"Kenneth Robeson - Doc Savage 155 - Measures For a Coffin" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robeson Kenneth)

His general resemblance to an ape, particularly the family of great apes called Simiidae, considered
closest of all animals to man, was noticeable. Monk didn't mind. He had an amiable grin that made
friends with everyone, a fondness for loud clothes and red-haired chorus girls, and a general inclination to
do exactly what no one expected him to do.

He liked his sleep, and since the high army officials with whom he was working had the habit of getting
him out of bed at all hours, he had, tonight for the first time, cunningly rigged a gag every kid knows
about, or has seen in the funny paper. He had put a bucket of water over the bedroom door so it would
deluge the first guy who came in.

Sometime during the night, he heard a knocking.

тАЬCome in,тАЭ he called drowsily, but not so drowsily that he forgot to open one eye and watch for the
bucket of water to fall.

The door opened. Monk blanched, started to yell. тАЬHey, Angele, watch out! Don'tтАФтАЭ He went silent,
but mentally added an, тАЬOh, great grief!тАЭ

There was quite a commotion when the bucket of water came down, and Monk learned one thing
immediately. Angele could not take a practical joke. Angele was a French girl, very pretty. Monk had
been doing promotion work re: Angele for some time.

тАЬYou dog-faced ape!тАЭ Angele said, after she had said all she could think of in French. тАЬHere is a
cablegram which came for you!тАЭ

She threw the cablegram, now sodden, at Monk, after which she called him a sow's son, and departed.

How fortunate I am, Monk reflected, to learn in time that the little lady has a temper like that.



MONK supposed the cablegram would be from the Allied Military Government headquarters in
Washington, giving him hell about something. It wasn't. It wasn't from Doc Savage either, although
almost. The message had been sent by the superintendent of the building which housed Doc Savage's
New York headquarters. It was the man's job, when Doc and his aides were not around the office, to
open up the telephone recording gimmick and relay to them any messages that seemed important. Having
the super do this was Doc's idea, after they had learned that the man had an uncanny facility for finding
out what part of the world they were at the moment occupying.

The building superintendent, a frugal gentleman, was always appalled at the thought of a dollar or so a
word rate for cables, and saved all the words he could, sometimes at the expense of clarity.

The cablegram read:

DOC HOSPITAL BURNED DOCTOR BENSON PHONED UNLIKE SUSPECTS FOULPLAY
MYSTERIOUS COUNTERFEIT TICKETS CLUE.

тАЬBoy!тАЭ Monk said, and re-read the message wondering whether Doc had burned down a hospital full of
mysterious counterfeit tickets and Doctor Benson, or what had happened.