grimy makeup which had been quickly wiped away with skillful motions.

The Shadow was now playing the part of Lamont Cranston, millionaire clubman, well known in Manhattan.

It was one of his most effective guises. Whirling up Fifth Avenue, The Shadow was bound for the apartment

Now, however, The Shadow's smile was grim. Two delays: one at the dive; the other with the officer these

had obstructed his plan of action. There was no chance to overtake the mobsters who had gone on duty.

Only one possible course could be taken. As Lamont Cranston, The Shadow would appear at Thaddeus

That was The Shadow's move. It was the method that he must now employ to cope with crime.

THADDEUS HARMON was entertaining in his penthouse, atop the roof of the apartment house which

Perched upon a building of some twenty stories in height, Thaddeus Harmon's penthouse formed an isolated

spot. The millionaire had chosen it for that very reason. Here, tonight, he could entertain wealthy guests in

Standing in the middle of a sumptuous living room with a long, thin cigar clipped between his fingers, the

millionaire was addressing a dozen guests who were seated about the room. While he talked, Harmon waved

his cigar toward an oddly shaped cabinet that stood against the wall. Strong and bulky, this article of furniture

"There you are," remarked the millionaire. "Nearly half a million dollars' worth of gems underneath that lid.

The cabinet is unlocked. All I have to do is raise the lid, and the jewels will be accessible to anyone who

The millionaire paused to smile while he drew a few long puffs upon his panatela.

"I am mentioning a few facts," he continued, "because certain of my guests have expressed apprehension

regarding the safety of my valuables. They have wondered why I run what they consider to be a risk

"Let me inform you that this penthouse is impregnable. Were it situated upon the top of the Rock of

"Whenever I bring my valuables here for display, I have detectives stationed in this penthouse, and also on

the ground floor of the apartment building. They are private men, all capable and ready for any emergency.

"There are two ways to reach this penthouse. By elevator, the way which all of you came, and through the

fire tower. Both routes terminate on the ground floor. In this room, I have a special alarm. It is operated on a

system of its own. With it, I can immediately notify the men downstairs. There is also the telephone, but it is

"Should any dangerous persons enter here and entrance would not be difficult they would find it quite a

task to capture the jewels, with my men on guard. Should they succeed, they would find escape the great

"No matter what might occur, my men below will remain at their stations in the lobby until they hear the

special alarm, which cannot fail to work, or receive a direct telephone call from this penthouse. So be at ease,

The guests seemed pleased at Thaddeus Harmon's assurance. They had all learned that detectives were

present; it was easy to pick out the quartet of sleuths who were stationed in the room. The additional

"When the rest of my guests arrive," declared Harmon, "I shall show the gems to the entire company. There

A few seconds after the millionaire concluded, the telephone rang. Thaddeus Harmon answered it himself. He

repeated names of persons who were announced from the lobby. Then a pleased expression came upon his

"Ah!" he exclaimed. "You say that Mr. Lamont Cranston is calling? Yes, indeed! Tell him to come up with

Hanging up the receiver, Harmon announced that the final guests were now on their way to the elevator. He

"You will enjoy meeting Lamont Cranston," he stated. "The man is a connoisseur where valuable gems are

concerned. He has a remarkable collection of his own, and every jewel is unique. A great traveler, Cranston. I

"His presence will be most welcome as I have acquired two diamonds which he may be able to identify.

Wonderful legends attach themselves to certain gems. To me, such stories, when verified, are quite as

Thaddeus Harmon motioned to two of the detectives. The men strolled across the living room and stationed

themselves beside the cabinet which contained the collection of jewels. The other pair of sleuths took

This was evidently the final precaution. As soon as the late guests had been welcomed, the curiosity of the

visitors would be satisfied. With the jewels under competent guard, the collection would be viewed in safety.

Thaddeus Harmon turned toward the door of his living room, and glanced out into an anteroom which served

also as an elevator corridor. He could just see the bulky door of the fire tower, past the row of elevators.

The millionaire's gaze turned toward the elevator shafts. His manner seemed expectant. In fact, Harmon was

Soon one of those heavy elevator doors would open to admit the final members of the privileged group whom

A vertical row of tiny incandescents were set beside each elevator. Harmon noticed the lowest light of one

row. The bulb flickered; the one above it lightened. The indicators changed in slow succession. This elevator

Puffing his panatela, Thaddeus Harmon serenely watched the indicated progress. A quiet, grayhaired

gentleman, the millionaire had a habit of forgetting all about him while he watched something that consumed

his interest. He was entirely oblivious to the conversation of his guests as he counted the floors that the

The count ended. Without an instant's warning, the penthouse was blanketed in complete darkness. Even the

WITH all the thickness of a cloudy, blackened night, a fearsome darkness seemed to tell of impending

Impenetrable gloom had taken full command. The entire building was wrapped in a shroud that prevented the

Yet the completeness of that dark was not fully comprehended by those who were within it. Other

phenomena had occurred as well. With that stroke of blackness, not only the electric lights, but every other

The rising elevator was stalled midway between the eighteenth and the nineteenth floors. Telephone service

was automatically ended. The special alarm between the penthouse and the ground floor was rendered

Gasps of surprise and fright seemed muffled as they came from the lips of Thaddeus Harmon's guests. The

sensation of a choking, suffocating power gripped everyone. The darkness had the reality of a solid

Those within the pall scarcely dared to move. Hands clawed feebly at chair arms. Persons arose to grope their

way to a less dreadful spot; then dropped back to their seats, awed by the terrible sensation.

Caught by hideous alarm, Thaddeus Harmon spent every ounce of effort as he managed to move slowly back

into the living room. This weird darkness savored of the unknown. Its terror caused the millionaire to

It was the strangeness of the thick gloom that produced this effect. Actually, those within it were free agents;

yet the unbelievable condition of absolute dark could not be combated by these persons who were

A menace shrouded the atmosphere of the penthouse. The black hush had come; and in its wake, crime was

INVISIBLE men were moving through thick darkness. While silence still persisted in Thaddeus Harmon's

living room, the invasion of crime was on its way. Issuing from the door of the fire tower, Ping Slatterly and

The sound of the advance had not reached the group in the penthouse living room. There, Thaddeus Harmon

Detectives were trying to get results with their flashlights all in vain. Even these appliances had succumbed

A match flickered; its illumination did not carry far. Even the face of the guest who had ignited it was not

distinguishable. It needed greater light than that to pierce this thick haze of blackness.

The light came. From the doorway, the glare of a bull'seye lantern flashed suddenly into view. Supplied by

acetylene, this instrument of illumination brought a strange brilliance throughout the living room. Guests and

A voice spoke from behind the lantern. Its tones were uttered in a harsh growl that was plainly audible,

"We've got you covered" Ping Slatterly was talking "and the first one that moves gets bumped. Do you

Thaddeus Harmon yanked the alarm just as Slatterly spoke. Then the millionaire backed against the wall,

with arms upraised. His action was followed promptly by his guests. The detectives, in turn, sullenly obeyed

Ping's command. The suddenness of the attack had caught them completely unprepared.

"We're not worryin' about that alarm," informed Ping, in his harsh voice. "Yank it again, if you want. Try the

His words were followed by an order to his henchmen. Two roughly garbed invaders stepped into the glare of

the acetylene light. Between them, they were carrying a doublehandled bag. These men were masked. It was

impossible to identify them as they moved straight toward the cabinet against the wall.

While the detectives remained helpless under the threat of unseen guns, one of the mobsters opened the top of

the cabinet. Grimy hands dipped into the large jewel chest. Out came sparkling gems which were dropped

THADDEUS HARMON forgot caution. The sight of his valuable collection of precious stones, taken openly

before his eyes, was too much for the maddened millionaire. He made no attempt to attack the robbers, but he

Seizing the telephone, Harmon raised the instrument from its hook and tried to establish a connection. The

experiment convinced him that the leader of the invaders had spoken the truth. The telephone was dead.

Ping Slatterly laughed. His workers were completing their job in rapid time. The top of the cabinet descended

with a thump that sounded muffled in the gloom. The gang leader saw a detective shift uneasily. He growled

A revolver spoke through the darkness. Its suppressed roar was a warning. A bullet flattened itself against the

"Remember" Slatterly's tone followed the abbreviated echoes of the revolver shot "the first guy that

moves gets drilled. We're leavin' you but we'll be back quick enough if anybody tries to make trouble. It

won't be safe to try anythin' until the lights come on again. Forget these sparklers if you know what's good for

The men were backing away from the cabinet. One was lugging the bag; the other had a revolver in his hand,

This unexplainable situation was one for which he had not provided. Fully did he realize the helplessness of

the present conditions. The elimination of light throughout the apartment house would mean nothing to the

men stationed on the ground floor. There was no reason for them to suspect trouble in the penthouse unless

The invaders had come from the fire tower. They would depart by the same route. In this amazing blackness,

which only the acetylene torch seemed capable of penetrating, they could make a swift escape. Already they

Harmon realized that it would be impossible until after the crooks had made good their escape. They could

easily barricade the door of the fire tower behind them. A hurried flight down the stairway of the tower that

The millionaire knew that the elevator service, like lights, telephone and alarm had been interrupted. Harmon

and his detectives were trapped here in the penthouse. Until the black hush ended, they could not move.

PING SLATTERLY, still out of sight behind the glare of the acetylene light, was emitting a gloating chuckle.

He knew that his warning would be heeded. No one would dare move until complete illumination returned. It

would be suicidal, even after the acetylene lamp had been extinguished. Ping's threat of lurkers in the dark

Events had passed swiftly since the invaders had arrived. The purloining of the gems had been a rapid action.

Less than four minutes had elapsed since the black hush had fallen, up to the time of the warning shot that

had ended all thoughts of resistance, or attempted recovery of the stolen wealth.

Ping Slatterly had estimated that the descent through the fire tower would require no more than four

additional minutes. This allowed for a complete escape before anyone outside of the penthouse could

Until the black hush was lifted, these people would be helpless. Knowledge of that fact was the only reason

why Ping had desisted from murder. This fiendish gang leader would gladly have massacred the helpless

detectives, but he was under orders to concentrate upon the removal of the gems.

All that he wanted was a good excuse to shoot some helpless victims. The warning shot had shown the

Giving the command to retire, Ping began to back away from the door of the penthouse living room. With his

men crouching backward with him, the malefactor engineered a steady retreat until he was standing close

A growl from a henchman told Ping that the barrier was open. The way was ready for the swift escape. Ping

The glare from the acetylene searchlight still illuminated the entire living room. Through a peculiar, dusky

haze, faces were visible in strained whiteness. Frightened guests sullen detectives Ping viewed them with

The gang leader's gaze turned toward Thaddeus Harmon. The millionaire, alone uncowed, wore a look of

defiance. His expression aroused Ping Slatterly's complete antagonism. The gang leader sneered in the

Instructions flashed through Ping's hostile mind. He had been told to get the jewels; to make an effective

getaway; and to stay his gun until its use proved necessary. Murder was Ping Slatterly's forte; he saw good

Only one man among the helpless people in the room seemed capable of planning action against the crooks.

In moments of quick thought, Ping saw the advantage. To Harmon, the jewels were of prime importance; to

If Thaddeus Harmon fell, riddled by bullets, a second before the acetylene light made its exit, the only

thoughts of the remaining people would be the fear of death. That terror would persist; and when the

penthouse lights returned, confusion would occur at the sight of Thaddeus Harmon's slain body.

With cool deliberation, the evil gang leader raised his revolver. Ready to loose unexpected death, he held the

brilliant lantern steadily in his left hand, taking aim with the weapon in his right.

"Hold it," growled Ping to his clustered companions. "Wait until I cut loose with this smoke wagon. Then

With final deliberation, Ping Slatterly belittled the consequences. He could explain matters to his associates.

Murder did not matter, so long as the robbery had been completed. Success would stifle criticism.

Thaddeus Harmon's life was hanging in the balance. The crime of death was to follow lawless entry and theft.

Ping Slatterly gloated as he prepared to slay the helpless millionaire. One minute more; then the enveloping

PING SLATTERLY'S powerful light had carved a beam through the blackness that pervaded the penthouse.

The awesome pall of the black hush had not, however, been dispelled elsewhere. Within the elevator that was

bringing guests upward, a solid block of impenetrable gloom had struck with amazing power.

The car had come to a stop midway between two floors. The startled gasps of the passengers had died upon

frightened lips. After the first seconds of astonishment, a muffled terror had gripped quivering hearts.

Among those passengers, so suddenly invisible to each other, was one to whom the coming of blackness had

brought no awe. This person was the unexpected guest whom Thaddeus Harmon had been so eager to

Within the darkness of the elevator, Cranston's first action was to press his hands against the interior wall of

the car. Probing fingers found a crevice. They wedged a metal implement into it.

A hushed click in the gloom was unnoticed by the terrified passengers, who were mumbling incoherent

comments to each other. The side of the car, when it came slowly inward, disturbed no one.

The Shadow, working in the darkness, had opened the emergency door in the side of the car. This barrier was

designed for the removal of passengers from one elevator to another. At present, it was useless for this

purpose; there had been no opportunity to bring a second car up alongside the stalled lift.

The Shadow, however, used the opening for another purpose. His invisible form slid through the unlocked

side of the car. The door closed and clicked behind him as he clung to the outside of the elevator. Then, with

calm precision, he clutched the front wall of the shaft, and raised his long body upward.

While Ping Slatterly and his men were effecting the robbery in the penthouse, The Shadow, silent and

unknown, was ascending the interior of the elevator shaft, fighting his way upward through the deep gloom of

Strangely, the progress of this invisible being was timed with Ping Slatterly's actions. At the very moment

when the gang leader paused with his men at the open door of the fire tower, the hand of The Shadow

While Ping was giving his final orders, The Shadow's hands were working with the barrier. The heavy door

THE door of the shaft was outside the range of Slatterly's special searchlight. The thick gloom of the black

hush covered all of The Shadow's actions. Ping Slatterly could not see the phantom form emerging through

the door of the shaft; nor could The Shadow observe Ping's outline behind the glare of the acetylene lantern.

Nevertheless, The Shadow's actions were identical with those of the gang leader. While Ping Slatterly was

drawing and leveling his revolver, the hand of The Shadow was bringing forth an automatic, to handle it with

Each had a different target. Ping Slatterly's objective was Thaddeus Harmon; The Shadow's was the gleaming

Trigger fingers poised, unknown to each other. A man's life was momentarily at stake. In that tense moment

One element of mental reaction alone decided the result. Ping Slatterly, confident and firm in the belief that

Thaddeus Harmon was a helpless victim, let his finger linger. The Shadow, knowing that the cowed group in

A shot rang out in the darkness. The powerful roar of an automatic forced its mighty sound through the

repressing gloom. With that shot came a metallic crash as The Shadow's bullet shattered the lantern in Ping

The lantern was extinguished. Down came the pall of the black hush, like a dropping cloud of ghostly

darkness. A second shot broke the tension. The Shadow delivered a pot shot in the direction of his first. This

time he had no target, but his aim was limited to the small area by the firetower door.

Instinctively, the people in the living room scrambled for safety. They had lost their awe of the black hush in

face of the gunfire menace. Ping Slatterly and his gangsters began a frenzied attack with their revolvers as

Smudgy flashes of flame from gangster revolvers gave The Shadow the targets that he needed. Each spurt

from the firetower door gave The Shadow a new opportunity. With each burst of his automatic, he dropped

Shots came from the living room. The detectives were crawling forward to action. The Shadow was forced to

The elevator door closed shut; bullets battered against it. The sleuths, not knowing from whence aid had

HAD the detectives not intervened, The Shadow, by his skillful tactics, might well have stayed the flight of

the gangsters. The new turn of events, however, compelled him to withhold his fire. With no new shots

coming from the elevators, the detectives directed all their efforts toward the corner exit.

Coming through the darkness, firing as they advanced, they stumbled over prostrate forms. Then the heavy

door pressed shut. The sleuths beat vainly at the barricade. The gangsters had fled, leaving some of their

A revolver spurted from a wounded gangster's fist. It brought a frenzied response from the detectives' guns.

Who had escaped? Who remained? Where were the jewels? These were questions that the gloom withheld.

Then, one prowling detective made an accidental discovery as he stumbled over an object on the floor.

The sleuth's blurting cry came to his comrades' ears. They gathered round about him, clutching at the bag to

Flashlights were still useless. Matches glimmered feebly and cast an insufficient glare. In the confusion, the

elevator door was forgotten. No one could hear its muffled opening. Obscured in the total darkness, The

His form moved silently into the living room. There, when the lights came on, he would be among the guests.

Let the detectives blunder on; there was no need to aid them now. Some of the mobsters had escaped, but The

Soon the black hush would lift. Then, amid restored light, the result of The Shadow's might would be

The voice of Hector Fawcett was speaking in the corner office of the suite in the Judruth Tower.

Ninetythree stories above the street, the president of the Climax Corp. was staring from the opened window.

The room was dark, save for the slight glimmer of chromiumplated apparatus close beside him. The strange

machine from the storeroom was in use. A breathing sound denoted the presence of another man at the

The lamplike portion of the odd mechanism was turned at a downward angle. From it extended a conical

widening beam like the ray of a powerful searchlight. But this shaft was different from any projected

Instead of light, the machine was focusing blackness downward toward the city! Through the dim glow that

showed from the lights of Manhattan, a shaft of complete darkness was spreading its mysterious ray!

Just as the glare of a searchlight might carve through the night and spread a circle of bright illumination upon

its objective, so did this amazing beam do its work in direct opposition. The lights of buildings were

Differing from among neighboring structures, the entire surface of the apartment house beside the old

Focused darkness a beam of night black light! This was the power that was in operation tonight. It was

the force that had laid the strange lull of the black hush throughout Thaddeus Harmon's penthouse!

Hector Fawcett chuckled as he paused upon the name by which he had addressed his companion. There was

Only these two men were witnessing the distant effect of the strange demonstration of new science. From

One edifice in Manhattan was blackened; not only was it in total darkness, but the tremendous force of this

gloomprojecting beam had also wreaked temporary havoc with all electrical equipment in its path.

Hector Fawcett consulted the luminous dial of his wrist watch. Time was up. The man lingered, however, to

enjoy a few more seconds of this sight which intrigued him. Fawcett's eye followed the spreading wedge of

darkness; it dwelt approvingly on the splotch of blackness that indicated the position of the hushed apartment

house. Then, in a regretful tone, the corporation president gave the final order to the man at the controls.

The effect was magical. The black beam disappeared. Where complete obliteration had marked the presence

BELOW the indirect glow of the great city, the outline of Thaddeus Harmon's penthouse showed atop the

apartment building. Windows shone, indicating the position of the living room. Hector Fawcett chuckled.

He had seen this phenomenon before. With his same companion, the man whom he addressed as Hobbs, he

had observed the effect of the black beam upon the Olympia Hotel. Once again, a barrage of darkness had

been laid and lifted so that a time space for swift and effective crime might be created!

There was confidence in Hector Fawcett's chuckle. It was answered by a pleased mumble from Hobbs. Both

men knew the allpervading force of the power that they had loosed. Projected on a perfectly arranged

Gleeful thoughts were humming through Hector Fawcett's cunning brain. He was inspired by the surety of

evil now accomplished; he was considering the confusion that must surely reign in the place from which

THE scene in the penthouse was, however, quite different from the mental picture which Hector Fawcett had

created. The restoration of the lights came with amazing suddenness. Blackness; then dazzling illumination.

Blinking, wondering eyes of frightened guests were staring at the strange results which had occurred in

People were spread all about; in corners, behind chairs, in other spots of safety. But the guests paid no

attention to each other. The place of interest was the corridor outside the living room. There lay the results of

The bodies of two gunmen were huddled upon the floor. Both men were dead. The Shadow's bullets had

brought them down amid the darkness. The detectives, fearing that the men were still in ambush, had riddled

Two sleuths were still pounding at the closed door of the fire tower. The other two were crouched upon the

floor, grasping the bag which had fallen from the hand of the robber who had held it.

Thaddeus Harmon sprang forward with a cry of delight. He knew that his precious jewels had been saved.

The telephone began to ring. The pulled alarm switch was functioning now. Tiny lights flickered by the

elevator shaft. The stalled car had resumed its progress. The metal door opened, and the delayed guests

Amid the chaos, a tall, dignified gentleman stepped calmly across the corridor and joined the cluster of

people who had come from the elevator. Thaddeus Harmon, guiding the detectives back into the living room,

jostled against his new group of guests. Turning, he spied Lamont Cranston; for it was he who had just joined

Singling Cranston as the most important of the newcomers, Harmon extended a hand in greeting and began a

series of explanations. Cranston and the others who had been in the elevator listened with intense interest.

"Burglars!" exclaimed Harmon. "They must have done something to the electrical equipment. They threw out

"They were getting away with my collection of gems! Fortunately, I had detectives on hand. My men were

afraid to fire, for fear of bringing a reprisal. But when the burglars started to shoot of their own accord, our

"We landed two of the crooks. The rest managed to escape. It was wonderful work! Wonderful! The

criminals were forced to drop the bag in which they had the jewels. The ones that eluded us fled down the fire

"CONGRATULATIONS, Mr. Harmon," remarked Lamont Cranston, in a quiet tone. "Your detectives are to

be commended. We were unfortunately unable to assist. We were stranded in the elevator a few floors below

"It is well that you were not here," observed Harmon seriously. "The situation was very dangerous. You were

The faint trace of a smile appeared upon Lamont Cranston's thin lips as Thaddeus Harmon moved away.

Little did Harmon realize that he had been talking to the one person whose timely stroke had saved a fortune.

Well had The Shadow concealed his hand tonight. As for the detectives, their presence was a matter of regret.

Without their interference, The Shadow might have gained a complete triumph over Ping Slatterly and his

The Shadow, master of darkness, had used the black hush to his own advantage. It had been the covering

shroud from which he had brought down two desperate crooks one of them the jewel carrier. Now, as

He studied the faces of the dead gangsters. He recognized immediately that neither was Ping Slatterly. The

The menace of new crime still loomed in full intensity, for Ping Slatterly was unquestionably the only one of

tonight's invaders who could be regarded as a cogwheel in the schemes of those who controlled the weird

LAMONT CRANSTON joined the people in the living room. The jewels were back in their cabinet. Guests,

still quivering from excitement, were gradually regaining their composure. Lamont Cranston idled while the

Time drifted by; at last, the door of an elevator opened and a stocky, swarthyfaced man stepped forth. One

of the private detectives noticed him and went to greet him. He brought the arrival to Thaddeus Harmon.

Thaddeus Harmon shook hands with the star sleuth. Cardona began a questioning. He turned to men who

were with him and sent them to investigate the fire tower. He called downstairs and ordered the manager of

Only a few guests still remained when Cardona had completed his investigation. The star detective, about to

"This shows you how crooks work," vouchsafed Cardona. "A couple of nights ago, some gangsters tried to

put Goldy Tancred on the spot. They managed to get at the main switch in the Olympia Hotel. Then they

"Now here comes another gang that's out for burglary. They heard about the stunt at the Olympia. They knew

we hadn't spotted anybody monkeying with the switch. So they tried the same gag when they came after your

"But the telephone the alarm" Harmon's reply was insistent. "They managed to eliminate those, also "

"They were just more thorough, that's all," interposed Cardona. "We've gone over the whole works; we're

A puzzled frown appeared upon the detective's brow. To Cardona's ears had come a strange, mysterious

sound a whispered echo from the past. The sibilant note of a faint laugh a mirthful tone that the detective

What did it mean? Cardona knew that laugh. He had heard it under strange circumstances. He knew that it

meant doom to crooks; that it had intervened more than once in his own behalf. Whence had the laugh come?

Cardona turned quickly. He half expected to see the sinister shape of a tall, blackgarbed being. He stared at

the walls at the floor almost believing that The Shadow would materialize from nowhere.

But the only person whom Cardona noted was a dignified man who was standing a few paces away. Cardona

glanced at this person's face. The detective had never seen the visage of The Shadow, but he did know the

No, this man could not be The Shadow. Cranston's gaze was mild, despite its steadiness. Cardona shrugged

his shoulders as he turned away and headed toward the elevator. The detective tried to convince himself that

The effort was difficult, for as Cardona strode along, he fancied that hidden eyes were watching him. The

detective did not turn; instead, he tried to forget this new effect that was disturbing him.

HAD Cardona turned; had he again studied Lamont Cranston's face, then would he have known that facts, not

fancy, were at work. An amazing change had come into Lamont Cranston's eyes. Those mild orbs were

The elevator door clanged behind Joe Cardona. Lamont Cranston stood alone by the door of Thaddeus

Harmon's living room. A soft laugh came from thin, unmoving lips. Its whispered echoes were an eerie

There was knowledge in The Shadow's laugh. The strange mockery that had derided Cardona's decision was

something that spoke of higher deduction. By hand, The Shadow had thwarted crime; by brain, he was

seeking an explanation of the protection which had so effectively aided the burglars up to the time of his

Where Cardona had overlooked the minor facts, The Shadow, in the guise of Lamont Cranston, had studied

clues. He had heard one of the private detectives commenting upon the fact that his flashlight had failed to

The sleuth, however, had forgotten the matter as promptly as Cardona had disregarded the insufficiency of

To The Shadow, this was an important clue. It brought him the knowledge that he needed. The finger of The

Shadow was on the throbbing pulse of mystery. Inspections of the electrical equipment in the apartment

The Shadow knew that some blanketing force had counteracted all electric devices during the invasion of

crime. He had felt the lull of the black hush; he had detected in it a strange significance of the unknown.

To find the mysterious, scientific power that had produced the unaccountable phenomenon was the mission

that lay ahead. The Shadow knew that the source of crime must lie in the secret of the black hush!

That weird force had lifted, but it was due to fall again. Not here, where crime had failed, but at a new spot

where its menacing power would cover the perpetration of another lawless outrage.

Goldy Tancred's teeth were glittering when he gave the order, but it was not a smile that displayed those

shining molars. An evil scowl showed on the big shot's face when Ping Slatterly entered.

"Things went flooey," growled Ping. "That's all. It wasn't my fault, Goldy. It was too tough a job."

"Maybe you weren't tough enough to spring it!" rasped Goldy. "Did you try to figure it out from that angle?"

"But you left the bag there, eh?" interposed the big shot, with a sarcastic leer.

"I didn't leave it," declared Ping. "Somebody winged Goofy Zelleno. He had the bag in his mitt. I thought he

had scrammed. Some dick plugged the light. Then we had to dive out in the dark."

"So that's that," commented Goldy. "Well, I'm giving you a break, Ping. You've got the mob all set so you

Goldy Tancred produced a sheet of paper from the jacket of his showy dressing gown. He unfolded the paper

"Read it over," ordered the big shot. "That gives you the whole layout of the new job"

Ping Slatterly studied the document. A slow grin appeared upon his ugly lips. He finished his perusal and

Ping's voice stopped as the gang leader caught a scowl on Goldy Tancred's face. The big shot sneered

"Smart, aren't you?" quizzed Goldy. "Why do you think I gave you this written layout? I'll tell you why

because I didn't want you to open your mouth about it. The first thing that you do is begin to talk."

"I didn't get the idea," responded Ping, in a sullen tone. "You always used to talk about what you wanted

Wearing a cryptic grin, Goldy Tancred struck a match and ignited the paper which bore the plans for the next

crime. He let the sheet burn nearly to his fingertips; then blew out the flame and let the ashes drop with the

"There's been some doublecrossing around here," remarked Goldy. "I don't know who's responsible for it,

HE led this visitor to the corner by the window. The bookcase had been drawn a few feet away from the end

wall. Goldy pointed to the half of a rubber ball, which was adhering to the wall like a suction cup.

Goldy Tancred held his finger to his lips. Ping nodded that he understood the command for silence. Goldy

pulled the rubber hemisphere from the wall, and revealed the microphone attachment. He covered the

apparatus with the improvised muffler, and pressed the half ball so it stayed in place again.

"A dictograph," declared Goldy "It's been here a couple of days at least. That's why I'm playing mum. Just to

get in the habit. They can't hear anything over the line since I covered it up with the silencer I invented."

"A good stunt," commended Ping. "But say, Goldy who put that thing in here and where does it go?"

"That's the trouble," said the big shot. "It's got me guessing, Ping. I figured maybe it was some gag Cardona

worked up just to see if he could find out who was after me. But when I traced the line, what do you think I

"No," snarled Goldy. "If there had been, it would have been too bad for the guy. It's smarter than that, Ping.

This thing is hooked up to a telephone in an empty apartment. I can't trace it from there on."

"And let the guy know I'm wise?" scoffed Goldy. "No, sir. I keep it covered up, except when I talk with

Curry once in a while. Then I take the lid off; if anybody is listening, they don't hear anything important.

"Happened to be shifting the bookcase. Spotted the hookup. Now, listen, Ping. You've got your orders. You

remember what I showed you on that paper. Be ready; that's all. Lay low, until the right time. I've got the rest

"What's more," added the big shot, "I don't want you to take any chances coming in here. Cardona is still

squawking that there must be somebody trying to get me and he thinks it's the same bozo who bumped off

"It wouldn't be funny, would it, if he spotted you around here? He might think you were the bird he wanted

and in a way, he'd be right. You never were after me; but that wouldn't matter if Cardona suspected you of

"Say" Ping's interruption came as a protest "what's the use of goin' back to that, Goldy? I thought you

"The dictograph is covered," smiled Goldy. "Nevertheless, you're right about it, Ping. I'm glad I worried you

Ping Slatterly laughed and strode toward the door. Curry met him there, and went along with him to the usual

Goldy Tancred picked out a comfortable chair and sat down to light a cigarette. While puffing away, he

"Got it muffled," he said. "Pull off the cap, Bowser. Then we'll talk a lot of foolishness, and let them listen in

THE bodyguard went to the corner and removed the rubber hemisphere. He started chatting with Goldy and

the big shot responded. None of their talk had any bearing upon current crime. Goldy seemed to enjoy the

Curry appeared at the door. He made a gesture that indicated a new visitor. Goldy raised his eyebrows, as

"It's the reporter," explained the servant. "You know the one I mean this fellow Burke, from the Classic."

While the servant paused, Goldy signaled to Bowser to again cover the apparatus on the wall. The big shot

had decided that some turn of the reporter's conversation might prove troublesome. Goldy never placed too

"HELLO, Burke," greeted Goldy Tancred, when the reporter appeared. "Why the visit? Anything new?"

"Yeah?" laughed Goldy. "Well, you've came to the wrong place. I told you all I knew the other night."

"Listen, Goldy" Clyde spoke in a confidential tone as he drew up a chair "I've been talking to Cardona

"That's a hot idea, Burke," remarked Goldy. "Cardona won't tell you what he thinks, so you come around to

me. You're working in circles. Trying to pump me all over again, trying to make a lot of trouble."

"Not at all," returned the reporter who served as The Shadow's agent. "Figure it this way, Goldy. I get around

places; and I hear a lot of things that Cardona doesn't. All right. If somebody is trying to put you on the spot,

"I get the idea," said Goldy, as his smile became unpleasant. "You want me to take you on as a stool pigeon.

"Put it that way if you want," returned Burke. "Just the same, it's only part of my job. Look here, Goldy; if I

can spot the fellow who killed Reardon and Furness, it will be a scoop for the Classic. It won't do you any

"Nothing doing," growled Goldy. "I'm out of it see? That's all I've got to say."

The finality of the big shot's tone indicated that the interview was ended. Clyde Burke smiled and shrugged

"So long," said Goldy, resuming his affable tone. "That means you, too, Bowser. Scram. I've seen enough of

The bodyguard joined Clyde Burke, but as he strolled to the door, Bowser caught a glimpse of Goldy

Bowser knew the meaning of the signal. He was to repeat it at the door of the hotel lobby. Seen by a lurker

across the street, it was a sign that Burke should be followed until further orders.

Something in the reporter's manner had excited Goldy's suspicion. Perhaps it was the fact that Burke, while

conversing, had stared directly across the room toward the bookcase. At any rate, Goldy was inclined to

consider Burke as a menace. The big shot picked up a telephone, called a number, and conducted a short

THERE was reason for the big shot's suspicion. Clyde Burke had overplayed his part tonight. He had come

here with a purpose other than his interview. As an agent of The Shadow, he had been sent to study Goldy

It was Clyde Burke who had informed The Shadow of the convenient bookcase by the window wall. The

Shadow, in turn, had installed the dictograph. Burbank, however, had reported poor results.

The hidden listener had noted interruptions in various conversations. This had been due to Goldy's system of

capping the microphone and uncovering it at intervals. Even tonight, Bowser Riggins had not covered the

mechanism until after Clyde Burke had arrived. Therefore the voice of the reporter had not passed over the

wire despite the fact that he had been definitely admitted to Goldy's living room.

Such incidents during the past days had led Burbank to believe that the apparatus had been discovered. The

hidden contact man had forwarded that information to The Shadow; in return, he had been instructed to send

Had Goldy Tancred known that Clyde Burke was an agent of The Shadow, he would have taken prompt

The big shot, however, had taken a different avenue of thought. Burke's mention of Cardona had led Goldy to

believe that the reporter might be working with the star detective. Cardona, wise and taciturn, was the type of

The telephone bell rang after Burke's departure. Goldy Tancred picked up the receiver and heard the voice of

Hector Fawcett. With the dictograph covered, Goldy was free to speak, but he was sparing and cautious in his

remarks. He passed off last night's failure, as he stressed the importance of tomorrow's action.

IT was not long before a creeping splotch of blackness appeared upon the floor beside the window.

Once again The Shadow was paying a secret visit to Goldy Tancred's abode. The blackness stretched and

wavered; above it, materializing beside the curtain, appeared the tall, phantom form in black.

Silently, The Shadow moved toward the wall beside the bookcase. His sharp eyes spied the improvised

Turning, The Shadow noted a radiator on the opposite side of the window ledge. Going to the spot, The

Shadow stooped and attached another microphone. He ran a thin, invisible wire along the base of the wall,

Wedging the original wire into a crack beside the window ledge. The Shadow connected the new one,

guiding his operation by occasional flashes of his tiny light. When he had finished, he stepped back toward

"Connection completed," announced The Shadow's monotone. "Burke off duty until recalled."

The Shadow had come here a second time to cunningly counteract Goldy Tancred's accidental discovery of

the original microphone. The first connection was ended. Goldy, fully confident of his capping device, would

But The Shadow, by a simple rearrangement of the circuit, had planted a new listening apparatus. Goldy,

when he talked, would be heard. Even if the big shot again went over the line, clear to the apartment below,

he would not discover that neat connecting wire that came in at the crack beside the window ledge.

Nevertheless, desired contact had been lost temporarily. What had happened during the interim? Did any

The tall figure glided across the room. Searching eyes missed no spot that might furnish a clue. The Shadow's

gaze rested upon the wastebasket. The charred remainders of Goldy Tancred's written instructions showed

A blackgloved hand dipped into the wastebasket. It brought out a tiny fragment of scorched paper. The eyes

spotted a portion of a written word. The same hand carefully gathered ashes, while the other hand produced a

Working upon a convenient table, The Shadow laid out these remainders of Goldy Tancred's message. The

ashes rested upon The Shadow's sheet. The tiny flashlight clicked. A spotted glare showed traces of writing in

The inspection went on amid complete silence. At last the hand of The Shadow raised the sheet of paper, and

let the fragments of Goldy's instructions drift back into the wastebasket. The tall figure swung toward the

window. The blank paper that had served as a background slipped out of sight beneath the cloak.

A sibilant, whispered laugh scarcely audible; yet it brought eerie echoes. That was the token of The

Several minutes afterward, Curry entered the room. The servant noted the wastebasket and took it out for

Little did Curry suppose that a silent visitor had been in the room tonight. The servant did not realize that his

delayed action of a simple duty the emptying of the wastebasket had enabled a powerful foe of crime to

For among the ashes in the wastebasket, The Shadow had learned broken facts concerning the next crime on

the schedule. There he had read the words "New City" the name of the bank which Ping Slatterly was to

Amid the next pall of blanketing darkness, the hand of The Shadow would be present. How did the master

THE next night found Detective Joe Cardona seated at his desk in headquarters. The star sleuth was going

over a stack of papers which referred to the interrupted raid on Thaddeus Harmon's apartment.

Cardona looked up from his desk as a man entered. He nodded as he caught sight of Detective Sergeant

Markham, the aid who had been working on this case with him. Markham took a chair; Cardona swung to

"Not a thing," responded Cardona gruffly. "Nothing but a hunch" he paused to smile "and this hunch is

"That the same crooks who did those killings at the Olympia were the ones who raided Harmon's."

"I thought you figured differently, Joe. You said first that it looked like one crowd had picked up the idea

"That's what I told the reporters," grinned Cardona, "and I gave them the idea I had at the time. Now, I've

"I get you." Markham caught on. "Two perfect jobs mean the same method and that connects the first with

"It sounds reasonable to me, Joe," declared Markham. "But why haven't they gone after Goldy again? That

"I'll tell you why," said Cardona, wagging his forefinger. "They know that Goldy is smooth. They're afraid he

will get wise to them and demand a cut to keep mum. That's Goldy's racket. So they went after him first, but

"They figure, too, that Goldy is afraid of them. Maybe he is. So they're going right ahead with a regular

schedule of crime. This mess up at Harmon's was just the first job on their list. There's others coming."

"Sure it's bad. That's why I'm keeping tabs on Goldy. They may take another shot at him; if they do, we'll find

out who they are. At the same time, Markham, I'm letting the newspapers hold the old idea. It may help fool

"Listen, Joe," said Markham suddenly, "you've given me a thought there. I was over by Goldy's apartment

"Clyde Burke, eh?" Cardona's tone was analytical. "Say, Markham, he's been on both of these cases. Maybe

"Not much chance," said the detective sergeant. "You quizzed Goldy. He claimed he told you all he knew

With his final statement, Cardona reached for the telephone. He called the Classic office. He was connected

CLYDE BURKE arrived in Cardona's office with the air of a man who expected information. He expressed

"Sure, I was up to see Goldy," asserted Clyde. "I thought the same as you, Joe. Maybe Goldy would know

"All right, Burke," returned the detective. "If you run into something, let me know. It would help if I could

Clyde Burke departed. Detective Sergeant Markham followed a minute later. When the reporter reached the

Off duty, with nothing more important than a quiet evening at the Classic office, Clyde Burke strolled along

the street, totally unconscious of the fact that he was being trailed by the detective.

There was also another incident that Clyde failed to notice. A prowling figure was moving up the street ahead

him. He had been followed from the Classic office to headquarters; now, the lurker who had trailed him was

Detective Sergeant Markham, keeping well in back of the reporter, had no suspicion that a creature of the

underworld was moving ahead of the reporter. Yet this odd condition of affairs was due to bring unexpected

The prowler neared a corner; there he stopped to greet a man who was idly waiting. Quick words passed

between the two. Then, as Clyde Burke approached, the pair began a conversation. The reporter did not hear

A buzz; then, as Clyde paused to light a cigarette, he heard the mention of a street address in a disreputable

neighborhood. As he flicked the match away, Clyde turned slightly and saw the backs of the men as they

Clyde Burke's decision was a prompt one. Like all of The Shadow's agents, the reporter was expected to use

his own wits in a time of opportunity. He thought no more of the two men, he simply decided to head for the

As Clyde quickened his pace toward a subway entrance, Markham also increased speed. The detective

sergeant was some distance behind the reporter; he had not observed that Clyde had overheard the

Markham simply decided that Burke must have an important destination. Tailing a newspaper reporter was a

new experience for the sleuth, but under the present circumstances, Markham felt that the trail might lead

That had been Joe Cardona's idea, and the ace detective still held to it. Back at his desk in headquarters,

Cardona was smoking a cigar while he continued to pore over the accumulated data in hope of a new hunch.

Methodically, Cardona placed papers aside when the phone rang. He growled a hello into the mouthpiece. A

That voice brought back recollections. Cardona was sure that he had heard it before. It was not the voice of

The Shadow a strange, sinister tone that Cardona had sometimes heard but the calmness of this voice

There was a reason for Cardona's impression. The ace detective was listening to the voice of Burbank, The

Shadow's hidden agent. In accordance with special instructions, Burbank was telephoning detective

The call finished, Cardona slammed the receiver on the hook and leaped to his feet. He bellowed to men who

"Everybody on this job!" exclaimed Cardona, in a quick but steady voice. "We're making up a raiding squad.

We start inside of five minutes. We're going to stop a robbery at the New City Bank!"

CLYDE BURKE stopped in front of a dilapidated building. He glanced at his watch, illuminating the dial

with a lighted match. It was not quite half an hour since he had left Cardona's office.

This was the destination which he had heard the men give on the street corner. Nevertheless, Clyde was not

sure that he had heard aright when he had listened to the naming of the location. He had expected "Jerry's" to

be some meeting spot of the underworld. Instead, he was viewing the end house of a quiet row a structure

As he glanced across the street, Clyde thought that he saw another man on the opposite side of the

His eyes were right; they had glimpsed the form of Detective Sergeant Markham. But, like all quick glances,

this one faded under direct surveillance. As Clyde watched closely, he could see no further trace of anyone.

Clyde moved toward the entrance of the alley way. It was darker there, he decided; less chance of being seen

It never occurred to the reporter that he had been lured to this spot; that Goldy Tancred had given instructions

Joe Cardona's telephone call had actually been an unwitting death warrant for Clyde Burke. The reporter, in

turn, had made two serious blunders. The first had been his folly in believing that two gangsters would talk

over plans so close to detective headquarters. The second had been his failure to call Burbank.

Had Clyde been on duty for The Shadow, he would have communicated with the contact man. But since he

was a free agent for the night, Clyde had gone out on his own. In so doing, he had deliberately placed himself

beyond the sphere of The Shadow's protection a mistake which no agent of The Shadow should have

Just as Clyde moved slowly into the darkness at the side of the building, he caught a sound ahead of him. He

A MAN sprang forward from the darkness. A swift arm came downward as it swung a blackjack. Clyde did

not see the blow, but he anticipated it. Swinging his own arm upward, the reporter deflected the stroke. The

man's form fell upon him, and Clyde shot out to the sidewalk as he locked in a quick struggle.

This was just the beginning. Three more men scrambled from the darkness and leaped forward to the fray.

Fully engaged with his one antagonist, Clyde Burke would have fared ill but for the presence of Detective

The sound of the attack, the sight of dim forms hurtling to the sidewalk these told Markham that Burke had

met with unexpected foemen. The sleuth pulled his revolver, and fired at the front of the building above the

The effect was instantaneous. Figures scattered. The man who was fighting Clyde Burke wriggled free and

Markham fired again. Dodging, the gangsters drew their own revolvers and returned the shots.

Clyde Burke, prone upon the sidewalk, rolled toward the house and crouched in the shelter of some stone

steps. The move was just in time. Gangster bullets spattered at the spot where the reporter had been. The

mobsters were making a last effort to riddle their quarry, whom they had been ordered to kill.

Markham's shots zipped dangerously close to the scattered attackers. One bullet winged a gangster's shoulder,

and the wounded man's cry brought consternation to the rest. These rats were merely paid assassins, not

As the wounded man fled, clutching his shoulder, the others followed suit. Markham sent two shots down the

alleyway as a parting thrust to the men who had disappeared in that direction; then, coming from his position

of vantage, the detective sergeant hurried across the street, and reached the place where Clyde Burke was

"That you, Markham?" he asked. "Say I didn't know you were tailing me. Thanks, old fellow."

"Lucky I did tail you," said Markham gruffly, as he began to reload his revolver. "Got yourself into a pickle,

"Listened in on what some gang boys had to say," replied Clyde calmly. "Heard them talking about a

"Fine idea," snorted Markham. "Well, you nearly found out too much. Come along. The gun's loaded up

again. I'm going to call Joe Cardona, Burke. Maybe he'll want to talk to you after this."

"Suits me," responded Clyde, in an indifferent tone. "I was just after a story that's all."

THEY reached a small store a block away from the spot of the short fray. Markham entered a telephone

booth. Burke watched the detective sergeant phoning. He saw an excited look appear upon Markham's

Hanging up the receiver, Markham plunged from the booth and gripped Clyde Burke's arm. Without a word,

he led the reporter hastily along the street. They came to an elevated station and the detective sergeant

The pair entered a train. The car was almost empty. Markham thrust Clyde in a corner seat, and gave a low,

"What's up?" panted Clyde still winded from that mad rush. "Where are you dragging me, Markham?"

"Started to tell Cardona I had you with me," Markham explained. "Before I could tell him what had

happened, he gave me new instructions. He was just leaving with a raiding squad. We're going to join them

The ejaculation masked the sudden thought that had occurred to the reporter. Was the hand of The Shadow

connected with this tipoff? The mysterious master of the night had warned Cardona of other contemplated

Only one station more! The train was rumbling rapidly along the elevated platform. Clyde could see that

Markham was eager to join with the raiders, even though the man was maintaining a calm expression.

Without warning, every light in the elevated train was extinguished. The cars slid to a grinding stop. Halted

midway between stations, they rested amid a strange silence that fell from nowhere.

Neither Clyde Burke nor Detective Sergeant Markham understood the significance of that sudden, appalling

gloom. They did not realize that the mysterious power of the black hush had once again been projected upon

THE same pall that had stopped the train on the elevated had accomplished another purpose. It had cast its

As completely as if an invisible hand had stretched forth to wipe it away, the white marble front of the

strongwalled edifice had been blanked into oblivion by a powerful ray of superdarkness.

Joe Cardona and his raiding squad had not arrived in this locality. While they were still hurrying to the spot,

the first stroke had come. Amid a barrage of total gloom, men of crime were advancing to attack the vault of

A tremendous hush lay over this one low building. It formed perfect coverage for the unseen men who were

An explosion made the side of the bank building tremble. But even that blast which blew the door clear of its

fastenings was no more than a low rumble. The blanketing effect of the hush seemed to stifle all sounds

Mobsmen pressed forward. They were entering a building equipped with all the most modern of alarm

devices, but tonight they did not fear these mechanical sentinels. Every electrical apparatus in the entire bank

They were powerless, too. Telephonic communication was ended. Flashlights and powerful electric lanterns

would not avail. Ping Slatterly thought of that fact with relish as he ignited the strong acetylene torch which

Immune from interference, the strong gleam lighted up the interior of the bank. A watchman scurried away as

gangster shots were directed toward him. With his men forming a protecting cordon to meet stray shots from

THE acetylene light shone upon the vault. Ping lowered the gleam so that his safeblowers could prepare.

The gang leader gave a muffled laugh. The outside explosion could not have been heard very far away due to

the soundstilling gloom. This blast would not be heard at all. It required a larger charge, but the walls of the

Ping's voice had a hushed sound in the midst of that strange scene, where even the downwardturned gleam

Growls of assent were the reply to Ping's question. The men moved forward. Ping Slatterly turned his lantern

up to the big door of the vault. An audible gasp escaped the mob leader's thick lips.

Impelled by a power from within, the door of the vault was swinging open. As it moved wide, from the

interior came a glare as forceful as the one from the lantern which Ping Slatterly carried.

Some being from within the vault was meeting the rays of the acetylene lantern with another illuminating

Ping Slatterly could not see the person behind that light, but the other could see him, for the light within the

Moreover, the strange, unexpected intruder was able to observe Ping's gang of followers. In the misty

The light was astonishing in itself. Blinding, it came as a terrific counteragent to Ping Slatterly's first weapon

of attack. But another token of a formidable presence within the vault brought dread consternation to the gang

From the hollow interior of the vault came a sound that no man of the underworld could fail to recognize. It

was a laugh that broke with rising echoes a sinister burst of derisive mirth that seemed to shatter the spell of

Cognizant of the plans to raid the New City Bank, knowing the hour for which the attack had been arranged,

The Shadow had entered this building long before while the bank had still been open.

Keeping in seclusion, he had managed to elude discovery by the watchman. Familiar with every ingenious

contrivance of vault protection, The Shadow had worked upon that massive door, and had opened it without

detection. He had chosen it as the vital spot from which he could strike against the crooks when they

The Shadow's method had proven its worth. He was here to meet the enemy. He had caught Ping Slatterly

The opening of the door; the appearance of the powerful light; the mighty laugh of The Shadow these acts

MEANWHILE, unknown to Ping Slatterly and his henchmen, forces of the law were coming to this

beleaguered spot. The Shadow's purpose was to meet the crooks with a surprise attack, and drive them in

An amazing scene this meeting between The Shadow and the hosts of crime. While that ringing laugh

hurtled from the vault, the gang leader and his men stood like petrified figures, unmoving characters in a

So had The Shadow planned; now, he acted with full precision. A shot burst from the vault. Like the first

stroke which The Shadow had delivered at Thaddeus Harmon's penthouse, this one was again directed at the

The bullet reached its gleaming target. Ping's lantern was shattered. The gang leader dropped back,

Revolver in hand, he cried to his men to reply in kind. The Shadow's lantern made a shining bull'seye.

So Ping Slatterly had reasoned. The gang leader, however, had not reckoned with the wisdom of The

That lantern was not in The Shadow's hand. It was propped upon a stack of boxes in the vault. Below it,

prone upon the floor, lay The Shadow. His form was protected by a raised ledge of steel that ran along the

As Ping Slatterly pressed finger to revolver trigger, The Shadow's automatic roared. Loosing his powerful

.45s, The Shadow directed one squarely toward Ping Slatterly, while the other began a sweeping motion

Ping Slatterly fell, an oath upon his lips. The sight of their leader dropping, the spatter of bullets aimed in

their direction these were tokens that threw the mobsmen into confusion. One gangster paused to fire at the

lantern in the vault. His shot went wide. He never dispatched another. Like Ping Slatterly, he crumpled as an

automatic roared. The other mobsmen were scrambling to shelter. They dashed for the protection of marble

walls, seeking to avoid the glare that outlined them. The Shadow's shots, quick as a warning, were

The Shadow knew where they would go out through the broken door into the forces of the law that

awaited them there. His task was to deal first with those who attempted resistance to his might.

Ping Slatterly a second mobster these had fallen. A third, turning to crouch on the verge of the area of

light, fell wounded as a bullet from an automatic shattered his revolver arm. The man screamed as he dived

after his companions. His hoarse cry was strangely suppressed by the blanketing hush.

Again came the laugh of The Shadow! This master fighter who struck from darkness, had beaten back the

invaders by his irresistible might. Not one shot had reached that glowing lantern which gave The Shadow his

advantage over his enemies. He had beaten a dozen and more men of crime to the first shots.

As the last of the defeated invaders fled from the room where Ping Slatterly lay before the opened vault, The

Shadow arose from his place of protection. The light moved forward as he gripped it. The door of the vault

The Shadow's ambush had succeeded. Now, with one automatic in his hidden right hand a fresh weapon

which had come from beneath his cloak The Shadow moved forward in steady pursuit of the fleeing

The glaring acetylene headlight cut a misty swath through the smudgy gloom. Its penetrating rays, reaching

every cranny, were seen by the last of the fleeing mobsmen, now well ahead in the darkness.

The moving threat impelled every departing rat to scurry to the only exit that seemed to offer safety that

Watchmen, saved from destruction, still cowered in spots of safety. They did not know what had happened;

they, like the fleeing mobsmen, also avoided the acetylene glare. Then, with the same suddenness with which

A triumphant laugh stirred up feeble echoes amid the awesome atmosphere of the black hush. The final

whispers died away. The Shadow, lurking in the gloom, was planning his secret departure, timing it with the

confusion which was due to break outside of the bank when the mobsters met the police.

Singlehanded, The Shadow had brought disaster to these fiends of crime amid the pall which they had

FROM the window high in the Judruth Tower, Hector Fawcett was again viewing the awesome ray that

Bathed in darkness, the front of the New City Bank was a blank space among a mass of looming buildings. It

was toward that single spot that Hector Fawcett was looking. In his intentness, the bespectacled man did not

"Because of the elevated," was the reply. "The trains are stopped. It couldn't be helped."

Hector Fawcett laughed. He was sure that this phenomenon would add nothing to police investigations. He

Hobbs responded. His hand pressed the switch, Released from black bondage, the front of the New City Bank

IN the dwarfed cross section of Manhattan, which was suddenly restored to light, Hector Fawcett beheld odd

signs of activity. He caught glimpses of tiny figures beside the bank building; he saw automobiles spurt

"The police are there!" he exclaimed to Hobbs. "Those men who fled were our workers! Up the avenue

The man at the blackray machine made no comment. Clicks indicated work that he was doing. The

In the gloom of the room, the bespectacled man tried to point out a car that was speeding along the avenue.

He saw it at one cross street; immediately in back of it were pursuing vehicles that flashed into view. Fawcett

The car turned; it took a side street, and suddenly swung into an avenue that led almost beneath the Judruth

The situation was plain now. The fleeing car was closely followed. Fawcett could see men on the running

The black ray was on again. Now its beam was slender, tapering out to a comparatively small circle. Focused

almost directly downward, Hobbs threw the shaft directly into the avenue behind the carload of escaping

The pursuers shot into the gloom. Their cars did not reappear. Hobbs wavered the circle slowly forward,

taking account of the momentum which the cars had acquired. Hector Fawcett laughed.

The new maneuver had paralyzed the pursuing police. Their cars were blotted out by darkness. Motors

The fleeing gangsters were gaining blocks, but a new menace to their flight had now appeared. They were

coming to an important crossing. Swinging in behind from side streets were new pursuers, and from both

It was too late now! Fawcett uttered an oath for he fancied that more than men were in those cars. He did

not know that the fleeing gangsters had failed to make their haul from the coffers of the New City Bank.

The mobsters would be captured surely, Fawcett thought, for cars were closing in ahead and from the rear. He

expected Hobbs to widen the ray; to blanket the entire area with blackness, that the fleeing men might leave

Fawcett added a groan to his oath as he saw that the clear avenue traffic was about to be interrupted by the

HOBBS did the unexpected. The circle of his ray swept forward with amazing speed, a veritable lever

wielded from a distance of a thousand feet. It freed the stranded police cars that were now far behind. It

stopped suddenly upon the important intersection toward which the gangster car was fleeing.

Spreading, the ray caught the cross traffic just as it was starting. No blocking car could reach the intersection.

It was a perfect maneuver, but Fawcett feared that it was futile. The police were stopped on the cross street,

but the fleeing car was heading directly into the black circle with a trio of pursuers gaining on it, less than

Just as the gangster car reached the edge of the black circle, the huge spot disappeared. Traveling at a

Hobbs resumed the ray. Clear of the further arc, the escaping car kept on but the intersection was again

bathed in blackness, which enveloped the police cars as they came into the range!

"Great work! Great work!" cried Fawcett. "Keep them there! They can't follow now!"

The gangsters had gained half a dozen blocks. Both watchers saw the car swerve into a side street.

Hobbs pressed the switch. The black hush was ended at the intersection. It had been a matter of broken

minutes. The police chase had begun anew, but now the law would have to guess which direction the escaped

The Shadow had won his fight tonight. He had driven back a horde of criminals. He had defeated the scheme

of cunning brains. A handful of the thwarted raiders had escaped; but that fact marked an empty attainment

It was the belief that Ping Slatterly was fleeing with a mass of stolen wealth that had caused Hector Fawcett's

anxiety to aid the speeding gangsters. Had Fawcett known that those in flight were traveling emptyhanded

without the leader, he would have ordered Hobbs to let them fall into the hands of the police.

Ping Slatterly was the only one who counted. He, alone, had controlled his henchmen. None of the underlings

possessed an inkling regarding the source of the black hush. Ping's contact with Goldy Tancred had been

Thus, The Shadow, by his strategy, had not only thwarted the power of the black hush. He had also caused

the hidden malefactors Fawcett and Hobbs to take drastic action which had not been contemplated.

With their moving barrage of blackness, the men in the Judruth Tower had revealed new clues which would

serve The Shadow well in his unceasing efforts to learn the source of the weird black hush!

The power of the ray had been demonstrated in a new way, but it had gained nothing for the men behind it.

AT noon the following day, a young man appeared in the outer office of Rutledge Mann's suite. The

stenographer recognized the visitor. She entered the inner office, and announced that Mr. Vincent was

This had not been the first conference between these two agents of The Shadow. While The Shadow had been

battling against the crooks who worked with the black hush, Rutledge Mann and Harry Vincent had been

cooperating in an effort to gain information that concerned Richard Reardon and Roland Furness, the

To date, they had made progress. Rutledge Mann, by methodical research, had learned a pointed fact

concerning the past of Roland Furness. In his senior year at college, Furness had been expelled with his

The cause of the expulsion, Mann had discovered, was due to repeated experiments in which the roommates

had indulged. On several occasions, they had thrown the electrical equipment of the dormitories into

disrepair. This had led the college authorities to request them to continue their studies at another institution.

Roland Furness was dead. He had met his end amid a strange blackness which was significant, for it linked

Rutledge Mann had forwarded these facts to The Shadow. He had been ordered to locate Don Chalvers.

This had proven difficult. Mann had learned that Chalvers owned a small, isolated estate in the foothills of

the Catskill Mountains. Independent because of a legacy, the young engineer preferred travel to seclusion in

Aided by Harry Vincent's efforts, Mann had traced Chalvers to New York City. The whereabouts of Dan

Chalvers had been left for Harry to learn. It was concerning this matter that Harry had come to Mann's office

today. The investment broker was sure that the active agent had gained new information. This proved to be

"Yes," asserted Harry. "He has an apartment on Fiftyfourth Street. He's there occasionally; and I caught up

"I introduced myself. Made friends. Pretended to have met him before. Helped him get home to his

Methodical, Rutledge Mann required precise descriptive data pertaining to Don Chalvers. Gazing

thoughtfully at Harry Vincent, the investment broker put forward careful questions.

"Yes. After a short befuddlement, he felt sure that he remembered me. He remarked that he had been many

places, and had met many people. He said that he could remember faces, but not names."

"Your visit tonight," observed Mann thoughtfully. "Do you think that it will bring up any complications?"

"Not a chance," laughed Harry. "It will be a getacquainted affair. My only hope is that Chalvers will

WHEN Harry Vincent had left, Rutledge Mann made inked notations, and sealed them in an envelope. He

Today's news stories told of the police rescue at the New City Bank. Led by the intrepid Joe Cardona, a squad

of policemen and detectives had arrived in time to prevent the cracking of the vault.

They had driven back several of the mobsters who were confused in the darkness. The restoration of light had

caught these lawless men just within the side door of the bank. Cardona, leading the advance, had opened

By force of superior numbers, the officers had quickly won the engagement. Among dead and wounded

mobsters who had staggered in all directions, the police had discovered one slain man whom they were sure

The fact that the electrical equipment of the New City Bank had been put out of order was an important item

in the story. The newspapers also stressed the fact that some marauders had managed to extinguish the street

In the rapidity of events at that point, the drivers of pursuing cars had scarcely realized the importance of the

other unusual phenomena which had occurred. They spoke of stalled cars; of extinguished headlights; of

It was known now, however, that some peculiar form of electrical disturbing power had been utilized, but the

newspapers, ringing with the reports of how the major criminals had been caught, gave little attention to the

Joe Cardona was the hero. Inasmuch as he had been at the bank itself, the ace detective was naturally

concerned with the success of the police raid. He stated emphatically that the death of Ping Slatterly must

mark the end of these odd crimes which had involved the extinguishing of lights in buildings.

Another item went into Mann's envelope. This pertained to a tieup on the elevated, which had occurred on

the preceding evening. Newspapers had not connected this with the foiled bank robbery. But, along with his

The quickwitted reporter had gained a theory which he had not mentioned at the Classic office. Traveling

with Detective Sergeant Markham, almost at the spot where the bank had been attacked, Clyde was sure that

Rutledge Mann sealed the envelope and left his office. He told the stenographer that he would return after

lunch. On the street, the investment broker took a taxicab to Twentythird Street.

Entering the old, dilapidated building, Mann ascended to the blind office which bore the name of the mythical

It was later in the afternoon when Rutledge Mann, back in his office, received a letter which had been thrust

through the mail chute. He opened the missive after the stenographer had brought it to him. Inked coded

Rutledge Mann smiled wanly as he picked up the telephone and called the Metrolite Hotel.

Instructions had arrived from The Shadow. Harry Vincent was to visit Don Chalvers tonight.

Clyde Burke arose from his typewriter in the Classic office. At the telephone he recognized the steady voice

"You'll find out when you get there. I'm giving you a break because I want to know more about what

Leaving the Classic office, Burke stopped at a telephone booth on the ground floor. He called Burbank to

inform him of this new development. He arranged to call again as soon as he had learned anything more.

In the lobby of the Marathon, Clyde found Cardona and Markham waiting for him. The trio took the elevator.

The three found Goldy Tancred, garbed in dressing gown, pacing the floor of his living room. Goldy was

"I want to talk to you, Cardona," he began. "What I've got to say is private. I don't want it to leak out too

"Burke's all right," growled the detective. "He's not reporting tonight. There's another reason for him being

"Joe," announced the big shot, "I'm worried. You've put me in a real mess. It's up to you to give me a chance

"Well," said Goldy, "I know who was after me. I'll be frank with you I half suspected it all along; but I

Cardona was astounded for a moment; then he began to nod. Busy with details after last night's episode, the

ace detective had forgotten all about Goldy Tancred. Now he saw the obvious connection.

"I guess you've hit it, Goldy," agreed the detective. "But I don't see why you're worried. Ping's out of the way

"Sure he is," interposed Goldy. "But he's got friends, hasn't he? That's why I wanted to talk with you. How

"That's just it," responded Goldy. "That's just why there's trouble for me. There's plenty of tough bimboes

wondering where that tipoff came from. There's plenty who figure that Ping Slatterly was after me. Putting

two and two together, they'll think that I was the guy who told you to watch Ping Slatterly."

Cardona was silent. He saw the logic of Goldy's statement. If Ping Slatterly was not the only powerful gang

leader concerned in the attack upon the New City Bank, his companions would certainly be out to avenge his

"You've given me something to think about," said the detective, after long consideration. "I'll tell you why I

brought Burke up here, Goldy. Last night, he ran into a couple of thugs who would have got him, if Markham

"Well," resumed Cardona, "I didn't like the looks of it. I brought him here, so we could hear what you have to

"You want to hear what I have to say?" cried Goldy. "I've said it already if you could only see the facts like

"Look here, Cardona. Ping Slatterly was pulling a job last night. He didn't want me to know about it. Chances

"Burke here" Goldy pointed to the reporter "came in to see me. Outside of Bowser Riggins, he's the only

visitor I've had. Can't you see it now, Joe? Those bimboes ganged Burke because they thought he was

Cardona speculated. Once again, the detective found himself agreeing with Goldy Tancred's statement. He

"What do you want me to do about it, Goldy?" asked Cardona. "How can I help you out of the jam? Got any

Goldy's fancy molars glimmered. The big shot studied the detective with an expression that was almost one

"You want to help me," sneered Goldy. "Then why have you doublecrossed me, Joe? Why did you plant a

"No?" Goldy strode across the room as he spoke. He beckoned to the others as he thrust back the bookcase.

Cardona viewed the microphone after Goldy removed the rubber cap. The detective shook his head.

"I don't know a thing about it, Goldy," he asserted, in a frank tone. "Positively, I don't."

THE big shot grunted. He yanked the microphone from the wall, and began to tear away the wire. It broke in

his hand as he came to the spot where the slender line reached the window ledge. Reaching beyond the

It produced unexpected results. Out came the wiring from below the window ledge.

Pulling away in sudden consternation, Goldy followed the opposite direction, and the microphone behind the

"Two of them!" exclaimed the big shot. "Say what is this? Don't you know anything about it, Joe?"

"Nothing doing," interposed Goldy. "It runs to a telephone in an empty apartment below. No way of tracing it

In sudden rage, Goldy seized both microphones, and dashed the instruments against the wall. He began to

tremble. His smile became a pitiful expression. Clasping his temples with his hands, Goldy Tancred stalked

Cardona had little sympathy for this highstepping racketeer; at the same time, the detective saw Goldy

Tancred as nothing more than a prospective victim of the underworld's wrath. It was Cardona's business to

"Let me get out of this," requested Goldy. "Stick with me, Joe. I want a chance to scram. I can go where they

JOE CARDONA pondered. He still felt that so far as crime was concerned, Ping Slatterly's death marked the

end of the recent series of outrages. Goldy Tancred was of no value as a witness.

There were good reasons, also, why Cardona would like to see Goldy Tancred out of New York. The man

had unquestionably worked for political connections. He was a conniver who could cause great trouble in

"All right, Goldy," mused Cardona, "I'll let you beat it, if you'll let me make sure you've gone "

"I'll duck out of here. Up to the Pennsylvania Station tonight. Train for Florida. If I get on that without

anybody knowing it, I'll be safe. Send a man along I'll pay the roundtrip expenses.

"But I want you to cover me from here to the station. Follow my cab. See me buy my ticket. Send me off. It's

Cardona smiled disdainfully. The big shot was proving yellow. The myth that Goldy Tancred was a power,

"All right," agreed the detective. "We'll cover you. Markham and I will travel along behind you. Buy two

The detective turned and motioned to Markham and Burke. The three walked out of the living room, where

The last glance that Clyde Burke had through the closing door was a picture of Goldy Tancred anxiously

clasping his hands as he sat worried in his big chair. The reporter smiled as he heard Cardona laugh.

"A big yellow bum," was the detective's sarcastic comment. "Goldy Tancred yellow as they make them!"

THE ace detective would have changed his opinion could he have seen through the closed door of the

apartment. Back in his living room, Goldy Tancred was no longer a figure of dejection.

A cunning, flashy smile had replaced the pitiful expression on the big shot's lips. Standing in the center of his

His servant entered. Goldy's laugh changed to a low command, which brought a knowing smile from Curry.

"All right, Curry," instructed Goldy. "Rig up that funny mug of yours. Slide into the outfit and be quick about

Curry went to a table in the corner. He opened a drawer and brought out several tiny, glimmering objects. He

His teeth capped with gold shells, Curry had gained a grin that was an exact replica of Tancred's favorite

expression. Even without makeup, the servant bore a startling resemblance to his master.

"That's great!" Goldy Tancred nodded. "Keep going, Curry. Hope you enjoy the climate in Florida."

DOWN in the lobby of the Hotel Marathon, Clyde Burke remarked to Joe Cardona that he would have to put

In a telephone booth, the reporter called Burbank. As the Shadow's agent, he gave a terse account of the

Burbank had already heard the conversation up to Goldy's plea for aid in his flight. Then the dictograph

That meant that word would be given to The Shadow. Clyde Burke left the booth and returned to Cardona

It developed that Cardona had also made a call while Clyde Burke was phoning. An unimportant man from

headquarters had been designated to meet Goldy at the station gate, and accompany him aboard the train.

Markham was watching the elevator steadily. After a quarter hour of waiting, the detective sergeant spoke to

A stocky form was emerging from the elevator. The man was wearing a heavy overcoat. The collar was

As the man walked through the lobby, his gleaming grin showed between the peaks of the overcoat collar.

The watching men caught that characteristic expression that so plainly denoted Goldy Tancred.

The man went out through the lobby door. The detectives and the reporter followed. They saw the supposed

Goldy enter a taxicab and drive away. Cardona hailed another vehicle, and the trio followed.

At the Pennsylvania Station, they watched Goldy get his ticket, and hand another one to the detective

Cardona had assigned to cover Goldy's trip to Florida. The pair walked down the steps together as Cardona

CARDONA'S firm belief was a far cry from the truth. While the detective still stood near the train gate,

Goldy Tancred, in the flesh, was riding up Fifth Avenue in a taxicab, with Bowser Riggins beside him.

"It worked great, Bowser," Goldy was saying. "I pulled the stall about some tough guys being after me.

"Burke doesn't mean anything now," returned Goldy, "Let him ride. Say, Bowser, when Curry was all rigged

up and showed his grin, he was a dead ringer for me. Here's another laugh. Cardona has put a dumb dick on

"That's good," laughed Bowser. "Meanwhile, you ducked out through the service elevator. But say what

"I'll tell you," growled Goldy. "There was a second dictograph hookup in my living room under the

radiator. It's lucky I didn't make any phone calls lately. I'm going to make one right now, though."

"There's a big job right ahead, and I'll be in on this one, Bowser. You'll be with me. I'm not taking any

chances. I was glad to pay that bonehead's expenses for a soft trip down to Florida along with Curry.

"That dick will be an alibi, Bowser! Whatever happens, I won't be known in it. Those dictographs have got

me worried. We're up against some foxy game. So I'm playing it safe; and if Mr. Cardona is in back of some

smart plan to trap me, he won't get anywhere. He thinks I'm yellow, Bowser! Let him think that let him

Glistening gold teeth reflected the glare of a traffic light. The cab stopped. Goldy and Bowser alighted and

"I'm going to make some phone calls," remarked Goldy. "Stick here. Bowser. I'm taking a room upstairs.

GOLDY TANCRED was gloating over his own cleverness. Just as Joe Cardona had laughed at what he

thought was the big shot's departure, so did Goldy chuckle over the sleuth's mistake. No one, Goldy thought,

But there was another observer at the station, a man whose presence none of the others had noticed. A tall

personage, whose keen eyes gleamed from either side of a hawklike nose, had witnessed the entire scene.

Merely one of various persons clustered by the gate, this shrewd spectator had gained a close look at the face

which Joe Cardona and the others had mistaken for Goldy Tancred's. The tall personage's observant eyes had

spotted a strained expression in the flashing smile that had come from the peaks of the overcoat collar.

This observer was The Shadow. Guised as a chance visitor to the railroad terminal, he had followed up the

report relayed to him by Burbank. He, like the trio headed by Cardona, had come to witness Goldy Tancred's

The Shadow knew what the others did not know. An impostor had left in the big shot's stead. The disguise of

Goldy Tancred was still in New York. The big shot had gone into cover. With Ping Slatterly no longer alive

to perform desired missions, Goldy was taking up the work himself. New crime was impending, and with it,

A soft, weird whisper came from the lips of that observer who now stood alone by the deserted train gate.

The laugh of The Shadow, it betokened grim warfare against the menace that still existed.

The Shadow had one mission now, that was to meet the minds of crime with a method that they did not

HARRY VINCENT was standing beside the living room window of a comfortable apartment. Before him,

stretched awkwardly in an easy chair, was the man whom he had come to see Don Chalvers.

It was nearing midnight. Harry Vincent, deciding that it would be unwise to sound out Chalvers on his first

visit, resolved to forgo a discussion that might lead to some word regarding Roland Furness. Chalvers seemed

too restless; perhaps it was because of his carousing on the preceding night. Harry noted that the man was

"Think I'll be leaving you," remarked Harry, as he stepped away from the window. "When can we get

"Busy tomorrow night," responded Chalvers. "But don't go yet, Vincent. Don't go!"

There was a pleading note in the final tone. Harry could not withhold a sharp look toward his companion. He

"I don't feel well," the man complained. "I haven't been feeling well. Wait. If you're leaving, I'll go

THE pair left the apartment and descended by the automatic elevator, six stories to the street. As they strolled

"Vincent," he said suddenly. "Come back up to my apartment, will you? I want to talk to you. I have to talk to

Harry glanced at his watch. They were standing by the light of a drugstore. After the short consideration,

"I'll have to make a telephone call," he remarked. "There may be a message for me at the hotel. I'll go right

Chalvers made the statement too late. Harry had already reached the door. Chalvers followed him and

watched him enter a booth. While the engineer was buying some cigarettes, Harry made a quick call to

"Vincent reporting," he announced. "Chalvers may be going to talk. I'm going back to his apartment. We're in

"Absolutely," returned Harry. "No possible chance of danger. I'll report through Mann tomorrow morning

With this statement, Harry concluded his call and joined Chalvers by the door of the drugstore. Together,

Chalvers was taciturn now; Harry, however, knew that the man was holding his conversation until they

Back in the apartment, Chalvers flung his hat upon a table. Restlessly, he drew Harry to a chair and began to

express his troubles in a breathless voice. All the pentup worry of the man seemed to break loose at once in

"Vincent," confided Chalvers, "I'm terribly afraid. Don't ask me whom I fear. It's what I fear that counts. I'm

"It all goes back to when I was in college" Chalvers was speaking less hastily, while Harry listened without

betraying undue interest "and it involves a friend of mine. My best friend, he was, but he's dead now. Poor

"Yes. Roland Furness. Do you remember, Vincent, that two men were murdered not long ago at the Olympia

Hotel? Two electrical engineers the newspapers were filled with accounts of the crime."

Don Chalvers rubbed his hands in worried fashion. He stared toward Harry, and his face displayed an

expression that betokened a nervous, hunted man. Harry Vincent remained serene. He was sure that he was

"When I was in college," confided Chalvers, "Roland Furness was my roommate. He and I used to indulge in

unusual experiments. We made a discovery, Vincent a wonderful discovery. I... I don't need to go into the

details now. But it was more than a discovery; it was an invention. It was a ray "

Chalvers paused and looked about him as though the very mention of the fact might cause him trouble. He

"A ray," he explained, "that cast blackness. It played hob with electrical equipment when we tried it out. We

kept on, though, and we got the bounce from college. We never gave the details simply took the expulsion

"Furness didn't do much experimenting after that. He was too busy getting his degree at the new college,

where we graduated. But I kept on fooling with the idea. Had a model at my home up in the Catskills. It's still

Chalvers paused and clawed at the arm of his chair. He looked toward the door, then leaped from his seat and

went over to turn the knob and peer out into the hall. Satisfied, he rejoined Harry.

"Somebody has learned the secret," he whispered. "Someone has perfected an apparatus like ours. Whoever

has it is using it for crime. When Furness was killed, the Olympia Hotel was plunged into darkness. Furness

"I am the only other one who knows. They haven't found me yet, Vincent. I'm practically in hiding here. I'm

"Look, Vincent" Chalvers pointed to the window "and see those twinkling lights. The ray could put them

out! It could enter here and grip you and me. It throws a hush, too, Vincent a black hush "

As Chalvers pronounced the words, every light in the room went out. Still staring toward the window, Harry

Vincent found his vision completely blotted. The twinkling flashes of the city were gone. A blanketing

blindness had arrived; with it, a stifling pall that made The Shadow's agent utter an inarticulate gasp.

The suddenness of the happening seemed to paralyze Harry Vincent. He was fixed in his chair, unable to

understand this terrible stroke of darkness. Weird silence hung like a shroud. The black hush had fallen.

Grimly, Harry regained his nerve. He started to rise from his chair. But before he reached his feet, hands

clutched at his arms. The surge of a powerful body hurled him back. The chair overturned, and Harry

Blackness surged through Harry Vincent's brain as he succumbed to the attack delivered by men from the

HARRY VINCENT opened his eyes. He was no longer in the room where that strange blackness had fallen.

Instead, he was lying in the corner of a stonewalled chamber, bound hand and foot.

Two men were standing close by. One of them looked toward the corner as he heard Harry stir. The Shadow's

agent caught the gleam of gold teeth that flashed in the rays of the single light which hung from the ceiling.

Despite a dull ache in the back of his head, Harry Vincent sensed who his principal captor was. He had heard

of Goldy Tancred, king among racketeers; and that gleaming face displayed the man's chief mark of identity.

"Still groggy, eh?" jeered Goldy. "Well, go to sleep again. Don't worry about your friend. We're taking care

of him. That's right" Goldy laughed as Harry's eyes closed "take my advice. You're going to be here a

To all appearance, Harry Vincent had drifted back to a state of semiconsciousness. This, however, was a

pretense. Harry wanted to learn all that he could, and he knew that his captors might speak more freely if they

"You saw how it worked, Hardigan," spoke Goldy Tancred, to his companion. "Well, that's the way it will

Harry Vincent heard the name that Goldy Tancred pronounced. It told him the other man's identity. Clipper

Hardigan, dock racketeer, was an exgang leader who had developed a powerful influence which the police

"Yeah," growled Clipper Hardigan. "It works all right; but how long can you keep it going?"

"We only needed three minutes, tonight," returned Goldy. "In fact, we didn't need it at all, but I wanted you to

be in on a test. Did you notice the way it quieted everything? That's why we've called it the black hush. Keep

"I figure about fifteen minutes is what we'll need," calculated Clipper. "But I can't be sure. That's the trouble,

"Not a chance," returned Goldy. "Not tomorrow night. We'll hold it for the fifteen minutes. Then we'll lift it.

It will be a cinch for us to see if you're clear. If you aren't, we'll put on the gloom again in less than ten

With smooth, convincing tones, he won every point in furthering this new alliance. Clipper's head was

"It's good." Clipper's statement expressed his final agreement. "We'll be there ready for the blackout. I'm

A knock at the door followed Goldy's words. The big shot growled. The door opened, and Bowser Riggins

"Got the car ready in the garage," the bodyguard said to his chief. "All ready to go along?"

The big shot extinguished the light. Harry Vincent heard the door shut. A key turned in the lock. The trio had

He knew that his room was underground. He sensed that shouts would be of no avail; otherwise he would

have been gagged as well as bound. Vainly, Harry struggled with the cords that held him. The effort was of

His report to Burbank; it had been unwise to tell the contact man that danger would not possibly exist.

Don Chalvers; the young engineer's broken revelations had come just before the attack; Harry was sure that

But uppermost in Harry Vincent's thoughts came the conversation that had passed between Goldy Tancred

and his ally, Clipper Hardigan. In that discussion, Harry had learned the enemy's plans. He knew the details

Robbery murder those were the contemplated acts which were to accompany a gigantic scheme which

only the black hush would render possible. The outlandish plan was one that police could never suspect.

Even The Shadow, if he were alert and ready, would look for criminal activities in a thousand places before

Harry Vincent groaned. He was in the hands of superfiends. His captors were men whose greed surpassed all

other motives. Tomorrow night, their stroke would fall. After that, they would attend to Harry Vincent.

The Shadow's agent knew that he could expect no mercy from Goldy Tancred. He knew that the big shot was

holding him merely to question him later; then kill him if he did not speak. Yet Harry was not annoyed upon

He felt sure that he would be safe until after tomorrow night. Then, with a new crime to work upon, The

Shadow might find clues that would lead to his captured agent. Harry had confidence in The Shadow's power

Harry's thoughts did not dwell upon his own plight, however. The throbs that passed through his frenzied

brain repeated the knowledge that he now possessed the details of the contemplated crime which Goldy

If The Shadow only knew! But The Shadow could not learn. Harry Vincent, the one who could tell The

WHITE hands beneath a bluish light; a gleaming gem that flashed amazing sparks from its colorchanging

depths The Shadow was in his sanctum! Upon his table lay clippings and other sheets of paper. Beneath

them was a map of Manhattan that overspread the entire surface of the table top.

This windowless room knew neither night nor day. Amid blackness that was broken only by the blue light in

the corner, the Shadow worked in perfect seclusion. His sanctum was a spot which no one other than he had

Night had passed outside the sanctum. The light of a new day had arrived. But The Shadow made no

accounting for the passage of time. He was engaged in a tremendous task. Three times, heinous crime had

followed in the wake of the black hush. After the first occurrence, The Shadow had been able to beat back the

But now, The Shadow was seeking greater results. Indifferent to what plans the enemy might hold, the master

of darkness was striving to reach the source itself. Well did The Shadow know that Ping Slatterly had been no

The Shadow had been piecing important facts. Before him lay the assembled reports that told things which

A hand moved across the desk. It swept the clippings aside. Brilliant eyes from the dark were focused upon

the huge map of Manhattan. Deft fingers produced whitebeaded pins. One by one, The Shadow placed these

First, a pin touched the location of the Olympia Hotel. The second pin marked the apartment building which

was topped by Thaddeus Harmon's penthouse. The third pin rested upon the exact position of the New City

Bank. The fourth entered the street intersection where traffic had been halted to allow the escape of fleeing

After a pause, the fingers put another pin upon a line that indicated the elevated. The keen eyes of The

Those pins indicated an important fact. They showed that the strange blackness of the black hush could easily

Significantly, the forefinger of The Shadow's right hand moved from one pin to another. The markers thus

These were the two places that gave the important clue. At the hotel, the apartment, the bank all three

meant nothing more than the manipulation of electrical equipment within the building themselves.

But the elevated line and street intersection! These spots, where blackness had fallen, were sure indications of

With a pencil, the hand of The Shadow traced dotted lines on the face of the map. From the Olympia Hotel,

alone, the indicating line might have gone in any direction. With the penthouse as a starting point, there were

The line from the New City Bank produced a further limitation. The line from the street intersection meant

another narrowing of the search. Yet The Shadow's problem of survey work had not yet been completed.

One more pin might have solved the calculation. The Shadow's finger lingered upon the elevatedline pin.

That one was useless; identified with the New City Bank, it gave no additional aid to him.

The Shadow waited. His keen brain had been wrestling with this problem for hours. The light snapped off.

Within a darkness as total as that of the black hush, The Shadow dwelt in solemn thought. A hand moved

forward in the blackness. It found a set of earphones. A tiny light glimmered on the wall beyond the table.

Silence. Then came the whispered voice of The Shadow. It came as a sudden thought of inspiration.

"Call Burke," ordered The Shadow. "Tell him to call the apartment house where Chalvers lives. Call from the

Classic office, requesting information on lighting service interrupted there last night."

There, in total darkness, The Shadow had gained a new connection. There was no report from Harry Vincent.

The agent might have met with unexpected enemies. If so, the meeting had possibly occurred in the

The enemies whom The Shadow now combated were men who acted under cover of the black hush. Perhaps

that strange phenomenon had occurred last night at the place where Harry Vincent had been stationed!

Anticipating this chance, The Shadow placed a pin upon the location of the apartment where Chalvers lived.

This was the one he needed. It indicated a central point in Manhattan where all the lines showed perfect

The little bulb was gleaming. The hand of The Shadow lifted the earphones from the table. Burbank was

"Call from Burke," came Burbank's quiet tones. "Report from apartment house. Lighting service was

The bulb went out. The earphones moved across the table. The hand of The Shadow produced a

blackheaded pin. Carefully, the fingers placed it at the focal point of the dotted lines.

That pin, with its jetblack top, marked the location which The Shadow had been seeking. It showed the spot

It was resting exactly upon the building site occupied by the new Judruth Tower!

A full minute passed while the eyes of The Shadow gazed upon the map. The blue light cast its eerie flicker.

The girasol upon The Shadow's finger seemed to flash triumphant sparks from its glimmering depths.

Blackness followed as the hand of The Shadow extinguished the light. A long, reechoing burst of hollow

laughter pealed through the confines of the sanctum. Quivering reverberations sent their persistent shudders

through the space of that blackwalled room. When those sinister echoes had ended, the sanctum was empty.

NIGHT was falling upon Manhattan. The outlines of buildings were still visible; twinkling lights in windows

appeared like sparkling jewels in futuristic settings. From the windy, open observation circle atop the Judruth

Among them was a silent watcher whose keen eyes were moving from spot to spot in the scene that stretched

beneath. The Shadow, in the guise of a curious visitor to the observation post, was viewing each place where

The Olympia Hotel was plain with its glimmering windows. Thaddeus Harmon's penthouse was a

conspicuous structure upon its apartment roof. The white face of the New City Bank looked like a tiny slab

The intersection of avenue and cross street was close to the base of the building. The observant visitor noted

that point; then turned and located the apartment house wherein Harry Vincent had visited Don Chalvers.

From this pinnacle, The Shadow had corroborated a belief that he had accepted while on his way to the

Judruth Tower; namely, that the force of the black hush must have been projected from one of the higher

stories of this edifice. Only from a great height could the results have been accomplished.

Leaning over the rail, The Shadow viewed the bulk beneath. A straight shaft, traveling downward into dizzy,

depths; a mammoth creation of steel and stone that defied the force of the whistling wind such was the

Somewhere among the windows that were visible lay the source of the black hush. Peering along the

blackening surface of the building, this silent observer waited for the opportunity that was soon to come.

"All off the tower!" came a cry from an opened doorway. "Last elevator going down!"

The tall figure lowered itself within the confines of the railed platform. Black cloth swished. When the figure

rose again, it blended with the dusk that now surrounded the pinnacle. The last visitor had become a phantom

A metal door clanged. The last elevator started on its downward trip. The tower had closed for the night.

But there was one who still remained. The Shadow, master of darkness, was alone on the observation

platform of the Judruth Tower, with the whole sparkling array of glittering Manhattan far below him. Like the

WHILE the increasing wind swirled in powerful gusts, this strange phantom began its solitary round of the

platform. Sharp eyes gazed out over Manhattan, then peered down the walls of the building. The Shadow was

The shape came to a halt. A weird laugh was caught by the increasing wind. In his circuit, The Shadow had

completed important observations. Yet he waited, sensing that time might bring the vital moment at which to

Up here, The Shadow was the master. Above the source of the black hush, he could bide his time!

Gazing westward, the eyes of The Shadow saw the strip that denoted the North River. The lights of many

craft were glimmering above the darkened waters. Gigantic liners looked like toys.

One vessel Lilliputian from this observation tower showed as an outline that sparkled with many lights as

The keen eyes of The Shadow rested upon that ship. A laugh escaped The Shadow's lips. The vessel was the

Garronic, the latest and most modernized of all liners that plied between New York and Europe.

The huge ship was driven by electric motors. Once in the center of the river, it would loose itself from the

tugs that were backing it into the stream; from there on it would proceed under its own power to the lower

There was an answer. Moving backward from the pier, the ship made a conspicuous sight. Of all objects

The passenger list of the Garronic had made it famous for this coming trip. Among those aboard was the

noted Siamese prince, whose visit to the United States had brought blazing headlines. With him, this celebrity

was carrying gems of fabulous value prized stones that were guarded by his trusted retinue.

The Shadow was dwelling upon that fact. From here, the Garronic had the semblance of a tiny toy, which a

mammoth hand could pluck from the river and shake of its contents. Such a hand did not exist; but here, not

If ever the black hush could prove of use to crime, now was the opportunity. It was the obviousness of that

fact so plain from this tower that caused The Shadow to watch the backward motion of the Garronic.

Close to midriver, the great boat was still under the control of the tugs. They were swinging its stern

The laugh of The Shadow rose above the wind. Its uncanny mockery was a challenge to foreboding crime.

Weird and mirthless, the laugh broke into a wavering sinister tone. With that strange token of The Shadow's

In one quick instant, the entire hull of the Garronic disappeared from view. With it went every light. The tiny

tugboats and their signals were blotted out from view. Between the great ship and the pier lay a stretch of

The black hush had fallen. Under its spell lay the huge ship, vanished while The Shadow watched. Wealth

beyond price was at the mercy of the men who were waiting the blotch that was to serve them!

SWIFTLY, The Shadow acted. Here, from the observation platform of the Judruth Tower, he held a new and

amazing vantage point. The black ray lay below him. Its conical projection formed a tapering tube of

From below, that darkness could not be observed against the sky. But The Shadow saw it as a swath of black

that obscured the lights of the city beneath its path. More than that, he could detect the starting point a

Within the circle of the observation platform was the lounge room and the information desk. The door was

close behind The Shadow's form. Turning, the rays of a flashlight guiding his movement, The Shadow

reached the telephone that connected the tower with the main floor of the building. An operator's voice

The operator, hundreds of feet below, responded with trancelike precision. A call from the tower at this

The Shadow's call was answered. In cold, steady tones, the man from above passed the startling word that

"Motor ship Garronic," came The Shadow's voice. "Attacked by gangsters in the harbor. Criminals aiding

That was all. The receiver was on the hook. Sweeping swiftly through the gloom, The Shadow reached the

observation platform. With the abandon of a man seeking suicide, he vaulted the rail, poising his long form

The Shadow's swing came to an abrupt stop as his body slid down the wall of the building, his hands using

the cornice below the rail as a new gripping point. A mighty gust of wind swept the building, but its ferocious

The decorated surfaces below the observation platform were The Shadow's steppingstones. Poised on the

brink of oblivion, undeterred by the gale that sought to break his unerringclutch, the blackclad master of

A thousand feet of nothingness! Yet The Shadow was as calm as if he had been less than a yard above the

ground. There were projections that he could grasp, and he found them in the darkness. Blotched against the

surface of the uppermost heights which the Judruth Tower could boast, The Shadow was crawling like a

The Shadow had conquered smoother surfaces than this, but tonight, he fought with terrible hazards. Speed

was essential; and he acquired it, despite the menace of the terrific wind that whirled the folds of his cloak.

Then, as The Shadow poised above the window from which the blanketed ray extended, he performed a

Death yawned below. Enemies lay within. The Shadow paused. Was he planning to return to the only spot

that afforded the slightest vestige of safety the observation platform above? Only The Shadow knew; but

THERE were four men within the secret projection room tonight. Hector Fawcett was staring from the

window, yet he could see but little, for the black ray swept close against the side. With Fawcett was the big

In keeping with his promise, Goldy Tancred was supervising this end of the crime, while Clipper Hardigan

did the work below. But the fourth member of the group was as important as anyone present. In the darkness

Silently, this controller of the black ray awaited the orders that were to come. His hand was ready to lift the

pall of the black hush at the end of the appointed time; ready, also, to restore it, should Hector Fawcett or

Deeming themselves safe from all attack, these fiends were gloating over crime which they were sure could

never fail. The mighty ray of darkness that hurled forth the black hush had stilled action aboard the Garronic.

"We can't be stopped tonight," Hector Fawcett made the comment. "This is the job that can never fail."

"Be ready, though," advised Goldy Tancred. "Watch for the tugboats when we lift it. If they're still close, give

Bowser Riggins chuckled. As usual, he reflected the opinion of his chief, and Goldy Tancred had spoken in a

tone of surety. Hobbs said nothing. Stolidly, this man who controlled the ray was performing his duty with

"Ten minutes," announced Hector Fawcett. "That's half the time they want. They're getting what they're

"It's a cinch." commented Goldy. "Say look at that black the way it stretches out "

Hector Fawcett laughed. He knew that Goldy Tancred was realizing the power of this ray. Blackness cutting

"I never saw anything like it," added Goldy. "Say if anything ever came out of that black, you couldn't see

The cry caused Hector Fawcett to follow the direction of Goldy's gaze. Bowser Riggins followed suit. The

three men of crime staggered backward in the face of a phenomenon more amazing than the shaft of gloom

Out of the blackness came a living form. As if a portion of the black hush had detached itself from the steady,

unerring ray, a creature of another world had materialized itself from that projected gloom.

Like a spirit of darkness, a tall form swung over the window ledge, and landed, in huddled shape, directly in

front of the men who watched. Then, instead of a dwindled form, the sinister object stretched upward until it

With a mighty spring, this weird monster leaped forward with outstretched arms, toward the three men.

Instinctively, the watchers broke for the sides of the room. Their cries caused Hobbs to see the object which

had brought them ghastly fear. Grimly, the man at the blackray machine faced this menace that had sprung

Through an opened window, nearly a thousand feet above the ground; from a formidable blackness that

obliterated all objects in its path, had come the superman who had never yet failed in his combats with fiends

His precipitous descent from the observation tower completed, the master of darkness had used the black

shaft to his own advantage. It had furnished him the obscurity which he required to complete this weird

The Shadow had arrived to take his foemen unawares. His objective was the glittering machine that evil

The hand of The Shadow was stretched forth to end the blackness that was now the aid of an attacking band.

ONE light glowed aboard the motor ship Garronic. That illumination came from a powerful acetylene lantern

in the firm fist of Clipper Hardigan. With waterfront mobsters at his heels, this gang leader was advancing

Playing the parts of passengers aboard the vessel, Clipper and his henchmen had ignored the cry of ashore.

They had clustered close to the rear of the ship, all on the same deck, ready to head for the objective when the

When the liner had been backed to midstream, the black hush fell. A few seconds later, Clipper Hardigan's

Aboard a helpless ship, on which every means of illumination and power had been eliminated, Clipper urged

his men toward the stairway that pointed directly toward the Siamese prince's suite.

The tugboats? They were manned by Clipper's henchmen. Like the motor ship, the smaller boats were wiped

The stroke of the ray had been reserved for the moment when the tugs were ready to cast off. Yet they

The tugboats had no light now, but their primitive steam engines were not handicapped by the impelling force

of the black hush. With his acetylene light, Clipper was out to gain the treasure of the Siamese prince; then to

That was why Clipper wanted the black hush to stay. Plowing out from its depths, the tugs could steam away

to safety. They would be clear, while confusion still reigned aboard the Garronic.

A perfect game one which The Shadow was striving to defeat at the one spot where success might properly

be gained; that room in the corner of the ninetythird floor of the Judruth Tower.

Clipper Hardigan and his mob reached their objective. Most of the passengers were on the decks. The way

was clear below. Clipper's men moved with the steady precision of soldiers advancing behind a timed

Stealthily, the black hush aiding in their creeping silence, the mobsters neared the door of the prince's suite.

Startled members of the Siamese retinue had thought the light was friendly. They learned their mistake as one

The door swung shut, but mobsters hurtled forward and thrust it open. Then came resistance.

The prince was not in his cabin; but he had others here besides the Siamese servants. Detectives and ship's

officers, who had been deputed to guard the jewels temporarily, opened an unexpected fire.

They clipped the first gangster who had rushed in front of the light. Mobster shots responded from outside the

door. A detective staggered; one of the Siamese servants fell. Clipper and his mob pressed onward as the

THIS suite possessed an inner room almost a strongroom. Goldy Tancred had gained full knowledge of

the arrangement. Acting in accordance, Clipper ordered his men forward. The brief battle had caused a delay.

The gangsters swept into the main room of the suite. With one accord, the defenders had dived for the shelter

of other rooms. While his men covered the barriers behind which detectives and officers had gone, Clipper

Trusted lieutenants made for the strongroom. They smashed at the door, bursting it from its hinges. The

defenders knew that their cause was hopeless; they hung to their places of safety, awaiting the return of the

The door ahead was open. Clipper could see his men knocking it aside, as he looked through this murky haze

that his light was penetrating. Success was here; the surety that Goldy Tancred had promised. But as Clipper's

Clipper's men hesitated; then, at the end of long, tense seconds, the lights went out again. Clipper laughed

amid the muffling hush. This was as planned. The short spell of light had been ended when watchers had seen

Before Clipper's men could continue, however, the lights appeared again! Once more off; then on, off, on at

Consternation seized the mobsters. Doors opened in the suite, and the defenders fired from ambush.

Retreating gunmen dropped as Clipper Hardigan ordered them to withdraw. New enemies were at the head

THE explanation for the sudden turn lay in what was happening in the corner office near the top of the

Judruth Tower. The Shadow, leaping to the blackray machine, had placed his hand upon the switch. But as

his gloved fist clutched it, Hobbs, with a sudden swing, threw himself upon the blackcloaked invader.

The Shadow held no weapon. He had expected to find his enemies without their guns handy. Had Fawcett,

Goldy, or Bowser made effort to draw a revolver, The Shadow would have resorted to an automatic.

The men had cowered from The Shadow's wrath; the way lay open to Hobbs, least formidable of all. It was

he, however, who put up the resistance. His hand still gripped The Shadow's fist as the ray clicked back and

forth. A black arm swung from the darkness; Hobbs collapsed as The Shadow's free fist landed on his chin.

That brought the rush. With one accord, the three who had backed away now flung themselves upon The

Shadow. With a wild cry, Goldy Tancred was calling his recognition of this enemy whom all wrongdoers had

The Shadow's form seemed to collapse before the onrush. Goldy and Bowser drew revolvers as they fell upon

the huddling shape. They sprawled upon the floor as The Shadow swung clear. Hector Fawcett, staggering

Shots rang out from Goldy and Bowser. They went wide, for The Shadow was making an elusive shift. The

roar of an automatic responded. Bowser Riggins, in front of Goldy's body, took the bullet. Hector Fawcett,

grabbing with his left hand for the control lever, aimed his revolver at The Shadow. The bespectacled crime

plotter had a wonderful advantage, but his attempted double action proved his undoing.

Missing the switch with one hand, he fired wildly with the other. Then he caught the switch and tried to shoot

Hobbs was on his feet. Once again, the operator of the ray performed the unexpected. Hurling himself against

the heavy machine, he rolled it forward. The Shadow was crouching directly in its path.

The big device thrust him back toward the window. He fired twice. The bullets ricocheted from the side of

the machine. Hobbs instinctively shifted his position; The Shadow stopped the progress of the rolling ray

Goldy Tancred scurried through the door, with Hobbs close behind him. The Shadow, too late to stop them

with his shots, laughed in the gloom beside the window. These men could not escape him; he had another

Swinging into the room, The Shadow stooped and thrust his shoulder underneath the machine that no longer

functioned. With a powerful upward heave of almost superhuman strength, he levered the big device endwise

through the window. It glittered there, almost on a balance. A final thrust the heavy instrument of crime

Before the crash ascended from the depths below, The Shadow had passed the door of this corner room. He

had hurled the ray machine to its destruction; now he was on the trail of the fiends who had tried to flee.

Goldy Tancred, kingpin of the plotters; Hobbs, the man behind the machine itself these were the two with

whom The Shadow presently would cope. The door to the anteroom was closed to block The Shadow's path.

Carefully, a blackgloved hand introduced a small pick into the keyhole. The lock clicked. The hand gripped

the knob; the door swung open as The Shadow slid backward into darkness, his automatic coming up in

Across the anteroom, an elevator door was sliding shut. The criminals had gained a lucky outlet. A foolish,

unsuspecting operator had answered their frenzied summons. The Shadow had sent a warning below; yet this

The Shadow laughed mirthlessly. No elevator could be summoned now; for the men of crime had probably

revealed themselves by threatening the operator with their revolvers. Yet The Shadow had not failed.

There was a reason why he had wanted these men to live. He knew that Harry Vincent lay in their power.

They, alone, could show the trail to wherever The Shadow's agent might be imprisoned.

If the police had arrived, the fleeing men would be captured; but The Shadow did not count upon the law for

His tall form swung back into the corner room. It moved out through the window. With cloak close about him

to avoid the whirling power of the rising gale, The Shadow began the perilous ascent back to the observation

TERRIBLE space lay below. The Shadow ignored it. He paid no attention to the myriad lights of Manhattan;

not even to the distant scene in the river beyond, where the motor ship Garronic lay in midstream, with lights

A mad fight was ending aboard that vessel. Clipper Hardigan and a handful of unwounded mobsters were

clambering over the rail of a lower deck, springing to the safety of a tugboat that lay below. Their goal

gained, the mob leader shook his fist at the men who crowded the edge of the upper deck on the Garronic.

The tug was steaming away, beyond the range of pot shots. Clipper Hardigan and his last few henchmen were

The gang leader cursed as he heard shrill whistles and saw the lights of small, swift boats approaching the

tug. This was the finish. The police boats had arrived. The tug could not escape them now.

Jamming cartridges in his emptied revolver, Clipper Hardigan prepared to fight. He stared futilely toward the

No aid could come from there. Clipper Hardigan did not know why. He could not see the tiny figure of The

There were men upon that circle. They had come up to investigate the mysterious call from this spot. They

While they flashed their lights, The Shadow's tall form swung across the rail. It passed between the searchers

When the investigators arrived there a minute later, they were surprised to see a closed door where they had

left an open elevator. Stupidly, they realized that the man for whom they had been looking had chosen that

The elevator stopped at the ground floor. The door opened slowly. People who had entered the lobby of the

Judruth Tower had rushed back to the door, to observe the results of confusion in the street.

The stealthy form of The Shadow glided across the space. It moved through the outer door and merged with

darkness at the side of the building, unseen by the group that was looking toward the street, where two

A whispered laugh sounded eerily in the darkness. The Shadow was gone. He had ended the menace of the

One more mission lay ahead. The trail that Goldy Tancred and Hobbs had taken must be followed. The

A SWIFT touring car shot out of a Manhattan garage, not far from the Judruth Tower. The automobile

contained three men. Goldy Tancred was at the wheel. Hobbs was beside him. Harry Vincent, bound and

helpless, was in the back seat. He had been dragged through darkness by these captors, and hurled bodily into

The vehicle's top was down. Mounted upon the back of the front seat was a post; upon it, what appeared to be

The moment that the car appeared, shouts told of its arrival. A policeman at the side of the garage fired

Goldy and Hobbs had made a mad escape by commandeering a taxi and threatening the driver. Goldy had

wounded a policeman, an advance member of a raiding squad approaching the Judruth Tower. That had

marked the beginning of the chase. The pair of villains had left the cab and hurried into the garage where they

A siren sounded as a police car shot up the street in pursuit of the fleeing touring car. Goldy Tancred clung

grimly to the wheel. Hobbs, calm in the darkness, clicked a switch on the peculiar searchlight.

A flood of blackness swept behind the touring car. It filled the street and buried the police car in its strange

darkness. The power of the black hush put the pursuer's ignition out of commission. Goldy Tancred turned a

Another police car was bearing down. Shots burst from it. Hobbs responded with the ray. The new pursuer

Then came a procession of strange events. Hobbs pivoted the blackfaced searchlight so its darkened rays

pointed ahead, throwing a pall that began some fifty feet in front of the touring car's headlights.

Traffic was clear along the avenue. Following a swath of darkness, the speedy touring car continued its mad

pace with nothing ahead to intercept it. Cars were stalled by the powerful gloom. Goldy Tancred picked his

The black ray became intermittent as Hobbs clicked the switch off and on. This system was effective. It

showed the avenue ahead; at the same time, it brought back the darkness that cleared all that lay in the path.

PICKING a new course, Goldy found another avenue and again headed northward. As the touring car bowled

along toward the Harlem River, a siren call resounded. A police car was cutting in behind. Word of the

Hobbs swung the strange searchlight on its movable pivot. A sweep of blackness caught the police car in its

gloom. Once more, a chaser had been thwarted. The touring car shot over a bridge.

A clear path! It seemed open now, but as the fleeing automobile whirled along the light boulevard, a new

pursuer threatened. From above came the thrum of a powerful motor. A police airplane had taken up the

Muttered oaths came from Goldy Tancred. He threw a hopeless, sidelong glance toward the man beside him.

This meant disaster. The followers from the air could keep pace with the traveling automobile. They could

It was Hobbs who counteracted the emergency. He, the operator, knew the full power of the black ray. The

blackfaced searchlight pointed upward. Its projected darkness suddenly blotted out the lights of the biplane

The touring car was traveling at a clip faster than sixty miles an hour. Gauging this speed, Hobbs coolly

wielded the ray at a somewhat faster pace. The police plane was enveloped in a wide range of blackness.

Its motor stopped, the pursuit ship was helpless. Close to the ground, it banked as its pilot tried to avoid a

crash. Completely obscured by darkness, with ignition out of commission, the situation reached a critical

The touring car whirled onward; Hobbs lost the focus. Light glimmered above as the biplane was freed from

the power of the black hush. Good fortune, however, came too late. The pursuing pilot managed to pick a

Harry Vincent, staring upward, saw the lights of the biplane whirl in the final spin. The Shadow's agent

closed his eyes. On through the chilly night he did not know where he was being carried. He realized only

that the last attempt to halt this fleeing touring car had failed. Cold almost to a stupor, Harry forgot the

WHEN the prisoner opened his eyes, he found that the car had stopped in front of an old house. They were in

an isolated spot. Harry's captor dragged him from the automobile. They carried him around the house to a

Through a door; then Harry found himself flat upon his back in what seemed to be a stonefloored room. A

light came on; Harry stared at the gloating face of Goldy Tancred. There was no mistaking the big shot; the

Who was the other? Harry had heard Goldy call his companion by the name of Hobbs. The second man was

Like Goldy, Chalvers was grinning. Harry Vincent realized that the young engineer's nervousness had been

Well did Harry understand the reason for the murder of Roland Furness. Don Chalvers, possessor of the black

ray, had found it essential to eliminate the one man who might have betrayed the secret!

"I'm bringing in the projector," Chalvers informed Goldy. "Setting it up on this flat roof. If anyone heads this

Nevertheless, Chalvers went about his duty. Tancred remained, glowering at Harry Vincent. At last, while his

"Trying to keep mum?" Goldy's question was sneering. "Well, we'll find out how to make you talk. Maybe

you think we've been licked tonight. Not us. We lost a good guy they got Clipper Hardigan, sure enough.

But the brains are still here. Chalvers fooled you, eh? Framed you up in his apartment. Well, he's smart and

Harry still preserved silence. Minutes passed. Don Chalvers returned. He and Goldy Tancred held a

"Look here," he said. "We're giving you a break. We're going to scram, see? Out of the country. I'll tell you

where to London. We're goin to crack the Bank of England when we get this ray of ours in operation.

"You think I'm kidding you? Not a bit of it. There's only one person who might put a crimp in our game.

That's The Shadow the one you're working for. So here's our offer. Spill what you know. Stick with us, and

"He'll stay out of the game. If it looks best, we'll give you a chance to send him phony information. Take him

Harry Vincent remained obdurate. Goldy Tancred watched the captive's face during long minutes. At last, the

"He won't squawk," announced Goldy Tancred. "He still thinks The Shadow can pull him out of his pickle.

Goldy Tancred stopped suddenly. His gold teeth shone as he scowled. He grasped Don Chalvers by the arm

From somewhere, in the distance, the thrum of a motor was announcing the approach of what could be only a

ship of the air. That sound brought joy to Harry Vincent. It might mean that the Shadow was coming to this

But as Harry thought, he could not repress a groan. Don Chalvers had made preparation for such an attack.

UPON a flat roof, beneath which Harry Vincent still remained a prisoner, Goldy Tancred and Don Chalvers

were standing in a hazy gloom. It was still dark here, close to the ground, but the sky above was tinged with

Beside the two men stood the pivoted projector that could cast its dread black ray. Goldy Tancred, growling,

was staring toward the sky, while Don Chalvers again playing the part of Hobbs was ready with the

"There he comes!" snarled Goldy, pointing high above the horizon. "Be ready. When he gets closer, you can

An oddly shaped plane was visible in the pale hues of dawn. Hovering as it approached, the ship revealed

"Good," snorted Goldy. "That ship of his can't move as fast as the biplane you knocked off. Give him the ray

The big shot did not conclude the statement. He was watching the progress of the ship, and he left his

companion to understand that the end of The Shadow would mean the finish of all possible attack or pursuit.

The autogyro came on. Don Chalvers was waiting. He could see that the pilot was picking out the spot that he

The Shadow had found the connection between Chalvers and the ray. He knew that the flight which had

Thus the criminal engineer bided his time. The blackfaced searchlight pivoted upward. Still, Chalvers

waited, until the moment when the autogyro would be in perfect range. The ship seemed to pause in air not

The autogyro was descending as the big shot gave the order. Less than a thousand feet above, The Shadow

had picked out the whiteness of the flattopped building in back of the old house which belonged to Don

The black ray cut a widening swath up toward the dawning sky. Just as a searchlight cleaves the night, so did

this stream of darkness carve through light. The autogyro was blocked out by the great circle of blackness.

"That ends The Shadow," announced Goldy Tancred. "Watch him come plopping out of there the same way

The two men waited. As their eyes looked upward, they could see no result. The autogyro was lost in the path

of blackness. It was vanished as completely as if it had disintegrated within the folds of the black hush.

Seconds went by. Goldy emitted a puzzled growl as he turned to Chalvers. In the dimness beside the black

ray, Goldy saw a sudden expression of understanding appear upon his companion's face.

"He's coming downward in the ray!" cried the engineer. "He's guiding himself inside the blackness. That

"He's heading... here?" gasped Goldy. "You mean... you mean he's dropping straight toward us?"

As the engineer broke away from the side of the blackray machine, a shape bulged out of the darkness.

Wings and wheels smashed downward toward the roof. The body of the autogyro landed forcibly upon the

The machine crackled beneath the impact. The black ray ended. Don Chalvers, too late in his leap for safety,

was smashed beneath the right wheel of the gyro as it jounced away from the apparatus which it had

Goldy Tancred saw his companion fall. With an ugly snarl, he whipped out his revolver. He saw a form in

black bounce from the right of the thudding autogyro. Goldy fired, knowing that he faced The Shadow.

The big shot missed the swaying body as it slouched back into the cockpit of the autogyro. Then, as the

An automatic spoke before the big shot pressed the trigger. The Shadow, recovering from the bumpy landing,

had fired in reply, to meet the menace of Goldy Tancred. With a snarling groan, Goldy staggered backward

The Shadow, tall and sinister, alighted from the autogyro. He bent above the bodies of the men who had

sought to resist him. Goldy Tancred had a bullet through his heart; Don Chalvers, crushed by the impact of

Through the last gloom of early night, a clinging darkness that held to the ground despite the approach of

dawn, The Shadow descended through an opening in the roof. In the room below, he found the bound form of

Harry Vincent. Quickly, he released his agent and drew Harry up the stairs toward the roof.

Slumped in the cockpit of the autogyro, Harry Vincent could scarcely believe that the rescue had been so

suddenly effected. He heard the motor hum; with spinning fan now motorized, the autogyro rolled across the

High above, it seemed to hover. Beneath lay the whiteness of the roof, now visible in the growing light of

day. Upon it were two blackened, sprawledout shapes that lay beside the glistening shattered hulk of a

The ray of darkness would never again be projected by the fiends who lay beside their shattered machine. The

With the final stroke, The Shadow had brought doom to the last of those who had plotted amazing crime.

The secret of the black hush had been solved, and its weird force had been ended through the mighty strength