"Kenneth Robeson - Doc Savage 104 - Birds of Death" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robeson Kenneth)

"Good," said Mr. Manley. "Punch me, and draw my attention to him. LetтАЩs make this a well-rounded job
of acting."
Abner punched Mr. Manley, pointed at the window. Mr. Manley looked up. The man in yellow robe
waved his arms like an airplane propeller. Mr. Manley pointed at the bush where the canary sat, and
waved back. The man in the yellow robe disappeared from the window.

"HeтАЩs coming down here," said Mr. Manley. "Hurry up and catch that damned canary. And
AbnerтАФremember this is part of a murder, and the police do not think murders are funny."



BENJAMIN BOOT sprinted through the park with yellow robe flying. Under the robe he wore
buff-colored pajamas, and bedroom slippers of matching color clung to his pounding feet.

He arrived all out of breath at the scene of the canary catching.

"For gosh sakes, donтАЩt hurt Elmo!" he exclaimed apprehensively.

Benjamin Boot was a tall young man with an excellent pair of legs, superb shouldersтАФin fact, a body that
was so perfectly fashioned that it was beautiful. His hands, however, were very large and knobby, and
his face extremely homely.

Elmo was the canary.

"Come, Elmo, come, come," said Benjamin Boot anxiously. "Say, IтАЩm sure glad you fellows caught
Elmo."

Concern and delight mingled on Benjamin BootтАЩs homely face, and the result made the face something
with which to haunt a house. Young BootтАЩs face was not exactly ugly. Stupid was more the word. The
face was a dumb, illiterate, foolish, simple, shallow, dense, donkeylike, wooden one.

Mr. Manley smiled.

"Glad to be of service," he said heartily. "I just happened to notice the bird as I was passing by, and this
stranger"тАФhe glanced at AbnerтАФ"was kind enough to assist me, werenтАЩt you, Mr.тАФ"

"Mr. Jones is the name," lied Abner.

"I am Mr. Manley," said Mr. Manley.

The owner of the canary extended a toadlike hand.

"I am Benjamin Boot," he said. "This is my canary, Elmo, and I sure love him. I wouldnтАЩt part with Elmo
for anything. I couldnтАЩt get along without him. That jackass of a manservant of mine, Julian, accidentally
let Elmo out of his cage. IтАЩm everlastingly grateful to you fellows."

"ItтАЩs nothing," said Manley. "IтАЩm glad to be of service. It was fortunate I had this mosquito netting along. I
was taking it home to my wife, who was going to make some butterfly nets. She collects butterflies."

Benjamin Boot eyed the netting.