"Kenneth Robeson - Doc Savage 046 - The Vanisher" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robeson Kenneth)

Jules R. McGinnis goggled at what the light was revealing. He was speechless.

"G-g-good love!" he choked. "Why theseтАФwhatтАФwhat - why are the men here?"

The camel-backed individual replied in a violent, fanatical whisper, "They are to be placed in the cells which
you men just left."

Stunned silence held the freed convicts.

Jules R. McGinnis started a laugh; something almost mad was in his mirth. He did not get far with the laugh,
because the humpback grabbed his mouth with rough fierceness. "You fool! Be quiet!"

McGinnis had recovered his composure when he was released.

"I donтАЩt understand this," he said, hoarsely.

"You donтАЩt need to," rasped the humpback. "This is the first move in a strange campaign."



Chapter 2. THE AMAZED MEN
IT must have been half an hour later when John Winer, the penitentiary guard in the wall tower nearest the
box car, heard a small sound. He peered over the tower side. At first, he saw nothing: then, near the box car,
he perceived a skulking figure.

The tower was equipped with a searchlight. John Winer turned this on, pointed the thin beam, and saw a
weird figure, a humpback. The humpback drew a gun; the gun banged, and the searchlight went out. It was a
good shot.

John Winer knew something was wrong. He seized his rifle, leaned out and began shooting. He could discern
the camel-backed figure in the gloom of the prison yard.

John Winer did not realize he himself was outlined against the moon, which was behind the tower, and
furnished an excellent target. A bullet fired by the hunchback, hit John Winer almost exactly in the middle of
the chest. Then it was too late to think about being a target.

Guards came running and found Winer a broken, dying heap. He was lying in a grotesque position, so they
hastily straightened him out.

Words came from WinerтАЩs lips. As a dying man sometimes will, he mouthed fragments of speech about
something which had lately come to his attention.
"Doc Savage!" mumbled John Winer. "Man of bronzeтАФ troubleтАФ"

"Eh?" exploded one of the guards "Who shot you, Winey?"

John Winer never heard that question. His incoherent mumblings simply continued.

"Doc Savage," mumbled John Winer "Fights menтАФ outside the lawтАФ"