"017 (B002) - The Thousand-Headed Man (1934-07) - Lester Dent" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robeson Kenneth)

The late arrival peered intently at the prisoners. His mouth came open and round. His eyes flew wide.

"Jove!" he exploded. "These chappies are bad 'uns! Scotland Yard has been wantin' to see 'em for some time. I'll call help."

He clamped the whistle between his lips and blew shrilly. That move completely allayed the suspicions of Doc's men. They thought the newcomer was summoning other bobbies.

The next instant the fellow had snaked a revolver from inside his uniform coat and was menacing them.

"Up high!" he grated.


THERE WAS shocked silence for a second. Then Monk and the others slowly elevated their arms. They were not fools. Only one gun threatened them, but it held five cartridges; and to resist meant that some one would get shot.

The clatter of feet came from the near-by darkness. Men appeared, running, weapons in hand.

Sen Gat, nursing his protected finger nails, led the group. Indigo, blue-jowled, ferocious, was at his side. The others were Sen Gat's men - all of oriental extraction.

Sen Gat and those of his satellites who had been victims had recovered fully from the effects of Doc's truth serum.

"Excellent work!" Sen Gat told the last fake bobby.

Cars now rolled down the street, large, closed machines. Doc's five men were forced to enter; then all of the captor gang loaded aboard.

The machines lost no time leaving the vicinity.



Chapter 7

CORDON


IT WAS not long before Doc Savage arrived at Sen Gat's house in Shoreditch - slightly more than ten minutes after his men met with bad luck. The bronze man alighted from a taxi some blocks away and walked the rest of the distance. Nearing Sen Gat's abode, he kept to shadows. His eyes were alert, missing little.

The wrinkled, oriental hawker with his tray of nuts and tasties was back at the corner. Doc Savage studied the fellow, then gave more attention to Sen Gat's house. No sound came from the latter.

Doc moved toward the peddler.

A patrol car, occupied by uniformed bobbies, rounded a corner. Their manner indicated that they were hunting for something, as the police braked to a stop near the sidewalk merchant

"I say, where were the shots?" called an officer.

Doc Savage, not many yards distant, heard the words distinctly.

"Me thinkee bang-bang noise no b'long gun," singsonged the peddler.

"We didn't ask you what you thought," declared a bobby. "Where was the uproar?"

The hawker pointed. "Noise 'longside that dilection. Mebbe' so thlee blocks. Mebbeso six block. Velly solly, no can tell."