mg.dictatorofcrime-第4节

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　　It　was　the　laugh　of　The　Shadow！
　　Murk's　rasp　was　the　lead　tone　in　a　chorus　of　snarls　as　crooks；　one　and　all；　wheeled　toward　the　spot　where　The　Shadow　had　entered。　Even　the　traitorous　private　detectives　betrayed　their　hands。　They　swung　from　the　officers　they　covered　and　aimed　for　the　balcony；　too。
　　Guns　volleyed　with　a　thunder　that　rattled　the　windows；　blasting　straight　toward　the　weaving　target　that　the　killers　saw。　Blackness　swayed；　but　remained。
　　Again；　The　Shadow　laughed！
　　The　phenomenon　produced　a　panic。　Crooks　were　springing　about；　madly　seeking　the　door；　prepared　to　bowl　Murk　Wessel　from　their　path。　The　Shadow　could　have　picked　them　off　with　rapid　shots；　right　then；　if　the　two　police　officers　hadn't　flung　themselves　into　the　tide。
　　Durez　and　his　rades；　revolutionists　by　choice；　were　flinging　themselves　forward；　too。　Yet　The　Shadow　could　have　overe　those　handicaps。　The　real　trouble　came　from　another　source。
　　A　door　slashed　open；　throwing　a　flood　of　light　into　the　room。　It　was　a　connecting　door；　and　the　man　who　flung　it　wide　was　Colin　Nayre；　the　only　person　absent　from　the　conference。
　　
　　
　　THAT　path　of　glow　across　the　room　showed　the　target　that　Murk's　crew　had　riddled；　but　hadn't　hurt。　The　thing　was　a　hanging　curtain　at　the　balcony　door。
　　In　entering；　The　Shadow　had　drawn　it　out　so　that　the　wind　could　stir　it。　He　had　been　moving　from　the　doorway　when　he　laughed。
　　At　present；　The　Shadow　lacked　his　former　advantage。　Nayre's　opening　of　the　connecting　door　caught　the　cloaked　fighter　in　the　worst　possible　position。　The　Shadow　was　dodging　across　the　room；　hoping　to　outflank　crooks　before　they　reached　the　hallway。
　　Murk's　harsh　shout　was　scarcely　necessary；　for　the　rest　saw　The　Shadow；　too。　Madly；　they　aimed　for　him　as　he　wheeled　back　from　the　light。
　　The　Shadow　was　gone；　but　guns　were　ripping；　cutting　a　wide　swath　through　the　only　area　where　he　could　be；　shots　aimed　from　three　to　six　feet　from　the　floor；　sure　to　catch　a　whirling　target；　wherever　he　might　be。
　　The　throats　of　guns　had　shouted　crimedom's　cry；　with　bullets　to　back　it：
　　Death　to　The　Shadow！
　　
　　
　　　CHAPTER　IV　
　　　WAYS　OF　FLIGHT　
　　THIS　time；　there　was　no　responding　laugh　as　the　echoes　of　the　volley　faded。　Instead；　the　bursts　of　guns　were　everywhere。
　　The　two　policemen；　relieved　of　the　traitors　who　threatened　them；　were　springing　upon　the　crooks；　shooting　as　they　came。　They　were　yelling　for　others　to　get　clear；　and　the　bankers　were　heeding　their　advice。
　　Durez　and　his　patriots　were　not。　They　were　thinking　of　their　gold；　and　forgetting　something　else：　namely；　that　Murk　had　given　the　order　for　their　death。　Grabbing　for　guns；　the　Centralbans　were　getting　them　from　the　muzzle　end；　with　bullets　as　stingers。
　　An　odd　thing　was　happening　deep　in　the　room。　The　two　private…detective　traitors　had　turned　and　were　looking　at　a　figure　on　the　floor。　It　should　have　been　dead；　but　it　wasn't。　The　Shadow　was　ing　up；　alive；　and　they　knew　why。
　　He　hadn't　whirled　away；　he　had　taken　a　headlong　dive；　ahead　of　the　barrage！
　　Rolling　on　the　floor；　The　Shadow　had　been　below　the　range　of　bullets。　He'd　flung　himself　right　out　of　the　battle　because　there　had　been　no　other　way；　but　in　a　few　seconds　more　he　would　be　back　in　it；　unless　these　two　prevented　him。
　　Maybe　they　had　thoughts　of　a　bonus；　as　they　aimed　for　The　Shadow。　Extra　pay　for　treachery　that　they　were　never　to　collect。
　　A　gun　spoke　from　the　floor；　the　one　gun　that　The　Shadow　could　use　at　that　moment。　It　clipped　one　of　the　aspiring　traitors　and　felled　him；　but　left　the　other　with　an　opportunity。　The　fellow　didn't　have　time　to　use　it。　Another　gun　spoke。
　　It　wasn't　The　Shadow's　second　automatic；　it　was　a　revolver　drawn　by　Colin　Nayre。　He；　too；　had　seen　The　Shadow's　roll。　Nayre's　target　was　the　second　traitor；　and　he　dropped　the　man　whose　aim　The　Shadow　couldn't　have　stopped　alone。
　　There　was　no　time　to　exchange　pliments。　On　his　feet；　The　Shadow　was　wheeling　out　through　the　room；　passing　the　unscathed　bankers　in　their　corners；　and　the　two　officers；　they　had　halted；　wondering　whether　to　pursue　Murk　and　his　mob；　or　stand　by　to　fight　off　a　counter…attack。　The　Shadow　cleared　sprawled　figures…two　thugs　and　two　of　Durez's　panions；　who　had　gone　down　in　a　deadlock。
　　He　was　in　the　hallway。　Ahead　was　another　of　the　fugitives　from　Centralba；　dead　through　his　own　folly。　Murk　Wessel　was　struggling　personally　with　Jose　Durez；　trying　to　drag　the　money…mad　colonel　into　the　elevator；　where　two　of　Murk's　men　were　ready　with　their　guns。
　　The　Shadow　sent　a　laugh　along　the　hallway；　a　tone　that　almost　woke　the　dead　with　whom　the　criminals　thought　he　was　already　numbered。
　　Sight　of　the　black…cloaked　avenger　was　too　much。　Murk　gave　Durez　a　fling；　which　wasn't　difficult；　considering　that　the　man　was　already　wounded。　Then；　with　a　dive；　Murk　was　in　the　elevator　and　his　men　were　trying　to　slam　the　door。
　　Sudden　was　The　Shadow's　stop；　straight　his　aim。　He　wanted　to　put　three　bullets　in　that　elevator　before　the　door　slammed：　one　apiece　for　the　men　inside。　It　was　Durez　who　prevented　it。　Still　on　his　feet；　the　foolhardy　colonel　flung　himself　right　into　the　closing　doors；　blocking　The　Shadow's　aim　pletely。
　　Guns　ripped；　but　not　The　Shadow's。　They　were　revolvers　belonging　to　Murk　and　his　lieutenants。　They　riddled　Durez；　flaying　his　dead　body　out　from　the　doors；　which　promptly　slammed。
　　Yet；　in　that　last　moment　when　Durez　sagged　away；　The　Shadow　poked　a　shot　between　the　three…inch　space；　to　find　one　of　Murk's　lieutenants　straight　through　the　heart。
　　Speeding　along　the　hallway；　The　Shadow　found　a　stairway　and　started　down。
　　Things　had　been　happening　in　instants；　upstairs；　so　rapidly　that　the　police　from　outside　were　just　getting　into　the　hotel。　The　Shadow　passed　them　like　a　streak　of　light；　as　he　saw　the　rear　stairway　to　the　garage。　A　few　of　the　police　followed　him。　Others　dashed　upstairs。
　　
　　
　　IN　the　garage；　Murk　and　his　one　remaining　lieutenant　jumped　into　the　rear　door　of　the　armored　truck。　There　was　a　driver　at　the　wheel；　and　they　were　telling　him　to　get　started。
　　No　one　had　been　worrying　about　the　truck　while　it　was　empty；　hence　crooks　had　taken　it　over　easily。　The　driver　had　to　do　what　they　told　him；　and　the　coffers　were　all　on　board；　but　one　detail　was　forgotten：　the　garage　door　wasn't　open。
　　Purposely；　Murk　had　left　that　to　the　final　moment；　so　the　police　wouldn't　expect　the　ing　flight。　But　The　Shadow　wasn't　allowing　the　final　moment。　He　was　aiming　for　the　rear　door　of　the　truck　as　Murk　dived　inside。
　　Hurdling　the　coffers；　Murk　flattened　beyond　them；　they　stopped　The　Shadow's　shots。　The　driver；　responding　to　the　menace　of　guns；　spurted　the　truck　right　through　the　garage　door；　which　smashed　apart　like　pasteboard。
　　An　ordinary　car　wouldn't　have　had　the　weight　to　acplish　that　little　feat；　but　the　truck　was　as　heavy　as　a　fair…sized　army　tank。　All　that　The　Shadow　gained　was　a　nice　wide　exit　through　which　he　could　dash　on　foot。
　　As　he　came　out；　he　saw　the　taxicab　that　had　brought　him　from　the　airport。
　　The　driver；　stiffened　at　the　wheel；　didn't　know　what　to　do。　The　Shadow　sprang　into　the　cab　and　told　him。
　　
　　
　　THINGS　were　happening　elsewhere。　Up　in　the　room　where　the　battle　began；　one　man　was　fighting　off　a　pair。　The　one　man　was　Colin　Nayre；　and　he　was　struggling　with　the　two　policemen　who　had　been　in　the　fray　from　the　start。
　　They　had　quite　the　wrong　idea　regarding　Nayre。　They　thought　that　his　chance　opening　of　the　connecting　door　had　been　intentional；　and　they　wanted　to　hold　him　to　account　for　it。　After　all；　Nayre　didn't　quite　belong　to　the　Durez　faction…a　point　which　the　bankers　were　shouting　aloud。　He'd　been　ruled　out　of　the　business　conference　by　Durez。　Maybe　he'd　sold　out；　the　way　the　two　private　detectives　had。
　　Only　The　Shadow　could　have　testified　in　Nayre's　behalf；　and　The　Shadow　was　gone。　So　Nayre；　thinking　that　The　Shadow　perhaps　had　fled　from　a　misunderstood　situation；　decided　that　a　quick　out　was　his　course；　too。　Flinging　the　two　officers　aside；　he　dived　for　the　balcony　just　as　other　members　of　the　Beach　force　came　plunging　into　the　room。
　　All　during　the　cannonading　on　the　third　floor；　Margo　Lane　had　undergone　a　flood　of　reactions。　First；　she　had　stood　petrified　on　the　diving　board；　then；　knowing　that　The　Shadow　must　be　in　the　thick　of　things；　Margo　had　wondered　what　she　could　do。
　　She　had　hesitated；　worrying　about　the　police　outside；　particularly　the　guardian　of　the　hedge；　until　she　realized　that　the　battle　must　have　attracted　them。
　　Dashing　from　the　shore　end　of　the　spring　board；　Margo　reached　the　hedge　and　pushed　through　it；　to　her　car。　The　keys　were　in　the　lock；　where　she　had　left　them　just　to　show　the　too…suspicious　cop　that　she　trusted　him。
　　All　the　while；　Margo　was　darting　looks　up　to　the　balcony；　expecting　to　see　The　Shadow　e　out　by　the　route　which　he　had　used　for　entry。　She　only　hoped　that　his　exit　wouldn't　be　a　tumble。
　　A　terrific　crash　distracted　her。　It　was　the　armored　truck；　smashing　out　through　the　garage　door。　Margo　didn't　see　The　Shadow　follow；　for　she　was　looking　upward　again。　Not　sighting　The　Shadow　made　her　magnify　his　plight；　and　she　star