mg.greeneyes-第31节

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rley's　voice。
　　The　boats　were　at　the　side。　Men　were　rising　from　them。　Looking　upward　through　the　gloom；　they　saw　two　green　eyes　staring　down　at　them。
　　The　members　of　the　Wu…Fan　clambered　over　the　side。　They　crowded　about　Darley；　asking　in　low　voices　that　they　might　see　the　list。
　　They　seemed　awed　and　amazed　to　find　Green　Eyes　here。　But　their　surprise　was　to　be　greater。　For　as　they　walked　toward　the　boxes　that　the　coat…clad　figure　indicated；　a　peal　of　gibing　laughter　burst　through　the　night。
　　It　was　the　laugh　of　The　Shadow！
　　Standing　with　Ling　Soo's　revolver　in　his　left　hand；　and　Joseph　Darley's　automatic　in　his　right；　The　Shadow　was　backed　against　the　pilot　house；　covering　the　crew　and　the　members　of　the　Wu…Fan。
　　He　fired　one　shot　in　the　air。　This　was　not　muffled；　like　the　report　in　the　closed　cabin。　It　could　be　heard　far…across　the　waters　of　the　bay。　It　was　a　signal　to　all　who　might　hear　that　something　was　amiss　upon　the　yacht　Sepia。
　　
　　
　　NO　green　eyes　were　sparkling　now；　from　beneath　the　hat　which　The　Shadow　wore。　The　members　of　the　Wu…Fan　realized　they　were　tricked。　The　crew　of　the　yacht　went　wild　with　fury。　With　one　accord；　a　dozen　men　precipitated　themselves　upon　this　lone　figure　that　had　e　upon　them。
　　Revolvers　and　knives　were　ing　into　view；　but　not　a　single　weapon　could　avail。　Quick；　staccato　shots　rang　out；　but　all　came　from　The　Shadow's　guns。　Men　were　falling…some　clutching　at　The　Shadow's　feet。　Others　were　groveling　by　the　rail。
　　Only　two　escaped。　At　the　rear　of　the　attacking　horde；　these　men；　both　members　of　the　Wu…Fan；　leaped　to　the　rail　and　gained　the　motor　boat　that　had　brought　them　there。　Hastily　they　set　the　motor　in　action。　They　were　chugging　away　to　safety。
　　But　then　The　Shadow　acted。　His　shots　were　used；　but　with　a　gun　borrowed；　unasked；　from　a　victim；　he　stood　by　the　rail　and　blazed　into　the　night。
　　One　man　gasped　and　slumped　to　the　bottom　of　the　boat。　The　second　succumbed　to　another　bullet。　Chugging　onward；　the　motor　boat　continued；　swerving　crazily；　with　no　hand　at　its　wheel。
　　The　shots　had　aroused　cries　from　other　boats　anchored　in　the　distance。
　　Lights　were　gleaming。　The　long　rays　of　searchlights　were　being　focused　on　the　Sepia。
　　Dimly；　from　the　distance；　these　rays　revealed　the　figures　sprawled　upon　the　deck。　But　they　did　not　show　the　form　of　The　Shadow。
　　The　master　of　the　night　had　returned　to　the　night。　A　little　motor　boat　was　picking　its　elusive　way　back　across　the　bay　toward　San　Francisco。
　　That　boat　was　guided　by　the　hand　of　The　Shadow！
　　
　　
　　　CHAPTER　XXIII　
　　　CLEVE　GETS　CREDIT　
　　RIDING　eastward　on　the　Mountain　Limited；　Cleve　Branch　was　reading　the　accounts　of　the　great　dope　ring　and　its　exposure。　All　the　news　was　there。　His　name　was　emblazoned　in　screaming　headlines。
　　For　Cleve　Branch　had　played　a　part；　after　all。　Recovering　his　senses　in　the　hospital；　he　had　answered　questions　relating　to　the　Bureau　of　Investigation　badge　that　had　been　found　beneath　his　coat。　Then　he　had　lapsed　back　into　unconsciousness。
　　Another　agent　had　been　summoned。　At　the　police　station；　he　had　learned　of　Cleve's　mumbled　words。　He　had　started　for　the　bay；　there　to　find　the　Pung…Shoon；　a　smoldering　derelict。
　　Reports　were　ing　from　the　Oakland　side　of　the　harbor…reports　of　the　dead　men　on　the　yacht　Sepia；　among　them　Joseph　Darley。　Revenue　men　had　learned　of　the　opium。　Cutters　were　on　their　way。
　　Thus　Cleve's　part　had　been　passive。　It　was　believed　that　the　schemes　of　the　plotters…Americans　and　Chinese…had　been　upset　by　quarrels　that　had　started　on　the　junk；　and　then　ended　on　the　palatial　yacht。
　　It　was　the　next　day　that　Cleve　had　told　his　illuminating　story；　which　had　gone　far　to　clear　the　mystery。　A　burned　body　drawn　from　the　Pung…Shoon　was　recognized　by　Cleve。　It　was　the　squat　form　of　Ling　Soo。
　　Badges　were　found　upon　many　of　the　dead　men　at　the　yacht。　Cleve　had　led　the　way　to　the　secret　meeting　place　beneath　the　Mukden　Theater；　where　the　dead　body　of　Foo　Chow　had　been　discovered。
　　Piece　by　piece；　the　story　was　unfolded。
　　The　mystery　of　Green　Eyes　had　been　revealed　by　a　strange　freak。　When　Darley's　body　had　been　found；　the　eyes　were　open；　bulging　toward　the　ceiling　of　the　cabin。　When　someone　forced　the　lids　shut；　gleaming　spots　of　green　had　appeared。
　　The　Shadow…as　a　last　mocking　touch…had　affixed　the　stones　to　Darley's　dead　eyelids；　that　the　man's　secret　might　be　told　in　death！
　　But　this　fact　was　not　mentioned。　Indeed；　Cleve　Branch　himself　had　not　dwelt　upon　the　factor　of　The　Shadow。　He　said　that　a　man　had　taken　the　part　of　Foy；　and　had　rescued　him；　but　be　could　not　give　any　clew　to　the　identity　of　that　personage。
　　Darley's　list　had　been　found　in　the　cabin。　Its　Chinese　characters　described　the　distribution　of　the　opium。　The　members　of　the　Wu…Fan　had　not　identified　Darley　with　Green　Eyes。　They　had　been　sent　to　the　yacht；　to　find　the　man　in　charge。　The　paper　was　the　order　which　they　were　to　follow；　in　case　of　difficulties　in　the　removal　of　the　dope。
　　The　end　of　the　dope　ring！　Its　tentacles　unraveled；　through　Cleve's　account　of　his　investigation　of　the　Wu…Fan。　It　was　a　great　triumph　for　Cleve　Branch；　on　his　way　to　Washington。
　　But　though　he　was　forced　to　take　the　credit；　he　knew　that　it　justly　belonged　to　one　whom　he　did　not　know。
　　The　end　of　the　Wu…Fan；　the　death　of　Ling　Soo；　the　disclosure　of　Green　Eyes…all　these　had　been　acplished　by　the　hidden　hand　of　The　Shadow！







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