mg.cityofcrime-第28部分

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a　lever。　A　door　slid　open　at　the　far　wall。
　The　Shadow　reached　the　front；　jamming　the　brakes　of　the　roadster；　he　saw　the　thoroughfare。　In　that　instant；　he　thought　that　the　far　door　had　been　open　when　Lance　entered　the　garage；　for　the　coupe　was　speeding　through　it。　To　give　a　last　zest　to　his　pursuit；　The　Shadow　swung　his　roadster　into　the　garage；　intending　to　drive　clear　through　and　follow　the　crooks　a　few　blocks　farther。
　He　realized　his　error；　as　he　sped　his　car　through　the　front　doorway。
　The　rear　door　slid　shut　before　The　Shadow　could　reach　it。　Jamming　the　brakes；　The　Shadow　shoved　the　gear…shift　lever　into　reverse。　Again；　he　was　too　late。　The　front　door　slithered　shut　before　The　Shadow　could　back　out　through　it。
　Lights　showed　the　garage　devoid　of　cars。　A　stone…walled　room　some　sixty　feet　square；　it　formed　a　sealed　snare；　once　the　doors　had　closed；　for　they　were　of　metal。　More　ominous　still　were　two　small；　boxlike　rooms　at　each　side　of　empty　garage。　They　were　sheeted　with　metal；　their　closed　doors　were　fronted　with　loopholes。
　The　tiny　rooms　were　pill…boxes…safe　spots　from　which　hidden　sharpshooters　could　riddle　anyone　who　occupied　the　center　of　the　garage　floor。
　Once　the　barrage　began；　it　would　spell　instant　doom　for　The　Shadow。
　
　
　CHAPTER　XXI　
　THE　SHADOW'S　EXIT　
　IN　a　single　instant；　The　Shadow　sized　his　situation。　Big　doors　had　clanged；　to　leap　from　the　roadster　and　attempt　to　open　them　would　be　the　worst　move　possible。　The　Shadow　knew　that　machine　gunners　were　sequestered　in　the　pill…boxes；　ready　to　begin　their　fire　the　moment　that　he　bobbed　into　view。
　Even　the　roadster　offered　but　temporary　safety。　Bullets　would　spray　it　soon。　Yet；　for　some　reason；　the　opening　hail　had　been　delayed。　Quick　to　note　that　fact；　The　Shadow　looked　for　the　answer；　and　found　it。　A　glance　from　the　side　of　the　roadster　enabled　him　to　see　a　scudding　man　in　overalls；　making　across　the　stone　floor　for　the　pill…box　on　the　left。
　It　was　the　attendant　who　had　pulled　the　levers　to　close　the　garage　doors。
　The　fellow　was　still　inside　the　garage；　the　men　in　the　pill…box　were　giving　him　time　to　join　them。　The　door　of　the　pill…box　was　moving　open；　ready　to　admit　the　scudding　thug。
　The　Shadow　had　an　automatic　handy。　He　could　have　dropped　the　rowdy　as　he　ran。　Such　a　move　would　have　been　futile。　If　their　pal　fell；　the　men　in　the　pill…boxes　would　have　no　further　need　to　delay　their　machine　gun　fire。
　Nor　would　The　Shadow　gain　by　blazing　bullets　into　the　doorway　of　the　pill…box　when　it　opened。　Unless　he　clipped　every　occupant；　the　door　would　slam　again。　Even　if　he　did　wound　that　crew　of　sharpshooters；　the　men　in　the　second　pill…box　would　make　up　for　it。　Not　for　an　instant　did　The　Shadow　forget　that　he　lay　between　two　bands　of　murderers。
　Without　reaching　for　the　。45　that　lay　on　the　seat　beside　him；　The　Shadow　staged　a　prompt　surprise。　His　move　was　totally　unexpected；　for　that　reason；　it　left　his　enemies　momentarily　bewildered。　The　thug　who　was　dashing　for　the　pill…box　had　thirty　feet　to　go。　The　Shadow　resolved　to　block　him　off；　to　keep　him　in　a　spot　of　danger　as　bad　as　The　Shadow's　own　predicament。
　With　his　left　hand；　The　Shadow　jerked　the　roadster's　wheel。　He　rammed　the　gear　shift　into　low；　with　his　right。　His　foot　thrust　the　accelerator　to　the　floor。　The　roadster　leaped　as　if　alive；　skewed　to　the　left　and　roared　like　a　thunderbolt　straight　for　the　pill…box；　just　as　the　door　of　that　tiny　stronghold　slid　wide。
　The　Shadow　passed　the　running　thug　in　a　split…second。　Jamming　the　brakes；　he　again　yanked　the　wheel　to　the　left。　The　roadster　halted　with　a　screech；　squarely　between　the　startled　thug　and　the　opened　door　of　the　pill…box。
　Again；　The　Shadow　pulled　a　surprise。　As　the　man　in　overalls　heeled　about　and　dashed　in　the　other　direction；　The　Shadow　let　him　go。　Diving　to　the　right；　The　Shadow　banged　the　roadster's　door　outward；　with　his　left　hand；　while　his　rightmost　grabbed　the　automatic　from　the　seat。　In　one　continuous　leap；　he　hurtled　onward；　straight　through　the　opened　door　of　the　pill…box。
　Two　startled　hoodlums；　crouched　in　darkness；　saw　the　cloaked　avalanche　whirl　in　upon　them。　Dropping　their　machine　gun；　they　sprang　to　meet　The　Shadow。
　His　right　arm　swished　downward；　the　automatic　smashed　a　thug's　skull。　As　the　fellow　sprawled；　The　Shadow　swung　a　side　blow；　clipped　the　second　gunner　and　rolled　him　out　through　the　door　of　the　pill…box。
　The　first　thug　partly　blocked　the　door。　Stopping；　The　Shadow　seized　his　shoulders　and　pitched　his　senseless　body　out　beside　the　dazed　man　who　had　floundered　on　the　step　of　the　roadster。　That　done；　The　Shadow　grabbed　the　handle　of　the　door　and　clanged　the　barrier　shut。　Safe　in　the　pill…box；　he　peered　through　the　tiny　loophole。
　The　Shadow　had　pletely　tricked　the　gunners　in　the　far　pill…box。　His　car　had　blocked　their　view　of　his　rapid　action。　They　learned　what　had　happened　too　late　to　defeat　it。　Their　knowledge　came　when　the　thug　on　the　roadster's　step　suddenly　grabbed　his　unconscious　pal　and　dragged　him　out　in　front　of　the　halted　car。
　It　was　stalemate：　a　trio　of　crooks　in　one　pill…box；　The　Shadow　in　the　other。　The　abandoned　roadster　made　a　barrier　in　between；　but　it　meant　nothing。
　The　Shadow；　like　the　crooks；　had　a　machine　gun　and　could　fire　through　the　open　sides　of　the　small　car。　Volleys　would　prove　useless；　however；　for　both　The　Shadow　and　his　opponents　were　safely　entrenched。
　True；　there　were　three　men　somewhere　on　the　garage　floor；　two　of　them　were　now　dragging　a　third　toward　the　front　door。　The　Shadow　could　have　picked　out　those　crooks　and　finished　them；　but　they　were　unimportant。　He　needed　some　way　to　break　this　stalemate；　to　leave　the　pillbox　and　be　on　his　way　to　other　tasks。
　That　was　The　Shadow's　real　dilemma。
　Had　crooks　recognized　the　situation；　they　would　have　let　matters　remain　as　they　were。　They；　however；　disliked　the　condition　for　reasons　of　their　own。　They　knew　the　identity　of　their　foeman。　They　were　incensed　because　they　had　let　The　Shadow　nullify　their　advantage。
　Hoarse　shouts　came　from　the　far　pill…box。　The　words　were　incoherent　to　The　Shadow；　due　to　the　echoes　from　the　barren　walls。　To　the　men　who　were　in　the　open；　the　cries　were　understandable。　One　dropped　the　senseless　man　whom　he　was　lugging；　leaped　for　a　wall　and　pulled　a　light　switch。　The　garage　was　plunged　into　darkness。
　
　
　ON　the　face　of　it；　this　move　seemed　merely　a　protection　for　the　men　who　were　still　at　large。　Crooks　naturally　expected　The　Shadow　to　stay　where　he　was。
　Instead；　The　Shadow　found　the　handle　of　the　pill…box　door。　He　slid　the　door　open；　slowly　and　cautiously。　His　move　was　just　in　time。
　The　thug　by　the　outer　door　had　found　another　switch。　He　pulled　it。　The　result　was　sensed　immediately　by　The　Shadow。　His　pill…box　began　a　descent　into　the　floor；　lowering　like　an　elevator。　The　smooth　action　was　acpanied　by　the　rhythmic　hum　of　hidden　machinery。
　Had　The　Shadow　still　been　behind　a　closed　door；　he　could　not　have　left　the　descending　pill…box；　for　it　went　down　into　the　floor　so　steadily　that　the　delay　of　opening　the　door　would　have　been　fatal。　However；　The　Shadow　had　already　attended　to　the　detail　of　opening　the　door。　His　quick　brain　caught　the　need　for　immediate　action。
　With　both　hands；　he　grabbed　the　edge　of　outside　floor　when　it　was　just　waist…high。　With　a　long；　forward　leap　from　the　floor　of　the　descending　pill…box；　he　shot　headforemost　through　the　closing　space；　performed　a　quick　roll　that　brought　his　legs　clear；　just　before　the　top　of　the　pill…box　doorway　could　trap　them。
　The　pill…box　stopped　its　descent　with　a　sharp　click。　Reaching　along　the　garage　floor　in　the　darkness；　The　Shadow　found　that　the　roof　of　the　pill…box　was　coated　with　cement；　that　formed　a　perfect　level　with　the　floor。　He　knew　that　the　other　pill…box　must　operate　in　the　same　fashion；　and　the　reason　was　obvious。　With　the　pill…boxes　lowered　into　their　pits；　the　garage　floor　would　appear　quite　ordinary；　and　would　therefore　excite　no　suspicion　when　not　in　use　as　a　trap。
　Some　crook　had　seen　a　smart　way　to　render　The　Shadow's　capture　of　the　pill…box　worse　than　useless。　The　pull　of　the　wall　switch　had　turned　the　stronghold　into　a　prison；　as　close…walled　as　a　tomb。　Harsh；　gleeful　cries　ami