"015 (B069) - The Mystery on the Snow (1934-05) - Lester Dent (b)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robeson Kenneth)

sluggishness each foot lifted, came forward, and descended.
The gang watched this. Their eyes began to protrude a little.
Monk and Ham now ceased to watch Doc, for they did not want to come under the
uncanny spell he was creating. Doc was using hypnotism. Since successful
hypnosis is largely dependent upon fixing the attention of the subject, Doc was
using exaggerated slow motion for his purpose.
The overalled men began to acquire rapt expressions. This signified that the
hypnotic spell was taking hold.
One man in the group demonstrated that he knew something of hypnotismЧand how to
break the weird grip of the golden eyes.
"
Sacre bleu!" he shrieked. "Zis bronze man work black magic! Do not look at him!"

Some of his fellows started violently. A few looked away from Doc. Others seemed
unable to do so.
"
Cochons!" squawled the man. "Dumb pigs! Look away from him!"
Doc came to a stop. The shouting had undone his efforts. He kept his eyes fixed
on the group, and spoke to Monk and Ham.
The bronze manТs words were in a guttural, not unmusical language. The prisoners
registered puzzlement. They had understood no word.
Perhaps not a dozen men in the so-called civilized world could have comprehended
the tongue which Doc had spoken. The words were those of a lost raceЧthe speech
of the ancient Mayan civilization of Central America.
Doc and his men knew this prehistoric language. A strange tale backed their
knowledge of it; they had learned the vernacular from survivors of the Mayan
race who lived, lost to the world, in an inaccessible valley in remote Central
American mountains.
Few outside DocТs little group were aware of it, but this lost valley was the
bronze manТs source of fabulous wealth. The canyon held gold. It was the
treasure lode of ancient Maya. The descendants of that race, now residents in
the valley, mined the wealth.
There was a powerful radio receiving set in the valley. When he needed funds,
Doc had but to broadcast at a certain hour. A few days later, a gold-laden burro
caravan would come out of the supposedly inaccessible spot. The cargo, usually
running into the millions, was always deposited to DocТs account in a Central
American bank.
Monk blinked his little eyes when he heard the words. He walked away toward the
rear of the hangar. But he was back shortly, and took a position near Doc,
folded his arms and waited.
The captives squirmed uneasily, apprehensive as to what was going to happen.
All eyes suddenly fixed upon the hangar rear. Several jaws sank; astonished
sighs escaped from lungs. They were seeing possibly the last thing they had
expected.

A PIG had caused the furor. The pig was unique. A homelier specimen of the
porker family had probably never been created. The animal had a lean body, a
razor back, and legs as long as those of a dogТs. The ears were phenomenal. They
looked big enough to serve as wings.
The pig ambled up with an almost comical dignity. Coming to a halt, the homely