"Maxwell Grant - The Shadow - 250 - Death About Town" - читать интересную книгу автора (Grant Maxwell)

"Do you know, Mr. Cranston," he said, "I'm glad I sold out that place of mine. I wasn't, at first, even
though I made a profit, because one of my hobbies was teaching fellows how to punch and I didn't think
you Avenue Clubbers would take to it.

"But it's surprising how boxing instruction has picked up. The membership drive is bringing in lots of
fellows who like to use their fists. Take Vincent here" - Rydal looked approvingly at Harry - "he'd make
a boxer. Maybe he's one already."

Rydal took a stance, and Harry immediately responded with instinctive footwork, that brought another
nod of approval from Rydal. As the two lowered their fists, Rydal clapped Harry on the back, then
swung around.

"How about it, Mr. Cranston?"

Rydal's fists were up again, but Cranston was standing, flat-footed, his own hands lowered. Rydal
swished a fist past Cranston's chin, purposely missing by a fraction of an inch. Cranston dropped away,
bringing his hands up, wide apart.

"You'd better join a boxing club," suggested Rydal critically. "Any palooka could finish you with a single
punch. I thought you knew something about self-defense, Mr. Cranston.

"I do, where fencing is concerned," returned Cranston stiffly. "I prefer the foils, because they allow better
range than fists."

"You'd better carry a cane then," advised Rydal. "Still" - the physical director gave a headshake - "I don't
know how you'd make out, if somebody grabbed the stick and came in with a punch. You ought to learn
to box."

"I might," said Cranston indifferently, "when I find time to get around to it. For the present, you can
confine your instruction to Vincent."

CRANSTON strolled about while Rydal was assigning a locker to Harry. He wanted a look at
Laverock's locker, and managed a glimpse, but it offered no clues. If Laverock had spoken correctly, in
saying that his revolver had been taken from his locker, it would be very difficult to learn who was
responsible.

Members weren't supposed to keep anything valuable in their lockers, and a lot of them had a habit of
forgetting their keys. While Cranston was still in the locker room, he heard one member shouting for a
passkey, asking why it wasn't hanging on the hook inside the locker-room door. Someone finally
produced the master key, remarking that it had been left in the door of another member's locker.

By that token, almost anyone could have sneaked into the locker room and stolen Laverock's gun, if it
had been in his locker at all.

This slipshod situation certainly wouldn't help Laverock's alibi, if he talked to the police. They would take
it that Laverock was simply bluffing his way out. He would have to prove, first, that the gun had been in
his locker; otherwise, his story would sound thin. However, The Shadow was still inclined to give
Laverock the benefit of the existing doubt.
Downstairs again, The Shadow continued his Cranston pose by introducing Harry to Rudolph Delmot.