Shadow, the Mysterious Detective

rned, when, on my exposure by the genuine tar, the

sted as a measure of prudence when I saw that I

ad it not been for the quick-wittedness

lasses were on the t

urately hurled them at the lights-lamps

as

as

as

-n-

the lamps, the oil had ignited, and there came an explosion,

scene of confusio

persons, and they cursed and screamed and shou

my opp

nd excited crowd, some of whom were madly grasping

thing of the persons on fire, I saw which way to go; a

ok out for the door;

and reached it just after

d then dashed into the street and took to my heels,

could easily have summoned half a

anybody else, and unless I knew or suspected him (for good reasons) to b

further move by making any arr

to give them an opportunity of pu

and did not wish to run the risk of upsetting or balking any s

heir power, and who seemed inclined to use their power. But I knew them all, and I would ha

ore, but as I saw nothing of Shadow, I conc

Sh

but had been too slow in his movements

made his way back to where he had been sitting, and the

with no more results than a few painful burns, and consequent

e was

d clung to the hope that it was one of the

l huddled together, gazing stupidly about

ives, and were prepared to make resistance in case all this row was bu

g furthest from the minds of that

d they thought the consequences would be a descent on the place

red those b

or of the "ranch" asked th

r, and slowly but surely pair after

t these

e"-"skip"-and the door being held open for them,

sharply eyed th

ere f

separated from the rest, who wer

mpt to leave with t

e implied that he had heard and understood, which would not have be

none but a trusted few were left in the place, "int

ds on him, and signed to know what it meant. And when they comm

e of them placed the muzzle

little black cubby-hole or closet, whose door was a segment of the wainscoting, u

ft to his own reflections in the cramped co

anger of a raid was thought

was brou

the lamps and putting them ou

ked vacant

of his head. "Come, give us an answer, or I'll '

iringly at them Shadow pointed fir

en by him, and then cocked the weapon, thinking that at the cli

e or body could be

llow, as he let down the hammer of the

question by writing

brightened, and seizing the

I thought you'd rush in on

ness might easily have proved an aid to them, although, as it c

him by saying they did not believe it. But when they wrote t

sability of letting him go o

ht easily be a bad thing, for there's no tellin' who may show up here afo

d pointed out. He hastily gai