"008 (B018) - The Sargasso Ogre (1933-10) - Lester Dent" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robeson Kenneth)

"You said it! I can't imagine why they picked on me."



"Unless they were hired!"



"Yes. I thought of that. But who would hire them? And why? We have no enemies in Alexandria. Or I haven't, at least."



Speaking rapidly, Doc explained how he had gotten on the trail by observing the man removing the note from Long Tom's hotel room.



"That note was a bait, of course," Long Tom grunted.



At this point, there sounded a faint scuffle in the near-by darkness. Doc raced his flashlight beam to the spot the sound had come from.



It was the man who had been stunned by being flung against the wall. He was seeking to flee.



With two long leaps, Doc collared him He turned his light on the fellow's face.



It was Homar. His brown features were convulsing with terror.



"This is the lad who got the letter out of your room," Doc told Long Tom. "We"ll just see if he still has it."



Homar was so frightened he remained perfectly docile, and, trembling greatly, let himself be searched. Doc's mighty bronze form had been frightsome in the fight; at close range, it was even more productive of terror.



Doc found the note. He studied it.



"The name signed at the bottom -- Leland Smith -- is false," he said. "The writing is somewhat stilted, exactly like the rest of the message. A man usually scrawls his signature in a more free, practiced fashion than the rest of his writing. The author of the missive was a big man and a strong one, as denoted by his forceful strokes. He was a fellow of fair education, as shown by the correct spelling and the fact that he mentioned that atomic business. That seems to be all the note tells us at present. There are no finger prints."