"Kenneth Robeson - Doc Savage 030 - Spook Hole" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robeson Kenneth)

It had not taken long. The slamming of the elevated train was still audible. An extremely keen ear might
still have heard the running of the man with the hawser bludgeon - had there been no rain.

The man with the hawser bludgeon had suddenly acquired a great dislike for the wet night. He was
making for the only spot of light visible among the piers. This was a single electric bulb, encased in a wire
shield, which glowed above a gangplank that led, through a hull hatch, into the black innards of a ship.

The man crossed the gangplank without slackening speed. He brought up smack against the snout of a
short rifle.

"Where's the fire?" growled a coarse voice back of the gun.

The man with the hawser countered, "Where's Captain Wapp?"

"You see a big bad spook?" grinned the rifleman.

"Where's Captain Wapp?" the other shrieked.

"In his cabin." The rifleman stepped aside. "What's wrong?"

The hawser carrier ran on without answering.

CAPTAIN WAPP had to pass sidewise through more than one door on his ship. He was big. But he
never had to stoop, even for the low bulkhead doors down near the bilge. The shortest man in his crew
was taller by a head. His belt was a cotton rope that had once been white. Maybe he could not get a
leather one large enough. The rope belt fastened with a gold snap and ring, set with diamonds which
could not be classed as small.

He was cleaning his finger nails with a big clasp knife. When the door exploded open, he twisted the
knife in his hand, holding it so that the hilt pointed at the door. The knife hilt was one of those deadly little
novelty weapons, chambered for a .22-caliber cartridge.

"You bane in big hurry," he said dryly.

The newcomer still carried his length of taped hawser.

"Something is screwy!" he gulped.

Captain Wapp absently uncocked the firing mechanism in the haft of the knife. This made a faint click.

"Dot be not so good," he grunted. "Tell us about it very snappylike."

The other held his hawser bludgeon with both hands and spoke with the mad speed of an auctioneer
closing a brisk sale.

"I'm standing watch on the dock, like you ordered, see," he said. "All of a sudden, I get a look at a man
who heaves up between me and a distant light." The man hefted his hawser. "I get ready to pop him, see,
because he's cruisin' around mighty snaky."

"You bane do right thing," advised Captain Wapp.