Part 6 (1/2)

Next to the skysc.r.a.per laboratory was a vast library. It contained thousands of bulky scientific tomes. Doc and his men crossed it swiftly, went out into the corridor, and took the superspeed elevator downward.

Doc used the roadster for their journey.

DOC did not raise the roadster top. He seemed impervious to the bitter nip of the blizzard as he raced the car northward.

Monk and Ham sat beside the bronze man and s.h.i.+vered. They had donned overcoats. They turned the collars up around their ears. Their teeth clicked like a Spanish dancer's castanets.

They did not suggest that Doc put up the roadster top. They knew why it was down. Doc preferred it thus, that he might more readily detect any danger which threatened. When using taxicabs, Doc usually rode the running board for the same reason that he was now keeping the roadster top down.

Between s.h.i.+vers, Monk and Ham wondered how Doc was going to locate Renny and Long Tom. Ordinarily, the television apparatus would have shown such landmarks as the sedan had pa.s.sed. But the blizzard had hidden the marks.

Doc solved the problem in simple fas.h.i.+on.

The tiny television transmitter in the sedan was still operating. From a compartment in the rear of the roadster, Doc produced a directional radio receiver. By manipulating the loop aerial of this, it was possible to get a line on the whereabouts of the sedan.

”You take the radio bearings,” Doc directed Ham.

”It's almost due north and south,” Ham reported.

”That means the car is to the north,” Doc decided. ”A line to the south would run into the ocean. The girl told him to drive toward Westchester, anyway.”

The roadster made only a great sucking sound as it whirled through the night. Monk and Ham crouched behind the winds.h.i.+eld, avoiding snowflakes that stung like shot.

”My golly,” Monk said in a tiny, s.h.i.+very voice, ”winter has sure come with a bang.”Ham gave Monk a black scowl.

”Any one could tell, you would be more at home in a tropical jungle!” he snapped.

Monk glared at him. He knew the statement was Ham's subtle way of saying he looked like a jungle monkey.

But it was too cold for an argument.

They crossed one of the many bridges which connect Manhattan Island with the New York mainland. The roadster swooped on to the northward.

With cold-blued fingers, Ham took frequent radio bearings. Doc changed the course of the roadster as the bearings altered. Eventually they rolled upon a country road.

Cold snow had heaped into the roadster seat and was inches deep on the floor boards. Their breaths became wind-torn plumes of steam.

Much to the discomfort of Ham, Monk bounced violently up and down in the seat at frequent intervals, claiming he had to do so to keep from freezing to death.

”The sedan is right around here somewhere,” Ham reported. ”The signal is very loud.”

They pa.s.sed a large yard. In it stood evergreen trees and a ramshackle house. Doc seemed to pay the place no particular attention. But driving on no more than a hundred yards, he skidded the roadster to a stop at the side of the thoroughfare.

His sharp eyes had noticed the sedan standing among the evergreens in the yard.

THE house was extremely old. It must have been constructed long before Civil War days. Not only were s.h.i.+ngles off the roof and paint weathered from the sides, but great cracks gaped in it. Through these the blizzard whistled like steam calliopes.

Inside, there was ruin. Plaster had fallen from the walls. Pilferers had torn boards from the floor, no doubt to use as firewood. The wind, coming in through the cracks, scooped up gray plaster dust and mingled it with the white of the snow.

The cold was biting.

Renny's big fists were tied cruelly together with many turns of wire. To shake one he had to shake them both.

He did this now.

”You're lettin' us freeze!” he thundered angrily.

”T' h.e.l.l with you!” growled the man. ”And if you don't stop squawking, I'm going to warm you up with some lead!”

Long Tom sat in the opposite corner. The unhealthy-looking electrical wizard seemed to be a man who would suffer greatly from the cold. The chill was not bothering him, however. Long Tom was keeping warm with his own rage. His usually pale face was ruddy.

”What's the idea of holding us?” he demanded.

”Have we got to go over that again?” growled one of the captors. ”We're keeping you here in case Doc Savage tries to get funny. If he makes a pa.s.s at us we might cut off your ears and mail 'em to him. That should make him stop and think.”

Long Tom and Renny traded sober looks. Their captor was not joking with them.

The girl in the marvelous golden evening gown was nowhere about. Nor were Velvet and Biff present. The two men had departed some time ago, taking the girl with them. As to where they had gone, Long Tom and Renny had no idea.”Are you fellows from South America?” Renny boomed at one of their hosts.

”No,” said the man, ”we're hometown boys. Velvet and Biff are from South America, though. They just hired us-”

”Gonna blab your head off, eh?” interrupted another man.

The fellow who had started to give information fell silent, much to Renny's disgust.

”Who is The Little White Brother?” Renny asked.

No one answered. The men slouched about in att.i.tudes of unconcern. But it was noticeable that their eyes rolled uneasily.

Renny tried a random stab. ”I betcha we have an earthquake before long.”

Again no one replied, but the words had a marked effect. The men looked somewhat uncomfortable.

”You know quite a bit, don't you?” sneered one.

”Not as much as we'll know before we're done,” said an entirely new voice. The tone was shrill, quarrelsome.

The men looked about wildly. They could see no new arrival.

”Over this way, boys,” said the voice. ”In the window!”

Every eye leveled upon the window. Jaws fell. Bewildered gasps caused plumes of steam to dribble through their teeth.

This was a second-floor room. Outside the window was only a swirling maelstrom of snow.

AT the first note of the strange voice, Long Tom and Renny had glanced at the window. They had thought it was coming from there. But they had seen nothing. Then they had realized the truth. They waited, faces suddenly eager, expectant.