mg.dictatorofcrime-第23节

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　　The　Shadow　did　not　accept　the　bait。
　　〃Centralba　has　only　one　enemy；〃　spoke　The　Shadow。　〃His　name　is　Luis　Castenago！　If　you　give　me　my　freedom；　I　shall　allow　you　one　privilege；　Castenago…that　of　suicide　for　the　honor　of　the　country　that　was　never　yours。〃
　　Calmly；　The　Shadow　was　banking　upon　one　policy　of　Castenago's。　The　dictator　loved　to　display　false　friendship　to　his　victims　before　their　executions。　It　was　almost　a　certainty　that　he　would　follow　the　rule　in　The　Shadow's　case。　With　a　solemn　bow；　Castenago　proved　that　he　was　acting　true　to　form。
　　〃You　shall　die　at　dawn；〃　said　Castenago；　〃but；　meanwhile；　I　shall　not　forget　that　you　are　my　guest。　I　have　ordered　caviar　and　champagne　to　be　served　here　in　this　cell。〃
　　〃Thoughtful　of　you；〃　returned　The　Shadow。　〃But　what　are　food　and　drink　without　music？　I　shall　miss　it。〃
　　Distant；　the　tones　of　a　marimba　floated　through　the　bars　of　the　cell。
　　Castenago　smiled　as　he　said：
　　〃La　Sombra　shall　have　music。〃
　　The　marimba　player　arrived　with　the　guards；　who　were　bringing　buckets　of　champagne　and　a　tray　of　caviar　sandwiches。　The　Shadow　invited　them　to　join　him　in　the　feast；　which　they　did；　since　there　were　too　many　to　begin　an　individual　chat　with　The　Shadow。
　　The　marimba　player　plodded　through　a　tune；　then　took　time　out　for　a　drink　of　champagne。
　　By　then；　The　Shadow　was　interested　in　the　marimba。
　　〃Those　gourds　of　yours；〃　he　said；　in　a　dialect　that　the　musician　would　understand。　〃How　long　do　they　take　to　ripen；　if　planted？〃
　　The　marimba　player　tilted　his　head　and　laughed。　The　jest　seemed　to　please　him。
　　〃As　long　as　you　wish；〃　he　replied。　〃Certain　of　them。〃　He　moved　his　hand　along　the　lines　of　hanging　ovals　and　stopped　at　the　larger　end。　〃These；　for　instance。〃
　　One　of　the　guards　guffawed。
　　〃Give　La　Sombra　one　that　will　grow　in　half　an　hour；〃　the　guard　suggested。
　　〃It　must　be　one　that　blossoms　in　the　darkness；　if　he　wishes　to　see　it　bloom。　It　will　be　dawn　in　half　an　hour；　and　then　La　Sombra　dies。〃
　　With　another　laugh；　the　marimba　player　continued　the　jest　by　plucking　one　of　the　larger　gourds　from　beneath　the　keyboard。　He　fingered　it；　then　passed　it　through　the　bars。　As　The　Shadow　received　the　gourd；　the　laughter　of　the　guards　increased。
　　Not　to　be　outdone；　The　Shadow　decided　to　plant　the　gourd。　He　set　it　in　the　useless　hole　that　he　had　dug。　Then；　to　the　continued　amusement　of　the　onlookers；　he　pushed　the　loose　stones　back　in　place；　wedging　them　more　tightly　than　he　had　found　them。
　　The　guards　admired　The　Shadow's　sang…froid；　and　declared　that　Castenago　would　have　appreciated　it。　They　promised　to　relate　the　incident　to　the　dictator。　So　they　had　another　round　of　champagne；　while　the　marimba　player　banged　out　more　music；　unhampered　by　the　missing　key。
　　Faint　streaks　of　dawn　were　showing　through　the　window。　The　Shadow　drew　a　slip　of　paper　from　beneath　his　cloak　and　wrote　a　brief　message。　With　a　headshake；　he　tore　it　up　and　let　fragments　fall　to　the　floor。
　　From　his　pocket；　he　produced　some　gold　coins　and　reached　through　the　bars；　pressing　them　into　the　marimba　player's　hand　as　payment　for　the　music。
　　The　clank　of　a　saber　announced　the　captain　of　the　guard。　The　soldiers　came　to　attention　while　the　door　of　the　cell　was　being　unlocked。　The　time　for　The　Shadow's　execution　had　arrived。　There　was　only　a　few　minutes　more　of　the　final　half　hour。
　　Marching　toward　the　courtyard；　between　the　ranks　of　riflemen；　The　Shadow　glanced　behind　him　and　saw　the　marimba　player　following；　with　his　bulky　instrument。　As　they　reached　the　door；　they　turned　toward　the　courtyard；　where　the　firing　squad　awaited。
　　Dawn　and　death。　Odd　that　the　bination　should　have　brought　a　whispered　laugh　from　The　Shadow's　lips！
　　
　　
　　　CHAPTER　XVIII　
　　　DEATH　BY　DAYLIGHT　
　　CEREMONY　was　brief　when　they　reached　the　courtyard。　Guards　were　everywhere；　with　gatomontes　in　reserve。　Faces　showed　at　windows　of　the　palace　…
　　those　of　Castenago　and　his　council…but　neither　Peridor　nor　Mariquita　were　witnesses　of　the　ing　scene。
　　The　Shadow's　only　approach　to　a　friend　was　the　marimba　player；　who　stopped　beneath　an　archway　and　set　down　the　marimba　while　he　rested。
　　It　might　be　that　he　was　only　curious　about　the　execution。　Many　enemies　of　Castenago　had　met　death　in　this　courtyard；　but　seldom　were　members　of　the　outside　public　allowed　to　witness　such　events。
　　The　captain　of　the　guard　was　very　polite。　He　marched　The　Shadow　to　a　wall；　and　offered　him　a　blindfold。　The　Shadow　shook　his　head；　he　didn't　want　it。
　　Looking　toward　Castenago's　window；　he　saw　the　dictator　acknowledge　his　glance　with　a　bow。　Castenago　was　always　pleased　when　men　were　brave　enough　to　face　a　death　squad　without　their　eyes　being　covered。
　　All　the　while；　The　Shadow　was　mentally　counting　the　minutes。　He　still　had　nearly　two　to　go　before　the　half　hour　was　plete。　He　could　see　the　edge　of　the　sun　above　the　low　wall；　and　it　fitted　perfectly　with　the　next　phase　of　his　plan。
　　Turning　to　the　guard　captain；　The　Shadow　transcended　all　tradition。　He　had　refused　the　blindfold；　which　helped　the　show；　but　he　wanted　to　add　an　unprecedented　touch。
　　〃The　sun　is　shining　in　the　eyes　of　the　firing　squad；〃　he　declared。　〃They　should　not　be　inconvenienced　by　it。　I　would　prefer　to　take　the　burden。　A　favor；　perhaps；　but　it　is　very　slight；　considering　that　I　shall　not　be　with　you　long。〃
　　With　his　gestures；　The　Shadow　explained　the　words　to　those　who　could　not　hear　them；　Castenago　and　the　council　members。
　　Catching　the　inference　first；　Castenago　passed　it　along　to　the　others。　The　scene　delighted　the　dictator。　Never　before　had　any　of　his　victims　accepted　the　firing　squad　with　such　magnificent　grace。　Castenago　waved　from　the　window；　and　The　Shadow　returned　it　with　a　bow。
　　The　captain　therewith　gave　The　Shadow　the　privilege　of　choosing　his　spot　along　the　wall。　The　Shadow　deliberated；　counting　down　to　the　last　dozen　seconds。　Then；　beckoning　to　the　captain；　he　started　for　the　spot　he　wanted。　It　happened　to　be　against　the　wall　outside　the　very　cell　where　The　Shadow　had　been　confined。
　　Fifteen　seconds　to　cross　the　courtyard。　That　was　why　The　Shadow　allowed　only　ten。　He　and　the　acpanying　captain　had　slightly　more　than　twenty　feet　to　go；　when　they　were　hurled　back　on　their　tracks。
　　The　thing　that　stopped　them　was　an　explosion　quite　as　terrific　as　the　one　at　Peridor's。　The　blast　not　only　staggered　The　Shadow　and　his　panion；　it　caused　the　firing　squad　to　flatten　on　their　faces；　for　it　sounded　like　a　sudden　eruption　of　Mount　Lotomoro。
　　Castenago　and　his　councilors　ducked；　for　the　window　from　which　they　gazed　came　crashing　back　into　their　faces。
　　That　damage　was　trivial　pared　with　the　real　wreckage　that　the　bomb　produced。　The　blast　ripped　a　huge　hole　in　the　center　of　the　cell　block；　at　the　very　spot　where　The　Shadow　had　been　a　prisoner。
　　First　to　recover；　The　Shadow　was　on　his　feet；　dashing　for　the　jagged　opening　in　the　wall。　Again；　he　was　performing　the　unexpected。　The　Shadow　hadn't　managed　to　break　out　of　that　cell；　but　he　had　found　a　way　of　breaking　into　it！
　　Castenago　was　bellowing　from　the　window；　and　the　members　of　the　firing　squad　were　grabbing　up　their　rifles。　By　then；　The　Shadow　was　gone　through　the　grayish　smoke　that　clouded　the　gaping　wall。
　　They　fired；　and　the　crack　of　the　rifles　was　answered　by　a　trailing　laugh：
　　the　farewell　of　The　Shadow。　A　mocking　tone　that　always　came　when　bullets　missed　their　cloaked　target！
　　For　The　Shadow　was　in　the　cell　before　the　guns　were　fired；　and　once　in　it；　he　was　on　the　way　out。
　　
　　
　　NO　one　had　thought　of　locking　the　huge　door　again；　because　it　was　unnecessary　and　too　much　trouble。　In　one　way；　through；　and　out　the　other；　The　Shadow　was　dashing　along　the　cell　block；　to　the　door　where　a　surprised　guard　stared　as　though　viewing　a　black…clad　ghost。
　　As　he　went；　a　great　clang　sounded　behind　him。　In　leaving　the　cell；　The　Shadow　had　done　the　work　that　ordinarily　took　two　men。　He　had　swung　the　heavy　door　of　the　death　cell。　One　of　its　locks　worked　automatically；　a　point　that　The　Shadow　had　remembered。
　　Piling　through　the　smoke…cleared　hole　in　the　wall；　the　members　of　the　firing　squad　were　stopped　short　by　the　cell　door；　where　they　gabbled　like　monkeys　in　a　cage　while　the　captain　was　trying　to　find　the　key　that　would　open　it！
　　At　that　moment；　The　Shadow　was　reappearing　in　the　courtyard。　Two　gatomontes　saw　him；　but　hadn't　time　to　draw　their　revolvers。　The　Shadow　settled　them　with　the　rifle　that　he　plucked　when　the　astonished　guard　dropped　it。　He　drove　the　butt　end　of　the　rifle　against　one　man's　chest；　made　a　cross…swing　that　brought　the　barrel　against　the　other's　head。
　　Turning　toward　Castenago's　window；　The　Shadow　was　ready　to　aim　the　rifle；　but　the　big…jawed　dictator　had　taken　another　dive。
　　So　The　Shadow　sped　out　through　the　archway。　He　saw　gatomontes　running　one　direction；　so　he　took　the　other；　to　a　corner　of　the　wall。　There；　The　Shadow　turned　to　see　what　was　happening。
　　Castenago's　green…clad　storm　troopers　were　chasing　the　marimba　player；　who　was　packing　his　musical　instrument　on　a　cart。
　　A　girl　screamed　from　a　window　of　the　palace。　The　voice　was　Mariquita's。
　　She　and　her