mg.greeneyes-第29部分

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　　LING　SOO　paced　the　broad　deck　of　the　Pung…Shoon。　He　looked　upward　at　the　towering　turrets　of　the　old…fashioned　Chinese　ship。　There；　in　the　gloom；　he　could　distinguish　the　forms　of　sailors。　They　were　waiting　for　Ling　Soo's　signal。
　　The　insidious　Chinaman　was　gloating。　He　and　four　members　of　the　Wu…Fan　were　aboard　the　junk。　It　had　been　Ling　Soo's　plan　to　go　below　and　slay　the　false　Foy　himself。　Then　he　had　realized　that　a　better　scheme　of　death　would　do。
　　He　had　dispatched　two　of　his　men　to　do　the　work。　Both　were　ones　whom　he　knew　that　he　could　trust。　One　traitor…like　Foy…did　not　mean　a　flock。　For　the　secret　methods　of　the　Wu…Fan　were　too　insidious　to　permit　of　plotting。
　　Other　traitors　had　been　discovered　before…traitors　like　Stephen　Laird　…
　　when　they　had　begun　to　suggest　their　schemes　to　men　whom　they　thought　would　work　with　them。
　　Ling　Soo　was　near　the　door　to　the　oddly　furnished　cabin。　His　keen　ears　were　set　to　hear　a　dull　shot　from　below。　That　shot　would　mean　the　death　of　the　traitor；　Foy。　Then　Ling　Soo　would　give　the　signal。　No　time　would　be　lost　while　the　two　men　were　ing　from　the　hold。
　　It　had　been　difficult　for　Ling　Soo　to　waddle　up　those　stairs　from　the　hold。　That　reason；　as　much　as　any；　was　why　the　leader　of　the　Wu…Fan　had　delegated　his　appointed　work　to　his　trusted　subordinates。
　　By　the　high…railed　side　of　the　ship；　Ling　Soo　could　see　the　forms　of　the　other　two　Wu…Fan　men。　They　were　ready　at　the　ladder。
　　As　soon　as　the　signal　was　given；　pandemonium　would　break　loose。　Then　Ling　Soo　would　join　his　panions；　and　they　would　escape；　by　the　little　boat；　acpanied　by　the　men　who　came　from　the　hold。
　　All　the　crew　of　this　ship　were　Chinamen…members　of　a　chapter　of　the　Wu…Fan；　which　existed　in　China　itself。　They　were　sworn　to　secrecy。　They　had　done　good　work　before；　they　would　do　good　work　tonight！
　　Ling　Soo　grinned　as　he　bethought　himself　of　what　would　be　happening　elsewhere；　when　others　of　the　Wu…Fan　took　advantage　of　the　furor　on　the　junk　to　do　a　work　that　would　mean　great　profit　for　Ling　Soo。　Profit　for　Ling　Soo…and　for　Green　Eyes！　Millions　of　dollars　in　good　American　money！
　　The　muffled　report　of　a　gun　shot　came　to　Ling　Soo's　ears。　Then　came　a　second。　Good！
　　The　smile　spread　over　Ling　Soo's　face；　and　he　cackled　softly。　Both　men　had　done　their　work。　Each　had　sent　a　bullet　through　the　black　heart　of　Foy；　the　traitor！
　　That　made　death　sure；　now　there　would　be　no　more　trouble。
　　Ling　Soo　stared　about　him　in　the　dark；　toward　the　high　decks；　toward　the　tall；　square…rigged　masts。　The　time　had　e；　yet　he　was　careful　and　deliberate。
　　From　beneath　his　robe；　Ling　Soo　produced　a　gleaming　revolver。　He　pointed　it　off　toward　the　bay。　He　pressed　the　trigger。　The　gun　barked。
　　It　was　the　signal　for　action！
　　Shots　cracked　from　spots　about　the　ship。　Loud　cries　sounded。　Ling　Soo　stood　waiting；　watching　the　stairs　at　the　other　side　of　the　cabin。　His　two　men　would　be　here　in　a　moment。
　　A　head　and　shoulders　appeared　from　the　stairs；　then　the　body　of　a　man…a　crouching；　sinister　form。
　　Ling　Soo　stood　petrified。
　　Foy！
　　
　　
　　THE　SLAYER　had　e　to　life！　Somehow；　he　had　escaped　the　terrible　torture　rack！
　　Had　the　others　aided　him？　No…there　would　have　been　but　one　shot；　if　they　had　been　traitors　also。　They　would　be　ing；　now；　with　Foy。
　　Ling　Soo　knew　the　truth　in　an　instant。　Those　two　muffled　pistol　shots　had　been　from　the　hand　of　Foy。　The　traitor　had　killed　the　trusted　henchmen！
　　A　flare　went　up　from　a　high　deck。　Its　lurid　glare　showed　the　form　of　Ling　Soo；　on　the　deck　beside　the　cabin　door。
　　The　leader　of　the　Wu…Fan　had　pointed　his　revolver　toward　the　hated　form　of　the　approaching　Foy。　But　before　he　could　fire；　a　flash　came　from　the　cabin。
　　The　revolver　fell　from　Ling　Soo's　grasp。　He　tottered　toward　the　side　of　the　ship。　He　sprawled　upon　the　deck。　As　the　flare　died　away；　the　two　men　by　the　rail　came　dashing　to　their　leader's　rescue。
　　Another　flare　revealed　the　form　of　Foy；　now　on　the　deck。　The　Shadow；　still　in　the　guise　of　the　crouching　slayer；　was　brandishing　two　automatics　as　the　light　revealed　his　figure。
　　Ling　Soo；　lying　back　against　supporting　arms；　saw　his　enemy。　He　raised　a　long；　hideous　cry　that　rose　above　the　shouts　of　the　sailors。
　　It　was　the　battle　cry　of　the　Wu…Fan…the　cry　that　meant　death　when　uttered　by　the　leader！　The　pointing　hand　of　Ling　Soo　was　directed　toward　that　figure　at　the　cabin！
　　As　the　flare　sizzled　away；　shouts　came　from　everywhere。　Ling　Soo's　two　panions　drew　revolvers　and　tried　to　fire。
　　Bursts　of　flame　from　the　cabin　door　stretched　them；　motionless　upon　the　deck。　The　sailors…whose　shots　had　been　wild　and　meaningless…were　firing　again。　The　bullets　from　their　revolvers　smashed　against　the　sides　of　the　cabin。
　　Then　came　another　flare。　It　showed　a　new　sight。　The　Shadow　was　in　the　center　of　the　deck。　Swinging　rapidly；　to　and　fro；　his　automatics　were　discharging　leaden　messengers　of　death。
　　The　forms　of　maddened　sailors　were　visible　in　the　light；　but　their　hasty　shots　could　not　seem　to　strike　that　strange　target…the　crouching　form　that　bore　the　semblance　of　Foy。　From　the　decks；　the　range　was　too　great　for　ordinary　revolver　aim。
　　But　The　Shadow's　automatics　mocked　the　distance。　Bullets；　ing　from　those　tongue…flamed　muzzles　found　the　marks　toward　which　they　were　directed。
　　Sailors　with　upraised　revolvers　fell　before　they　could　fire。
　　In　that　brief　interval；　The　Shadow　loosed　his　entire　load　of　deadly　missiles。　The　automatics　were　empty。　But　when　another　flare　came　from　an　upper　deck；　it　revealed　two　gleaming　revolvers　in　those　mighty　hands…weapons　which　The　Shadow　had　taken　from　the　men　whom　he　had　conquered　below！
　　
　　
　　NOW　the　aim　of　both　those　guns　was　directed　toward　a　single　spot。　While　bullets　sank　into　the　deck　beside　his　weaving　body；　The　Shadow　had　seen　a　group　of　faces　peering　from　a　rail　upon　a　high…pitched　deck。　There；　another　flare　was　being　lighted。
　　The　Shadow's　revolvers　spoke　their　message。　Two　men；　rising；　toppled　from　the　rail　of　the　high　deck。　One；　clutching　an　object　on　the　rail；　fell　crashing　to　the　deck　below。　Beside　him　came　a　hissing；　burning　flare。　It　scattered　upon　the　deck。　Its　flaming　portions　were　scattered　about　in　all　directions。
　　Another　flare　was　starting　from　that　same　high　rail。　The　man　who　had　lighted　it；　dropped　suddenly；　as　The　Shadow　spotted　him　for　death。　The　second　flare　fell　like　a　sudden　meteor。　Its　fragments　scattered　also…some　bounding　through　the　door　of　an　open　cabin。
　　Unable　to　withstand　those　inhuman　shots；　startled　sailors　sprang　from　their　hiding　places。　Stumbling　over　the　bodies　of　their　fallen　rades；　they　leaped　for　the　places　which　were　farthest　from　the　deadly　bullets。
　　Like　monkeys；　they　scrambled　up　the　masts　of　the　towering　junk；　and　pressed　themselves　upon　sail…furled　rigging。　A　mocking　laugh　came　from　the　lone　man　on　the　deck。　The　laugh　of　The　Shadow；　it　reached　the　ears　of　those　cringing　men　whose　only　refuge　had　been　flight。
　　A　weird　glow　had　replaced　the　flares。　Smoke　was　pouring　from　a　cabin。
　　The　junk　was　on　fire！
　　Other　wreaths　curled　upward　from　spots　of　the　deck　as　the　dried　wood　of　the　old　Pung…Shoon　blazed　like　tinder。
　　Amidst　the　rising　holocaust；　the　terrible　man　on　the　deck　swept　back　toward　the　cabin　from　which　he　had　e。　Not　a　single　shot　defied　him。
　　The　Shadow's　revolvers　were　empty。　He　tossed　them　away；　and　stooped　to　pick　up　the　revolver　which　Ling　Soo　had　let　fall。
　　Something　gleamed　through　the　air。　A　knife　was　whistling　from　the　rigging；　its　sharp　point　driving　straight　for　the　back　of　the　stooping　man。
　　Was　it　instinct　that　told　The　Shadow？　Or　did　his　keen　ears　sense　the　approach　of　that　murderous　blade；　delivered　from　the　mast；　high　above？
　　With　his　hand　upon　Ling　Soo's　gun；　The　Shadow　dived　suddenly　away。　The　shimmering　blade　passed　within　an　inch　of　his　twisting　body。　It　struck　the　deck　at　the　exact　spot　where　Ling　Soo's　gun　had　lain。
　　With　point　buried　deep　in　the　wood；　the　blade　quivered。　It　had　missed　its　mark！
　　But　The　Shadow　did　not　let　the　thrust　remain　unanswered。　Swinging　upward；　the　muzzle　of　his　revolver　seemed　to　follow　the　path　along　which　the　knife　had　e。　No　one　was　visible；　behind　the　sail　where　lay　the　cowering　wretch　whose　skillful　hand　had　sent　the　blade　along　its　way。
　　A　burst　of　flame　from　the　revolver。　A　cry　from　high　above。　The　form　of　a　man　tumbled　from　the　darkness；　clawing　helplessly；　until　it　reached　the　deck；　forty　feet　below！
　　That　master　stroke　ended　all　resistance。　Yellow　faces　ducked　behind　the　sails。　Knives；　already　in　hand；　were　thrust　back　in　the　belts　from　which　they　had　been　drawn。　Not　a　single　gun　spoke。
　　The　Shadow；　backing　toward　the　rail；　had　stifled　all　opposition。　Wherever　that　revolver　might　point；　there　would　it　find　a　mark…and　every　cringing　enemy　knew　it！
　　With　another　peal　of　taunting　mirth；　The　Shadow　passed　the　huddled　forms　of　Ling　Soo　and　his　two　bodyguards。　Over　the　rail　and　down　the　ladder；　yet　from　the　side　of　the　junk；　these　gibing　peals　of　laughter　still　told　their　terrible　threat。
　　A　muffled　motor　chugged。　The　little　boat　brought　by　Ling　Soo　had　left　the　side　of　the　big