"Maxwell Grant - The Shadow - 026 - Murder Trail" - читать интересную книгу автора (Grant Maxwell)

transformed himself. The folds of a sable-hued cloak enveloped his body; the broad brim of a dark
slouch hat obscured his visage. Henry Arnaud had become The Shadow!

A soft laugh that came from unseen lips announced the identity of the mysterious figure. The low tones of
that sinister mockery were inimitable. No other living person could have uttered them.

The Shadow, who hounded criminals of every land, had booked passage aboard the Munchen in his
adopted guise of Henry Arnaud. By chance, he had learned that Captain von Werndorff was harboring a
secret. He had divined the presence of a stowaway aboard this dirigible. He had aroused the
commander's apprehensions, and had caused Von Werndorff to visit the secret spot where the
stowaway was hidden.

Now, as a phantom shape, The Shadow was about to investigate the situation. With his penchant for
unraveling meshes of mystery, he intended to learn more of the matter which now concerned him. The
actions of the captain needed much explanation.

THE door of Cabin 28 began to open. Sharp eyes gleamed along the corridor. A black-gloved hand
appeared at the edge of the door. Then, the moving figure stopped, while the gleaming eyes remained
focused upon the distant bulkhead.

A metal panel was opening slowly outward. The Shadow watched the figure of a man step from the
secret cabin. The open panel obscured most of the man's body, and hid his face. His back turned as he
closed the panel behind him.

The man was carrying a compact package. He did not turn his face toward the spot where The Shadow
stood. Instead, he headed toward the rear of the corridor, only a few yards away, and, with a swift
stride, made a dash in that direction.

Scarcely had the man gone before The Shadow emerged from Cabin 28. With gliding motion he set forth
in pursuit of the fleeing man.

The destination was obvious. At the rear of the corridor was a stairway that led upward into the envelope
above the gondola. There were passages up there, beneath the balloonets; and among those passages,
The Shadow might trace the course that the man had taken.

It was chance that interfered. Before The Shadow had moved a dozen feet, the door of a cabin farther
down the corridor opened, and two officers of the Munchen came into view. Coming forward along the
narrow way, they would surely have encountered The Shadow, but for the quick action of the black-clad
figure.

With a turning sweep, The Shadow regained his cabin. The door closed as the officers tramped by. It
reopened, and even while the men were still walking forward in the corridor, The Shadow's amazing form
was sweeping toward the companionway at the rear, taking up the delayed pursuit.

A spectral mass of black, The Shadow arrived at the top of the companionway. Straight ahead lay the
walk that led to the rear of the dirigible. The interior of the tremendous envelope was a heavy bulk
above, with this passage, illuminated only by safety lights, running beneath.

The keen mind of The Shadow was at work. That brain had trained itself to measure time in split seconds
to gauge each passing event with absolute precision. The length of the passage within the envelope