"Maxwell Grant - The Shadow - 268 - Murder Lake" - читать интересную книгу автора (Grant Maxwell)

barn, follow a road to some distant wood lot and eventually reach another highway, taking their cargo
with them.

One man - indicated by a moving flashlight - was returning toward the delivery truck, which gave Harry
an excellent idea. He'd take the lone man prisoner, then make him follow the truck. Harry's own car,
parked on the highway, would be a cue for The Shadow should he come along. In it, Harry could leave a
coded note to his chief.

THE first thing was to snag the prisoner, and neatly. An automatic drawn, Harry lurked in darkness while
the flashlight bobbed at the rear of the delivery truck. He heard the doors bang shut, and at the same time
a rumble from the barn told that the other car was getting started.

Lunging forward, Harry met the man with the flashlight just as he was stepping from the back of the
truck. Shoving his gun against the fellow's side, Harry ordered, "Raise both hands -"

Something rocketed from behind the car and hit Harry so hard that he landed full-length in the highway,
his gun sailing from his hand. Unnoticed by Harry, a second man had shoved into the situation without
delay.

The fellow hadn't waited to draw a gun, which still gave Harry a fighting chance. Coming to his feet with a
quick roll, Harry didn't waste time looking for his automatic. He pitched into the man who had bowled
him over and delivered punches that told. The crook had begun to reach in his pocket, which put him
badly off defense. In fact, Harry would soon have pummeled him into submission if it hadn't been for the
man with the flashlight.

Using the torch as a cudgel, that fighter came after Harry, only to be met with a solid fist in the chest.
Knocked back against the truck, the fellow bounded forward again while his companion, temporarily
relieved, made a dive for Harry's legs.
Soon the three were thrashing it out in the middle of the highway with no holds barred.

Amid this rolling fray, Harry made an unlucky find. He came across his gun and took time to grab it.
Before he could bring the weapon to bear he was met by a double drive that reeled him clear to the front
of the truck, where the headlights still gleamed.

Shoving one man halfway into the car, Harry turned to stop the other. The first thug came back groggily,
bringing something that his hand had encountered in the driver's seat. The object was a sizable monkey
wrench which the fellow swung as Harry dodged. The wrench landed a glancing blow, but it was
sufficient to send Harry sprawling in front of the headlights.

Without ado, the two crooks pulled their revolvers, intending to riddle Harry and then be on their way.
At that moment the glare of arriving headlights struck them and from a car that had just gained the slope
came a weird peal of challenging laughter, accompanied by the sharp reports of an automatic.

The Shadow, back to life!

IN utter panic, the two crooks flung themselves into their truck and started away. By then The Shadow
was close enough to clip them, but he didn't try.

Harry's predicament was too great. If delayed, the men in the car might veer and run over Harry; if halted
and forced to battle with The Shadow, they might jab a few shots Harry's way to settle that side issue.