060 - The Mountain Moster

THE MOUNTAIN MONSTER
A Doc Savage Adventure by Kenneth Robeson

Originally published in DOC SAVAGE magazine January 1938
The Mountain Monster

turns a peaceful valley into a place of sudden death—
until Doc Savage comes to challenge its power!
A Book-length Novel
By Kenneth Robeson
Chapter I would come, in the night and while a storm
TERROR STRIKES raged. It brought terror and horror to peaceful
Arcadia Valley. It transformed an Alaskan
“THE MONSTER” came without paradise into a panic-stricken, fear-blanched
warning. It came as Indian legend had said it hell.
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Arcadia Valley had been chosen as John Alden strained his ears. The
the site for one of the government’s queer sounds he had heard vanished. Rain
settlement projects. The land was fertile, and thunder broke the stillness.
water was plentiful. Cabins sprang up swiftly He found himself recalling the stories
as modern pioneers saw realization of long- the Indians had told him of The Monster, the
cherished hopes almost within their grasp. legend of a dread, foul beast that lived in the
John Alden was one of the mountains.
government engineers. His cabin was at the And it was then Alden received
upper end of the long valley, his closest another indication of the horror that was to
neighbor two miles away. come.
And it was there The Monster first There was an odor in the air, an
appeared! unclean, almost overpowering odor. It was
Rain hammered on the tin roof of the sickening. It seemed like the scent of some
cabin. Thunder cracked in the near-by animal.
mountains. John Alden tossed on his cot. And the Indians had said such an
Then came the scream. odor was always present when The Monster
John Alden jerked bolt upright. The appeared!
shrill echo of that scream rang in his ears. John Alden’s tongue suddenly felt
Then it came again. It was high, thick. The odor had a peculiar, cloying
sharp, not the scream of a man in pain, but sweetness that hung in the air despite the
the scream of a man whose nerves have rain. It penetrated the brain, made him feel
given away. almost light-headed.
The scream ended on a high note. It And it had another result as well:
was cut off short, almost as if a giant hand While his entire body shrank with distaste,
had crunched about the throat from which the although the odor was repelling, yet it had a
sound came. queer fascination, an almost hypnotic pull.
Cold chills swept the engineer’s long, While his mind cried out for him to
lanky body. And then his straining ears turn and run, John Alden found that his
caught another sound, a sound such as he muscles were not obeying. Instead, foot by
had never heard before. It came like the foot, he was moving ahead into the darkness,
splashing of boots in thick mud. where the scent became more powerful.
But it was more than that. It was as if John Alden had never been called a
some giant man or beast was taking huge coward. But he was afraid then.
steps, and not with two feet or four, but with He knew that another force, stronger
many. than his own, had taken possession of his
Somehow, John Alden found he had body. That force was dragging him
left the cot; his fear-numbed hands sought resistlessly onward.
the rifle that hung over the door. He levered a He opened his own mouth to
shell into the barrel. A moment more and he scream. No sound came from his lips. His
had dashed from the cabin. vocal cords apparently were paralyzed. The
dread odor grew stronger and stronger.
COLD rain whipped into Alden’s

face. Drenched and shivering in pajamas, the JOHN ALDEN broke into a run. A
tall engineer crouched, all senses alert. choking, bubbling sound came from close
Those screams could have come ahead, seemed to break the uncanny,
from only one man. “Buck” Dixon, his partner, hypnotic spell.
must be in peril. And Dixon was a former The sound came again, but John
soldier, knew how to take care of himself. Alden was no longer afraid. There was
Buck Dixon had gone down into the nothing supernatural about that sound. It
valley to call on some new arrivals. He must came from human lips.
be hurt, possibly dead— The trail made a sudden twist. A dark
object, sprawled doglike, loomed ahead. The
queer, bubbling sounds came from it.
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The sprawled figure tried to rise as to read signs. But they could not identify the
John Alden came in view. Shrill words burst marks they found.
from it: Back-tracking, they found the first
“I saw it! I saw it! It was a big marks near the mountains, three miles away.
monster, a huge, creeping shape with many The tracks came almost in a straight line
legs. It almost got me. Then it went away. It toward the cabin. They were widely spaced,
jumped over the trees.” sometimes as much as fifty yards apart.
John Alden grabbed the figure by the And they were the marks of an eight-
shoulders, shook violently. “Buck! Buck! legged beast!
Snap out of it!” The marks disappeared just before
Of all things that happened that the line of trees that surrounded John Alden’s
night, what occurred next was strangest to land. They did not reappear on the opposite
John Alden. side.
Buck Dixon suddenly scrambled to A frown creased Buck Dixon’s
his feet. His face underwent an amazing square face. He shivered, despite the heat.
transformation. The fear and panic left it. It “I think we’re up against something
set in its usual hard, self-reliant lines. too big for us, something I don’t want to go
“What are you doing out here with up against. I’m scared,” he said at last. “But
that gun in your hands?” Buck Dixon there’s a man I’ve heard of who could figure
rumbled. Only faint embarrassment was in out the answers for us. I think we’d better go
his voice. He grabbed John Alden by an arm, to him.”
propelled him toward the cabin. “And who is that?”
“Come on, we’d better get under “Doc Savage,” said Buck Dixon, and
cover before you take your death of cold.” there was awe in his voice.
John Alden gasped. He sniffed the
air, hesitated. His eyes held an unbelieving,
baffled look. That strange, overpowering odor
had vanished. The air was clean and pure.
JOHN ALDEN and Buck Dixon did

not tell the Arcadian colonists what had
happened. In fact, John Alden had difficulty
in making his stocky partner admit the next
day that anything out of the way had
occurred.
Outside, the sun was shining. The
events of the night did seem improbable to
John Alden, too. But he remembered the
queer sounds he had heard.
A harried look came to Buck Dixon’s
face when the tall engineer told of those
sounds. His hands trembled.
“It was huge, with enormous legs. A DOC SAVAGE
terrible smell came from it. It came right
toward me. I thought I was a goner. Then it Doc Savage! The bronze giant, who,
leaped over the trees,” he whispered. with his five aides, had become world
“There should be tracks,” John Alden famous, whose name was as well known in
said. the far regions of China and the jungles of
John Alden was right. They found Africa, as in the skyscraper district of New
tracks! York.
The tracks were curious. Both Dixon There were stories of Doc Savage’s
and Alden were woodsmen. They knew how almost incredible strength; of his amazing
scientific discoveries and dangerous exploits.
Doc Savage had dedicated his life to aiding Buck Dixon crouched in an open
those faced by dangers with which they could space, keeping his rifle under his slicker. He
not cope. His name brought fear to those felt as he had when he’d first done sentry
who sought to prey upon the unsuspecting. duty in the trenches.
His name was praised by thousands he had The strange odor was his first
saved. warning. One moment the air was pure, the
John Alden paused. A dozen next, and his nostrils twitched with the
pictures flashed to his mind; his memory fearsome, foul scent.
recalled a score of stories he had read. Buck Dixon might have saved
Yes, John Alden conceded, Doc himself. Had he run at once, he might have
Savage could solve this problem. But the stood a faint chance.
engineer thought of other things as well. But the burly veteran did have nerve.
He thought of the scores of colonists He hesitated. And almost instantly the
who now called Arcadia Valley their home. peculiar smell became strong. It sent his
To send for Doc Savage would be to spread brain racing.
word that there was something to be feared. He was able to scream once, tried to
John Alden was not as old as Buck get his rifle out from under his slicker. His
Dixon. He had the confidence of youth. He feet moved, his arms did not. The rifle
did not like to admit he was facing a problem dropped from his hands. He started to run
he couldn’t solve himself. toward the head of the valley.
He made a mistake then. Then The Monster came into view.
“Let’s wait until we have more to go It was huge. It towered as tall as a
on,” he said. “After all, this may be something two-story building. And it was racing toward
we can handle. I suggest we round up a few Buck Dixon on long, spidery legs.
of the Indians, talk to them. They are A huge spider! That was what the
superstitious, I know. But they may be able to Indians had said The Monster was—a huge,
tell us something that will help.” bloodthirsty spider.
Buck Dixon made no reply. He Its speed was amazing! It came
merely raised a hand and pointed. John across the mesa as fast as a racing car could
Alden looked. move. Buck Dixon’s mind told him to stop, to
Tiny dots were moving on the far fall flat.
side of the valley. They were taking a trail He could not. He rushed on toward
that would lead them far from Arcadia. the fate that awaited him.
The Indians were leaving. The Monster was almost upon him. It
slowed. Two enormous, pincerlike
projections came from its mouth, reached
THE MONSTER did not come again down for Buck Dixon.
that night. John Alden and Buck Dixon stood Buck Dixon opened his mouth to
watch. Neither got much sleep. scream again. No sound came forth.
But the following night, the horror
struck.
It began to rain shortly after dusk. Chapter II
The sky clouded over as the sun set. THE MONSTER KILLS
John Alden stood guard first. At
midnight, Buck Dixon relieved him. The JOHN ALDEN came awake with his
husky man made no attempt to hide his rifle in his hands. He had the impression that
nervousness. It was thundering again. A he was reliving a nightmare, that he was
premonition of evil gripped John Alden as he hearing again Buck Dixon’s screams of two
went to the cabin. nights before.
For a moment he considered Then he caught a faint whiff of the
returning, staying with Buck Dixon until cloying, sickly sweet odor. He knew it was no
daylight. Then he changed his mind. He nightmare.
would have a cup of coffee first. He went to A hysterical laugh came from him.
sleep with the cup in his hand. Frantically he rushed outside.
He saw The Monster just as it But close to him, not a dozen feet away,
grabbed Buck Dixon! were the huge tracks of The Monster.
Later, John Alden tried to picture just The lanky engineer scrambled up.
what did occur. It was all over in less than And now he wished he had listened more
five seconds. But at the time it seemed closely to the story of The Monster.
horribly slow, as if he were witnessing some The Indian who had told him the
fiendish scene in slow motion. legends had gone into much detail. John
The Monster had come practically to Alden had laughed, had paid little attention.
a stop. Two weird twisted legs on the front of He was not laughing now, he was trying hard
its loathsome body bent down, two pincers to recall what he had heard.
reached out, wrapped themselves about “For many years my people shunned
Buck Dixon’s body. this valley,” the Indian had said. “Perhaps
The burly veteran was whisked into they should yet.”
the air as if he were weightless. Then the He had been an Indian educated in
monster paused for an instant, apparently the States. John Alden had thought it strange
savoring the feast ahead of it. Buck Dixon’s at the time that a well-educated man could
arms and legs beat futilely. He was twisted believe legends that must be based on
about, disappeared into The Monster’s maw. superstition. That no longer seemed strange,
The rifle came to John Alden’s either.
shoulder. Calmly, he pumped bullet after A monster lived in the mountains. It
bullet at the hideous monstrosity. was a huge spider that lived on human
The crash of the rifle was echoed by beings, the Indian had related. When it had
dull, vicious smacks as the bullets reached eaten its fill it would disappear, often for
their mark. years. Then it would return.
Slowly, deliberately, the spiderous The Indian who had told the legend
shape turned, ran toward John Alden. The had spoken seriously of mammoths and
foul odor freshened. other huge creatures that once had roamed
Then it was that panic seized the the earth. He had suggested the spider might
lanky engineer. He jammed fresh cartridges be a relic of some such forgotten species.
into the rifle. He pulled the trigger as fast as John Alden was no authority, but he
he could lever bullets into the barrel. recognized that there might be a germ of
The bullets had no effect! truth in that theory.
The rifle dropped from John Alden’s There was little chance that Buck
hands, even as Buck Dixon had dropped his Dixon was still alive. In fact, John Alden did
weapon. not believe that he was.
The Monster towered almost above The lanky engineer was quite
him. Once more the cruel pincers reached methodical. He went back to the cabin and
out. changed into dry clothes. He got his rifle,
The pincers waved in the air. They oiled it, then filled his pockets with bullets.
waved almost mockingly. The loathsome Then he set out to follow the tracks.
beast turned. Its legs spurted across the Once more they led directly toward the ridge
ground. of trees, vanished just at the edge. John
It headed directly for the ridge of Alden looked up, estimated the height that
trees. As John Alden stood frozen, the huge jump must have been.
spider leaped into the air, vanished over the And then he saw it—a small object,
trees. clinging to the side of a tree, a tree against
John Alden fainted! which The Monster must have rubbed.
John Alden did not want to believe
the evidence of his eyes. But something was
IT was dawn when John Alden there.
recovered consciousness. The rain had As the lanky engineer climbed the
stopped. His head was clear, his brain alert. tree, came closer to the object hanging there,
All sign of the hideous odor had disappeared. a faint odor became apparent. It was dim,
scarcely discernible. It was the odor that found that, it would leave the valley in peace
always accompanied The Monster. forever.
The object hanging to the side of the It was searching for the heart of a
tree looked almost like a cane. It was bronze-haired man.
practically the same thickness, but not as It had been the heart that was
long. It had snagged against a big limb. But it missing from Buck Dixon’s body. Buck Dixon
was not a cane, and it was not of wood. had not been bronze-haired.
John Alden forced himself to take But Doc Savage was!
hold of it. It felt repulsive, slimy. There were John Alden laughed, almost
tiny pores along the side from which a thin, hysterically. He would take the giant hair he
oily liquid oozed. had found, would rouse Doc Savage’s
It was a giant hair! And the bodies of interest.
some spiders are covered with fine hair. Hurriedly, John Alden ran to pack.
Alden scrambled down to the
ground. He started to throw the hair away,
then changed his mind. A shrewd expression Chapter III
came to his eyes. Clutching his rifle tighter PERIL PURSUES
than before, he ran on through the ridge of
trees. JOHN ALDEN told no one where he
No tracks were there. John Alden did was going, or why. That did not arouse
not appear discouraged. He made wide comment from the colonists. The engineer
circles, scouting for sign. It was a mile from had made frequent trips to the United States
the ridge of trees before the next tracks came and to Washington since the homestead
into view. project had started. Nor did the absence of
The tracks were imbedded far down Buck Dixon cause more than idle gossip.
in the ground, showing the force with which Buck Dixon had slipped away before on
The Monster had landed. The engineer broke hunting trips.
into a trot, eyes on the ground. There was some talk about big
A dark puddle appeared close beside tracks being seen in the upper end of Arcadia
the tracks. Hope died in John Alden. Valley. A majority merely shrugged when told
The puddle was blood. And fifty feet about them. Others put them down to a hoax.
farther on, he found what was left of Buck The Indians had not been too pleased when
Dixon. the settlers came.
Buck Dixon’s body was horribly Before any real inspection could be
mutilated. It had been torn open and ripped made of those tracks there was another
from end to end. Only the face was heavy rain. Practically all sign of The Monster
untouched. was washed away.
John Alden wished he had not seen Arcadia Valley was still in ignorance
that face. Never had he seen such agonizing of the horror and terror in store for it.
lines of suffering etched on human features. John Alden wanted to make all
It was almost beyond description. It made speed possible. But he did not want to bring
him quite ill. suspicion by undue haste. He waited until he
He went for a shovel, buried what reached Juneau before he hired a plane.
remained of Buck Dixon. He took care to When he landed at Portland, he
muss up the earth, to hide all trace of blood. rushed at once to a hotel. He needed a
John Alden knew something of night’s rest. He did not notice the big man
anatomy. And as he’d buried the torn who had been lounging around the airport.
remains of Buck Dixon, he’d realized This man questioned the pilot who
something had been missing. That thought had flown John Alden from Juneau. His
had recalled another detail of the Indian questions were casual. The pilot never knew
legend. the part he played in what was to come, but
The Indian had said the spider was he did look curiously after his departing
searching for just one thing—that when it visitor.
There was a reason for that. The big whom bullets were harmless, and who could
man looked like a prospector. He was sun- leap over trees and disappear without a
and wind-burned until his skin was dark. He trace.
had huge shoulders, and was as solidly built The engineer stared unseeingly from
as a wrestler. One ear was cauliflowered. He the windows of the plane. He was faced with
had yellow hair that was almost bronze. a desperate problem.
He had to take some action to save
the settlers of Arcadia valley, but he couldn’t
let an innocent man face terrible peril without
warning. But Doc Savage had to come, he
had to save those colonists. No one else
could do it.
AT San Francisco, Alden tried to

telephone Doc Savage’s office in New York.
There was no answer.
John Alden’s face became old and
haggard. He did not see the big man with
gigantic feet watching him as he left the
telephone booth.
A newsboy thrust a paper into
BARGE DEETER Alden’s hands. He paid for it automatically. A
sleeper plane for the East taxied up to the
But it was his feet that made him runway. Grabbing his bag, he darted for it.
outstanding. They were out of proportion to Behind him, huge feet covered
his body. They were downright gigantic! They ground with amazing speed as Barge Deeter
dwarfed the rest of his body, and he was by trailed after him.
no means small. Yet he moved easily and John Alden heard the sound of those
with unexpected swiftness. feet. His face was white and shaken as he
He made his way to a telephone and looked around. For an instant, the sound
called a long-distance number. When he got reminded him of the plop The Monster’s feet
an answer, he said: made in the mud.
“This is Barge Deeter, chief. I got a He was still shaking as he took his
report to make.” seat in the plane. He raised the newspaper to
He spoke swiftly, some of the time cover his confusion. Headlines leaped out at
arguing. Then he hung up. him:
When John Alden took a plane for
San Francisco in the morning, “Barge” CHICAGO MEDICS
Deeter’s huge feet were tucked only two TO HEAR TALK BY
seats behind him. CLARK SAVAGE, JR.
But John Alden didn’t notice this. His
conscience was bothering him. He had John Alden’s heart pounded. Swiftly
intended to merely arouse Doc Savage’s he read the story beneath:
interest, to let the bronze man fall a victim of
The Monster and save Arcadia valley. Chicago, July 12—(DP)—Clark
Now he knew he couldn’t do that. He Savage, Jr., the famous scientist and
would have to tell Doc Savage the entire adventurer, has consented to address a
story, let him decide whether he would take a meeting of the Chicago Medical Association
chance on meeting the huge spider. here tomorrow afternoon, it was learned
Doc Savage had faced many perils, today.
as John Alden knew, but he didn’t think the Savage, one of the leading medical
bronze man had ever faced an enemy as men of the world, although he is not an
loathsome as that spider, an enemy against active, practicing physician, has promised to
speak on the subject of “The Landular NEW MONSTER SEEN

Theory of Super-Growth.” THIS ONE IN ALASKA
Leading medical men here today
said they hoped to persuade Savage to Here’s another “monster” story for
reveal details of some of his latest those who like them—this time from Alaska.
experiments, which are alleged to have sur- Each year sea serpents and other fantastic
passed anything yet attempted. reptiles are reported—usually being seen
The Medical Association was near some tourist resort that needs business.
fortunate in obtaining Savage as a speaker, Today, our yarn comes from Arcadia
as he and his men have just returned, it was Valley, the government homestead project in
learned, from one of their trips of adventure. Alaska. During a storm last night, two sober
Savage, it will be recalled, is more or (?) colonists assert and aver they saw a huge
less a man of mystery since he has never shape swooping toward them in the
been persuaded to give a press interview on darkness. They hid in a group of trees and
any of his amazing adventures. But it is swear the “monster” leaped entirely over the
known that he has won the gratitude of many trees. Today, of course, they insist they
nations, including that of the United States, found the usual “gigantic footprints” that are
for his exploits. He is a man completely always found. The only change from the
devoid of fear, who brings to his work not usual run of monster stories was that the
only an amazing scientific knowledge, but colonists said they smelled a terrible odor,
also physical prowess that is said to have no but that it soon disappeared.
equal.
Friends have explained that this is Barge Deeter watched John Alden’s
due to a rigid training regime that keeps him face with particular attention. Then he
in perfect condition. Since childhood he is borrowed a newspaper from a fellow
understood— passenger and read it carefully.
John Alden noticed the move. He
John Alden’s eyes gleamed. He was recalled that this man with big feet had been
smiling as he looked up. Doc Savage was at the airport in Portland. He had been
the man to combat The Monster. And he standing near the telephone booth in San
would be in Chicago tomorrow. Even the Francisco.
address of his hotel was given. It might be coincidence, but it didn’t
look like it. The engineer let his eyes drift
over the other casually. There was a
THE steady stare of eyes attracted suspicious bulge under the big man’s coat.
the engineer’s attention. He turned his head When the plane landed at Salt Lake
suddenly. Behind him, and across the aisle, City, John Alden acted quickly. He was the
was the man he had seen running after him first out and the first to get his baggage.
at the airport. The big man with gigantic feet. There was to be a short wait before the
The big man’s eyes dropped as John Chicago plane was ready.
Alden turned, but the engineer’s hands shook He darted into the waiting room,
with a queer, unexplainable fear. He glanced moved toward the washroom, then slipped
down at the paper again, and received a through a small door at the rear of the
shock. building. Running swiftly, he circled until he
The item was small. Metropolitan could look into a window.
editors had been fooled too often to take The man with the big feet was inside,
chances. They gave this story only a small looking around anxiously. His heavy
box, intimating to the reader that he was not eyebrows were drawn down in a frown. He
to take it too seriously. moved to the washroom, looked in, then
But John Alden took it seriously. He came out with a slightly baffled look on his
forgot all about the man with the big feet face.
across the aisle. The item read: It was early in the morning, but a
sleepy newsboy dropped from a truck and
came across the field. He was holding the
papers so the headline could be read. The the big man stood quite still. Then he
headline said: shrieked. His shriek came even above the
thunderous noise of the motors.
MONSTER SEIZES TWO IN ALASKA! He turned, jumped back toward the
door in the cabin. His features were fear-
John Alden’s face went quite white. stricken. A startled stewardess caught his
He found it difficult to get his breath. His eyes arm and pulled him back as he tried to thrust
darted about frantically. Light flashed on a open the cabin door. The plane already was
small sign advising passengers that here leaving the ground.
they could send telegrams.
The engineer stumbled into the
room, wrote out his message with fingers that IT was some minutes before the
could hardly hold a pencil: stewardess could quiet the excitement. The
co-pilot came back and asked Barge Deeter
FLINT JONES if he had been drinking. Other passengers
ARCADIA PROJECT shrank back in their seats, more than half
ARCADIA VALLEY ALASKA frightened.
AM ON WAY TO GET DOC SAVAGE STOP “I—I just thought at the last minute of
SURE HE CAN AID US STOP DO NOT somethin’ I forgot to do,” Barge Deeter
DESPAIR explained lamely.
JOHN ALDEN John Alden was expecting it when
Barge Deeter came forward a moment later
He found another piece of paper and and dropped into the seat beside him.
wrote rapidly. Then he talked persuasively to “Y-you’ve seen it? You’ve been close
the telegraph operator. His lips were set in a to it?” Barge Deeter whispered. His eyes
thin, hard grin as he heard the call for the were wide and round, he wet his lips
Chicago plane. feverishly.
A majority of the passengers had John Alden nodded.
copies of the newspaper and were reading “I—I got the odor, I recognized it at
the story of The Monster with deep interest. once,” Barge Deeter gasped.
There were some exclamations of disbelief, The engineer looked at him keenly.
but others were arguing that such a beast “What do you know about it?” he demanded.
was quite probable. “I—I just came from up there,” the
The talk stopped suddenly as John big man said. “I—I saw it once myself. I knew
Alden got on the plane. Nostrils twitched. you came from there, too. I found that out in
Several of the passengers looked faintly sick. Portland. All the time we been traveling, I
A flush came to John Alden’s been trying to make up my mind whether to
features. He caught it also. Faint, but still ask you about it. I didn’t want to scare you if
strong enough in the close quarters of the you didn’t know. But now—”
cabin, he could smell the odor that always “I see.” John Alden sighed with relief.
came from The Monster. The other’s story was logical. That would
And it came from him, from his explain why he had shown interest but had
hands where they had touched the giant hair not spoken.
that had been concealed in his bag. The big man shook his head. “I—I
thought it was going to kill me. I was
prospecting up in them mountains back of
AS motors roared, Barge Deeter Arcadia when I saw it. I’m scared yet.”
jumped into the cabin. His face cleared as he A hunted look came into the big
saw John Alden there. He moved forward, man’s eyes, he swallowed hard.
dropped into his seat, just as the plane “It got two last night,” John Alden
pivoted slowly, motors now thundering as it said bitterly. He gestured with the paper he
moved for the take-off. had in his hand. The details were few, but
Barge Deeter caught the odor as he they were explicit.
was abreast of John Alden. For a moment
Four Arcadia Valley men had been Chapter IV

on their way home. The Monster had DOC TAKES CHARGE
suddenly appeared. Two of the men had
been seized. The others escaped. So far, no BARGE DEETER was right behind
trace had been found of the men who had Alden. The tan seemed to have left the self-
been caught. styled prospector’s face. He appeared pale.
“I’m going to get the government to A crowd gathered quickly.
work,” the big man said solemnly. “Get a doctor!” some one shouted.
“And I’m going to get Doc Savage!” An attendant heard the cry. A score
Sudden enthusiasm was in John Alden’s of doctors were on hand to greet Doc
voice. “This is a case for him. No one else Savage. The attendant ignored them. He
can handle it.” headed directly for the bronze man.
The big man looked at him Doc Savage was already striding
thoughtfully. “Yeah, maybe. But that Savage toward the group. It wasn’t until he came
guy don’t go on wild-goose chases. He may close to other men that his immense size
figure this is just a newspaper story. The became apparent. When he was away from
government won’t. They got to protect those them the symmetry of his development, the
colonists.” perfect proportion of his build, made him
“Doc Savage will believe me,” John seem of no more than ordinary height.
Alden said. “I’ve got proof.” Doc was a giant of bronze. His
“Proof?” The other was skeptical. corded muscles meshed under his skin in a
“I found a hair from The Monster’s manner which made their tremendous size
body,” the engineer said. scarcely noticeable, except for the tendons
Barge Deeter’s mouth formed a big on his hands, which were like cables.
“O.” But the most compelling thing about
Little was said from there on to the bronze man was his eyes. They were
Chicago. Each man seemed intent on his strange eyes, like pools of flake gold,
thoughts. hypnotically compelling in their power. They
As the plane circled for a landing, were stirred continuously, as if a wind were
John Alden looked out with interest. Another blowing within them. Bronze hair, only a
plane was dropping to the airport. It was a shade darker than his skin, fitted close to his
big, speedy ship of unusual type. head.
John Alden didn’t know it, but Doc The crowd parted as Doc strode to
Savage had just arrived to address the John Alden’s body. Doc leaned over. He
Chicago Medical Association. Nor did John didn’t use a stethoscope. His sensitive
Alden know that he was never to talk to Doc fingers could telegraph to his brain signs of
Savage, was never to tell him of the horror life that even a stethoscope would miss. He
he had seen in Arcadia Valley. ran his hands quickly over the body. Then he
But the engineer did see the bronze turned John Alden over.
man. Doc Savage was standing beside his Two physicians, members of the
ship as the transport plane landed. John welcoming group, made an examination. One
Alden dropped to the ground, started to run was using a stethoscope. Neither seemed to
toward him. find anything that gave him information.
A heavy, pungent odor, foul and Doc Savage straightened slowly.
sickly sweet, suddenly filled the air. It Then there came an eerie, trilling sound. It
seemed to center about John Alden. welled up and pervaded the air, tuneful, yet
The engineer threw one hand to his tuneless. It was something Doc did, almost
throat. His tongue protruded as his eyes unconsciously, when he encountered a
receded in his head. He tried to speak. He problem of great importance, or when he was
could not. It was as if the odor had stricken surprised.
him dumb. Doc’s nostrils dilated. There was still
He took one step; two, before he the presence of that repulsive sweetness in
crumpled. He was dead when the closest the air. It was slightly less than when the
bystander reached his side.
plane first stopped. But it was strongest But the what-is-it could run faster
about the body of John Alden. than he. Barge Deeter breathed a huge sigh
of relief then. The thing went right past him
without so much as a glance. Barge Deeter
BARGE DEETER stood at the edge slowed down to a walk.
of the crowd. He had stopped dabbing at his That was a mistake. With a
nose. The crowd was so thick that Deeter squealing grunt, the oddest-looking piece of
couldn’t have gotten to Doc if he’d wanted to. porcine meat he had ever seen tore between
Anyway, he didn’t try. his legs, headed for the ape. Barge went flat
Deeter looked behind him. Airport on his back.
attendants were going about their work. Two He thought he was really going crazy
attendants were hauling baggage and airmail then. There seemed to be a third member of
from the belly of the transport. They looked this strange parade. A dapper, foppish-
around them, sniffed into the baggage looking man, dressed up to the last minute of
compartment. An odor like that which hung sartorial elegance, tore out of the
about the body of John Alden was there. administration building door. He was waving
One attendant coughed. But he a sword in his hands and screaming about a
didn’t say anything. He trundled a truck side of bacon.
toward the administration building. Barge “I’ll cut that carnsarned pig of yours
Deeter followed, his big feet shuffling along into pork chops!” he yelled. “You better keep
silently. He looked back once or twice, but him away from Chemistry, you ape!”
Doc Savage had not moved. That seemed to “You touch a bristle on Habeas
satisfy Deeter. There was something like a Corpus’s back, you shyster, and I’ll take you
smirk on his face. apart, brief by brief!” a high, childish voice
All the bags were lined up at the door yelled from behind the fashion plate.
of the building. Barge Deeter worked fast. He
handed the porter a stub and a ten-dollar bill.
The porter was apparently so surprised he
did not notice that the big man picked up two
bags. One of them bore the initials “J. A.”
which certainly did not stand for Barge
Deeter.
Barge lost no time. He walked
toward Cicero Avenue with his deceptively
swift gait. He looked behind him a couple of
times. The first time there was a pleased
expression on his face. The second time the HABEAS CORPUS
expression was entirely different. Barge
Deeter began to run. BARGE DEETER rolled over and
An odd, barking roar welled up looked. Then he got up and began to run
behind him. A beast came toward him again. The newest arrival looked almost
rapidly, one that would have given an exactly like the ape. Only bigger. A
anthropologist a year of study. And still he tremendous array of large white teeth
would have been baffled. showed in a mouth that almost split his head
The face was not unpleasant, if you in two.
go in for gorillas. To Barge Deeter, it looked The head itself seemed to disappear
like the worst traits of an ape, a chimpanzee, entirely behind the mouth. The small eyes
a gorilla and a baboon, all wrapped up in one were nearly invisible in deep pits of gristle.
furry body. The thing barked in apparent The man waddled rather than walked. He
anger and raced along behind him. appeared momentarily on the verge of taking
Perspiration broke out on Barge to all fours.
Deeter’s face. He almost dropped his bags. The apelike man in reality was
But not quite. He tore along, a wild look of Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Blodgett Mayfair,
fear in his eyes. whose ability as an industrial chemist had put
him very much at tops in the world of dandified cane he carried. He appeared just
science. His friends called him “Monk.” about to nick the apelike Monk. But Monk
wasn’t looking at him.
"Monk" is the chemist of Doc

Savage's little band of fighters.
You couldn't tell from looking at Brigadier General Theodore
him, for he looks more like the Marley Brooks' squabble with Monk
missing link, as his companion, dates back to the World War when
Ham, would put it, than anything Ham, as a joke, taught Monk some
else. French words that were highly
insulting, telling him they would curry
But Monk is a chemist, and a
the favor of a French General. Monk
good one. He is also a fighter— tried the words out, and was
and if anything, a better fighter promptly clapped into the
than a chemist. guardhouse. After Monk's release,
Moreover, he's one of Doc's Ham was haled up on a charge of
companions—and that's enough stealing hams, and the evidence was
to stamp any man as the best in found in his quarters. Ham denied
the theft, and his agile tongue—Ham
manhood!
being a lawyer by profession—got
him out of the scrape. Somebody
The foppish-looking figure who stole the hams and planted the
preceded him was Brigadier General evidence; and Ham had his
Theodore Marley Brooks, better known as suspicions, for Monk had been
“Ham,” one of the most astute lawyers ever entirely too innocent about the
to be graduated from Harvard. matter.
Monk and Ham were two of Doc
Savage’s most trusted aids. They seemed
eternally on the point of mortal combat with “Habeas!” he yelled. “Daggonit it, get
each other. They had even adopted pets that away from those car tracks!”
added fuel to the conflict. Ham, stopping his dancing looked
Now Monk reached out arms that toward the street. In the chase across the
almost touched the ground, dived for the traffic of Cicero Avenue, the pig, Habeas
lawyer. Corpus, had stumbled directly in the path of a
“Stick a pin in Habeas, will you!” he street car. Chemistry, the ape, turned to see
shouted. “Make him think Chemistry did it if the pig was still chasing him. Then the
just to start something! Why, you ingrown monkey did a strange thing.
process server, I’ll—” Chattering in excitement, he raced
Ham danced around, jabbing a back, scooped up the pig in his furry arms
sword, which really was the core of a and leaped from the tracks just as the street
car rumbled by. He lumbered back, still Habeas Corpus stood there, his long, saillike
carrying the porker, chattering to it like a ears erect. The pig stared at the body, nose
mother. quivering. Then he squealed again, and fled.
Monk raced after him. He had to carry his pet
all the way back. There was something about
the body that Habeas did not like at all.
Chemistry’s reaction was just the
opposite. He appeared fascinated. He
lumbered over, sniffed avidly. He tried to pick
the body up in his arms.
Ham pulled the ape away.
When an ambulance came, Ham
gave the driver the address of a small,
private hospital near the University of
Chicago campus. It was an exclusive
hospital, devoted largely to research cases.
Doc was a member of the board of directors.
The ambulance roared from the field,
down Cicero Avenue, turned east on Garfield
Boulevard. Two taxicabs left the field directly
CHEMISTRY behind the ambulance.
Monk and Ham were paying no
Monk sighed. “Okay,” he said. “That attention to traffic. They sat in the back of the
danged ape does have some uses. Let’s go ambulance with the corpse. Habeas Corpus
find Doc.” had kicked up such a fuss they had let him
Barge Deeter drifted from sight. ride in front with the driver. But Chemistry
stayed close beside the body, apparently
fascinated by it.
THERE was an excited group milling “If he doesn’t quit mooning over that
around the bronze man. Some of the men corpse, I’m goin’ to throw him out,” Monk
were physicians whose names were known growled. “He gives me the jitters.”
all over the world. One of them tugged at his Ham snorted. “At least Chemistry
distinguished-looking goatee and shook his knows enough to realize there’s something
head. screwy some place,” he gibed. “Too bad you
“Most extraordinary,” he muttered. don’t belong to the same simian tribe.”
“There is no apparent cause of death. It Monk started to answer that one. But
might be an ordinary heart attack, but—” his gaze wandered to the back window of the
He looked again at some of his ambulance. He stiffened.
colleagues. Their glances, too, showed “Trouble coming,” he said.
bafflement. The contorted expression of fear Ham followed his gaze. There wasn’t
and horror on the dead face of John Alden anything peculiar about the two cabs behind
did not back up a theory of a mere heart them. But there was a queer intensity of the
attack. faces of the men in them. Doc’s aids had
The physician with the goatee had seen that kind of intensity on the faces be-
examined the body as closely as had Doc fore. Usually just before shooting started.
Savage. But Doc Savage did not seem
baffled. He looked up as Monk and Ham
approached. HAM noticed that the ambulance
“An autopsy should be performed,” was pulling up to a red light.
he clipped. “My two aides will stay with the The two taxicabs split. One rolled up
body until after the meeting of the Merical on the right of the ambulance. The other
Association.” stopped on the left side. A revolver shot split
A squealing grunt came suddenly the air.
from the ground near John Alden’s body.
Monk howled; he always did when Ham made it known the gangsters
fighting started. Then the hairy chemist were welcome to the pig as far as he was
leaped out of the ambulance. As he moved, concerned. Then he kept his mind on his
he whipped a queer-looking weapon from a driving. He had to concentrate to shut out
specially constructed shoulder holster. Monk’s opinion of all lawyers in general, and
It resembled an oversize automatic Brigadier General Theodore Marley Brooks in
pistol, fitted with an intricate drum magazine, particular.
perfected by Doc. The rate of fire was so
rapid that the roar was like the hoarse song
of a gigantic bass fiddle. The slugs it fired did THE campus of the University of
not kill. They were “mercy” bullets, charged Chicago sprawls around the spacious
with a drug which brought only quick Midway in a dozen or more groups of vine-
unconsciousness. covered buildings. On the outskirts of the
Monk hit the street running. Men campus, near the Cottage Grove side, was a
were piling from both cabs. The chemist building set apart from the rest. It was
sprayed mercy bullets from his machine- surrounded by large trees. It had an air of
pistol. Ham took the other side, cut loose with leisure and comfort.
another machine-pistol. Hard-faced men Ham wheeled the borrowed cab into
whipped around, blazed away with heavy the darkened driveway. Apparently, they
automatics. were expected. Doc would have called,
The mercy bullets seemed to have anyway, to make arrangements. A very
no effect on the gangsters. pretty, red-haired nurse met them at the
“Aim for their heads!” Ham shouted. door.
“They’ve got bullet-proof clothing on!” Monk immediately forgot his quarrel
Monk raised his gun muzzle higher. with Ham. He bowed sweepingly and grinned
But the men were piling into the ambulance. in a way he fondly hoped would win approval.
Suddenly the ambulance shot ahead into a The nurse looked only at Ham. Monk
snarl of traffic. It got across the street, glowered.
whipped down the boulevard. Two attendants came from the door
Monk and Ham stood startled. with a stretcher. They took charge of John
A low, guttural noise came from Alden’s body. Monk stood back, holding the
nearby. Monk’s big mouth dropped open. door open for the nurse.
“Jumping Jehoshaphat!” he “We want this anthropoid
squealed. psychoanalyzed,” Ham said calmly, nodding
The noise came from Chemistry. In toward Monk. “It probably is not safe to have
the confusion, the anthropoid had climbed him at large.”
out the back of the ambulance. In his arms Monk’s scowl grew darker. “Why,
he held John Alden’s body. The open door of you shyster, you’re a menace to everything in
one of the taxicabs offered a haven. So or out of a courtroom!” he shrilled.
Chemistry had clambered into that. “See,” Ham said, “he has delusions
A big cop was lumbering across the all the time.”
street. A lot of questions seemed in the Monk didn’t look very dangerous.
offing. Ham jumped behind the wheel of the The nurse smiled and went on ahead.
cab. Monk piled in the rear with Chemistry. Probably she was accustomed to peculiar
Ham jammed down the accelerator, cases in the hospital for research. In the
shot down the boulevard. corridor, she met another nurse. This one
The cop yelled and commandeered was evidently a supervisor.
the nearest car. But he couldn’t keep up with “Mr. Savage phoned,” she said. “He
the taxi. He soon lost it. wants the body left in the receiving room until
“Well, we’ve still got the body,” Ham he arrives. I’m going in there now.”
said evenly. Ham turned around.
“Yeah,” Monk squealed. “But they’ve “Where has Chemistry gone—” he
got my pig. We’ve gotta get those guys!” started.
A piercing scream interrupted him. a plug. The wire that ran from it was as fine
The scream came from the receiving room. as a silken thread. It connected compact
Monk and Ham plunged toward the door, pocket batteries with a miniature short-wave
raced into the room. set.
The supervisor lay on the floor. “Monk! Ham!” came Doc’s clear
Otherwise the room was empty! voice. “The police have reports of a large
Monk grabbed a washcloth from a monkey riding on top of a speeding
basin in the wall. Cold water quickly revived ambulance. What has happened?”
the nurse. Ham gulped. He hardly cared to give
“T-that monkey,” she moaned. “I saw the report he had to make. But he fished out
him right in front of me. Then everything went a tiny microphone, spoke swiftly.
black.” “Get in the taxicab, drive west
Monk and Ham rushed outside. They through Washington Park,” Doc clipped.
could hear an automobile speeding away. “Turn north on Wabash. You should overtake
The body of John Alden was gone. And so the ambulance. I will keep in touch.”
was Chemistry. Monk leaped to the wheel of the cab,
it whoomed down the driveway into the
street. The ride through the winding
Chapter V roadways of Washington Park made Ham’s
SEEING DOUBLE hair stand on end. They plunged into
Wabash Avenue at a sixty-mile clip, headed
“THAT danged ape of yours has north.
gone too far this time!” Monk howled. “The ambulance is now on Calumet
Ham stopped and listened. “Don’t be Avenue, going north,” came Doc’s voice in
an idiot!” he snapped. “Chemistry can’t drive the tiny earphone. They are apparently—
a car. Even you know that much.” wait—” There was an interruption.
“He could have hauled the body to “Pedestrians report that the ape is no longer
the gangsters’ car,” Monk countered. riding on top of the machine. He is driving it.”
Ham left the driveway, began to poke Monk had his own earphone set in
about in the bushes. “No,” he insisted. “If operation by then.
Chemistry did steal the body, we’ll find him “Something’s wrong, radically
around here somewhere.” wrong!” he howled. He poured all the power
Monk tramped through shrubbery on into the motor that the cab could muster.
the other side of the drive. A sudden yell of The ambulance loomed ahead. Monk
surprise came from Ham. There was a frantic bore down on it like a streak. “Get ready to
threshing in the bushes. Monk started to race jump over and stop it!” he roared.
toward the lawyer. But Ham, indignant, met But it wasn’t necessary for Ham to
him in the middle of the driveway. act. The ambulance suddenly swerved to the
He held Habeas Corpus by his two right, crashed into an electric-light pole. Ham
large ears. and Monk were out of the taxi in a single
“He was going to bite me!” Ham leap. The dim form of Chemistry was
shouted. “I’ll cut him into pork chops right slumped over the wheel. Ham gasped.
now!” Chemistry’s wrists were tied tightly to
“Put him down, you tailor’s dummy!” the steering wheel. He had no alternative but
Monk roared. “His being here proves it was to sit in the driver’s seat. The gangsters had
the gangsters who got the body. The same ducked out, left the ape alone in the
ones that stole the ambulance. Habeas was careening ambulance.
in the ambulance.”
“It’s time we notified Doc—” Ham
began. He broke off. A tiny light had flashed HAM untied the ropes that bound the
on within an opalescent ring on his finger. monkey. Chemistry reeled to his feet
The lawyer whipped a small groggily. Sirens screamed, two radio cars
earphone from the breast pocket of his coat. pulled up, cops pouring from them.
It was so small that it fitted inside the ear like
“Who was driving that ambulance?” a who have been at Arcadia, John Alden, and
red-faced sergeant bellowed. was sent from Salt Lake City, Utah. It said
“Apparently that was,” Monk said Alden was on his way to see Doc Savage,
dryly, pointing to Chemistry. the famous scientist and adventurer.
The cop’s face got redder, he The other discovery was the
swelled with rage. mangled body of an engineer named Buck
Ham broke the tension. Dixon. Dogs discovered his body, terribly
“Wait!” the lawyer snapped. “Doc’s torn, in a crude grave. At first it was believed
calling.” The red light in his opalescent ring Alden might have murdered Dixon, who was
had flashed. “Doc Savage wants us to come his partner. Credence is now given to the
to the hotel right away, and bring the papers.” theory that The Monster also killed Dixon.
“Gee.” The cop looked crestfallen. “I
didn’t know you were Doc Savage’s men. We “Goshamighty!” Monk said. “I’ll bet
got standing orders to coöperate with you that’s what Doc wants us for. We’re going to
any time.” fight The Monster.”
“Let’s go!” rapped Monk impatiently.
“Chemistry!” Ham called. He looked
around, and groaned in disgust. Chemistry NOT so many blocks away, another
had disappeared again. voice, as childlike as Monk’s, also was
Ordinarily, they would have stayed to speaking. In fact, the voice sounded exactly
search for the ape. But Doc’s voice had like Monk’s. The speaker had been practicing
sounded urgent. They figured they could pick for some hours to get just that effect. He
up Chemistry later. They jumped into the taxi, appeared an exact counterpart of the hairy
sped across town, stopping only to buy the chemist.
newspapers Doc had asked for. Ham read “I wonder what that Doc Savage has
them aloud to Monk. It was immediately found out,” he shrilled.
apparent why Doc had said to get them. Beside him, a wasp-waisted fashion
City editors are pretty hard-boiled plate leaned over a tiny radio. Even a close
about freak-of-nature stories. They have acquaintance would have taken him for Ham.
been fooled too often. They had been hard- He spoke in the cultured tones used by the
boiled at first about The Monster of Alaska. dapper lawyer.
They weren’t any more. There was a note of “Don’t let it worry you,” he said. “The
awe in the news columns: boss is smart. He even figured Doc would be
talking to them by radio. That’s why he had
“MONSTER” IN ALASKA us ready.”
KILLS U.S. OFFICIAL! The two went into the corridor. Doc,
they knew, had taken a large suite two floors
Fairbanks, Alaska—(Special)— above. They were in a big, fashionable hotel
Stories of a weird monster, perhaps of overlooking Lake Michigan. They walked up,
prehistoric origin, appeared verified today in instead of taking the elevator. When they got
the killing of Flint Jones, government on Doc’s floor, the one who looked like Monk
supervisor at Arcadia Valley. The body of began to yell shrilly.
Jones, horribly mangled, was found near his “Why, you skinny imitation of a law
cabin. Beside the body were huge footprints book, when I get that pig back, I’m going to
of a type that defied classification. let him use your wardrobe for a sty!”
Neighbors of Jones said they “Shut up, you missing link!” snapped
believed they heard a scream about Ham’s double. “Whoever’s got him has had
midnight, but were not sure because it was him past one meal time already. I’ll bet
storming. Later, some asserted they smelled they’ve got indigestion.”
a strange odor at about the same time. The imitation was perfect. “Monk”
Two other discoveries have the turned the knob of Doc’s door without
authorities baffled. One was a telegram hesitation. He did just as Monk would have
found in what was left of Jones’s clothing. It done.
was from one of the government engineers
A faint, sweet, cloying odor came to Ham had tangled with his own
their nostrils as they entered the room. It counterpart. And the counterfeit lawyer was
wasn’t strong, just persistent. It seemed to putting up a good scrap. Ham would have
come from a slender, oblong box on a table. won, but a hand came around his face from
Doc was standing by a window. He turned as behind. White powder was held over his
the two men came in. nose. He, too, went down.
The fake Monk yelled excitedly. He The masqueraders did not hesitate.
pulled one hand from a pocket, hurled the They were breathing heavily, eyes
contents of that hand directly at Doc. A thin, frightened. They had not bargained on a
white powder covered the bronze man’s face. general battle. The fake Ham holding the
Doc seemed to jerk erect. His flake oblong box carefully, the men raced away.
gold eyes whirled peculiarly. He took a slow Doc rose calmly from the floor.
step forward. Then he fell. He went down on He had not been unconscious at any
his face. time. He had detected the falsity of his
“Ham” laughed triumphantly. He visitors, had popped an oxygen tablet in his
grabbed the oblong box from the table and mouth, expecting them to use gas. They
raced toward the door where his companion hadn’t used the ordinary type of gas, but the
stood waiting. They flicked off the light and powder was merely another form. But,
opened the door. peculiarly, he had let the battle go on.
The real Monk and Ham arrived at Now Doc gave Monk and Ham a
that moment. whiff of oxygen from a tiny tube. They
regained consciousness almost instantly.
Monk struggled to his feet, his tiny eyes red
MONK’S hand was already on the with rage.
doorknob when the door was snatched open. “Where are they? Let me at ‘em!” he
He was lumbering forward at the time, and bellowed.
plunged on into the room. He collided with Doc shook his head.
moving bodies. “But why?” Monk wailed plaintively.
The hairy chemist was far from slow- Habeas Corpus, who had followed
witted. He knew instantly that something was Monk and Ham into the room, squealed
wrong. He yelled loud and lustily and swung suddenly. He had approached a closet door.
with both fists. The more noise Monk made, Now he turned, raced frantically from that
the better he could fight. door, the bristles on his back quivering.
Ham’s sword cane came out. He Doc opened the closet door, took out
leaped into the darkened room, jabbing a package. It appeared identical with the one
carefully, afraid he might nick Monk, as the seized by the invaders.
end of the sword was tipped with a sleep- “I think this is what frightens
producing drug. Habeas,” he explained. “It has the same odor
He tripped over struggling feet, went about it that was about the man at the airport.
to the floor. The sword cane dropped from Also, this is what our visitors were after.”
his hand. Ham muttered to himself. Fighting “But what—” stammered Ham.
in the dark was not his idea of fun. He “As you may have guessed,” the
wiggled back, leaped up and flicked on the bronze man went on, “John Alden was the
lights. man killed at the airport. He was on his way
The look of amazement on Monk’s to see us, coming from Arcadia Valley, where
face at that instant was something Ham long a monster has been reported. He evidently
remembered. Monk was so surprised he feared he might be killed, so he wrote me a
forgot to fight. For it looked to him as if he letter from Salt Lake City, telling me what he
was fighting himself. knew. He also sent this package.”
The fake Monk grabbed for his Ham’s face lightened. “So you let
pocket again. A second time white powder those men have a dummy package, to fool
flared out. It caught the hairy chemist them into believing they had what they’d
squarely in the face. He dropped as if he had been sent for.”
been shot.
“They were merely dupes, and connection. It was a weird, trilling sound, that
probably did not even know what they were didn’t seem to come from the phone at all.
after,” Doc said. “When the one who sent Guests were scurrying in all
them finds they have failed, he may come directions in the lobby. Barge Deeter was
himself, and we may learn what this is all using some of them as shields. So far, he
about.” had managed to keep from giving the
Monk nodded sagely. gunmen a fair shot.
“But what is in the package, Doc?” The clerk expected Doc to appear
“A hair, evidently from The Monster,” from the elevators. His eyes suddenly tried to
said the bronze man quietly. pop from his head.
Ham’s breath came in sharply. “Oh, With Monk and Ham at his heels, the
boy!” he said happily. “Let’s hope it draws bronze man dived in through the front door.
more visitors. I want to know why any one He made directly for the gangsters.
here should want that hair.” The clerk never did know how Doc
did it, but the explanation was absurdly
simple. He had expected the elevators to be
Chapter VI watched, had thrown a long, silken cord out
A TRAP his hotel window. The cord had furnished
speedy transportation to the street.
HAM would have been surprised to The gangleader was the first of the
know just how soon his wish for visitors was visitors to spot the bronze man. “Damn,” he
to be gratified. As Doc explained the contents shouted, “that devil is here already!”
of John Alden’s letter, two sets of visitors Guests dropped to the floor. The
appeared in the lobby below. gangleader squeezed the trigger of his gun
The first visitor was alone. He was as rapidly as he could. Doc drifted across the
remarkable particularly for the amazing size marble floor as if he didn’t notice the shots.
of his feet. Barge Deeter timidly asked the His flake gold eyes whirled strangely.
clerk if Doc was registered at the hotel. The “I got him, Doc!” a hard voice said
clerk nodded. He had been instructed to from behind the gangster.
admit any visitors who might call. The gangleader spun. He either
Barge Deeter seemed exceptionally didn’t know Doc’s ability at ventriloquism, or
nervous. He had the air of one who feels he he had forgotten it. The turn was fatal. Doc
is being watched. was upon him; one hand floated out,
Then the other visitors arrived. They snapped against the back of the other’s
came even before the clerk could call Doc’s head, paralyzed nerve centers there. The
room. There were three of them. They were gunman went down.
hard-eyed, typical gangsters. Doc whirled toward the clerk,
“Doc Savage here?” snarled the signaled. The clerk nodded. The lights went
leader. out.
Barge Deeter whirled at the voice. Monk was behind a pillar, almost on
His sun-tanned skin seemed to pale. He top of a second gunman. He lunged forward,
ducked low and began to run. huge fist swinging. The man turned end over
A startled shout came from the gang- end. Ham had circled the third killer, grinning
leader. He pulled out a gun. His companions as he jabbed with his sleep-inducing sword
did the same. They took out after Barge cane. The sword cane struck its mark.
Deeter. The man with the big feet was When the lights snapped back on a
dancing behind huge pillars in the lobby, minute later, the three gangsters had
desperately seeking cover. disappeared. So had most of the guests. But
The clerk grabbed a phone, got cowering back in one corner, was Barge
Doc’s room. He stuttered a description of Deeter.
what was happening. “D-did they get away?” Deeter
The sound that came to the clerk asked.
made him think he hadn’t gotten his “They won’t bother you any more,”
Doc said. He didn’t explain that the three
thugs were bound and tied in another room. MONK placed the oblong package in
They would be unconscious for several his pocket before he left the room. Doc had
hours. When they recovered, they would be said it was important, that it might bring
on their way to a private hospital in Upstate visitors. The chemist did not intend that it be
New York, known as Doc’s “Crime College.” lost.
There they would undergo a delicate brain A girl started to enter the hotel just
operation. They would forget their criminal as the four men left it. Only Monk appeared
tendencies, return to the world as normal to notice her. Monk always noticed girls,
men. particularly if they were pretty.
“You wish to see me?” Doc asked She was blonde, and not large. But
calmly. she had curves in the right places, and
Barge Deeter gulped. Events had features that would have sold extra copies of
moved almost too swiftly for him. “Y-your any magazine. She seemed interested in the
room,” he whispered. “I-I’ll talk then.” four men.
And the man with big feet did talk. Monk soon forgot her. Barge Deeter
He babbled a story of seeing The Monster in was leading them over a stretch of wasteland
Alaska. He said he had been afraid to come that bordered the lake, and the going was
forward after John Alden had been killed. rough. It was a weed-tangled section. In the
He said he overheard the address of center of it there was a ramshackle frame
the campus hospital and had gone there. building. The group stumbled over the
When the gangsters stole the body, he had uneven ground in the dark.
followed. He quit following the ambulance “There’s one light on,” Ham
when the gang had taken the body out in a whispered. “See? There’s a guy sitting at a
dark part of Calumet Avenue. table.”
“And what was your interest?” Ham Ham turned to see what Doc’s
put in quietly. reaction was. Doc was gone. Barge Deeter,
“There’s something strange, in the lead, did not notice.
something queer,” Barge Deeter shrilled. Cautiously, the group crept to the
“Why should John Alden be killed here? How house, peered into the lighted room. Neither
was he killed?” Monk nor Ham had ever seen the man sitting
Doc said nothing. Monk shifted at the table. Barge Deeter said he had never
slightly. “If the body hadn’t been stolen, we seen him either. Monk tried the door. It was
would have at least found out how he was not locked. The room in which they had seen
killed,” he said. the light was just to the right of the hallway. A
“There was that odor at the airport faint, scraping sound came from behind the
that I smelled when I saw The Monster once door.
in Alaska.” Deeter shuddered. “It was the Silently, the hairy chemist turned the
same thing. I can’t understand it.” knob, opened the door a crack and peered
“As if,” Ham filled in, “The Monster in. He grunted. The room was vacant.
had reached clear to Chicago to claim a But about halfway across the room
victim.” was a huge mirror. It was canted so that
Barge Deeter nodded. “Exactly. For anyone looking through the window would
that reason I knew the body was important. I think he was seeing a man sitting in the
knew if Doc Savage could examine it, he room. Actually, the man was in a room
might learn something vital that might help farther to the right.
those still in Alaska.” The man was still sitting at the table.
“I think that is probably correct,” the His back was toward them. Inch at a time,
bronze man said. Monk eased the door open, crept in. Ham
“And so—” prompted Monk. followed.
“I know where the body was taken,” The man at the table whirled
Barge Deeter said simply. suddenly. He had a submachine gun in his
“We will go there,” Doc decided. hands.
Barge Deeter screamed, and the gun dropped from his hand. The man in the other room was Doc Savage!
A yell came from Barge Deeter. “I permitted you to lead us here in

“Wait, Slingshot!” he half screamed. “We got the hope we would find some answer to the
to get the other guy in yet!” problem that confronts us. Now talk.”
A howl came from Monk. The Doc’s hypnotic eyes stared hard at
meaning of Deeter’s words was quite plain. the man. Barge Deeter bobbed his head,
Barge Deeter had led them into a trap! swallowed hard. He knew he would be forced
Barge Deeter had just noticed Doc to talk if he continued to look into Doc’s eyes.
Savage’s absence. A queer expression was A strangled yell came from him. He
on his face. He held a gun in his hand. jumped back, pressed a button at the side of
Then Barge screamed again, and the the door.
gun dropped from his hand. The man in the The floor went out from under Doc
other room had moved forward now; his and his aids. And as the floor dropped open,
features could be seen clearly. a strange sight came into view.
It was Doc Savage! There was a cement room below,
In the room with the bronze man was like a tank. It was brilliantly lighted. And
a bound figure. It was that of “Slingshot,” the around the walls, peering through peepholes
gunman Barge had expected to find waiting. that could be closed, were a dozen thugs. All
Doc had suspected a trap, had slipped on had guns ready.
ahead to investigate. Barge Deeter had laid his trap well.
“You gave yourself away several Br-r-r-r-r-r-r!
times, Deeter,” the bronze man said quietly. The submachine gun in Doc’s hands
“The attack on you was too obviously a fake spoke even as he was falling. It blasted out
to gain our confidence. And you said you the lights, threw the tank room in darkness.
heard the hospital address at the airport. You Ham and Monk landed with mercy
had left before the hospital was mentioned.” pistols in their hands.
Barge Deeter gulped. The floor closed to above them,
while the cellar rang with the blast of many
guns.
But Doc was not there. He had And just in time. Monk and Ham
sprung upward, even as he had landed, had were floating on the surface of the water,
caught hold of one edge of the floor, drawn near the floor.
himself up. The next moment and he had Monk’s face wore a look of childlike
reached Barge Deeter. His powerful arms confidence as Doc opened the floor so they
shot out. could escape. “I knew you’d get us out,” he
Deeter was big, and he knew how to said.
fight. But he had no chance. He went limp, “The darned monkey actually
almost at once. Swiftly, Doc bound him, seemed to enjoy it!” snorted Ham.
dragged him into another room, rolled him Doc said nothing. He led the way to
into a closet. the closet where he had placed Barge
Then he dived back to the scene of Deeter.
battle. Monk and Ham had to be saved. The bronze man threw open the
door. A weird, tuneless trilling sound came.
Barge Deeter wasn’t there! But some
MONK and Ham were having a busy one else was.
time of it. They knew they were in a tough Bound and gagged, just as Doc had
spot. Their bulletproof underwear had saved left Deeter, was a girl. She was petite and
them from being shot, but they faced another beautiful. It was the girl Monk had noticed as
peril now. they left the hotel.
Water was creeping up in the tank
room.
The death trap was a clever one. Chapter VII
The hidden gunmen had hoped to mow down CHEMISTRY PLAYS GUIDE
their victims, while well concealed. But even
if that had failed, they had a second trick— THE girl’s eyes were closed. Doc
and that was the water. took the gag from her mouth, while Monk
By closing the slots through which rumbled forward and rubbed her wrists. The
they had fired, they made the room hairy chemist grunted when he noticed how
waterproof. Any one caught in it would easily the ropes came loose from around her
drown. hands.
Laughter was coming from the A frightened look came to the girl’s
concealed killers. That laughter stopped face as her eyes opened. “What are you
suddenly. doin’ here?” Monk piped angrily.
A bronze thunderbolt hit them from The girl gulped. “I—I’m a reporter,”
behind. Doc had found the passageway that she said.
led to where they were. “Yeah?” Monk was frankly skeptical.
Howls of pain came from the “How did you come to be here?” Doc
darkness. Gunmen dropped, woodenlike, as asked, not unkindly.
iron fists crashed into their jaws, and steel The girl swallowed hard.
fingers gripped their necks. They did not dare “My—my editor assigned me to work
to fire, for fear of hitting each other. on Chicago angles of the Alaskan monster
And they could not locate their case,” she said. “There seemed a definite
opponents. Doc moved like a silent wraith, connection to us between the monster and
and a relentless one. Man after man went the killing of John Alden.”
down. “Humph!” Monk snorted.
The few remaining on their feet tried The girl ignored him. She focused
to run. Some got away. Others ran into Doc. her attention on Doc and Ham. “I heard that
Silence came suddenly. The bronze Barge Deeter came on the same plane with
man flicked on a small torchlight, shut off the Alden,” she said with dignity. “I knew of him;
Lake Michigan water that was pouring into he’s supposed to have been connected with
the tank room. gangs here, so I went to look for him.”
“Playing around with gangsters,”
Monk complained.
“I followed a tip, and found Deeter Barbara Hughes looked on amazed.

just as he came out of the hotel with you Apparently Doc and his aides forgot her.
three,” the girl went on. “I recognized Mr. They didn’t look her way. She hesitated, then
Savage, and thought I might get a better went along.
story if I trailed along.” Others were interested in Doc, too.
“What is your name?” Doc asked His room at the hotel was the center of much
quietly. activity.
“Barbara Hughes. I work for the People were still investigating reports
Blade.” of the rumpus in the lobby, when shooting
“But that still doesn’t explain how you started on the fourteenth floor. A hotel
happen to be tied up here,” Monk put in. He detective had seen a man slip into Doc’s
emphasized the word “tied.” room. He’d tried to nab him.
A flush crept over the girl’s features. Shots had come from a dozen
“I—I came in while you were all fighting,” points. The hotel detective was killed almost
Barbara Hughes continued. “I—I found Barge instantly. Then the radio police went into
Deeter tied up in the closet. I still didn’t know action. The hotel floor then became a
he might be connected with any of what was battlefield.
going on. I thought he had been taken When the shooting was over, three
prisoner by some of those you were fighting.” gangsters had been killed, one policeman
Doc said nothing. was dead and several others were wounded.
“I took the gag from his mouth, and The rest of the gang fled.
he promised to tell me the whole story if I But Doc’s room had been thoroughly
would release him. I—I did.” searched. Papers and clothing were thrown
“You sure did,” Monk complained. all over the floor.
“He hit me. He knocked me Doc didn’t know this. With Ham and
unconscious,” the girl said with some spirit. Monk, and Barbara Hughes trailing in the
Monk started to reply. He didn’t. rear, he was following Chemistry.
There was a sudden diversion. The hairy ape took a direct course
across the rough ground, trotted along as if
he had been born in the section. He led them
HABEAS CORPUS also had trailed west to a block on Drexel Boulevard that had
along behind Doc and his aids. He had once been an exclusive part of Hyde Park.
slipped into the house when the girl entered. This block had changed; it was filled mostly
Now he raced to the front door, squealed with cheap boarding houses.
loudly. Only one old mansion remained of
Monk looked up curiously. past glory. It was set well back in a huge
Sometimes, Monk thought Habeas could expanse of lawn and shrubbery. Chemistry
almost talk. It was plain to him now what the turned in at the gate without hesitation.
pig wanted. He went over, opened the door. Doc Savage slid past him, reached
Chemistry bounded in. The ape the porch of the mansion silently. Monk, Ham
appeared badly battered, his fur was torn, but and the girl were close behind him. Monk
he seemed well pleased with himself. nudged Ham and pointed toward the ape.
“Just the ape!” Monk snorted. The ape’s nostrils were quivering, he was
“‘Just the ape’ nothing!” Ham yelled. jumping up and down in excitement.
“Remember where we saw that ape last? He Barbara Hughes examined a brass
was trailing John Alden’s body. If he shows name plate on the door post. She uttered an
up here, it must mean that body is near.” exclamation of surprise.
Chemistry clawed at Ham’s coat. He “Soung Percill!” she cried. “He’s a
was making a pleading, whining sound. queer one. An anthropologist of some sort.
“Come on!” Ham shouted happily. “I’ll He goes in for prehistoric animals. Lectures
bet he’s trying to tell us where that body is.” about them.”
“We will follow him and see,” Doc Monk and Ham exchanged sharp
decided. glances. Doc reached for the bell.
found it on the lawn less than half an hour

THE door opened. It opened even ago. I wanted the police to investigate.”
before Doc’s fingers had touched the buzzer. Doc said nothing. His flake gold eyes
A slant-eyed Oriental stood before them. A were taking in every detail of the room they
look of welcome faded from the Oriental’s had entered.
face; his expression changed to one of Books and manuscripts were
surprise. Apparently he had been expecting a everywhere. But it was on newspaper
guest. clippings on the table that Doc’s gaze
But just as apparently he hadn’t been seemed to center. There were dozens of
expecting Doc Savage. them.
“We would like to see Mr. Percill,” All were about The Monster in
Doc said calmly. Alaska.
The Oriental’s eyes became Habeas Corpus squealed suddenly.
expressionless. He tucked his fingertips into He turned, tried to run from the room, almost
his coat sleeves and bowed. He chanted upsetting Ham. The dapper lawyer waved his
something in singsong Chinese. It might hands frantically to catch his balance.
have been a greeting. Then he spoke in “That blasted pig!” he barked.
English. Soung Percill turned, his face as
“Step light in, please.” He backed up, impassive as always. “Perhaps he does not
bobbing up and down as if actuated by like the odor that seems to be associated
strings. He backed the entire length of a with the body,” he said. Then he noticed
huge reception room. Doc’s attention on the clippings. For the first
“Gentlemans here, Master Soung,” time his face showed animation.
he hissed sibilantly. “That is why I am glad you are here,
A man appeared suddenly. He did Mr. Savage,” he said. “I wanted to talk to you
not seem to walk into the room, he appeared about that case.”
just to materialize. He moved across the floor “And your reaction?” Doc asked.
with a smooth, gliding motion. Brilliant eyes “I believe it quite possible,” Soung
stared from behind a forehead so high it gave Percill said with conviction.
the impression that he was growing bald. But He spoke swiftly, and at length.
he was not. Monk stirred uneasily. Soung Percill was an
The eyes were black and inscrutable. educated man. That was apparent. But the
The face had a queer, sallow paleness. hair on the back of his neck was rising. There
“You are from the police, no doubt,” seemed no danger, but still—
he said. It was more of a statement than a The hairy chemist thought of the
question. His voice, also, was smooth and package suddenly, the package that had
soft, with just a hint of some unusual accent. been sent to Doc. He rammed a hand in his
“No,” Doc said quietly. “We are not pocket. The package was still there.
the police. My name is Savage. Did you want Soung Percill ended his discourse.
the police?” Doc replied gravely.
Soung Percill leaned forward slightly. “Now I will take you to the body,”
His thin eyebrows arched. Percill said. “If it is that of John Alden, as I
“Ah. I should have recognized you, believe, and is connected with the Alaskan
Mr. Savage. Only the light is so dim.” monster, we may learn—”
There did not seem to be quite the “You’ll learn nothing!” a voice said
right amount of surprise in his voice. harshly.
“Yes,” he continued, “I was expecting
the police, but I am more than glad you are
here. And I think I know what brought you.” BARBARA HUGHES gave a scream.
Doc’s flake gold eyes stirred There was a crash of glass and a rush of
restlessly. “We came to inspect the body,” he feet. Men appeared at the windows, and at
said, without expression. every door.
Soung Percill bowed. “As I Doc leaped to one side. Monk and
expected,” he said. “My man, Sing Lee, Ham yanked out their machine-pistols. The
bullfiddle roar of the superfirers crashed out. Barge’s chuckle grew deeper. “Wait
The attackers did not pause. a while yet, baby,” he advised. “You ain’t
“Bulletproof vests again!” howled seen nothing.”
Monk. Barbara Hughes paled. “You mean
Doc suddenly moved. He left his that—”
feet, dived straight through an open window. Barge looked at her, laughed loudly.
Monk grinned. When odds were heavy, Doc “Sure, baby. You know what I mean.”
sometimes thought it best to get away,
knowing he could rescue his men later.
Barge Deeter knew that, too. Barge Chapter VIII
was waiting outside the window. A dozen DEATH CHAMBER
men were waiting with him. Had Doc been
permitted to land on his feet, the end might A FUNERAL was under way. Two of
have been different. them evidently, since there were two
But blackjacks swung while he was hearses.
still in the air, caught him over the back of the Bystanders did not know who was to
head. Other men grabbed his flying feet. He be buried, but they did notice vaguely that
was brought down much as a football player there were more mourners than usual. At
is tackled. Barge Deeter led the charge in least a dozen cars trailed behind the
jumping on him. hearses. All the occupants were men.
Monk and Ham were finding the But there was one girl along. She
odds too great, also. Men had seized them was in the front hearse, but not in a casket.
from behind, knocked the machine pistols She sat between two caskets. She was
from their hands. Chemistry fell before an blond, and beautiful, although now her
onslaught of four big hoodlums. Habeas features appeared strained.
Corpus was kicked aside. There were two caskets in the rear
Despite the men on him, Doc hearse, also. Doc and Soung Percill
struggled up. His arms swept out. Attackers occupied those in the front car. Monk and
reeled back. Ham rode behind them. Jammed in with
Barge Deeter looked in the window. them were Habeas and Chemistry.
He saw men with guns held at the back of The lids of the coffins had been
Monk’s and Ham’s heads. He saw Soung removed. But Monk and Ham could not talk.
Percill, crouched in a corner, hands high. They were too firmly gagged. Nor could they
“Surrender, Doc Savage, or we’ll kill move.
your men!” Barge Deeter bellowed. So they continued some experiments
Doc stopped fighting. There was in thought transference and telepathy they
nothing else to do. Even then, he might have had begun back in New York. The results
escaped himself. But bullets would get Monk were pretty good. Ham almost choked on his
and Ham. Their heads were not protected. gag at the insults Monk was hurling at him.
Barge Deeter chuckled mirthlessly. Occasionally the hairy chemist strained at his
Monk and Ham were tied with heavy cords. bonds, as if he wanted to get in at least one
Barge didn’t think that would be enough for more good punch.
Doc. Steel-riveted bands were jammed Then Ham made his mind a blank.
around his body. They were forced into place Monk would have said that wasn’t too hard. It
until they fitted like hoops on a barrel. served to infuriate the dapper lawyer more
Soung Percill was being bound, also. than ever.
His face had again become impassive. Ham realized they were in a tough
Only Barbara Hughes was not spot. Horseplay kept him from thinking of it.
molested. Barge Deeter threw one arm Barge Deeter undoubtedly had trailed them
around her shoulders. “I’m some guy, huh?” from the old house, had gotten
he chuckled. reënforcements and attacked. The attack had
“What a story!” the girl breathed. “If I been too successful.
could only print it!” Ham was wondering what was in
store for them. Barge Deeter undoubtedly
had something unpleasant in mind. But he Then a submachine gun spoke.

was puzzled as to what connection Deeter Soung Percill reared erect, then dropped and
might have with the Alaskan monster. tried to crawl. Barge Deeter got down from
Possibly he didn’t have any. But he certainly the driver’s seat of the first hearse, drew his
had wanted the hair that came from The gun and fired once.
Monster. He had taken that from Monk at Soung Percill lay still.
once. A gangster grabbed Barbara
Ham relaxed. There was no use Hughes, pulled her back toward the hearse.
worrying about it. Doc would figure a way “I thought yuh was in on this!” he snarled.
out. “Percill pulled me with him!” the girl
gasped.
Barge Deeter was smiling thinly. He
AND the bronze man was busy. The looked in the rear of the hearse. Then he
funeral procession was rolling out toward the yelled in amazement.
city line in the direction of suburban Melrose “The bronze guy’s gone!” he
Park. shouted.
Doc stared in concentration at the
roof of the hearse. It was highly polished, it
served the bronze man as a mirror. He could MEN poured from the “mourners’”
see that Soung Percill was moving stealthily. cars, dozens of men, heavily armed.
Doc was wiggling, too. Not Spotlights went on in every car, made the
perceptibly. He expanded and contracted scene as light as day.
muscles slightly. It was sort of like an eel Fog appeared suddenly, a thick,
wriggling. heavy fog. It seemed to come first from the
His flesh rippled and slid the iron hearse in which Doc had been prisoner, but
hoops down a fraction of an inch at a time. no one noticed that. The fog spread too
But Soung Percill did not have so rapidly.
much of an obstacle to overcome. Apparently In the space of seconds it had
he had a razor blade hidden in the lining of completely covered the procession of cars.
his coat. He found it and slashed his bonds. The searchlights were useless. Men bumped
Cautiously, Percill removed the gag into each other, swearing. Guns barked, only
that was in his mouth. He raised himself, inch to stop as the gangsters realized they might
at a time, and leaned over toward Doc. shoot each other.
“I’ll help in a minute,” he whispered. The fog did not last long. It hung in
Percill did not speak loud. But his the air only for a few seconds, then it lifted. A
voice had a thin, carrying quality. A guard shout came up from one of the gunmen.
sitting at the foot of the coffin heard him. “Barge’s got him!”
The thug whirled, yanked out his A big man grunted. Under one arm
gun. he held a huge, bronze figure. Steel bands
Soung Percill could not help Doc encased the victim until he could hardly
then. He screamed, dived toward the back of move.
the hearse. The girl was in his way. He thrust Without a word, the big man carried
her out and back, jumped to the ground, just his victim back to the hearse, dumped the
as the thug fired. other into a coffin.
Brakes went on. The thug piled out “What a guy!” one of the gunmen
the rear of the hearse, his gun still flaming. muttered. “All by yourself, too!”
Doc pulled himself up. The attempt “Yeah,” Deeter’s voice bragged. “He
to escape was right in his line of vision. ain’t so much.”
There weren’t any houses in this part The gunman looked into the coffin.
of the city except a bit of wasteland where The figure there wore Doc Savage’s
gangsters liked to leave their victims. clothes—but not Doc’s shoes. The gunman
Soung Percill streaked across a did not notice the huge, oversize feet of the
weed-grown marsh, pulling the girl with him. man encased in the steel bands.
He stumbled once, got up again.
The procession got under way again. The bronze man fitted queer goggles
“Deeter” drove slowly. It was not difficult to over his eyes. With them on, he could see
make the thug beside him suggest the proper plainly in the fog.
turns. A huge car was at the side of the
Doc had wanted to rescue Monk and building, a long open car of expensive make.
Ham. But he knew the artificial fog he had Doc raced to its side, looked in. The car was
created would not last long enough, so he locked. For a moment the bronze man was
had done the next best thing: He had traded beside it. Then he turned.
places with Barge Deeter. He raced directly into the crematory.
“Seems longer than usual,” he said The artificial fog lifted just as he
in Deeter’s voice. moved through the door. The man in the
“Yeah,” the thug said. “We’re driving observatory above him saw him. Orders
slow. There she is now, though. Won’t be roared through loud-speakers. Dozens of
long.” men rushed into the building.
A narrow road led to what looked like Doc dived down steps, reached what
an ancient incinerator plant. It had been looked like a huge boiler room.
once. It was only seconds later that his
The thug was garrulous. Slight pursuers arrived. They found Doc curiously
suggestions from Doc brought out the story. examining the control gadgets.
Once an incinerator for disposal of “Get him, he’s trying to put it out of
stockyard refuse, gangsters had purchased it order!” Barge Deeter’s voice howled. As soon
to use as a crematory. It was just on the city as he was freed, the big man had run up. He
line. They even had a permit. It made an was still peeling make-up off his face, make-
ideal place for disposing of bodies. up Doc had hastily applied.
Doc pulled the hearse up in front of The gunmen leaped forward. Doc
the crematory. He said nothing and stepped waited calmly. He made no effort to escape.
from the hearse, walked with Deeter’s quick, Resistance would have been useless.
shuffling stride toward the second hearse. Barge Deeter’s eyes gleamed. “Got
There was an observation room on you, Savage!” he gloated.
the second floor of the crematory. A man was “A fairly complete place,” Doc said
peering through a small window. His eyes quietly.
flickered suddenly; he pressed a switch. Deeter sneered. “It’s more than
Light flooded the scene below. The complete—it’s hell!” he snarled. “The
man started. He jumped to a microphone. temperature inside is four thousand degrees.
“Look at Deeter’s feet, you fools!” he You just get on this belt and ride through
shouted. “You’ve been tricked. That’s Doc double doors. If we didn’t have those double
Savage, not Deeter!” doors the heat in here’d be enough to fry us,
too. There’s an eight-foot air space between
them doors.”
THE voice thundered through Doc appeared only mildly interested.
loudspeakers. Gunmen were frozen with More men were bringing in Ham and Monk.
surprise. Then they went into action. Behind them, squealing and struggling, were
But Doc Savage had not hesitated. Habeas and Chemistry.
He had gone into action first. Monk’s face fell when he saw Doc.
A dozen men, heavily armed, were He had hoped the bronze man had escaped.
about the hearse containing Monk and Ham.
Others would be there in a second. It was
impossible to rescue them for the moment. BARGE DEETER gave a crisp order.
The bronze man turned and ran. And Men pushed Doc and his aids forward. They
as he ran, fog flared out behind him. Doc found their eyes pressed against peepholes.
broke tiny capsules in one hand. A chemical “Just on the chance you jammed this
came from those capsules. Moisture in the thing, I’m going to use another body first,”
air struck the chemical, created the fog Deeter rasped. “Besides, I want you to
effect.
watch; I want you to know the hell that waits Ham tried to speak, but could not. He
you.” had seen, also. His lips worked strangely. He
Gangsters grinned. One brought the was afraid to trust himself to words as Monk
body of John Alden. Swiftly the body was was tied to the asbestos belt.
fastened on the endless belt that ran inside “Good-by, you missing link,” he
the furnace. managed at last. And turned his head away.
The roaring heat of the crematory Barge Deeter kept his eye at a
fires sounded dully. Machinery began to peephole. He grunted with satisfaction as
rumble, the belt began to move. The outer Monk dropped into the fire. Ham was next.
door opened automatically. John Alden’s He went without a word, face fearless.
body slid from sight. Chemistry put up a good fight, but a useless
The peepholes gave onto a hollow one. Habeas was tied into his arms.
tube that ran into the chamber of fire. Together, they made the ride.
Slowly, John Alden’s body came into “A complete job,” Barge muttered.
view. As the outside door closed, the second “Now we got nothin’ to worry about. Let’s go.”
door opened. Flames leaped out. John Barbara Hughes was crying. But as
Alden’s body dropped into those flames. It Barge Deeter looked at her, she made an
disintegrated in the heat. effort to stop her tears. She tried to smile.
“At least,” Ham said, “it’s quick.” “You’re going now?” she asked.
Barge Deeter gave a quick signal. “Then take me with you.”
Four men seized Doc, carried him toward the “I ain’t goin’ to do nothin’ else, baby,”
moving belt. Barge Deeter said.
Doc Savage said nothing. His face They left the room. Behind them, the
was grim. Behind him there was a choked fire raged on unchecked.
cry. Barbara Hughes had descended to the Barge Deeter was jubilant as he got
furnace room. into one of the touring cars. “I never thought
“It.—’it’s too awful,” she sobbed. “I—I the big bronze bum would be such a push-
knew this place was here, but I—” over,” he chuckled.
“Shut up, baby!” Barge Deeter The gunman with him grinned
rapped. slightly. “He was no pushover,” he said flatly.
Monk struggled at his bonds. He’d “He just ran up against someone with more
hoped to the last that Doc had some trick, brains than he had.”
some way of escaping. The destruction of Barge preened himself, reached
John Alden’s body had destroyed that hope. down and flicked a speck of dust off one of
“Doc! Doc!” he shrilled. “Don’t let his huge, oversize shoes. Others might kid
them do it! They can’t do it!” him about the size of those feet, but secretly
Ham, also, was fighting futilely; Barge was rather proud of them.
streams of perspiration bathed his face. “I did do rather good,” he said
Doc looked at them. He said nothing. modestly.
Then he was tied to the asbestos His companion snorted. “You, hell!
belt. Again the machinery began to move. You got licked once tonight. Lucky we came
Slowly, Doc disappeared into the outer door. along and helped or you might have been
Monk’s face was pressed close to a outsmarted a second time.”
peephole. Until the last, he would not give Barge Deeter’s expression didn’t
up. The outer door closed. Then Monk change. He brought his right fist over in a
sobbed aloud. His huge shoulders sagged. looping right. The man’s jaw cracked, he slid
He twisted his face away. It was lined with down in the seat of the car, unconscious.
agony. Calmly, Deeter tossed him out.
Barbara Hughes’s features were still
strained and white. “I—you—” she started.
“I SAW him, Ham!” he choked. “Saw “Get in here with me, baby,” Barge
his body drop into the fire. Nothing is left but Deeter smirked. “No one can’t say I got no
ashes.” brains.”
The girl slipped into the car. She The girl’s face whitened slightly.
managed another smile. “You’re awfully “You—you mean The Monster?”
smart,” she said. “And you’re really going to “I mean The Monster,” Barge
take me with you?” affirmed. “Too bad it couldn’t have killed
Deeter started the car, sent it roaring Savage, but he sure knows what hell felt
down the road. “Sure, baby, don’t you worry like.”
about that.” His smirk became a wide grin.
The girl snuggled down into the seat.
“I—I do wish you hadn’t killed Soung Percill,” Chapter IX
she said. “I—I rather liked him.” BACK FROM HELL
Barge Deeter scowled. “You ain’t
goin’ to like nobody but me,” he said firmly. BARGE DEETER had spoken truly
“But—but that was so useless,” the when he had called the crematory furnace a
girl argued. “I can understand why you hell. It was. Nothing human could withstand
wanted to kill Doc Savage. He might have the terrific heat generated in the blast pit.
interfered with your plans, but Percill—” Doc did not go into the pit. He had
“Was just an Eurasian,” Deeter said. had a few moments alone in the furnace
“I didn’t like him.” room before the gangsters arrived. In those
He wheeled the car into a small moments he had made his plans, had acted.
airport. It was a private field, not equipped He lay quietly as the outer door
with night lights, but he seemed to be opened and he went through into the eight-
expected. Other men drove up. foot tunnel between that and the door to the
A big transport plane was near a inferno. The tunnel was narrow, and the
hangar, motors idling. Men piled out of cars temperature seared the lungs. But it was
and went toward the plane without a word. bearable.
Barge Deeter was happy. Doc Doc’s shoes seemed to go on toward
Savage was dead. The big boss was going to the second door. That door opened. A form
be pleased. His reward would probably be a slid slowly along, dropped into the pit. The
big one. door to the blast room closed.
He chuckled. The girl looked at him But Doc was free, inside the eight-
inquiringly. foot tunnel between the two doors.
“I was just thinking, baby, how smart Freeing himself from the ropes had
the boss really is,” he explained. “If anybody been easy. Razorlike false finger nails had
had any idea what he was doin’, how big a capped his own when he had permitted
thing he’s behind—” He chuckled again. himself to be seized in the furnace room.
The girl frowned. “I really should call Those razors had severed the ropes around
my paper. If I don’t, my editor will be anxious, his wrists. He had merely used his
perhaps have the police and Federal men exceptionally limber and facile feet to slip out
looking for me.” of his shoes.
Barge’s jaw dropped. “I’d forgotten The angle from the peephole was
that,” he grumbled. “But I’ll do the calling.” such that Barge Deeter could not see the top
“Then just tell him I’m after a big of Doc’s body when the feet came into view.
story, and—and that this is thirty from me.” Doc slipped from his clothes, drew himself
“Thirty?” Barge scowled suspiciously. back, letting the clothes follow the shoes on
“My own number,” Barbara toward the fire.
explained. “If you didn’t say that, he might not Waste rags he had stored inside the
believe you.” furnace door padded those clothes, made it
Barge shuffled off, grinning. He was appear they covered a body. Just as the
still grinning when the big plane took off five second door opened, he made a small cloud
minutes later. of smoke.
“You’re goin’ to see things, baby, That smoke dimmed the vision of the
things that will make you think you’re watchers only a little, but it was enough.
dreaming. But you won’t be. They’re real.”
Even Monk, well as he knew Doc IN Alaska, The Monster had claimed
and his tricks, had been willing to swear the another victim. Barge Deeter and a plane
bronze man had gone into the fiery pit. loaded with gunmen were headed North.
Doc timed his actions to the instant. More hell was soon to break in Arcadia
He knew Barge Deeter would look away, Valley.
would seize another of his men. He dived Doc and his men did not know why
down the narrow tunnelway, directly toward Barge Deeter was so interested in The
the second door. Monster. They did not know why he had
The tunnelway was of tin. The razor- gone to such desperate lengths to regain the
sharp false finger nails slashed down through hair John Alden had mailed, and to destroy
one side of it like a can opener. Almost John Alden’s body.
instantly he cut away a small section, rolled And they did not know why The
through. He was still between the two walls Monster was wreaking such terrible havoc.
of the furnace, but he was no longer in sight But of one thing they were sure: And
of those at the peepholes. that was that the horrible menace that hung
Monk’s body came along on the over Arcadia Valley was still there, that it was
asbestos belt. The second door opened to up to them to solve the mystery, to try and
receive him. Again there was a faint cloud of save the lives of the colonists.
smoke. Doc’s hands reached out, cut the And now they had one thing on their
ropes about Monk’s feet, guided them side. Barge Deeter believed them dead. The
through the opening he had made in the big-footed killer did not know they were still
tunnel. on the trail.
But through the peephole it appeared
that Monk went directly into the open door,
directly into the open fire there. That was an DAWN was just breaking when Doc
optical illusion. and his aides finally made their way through
The trick Doc used was an old one. the side of the furnace.
He had arranged two mirrors in such manner Chemistry romped around for a
as to make it appear Monk went one way, moment, put his arms lovingly about Monk.
when, in reality, he went another. The mirrors The hairy chemist roared, wrestled free.
had come from the compact kit he carried “If you don’t keep that ape off me,”
around his waist. he howled, “I—I’ll tear him limb from limb!”
“My gosh!” Monk breathed. “I really Habeas Corpus shied away, rubbed
thought I was a goner.” Rivers of perspiration against Ham. The dapper lawyer exploded.
poured from his body. “And I’ll put this pig back in the furnace and
Doc had no time to answer. Ham’s really enjoy roast pork,” he shouted.
form was coming along the asbestos belt. Habeas and Chemistry darted for the
Ham opened his eyes cautiously, open air. They wandered down the drive to
saw Monk and Doc. He sighed. “Dying was the highway.
easy,” he said faintly. Monk and Ham were busy rubbing oil
Habeas Corpus and Chemistry came on their scorched skin as Doc searched the
through the slot in the side of the tunnel. Fur crematory. The observation room was empty.
was singed on the ape, and Habeas was Nothing had been left behind except some
close to being the roast pig Ham had often old clothes. Doc donned those. He needed
threatened to make him. them.
But they were alive. Doc again had Then he turned to a telephone. He
rescued his friends. made two calls. The first was to the Chicago
The crematory had been built from police.
the old incinerator. Mortar between the bricks “I’ll say I do know something about
was loose and chalky. Doc handed his aides some strange radio static!” roared the
narrow pieces of steel from his kit. They went sergeant at the other end of the line. “We got
to work on the mortar. a blast some time ago that almost put our
radio cars out of business. It was right on our
wave length. Why? Do you know something What had happened seemed clear.
about it?” The gangsters had brought Percill’s body
“I may be able to aid you later,” Doc back, then burned the house. They hadn’t
said smoothly. “Did you discover the cause?” expected to hide the fact that Percill had
“I think we did!” the sergeant barked. been murdered. But they preferred that to
“We put our directional finders at work, and having anyone find his body near the
found the static came from a car that drove to crematory.
a private airport. The men in the car took off An investigation might have been
in a plane, heading north.” made then that would have revealed the fact
“Thank you,” said Doc. Whirls that Doc and his men had been killed. As it
showed in his eyes. He had attached a static- was, everyone was accustomed to the
making cylinder to the ignition wires of the bronze man disappearing for long periods of
car that had been outside the crematory. The time. If he and his men vanished alone,
results had been as he had expected. nothing would be thought of it.
He knew now that Barge Deeter was “At least they don’t know we’re still
heading toward Alaska. alive,” Ham said with satisfaction.
Then he made a second call. He had
some difficulty before he reached the city
editor of the Blade. The editor had gone HAM was in error there. As the cab
home and was sleeping. Doc asked him just turned on toward their hotel, a man came
one question. from one of the rooming houses nearby. He
A strange, trilling sound came as he looked as if he had been seeing ghosts. He
received his answer. got into a small roadster and trailed the cab.
Monk and Ham grumbled. Walking Doc and his men left the cab at their
was not their idea of fun. But no cars had hotel. The man in the roadster saw them
been left behind. They had started to hike plainly. He licked dry lips, then stepped down
back toward the city. hard on the accelerator. He went to a night
A short distance ahead of them, club.
however, they came across a truck in front of The night club appeared deserted. It
a road stand. Doc handed the stand owner a was long after hours. But the man knocked
ten dollar bill and climbed in behind the on a rear door, gave a signal. The door
wheel of the truck and drove toward the city. opened.
Without wasting time, the man ran
down a flight of steps. He entered a room
DOC and his aides left the truck at a that the patrons of the night club had never
busy corner in the city. Then they took a cab, seen. It was a radio room. An operator was
and Doc gave an address. Ham looked lounging back in a chair, reading a copy of
puzzled. He looked more puzzled a few The Shadow.
minutes later. The cab turned on the street “Quick! Get Barge Deeter! Doc
where Soung Percill had lived. Savage is still alive!” gasped the messenger.
Percill’s mansion was gone. Plenty of The operator galvanized into action.
police and firemen were about. The house He grabbed a set of headphones, reached
had been burned to the ground. for a key.
Doc stopped and asked questions. Miles away, an operator in a plane
“Arson,” grunted one of the firemen. received the news. His face paled as he
“We found a body in there, also. The body interpreted the message.
had a bullet wound in it. Looks like somebody Frantically he scrambled back, gave
killed Percill, then set the house on fire to Barge Deeter the paper covered with
hide the crime, but it didn’t work. sprawled words. Deeter’s big feet were
Ham whistled. Doc’s flake gold eyes propped out comfortably in front of him.
narrowed. Barbara Hughes sat close by.
“Our friends are thorough, at any The big feet came down with a bang.
rate,” Monk said. “It—it ain’t possible!” Deeter gasped.
“Nobody could ‘a’ got out of that furnace!”
“He did,” the operator said

laconically.
Deeter pulled himself up with sudden
decision. He issued crisp orders. The
operator grinned.
The man who had trailed Doc,
grinned also as the orders came over. He
went to a telephone, relayed the message to
someone at the other end of the wire.
Then he went to the street. An extra
was being hawked by the newsboys. It was
all about another killing by The Monster in
Arcadia.
“You’ll have another extra to sell
before long, that really will sell papers,” the
man said under his breath. “Long Tom”—Thomas J. Roberts—
known as the “wizard of the juice”—is
the electrical expert of Doc Savage’s
band of intrepid fighters. Small in
Chapter X stature, his brain holds an enormous
ARCADIA VALLEY amount of learning. It is he who
furnishes the electrical equipment and
DOC and his men did not know of radio devices that have done much to
further the success of Doc Savage’s
the mysterious message. Monk and Ham
triumphs over his enemies—men who
already seemed to have forgotten their close wish to further their own ends at the
escape from death. They were ribbing each expense and suffering of mankind.
other as usual when they arrived at the
airport where Doc had left his plane.
Called “Long Tom” by his friends, he
“I’d just as soon that bunch of
was a wizard with electricity. He was another
monkeys thought we were goners, anyhow,”
of the bronze man’s aides. Long Tom yanked
Monk rumbled. “They won’t be expecting us
parcels from the cockpit of the scout plane.
then.”
“Think I got everything you asked for, Doc,
“Monkeys ought to know that apes
even though time was short,” he said.
are hard to kill,” Ham said sarcastically.
The bronze man made a swift
“Doc, tell this shyster to lay off me,”
inspection. “All here,” he said briefly.
Monk wailed. “All he does is just—”
Monk and Ham looked at each other
“I don’t fall for the wrong girl,
in faint surprise. Some of the objects Long
anyhow,” Ham put in quickly.
Tom had brought were familiar, but others
The hairy chemist’s face fell.
they had never seen. And, too, they
“Doggonit,” he moaned. “I’d almost forgotten
wondered how Doc had gotten in touch with
her. She sure led us into something. But I
Long Tom. But if he didn’t say, they weren’t
didn’t fall for the dizzy blonde. For once I
going to ask.
guessed right. I knew she was a crook.”
A reporter and cameraman came
Doc began watching the skies. He
running up as Doc and his men loaded the
gave a small sound of satisfaction. A speedy
stuff Long Tom had brought into the big
scout plane suddenly dived down from high
transport plane. Unobtrusively, the bronze
overhead, motor screaming, and came to a
man vanished. Monk and Ham also slipped
perfect landing.
inside the ship.
A thin man with pallid, unhealthy-
“Where’s Doc Savage? Is he going
appearing complexion, stepped from the
to Arcadia?” the reporter demanded.
plane. He was not very tall, and seemed a
Long Tom looked dumb. “Who?
physical weakling. That appearances were
Where?” he asked stupidly.
deceitful, those who had come in contact with
Motors of the big transport plane
Major Thomas J. Roberts knew to their
roared into life. The reporter sputtered
sorrow.
futilely. No one noticed the touring car that colonists might have fallen victim to The
raced suddenly across the field. Monster.
“I got to be goin’ now,” Long Tom “What can it all be about? Could
said. He jumped into the plane. The there really be such a beast?” Long Tom
photographer lifted his camera for a swift asked wonderingly.
shot. “If we only had that hair, maybe we
Br-r-r-r-r-r! could tell something about it,” Monk
grumbled.
“You were going to guard it,” Ham
THE cameraman gave a faint gasp. reminded maliciously. “If you could only keep
His camera dropped from his hand as he things—”
crumpled to the earth. The reporter had He broke off, appeared startled.
heard submachine guns talk before. He did Chemistry, looking quite proud of himself,
not hesitate. He dived to his face. had waddled forward, placed one hand in
The gun had not been aimed at the Monk’s coat pocket. He brought out the
reporter or cameraman. It had been aimed at oblong package—the package that had
the plane. It had been the cameraman’s contained the giant hair.
misfortune to get in the way. Lead hammered “W-what! H-how?” gulped Monk.
up toward the motors of the ship. Those Ham laughed delightedly. “Chemistry
motors, four of them, howled loudly. The did it!” he shouted. “He got it!”
plane spun, headed directly toward the Monk turned blankly to Long Tom.
oncoming touring car. “T-that wasn’t there. Barge Deeter took it.
The men in the car ducked, the That ape’s playing tricks!”
driver swerved, but the Tommy gun roared “No,” Ham said modestly. “I merely
again, bullets glancing harmlessly off the taught him to pick pockets. I know what
metal of the wings. happened. He liked that thing; he swiped it
There was a faint thud. A small back from Barge, probably hid it in the
object, like a tin can, spun from the front of furnace room. When we got out of that oven,
the plane, landed directly in the touring car. A he put it back in your pocket.”
cloud of gas arose as the can landed. The Long Tom opened the package,
driver let go the wheel, clawed frantically at examined the hair with deep interest. “Truly,
his nose and eyes. Then the car overturned, it must have come from a beast of gigantic
spilling gangsters on the field. Some did not stature,” the electrical wizard mused.
arise again. Monk lumbered forward, relieved
There was a police car near the field. Doc at the controls.
Cops got out of it, guns in their hands, and The bronze man gave his low, trilling
advanced toward the crooks. sound when he saw the hair. He issued
The big transport plane lifted easily, instructions crisply. Ham and Long Tom
circled once more, then headed north. opened several of the packages Long Tom
“Evidently our foes know that we had brought from Doc’s offices in New York.
were not cremated,” Doc said quietly. In the rear of the plane was a small
“Some of them sure know it now, at, laboratory. It was compact, and as near
any rate,” Ham said dryly. He was watching complete as space permitted. Doc vanished
the scene on the landing field. The gunmen, into this, taking the hair with him.
still blinded by the gas bomb hurled at them Ham nodded with satisfaction. “Now
by Doc, were trying to rise and fight. we’ll have something to work on,” he
Police guns barked briefly. The predicted.
gangsters went down. A sharp cry came from Monk. The
All Doc’s men were experienced plane lurched as it made a sharp turn. The
pilots. They alternated at the controls, motors roared with suddenly increased
pushing the giant plane along rapidly. power.
Already they feared they might have been Long Tom dived to a window, looked
delayed too much, that more of the Arcadia out. One look was sufficient.
Four small, speedy planes were sharply, then literally shot almost straight up
diving toward them. At the same moment the into the air. It traveled at an incredible speed.
four motors of Doc’s big transport ship Bullets aimed at it from behind
stopped as completely as if the switches had passed harmlessly through the spot the
been turned off! plane had occupied a moment before.
Blam!
A second explosion came. Doc’s
MONK’S cry attracted Doc’s plane smashed up through a thick layer of
attention. The bronze man appeared from the clouds, came out in the sunlight thousands of
laboratory, took in the situation at a glance. feet above the pursuit ships.
With smooth speed he darted to the front of Monk gasped. He had been
the plane, dropped into the co-pilot’s seat. slammed back hard against the back of his
“They’ve got an electric ray, one that seat. The wind had been knocked from him.
has paralyzed the magnetos in our motors,” “What the—” he muttered.
Long Tom muttered. “Merely two powerful rockets, built in
Doc nodded, his bronze face the tail of the plane,” Doc explained quietly.
impassive. A worried look was on Monk’s The hairy chemist gulped, and
homely features. Even Ham had lost some of nodded. Doc, he knew, had experimented
his usual aplomb. with rocket ships.
Their plight was desperate. Monk The rockets had shot the plane far
had pushed the controls forward, had thrown out of range of its pursuers, had saved Doc
the plane into a slight glide. Behind them, the and his men from what had seemed certain
pursuing ships were overhauling them doom.
rapidly. There was a sudden roar. The four
For a moment the combat planes big motors went back into action, brought the
were holding their fire. Hard-faced pilots were big ship back under control.
sneering, fingers ready on the triggers of “We are now out of range of the
their machine guns, ready to blast their electrical equipment which temporarily
helpless prey. disabled our motors,” Doc said simply.
Doc took the controls. The hairy “This is screwier and screwier,” Monk
chemist surrendered them willingly. He was complained. “If that Monster is on the level,
an expert pilot, but here was a job he knew why are so many efforts being made to keep
only Doc could handle. us from getting to Arcadia?”
Even if they could dodge their
pursuers, a landing with dead stick would be
impossible. Trees and rocky crags were BEHIND, and far below them, were
beneath them. The plane would be shattered four men who might have answered Monk’s
into a thousand pieces. question had they wished. But they were far
“Tighten your belts! Hold on!” Doc’s too startled to think of anything except the
voice was not raised, but his aides obeyed strange sight they had just witnessed.
instantly. The worried look vanished from The pilot in the lead ship wagged the
Monk’s face, to be replaced by a childlike air wings of his plane, turned north. He was
of confidence. following the course that Doc’s ship had
Behind them, the pilot in the leading taken, but he had no expectation of
pursuit ship raised his arm. Four fingers overtaking it.
tightened on the triggers of four machine He shrugged, reached out and
guns. A rain of lead poured toward the touched a small radio key, tapped out a
helpless transport plane. message. He sent in code, and in a strange
In the same instant, Doc Savage language.
leaned forward, pressed two small buttons. Miles to the north, a man with huge,
And then an amazing thing oversize feet read that message, handed it to
happened. his companion.
There was a crash, as if from a “T-they failed!” he said hoarsely.
terrific explosion. The transport plane dived
The other’s expression became chimneys showed that the valley was still
malevolent, his eyes sparkled dangerously. “I inhabited.
suppose I should have expected it,” he said. The Monster had laid the cold hand
His voice was queer, almost lisping. of fear on the very heart of the colony. Few
“What are we going to do, boss?” moved about even in daytime. Not even
Barge Deeter frankly showed the worry he brave men could be persuaded to leave their
felt. homes at night.
A thin, mirthless grin crossed the Monk’s face was beaming. There
other’s face. “Two things. First, Barge, send should be fighting ahead.
the men we selected to the colony. They “But I still don’t think there is such a
know what to do there. Send that other thing,” Monk told Long Tom. “It’s just some
messenger to the Indians. They will lay the trick. Now that we’re here, everything will be
groundwork. And then—” all right. I’d like to meet that Monster myself.”
“What then, boss?” It was just as well that Monk could
“The Monster has been searching for not look into the future, that he did not know
a bronze-haired man, Barge,” said the just how soon his wish was to be granted—
others. and what the result was to be.
“It can’t fail!” Barge exulted. “You’re
right. The Monster has been searching for
the heart of a bronze-haired man—and that Chapter XI
fits Doc Savage. Not even that bronze fiend A COLONY OF FEAR
can cope with The Monster.”
SOUND of the roaring plane brought
a few heads out of cabin doors. Then the
BARGE DEETER might not have felt plane swept down, and its markings were
quite so sure, had he been watching the identified. The result was amazing.
bronze man just then. People seemed to pour from all
Doc Savage was studying a test sides. There were women with fear-lined
tube, a peculiar expression in his eyes. In faces. Children clung to their hands, tried to
that test tube had been placed fine residue hide behind their skirts. Men, with stern
from the hair of The Monster. Other features and shaking hands, some carrying
chemicals had been added with it. guns, rushed forward.
The bronze man nodded, and As Doc eased the plane to a landing
worked swiftly. He made a compound of a on a broad meadow, their shouts came even
strange powder. This compound he coated above the shattering burst of the engines.
on several small objects, approximately as “Doc Savage! Doc Savage! The
big around as pencils. But they were not bronze man is here! We are safe! Safe!”
solid, as are pencils; they were very porous. Doc rarely showed emotion. But he
The plane nosed down. Doc left the showed it now. Compassion was in his flake
laboratory. gold eyes.
“We’re at Arcadia,” Ham announced. A tall, bearded man, whose white
The bronze man nodded. hair hung almost to his shoulders, grabbed
Below them was the fertile valley that Doc by the hand, wrung it hard. He seemed
the modern pioneers called home. The day to find it difficult to speak.
was bright, the weather fine. “We are glad, sir, glad you are here,”
But for a homestead project, the he said at last. “We know you can save us,
fields beneath them presented a strange and can save what we are working for.”
appearance. They should have been filled “We are here to try,” Doc said
with working men and teams. Children quietly.
should have been playing around the cabins. Monk and Ham moved the plane to a
Just the opposite was true. The fields shelter of several large trees, where they
were deserted. No one was outside the could anchor it firmly. Doc, accompanied by
cabins. Only the fact that smoke rose from the man with the white hair, made a short
inspection of the colony.
“My name is Dwight, sir, Herb as she heaped the table with fried chicken,
Dwight,” the old man said. “We were happy hot biscuits, mashed potatoes and gravy.
here until this—this Monster came. We want “We all know, now that you boys are
to stay here, we love it here.” here, we will have nothing more to worry
Doc’s eyes missed nothing. Modern about,” Mrs. Dwight said with conviction.
cabins had been erected. The farm “Doc’ll take care of it okay,” said
machinery was of the best kind, and the soil Monk, and filled his plate for the third time.
was fertile. Where crops had been planted, “If he doesn’t do it fast, you’ll eat
those crops were coming up rapidly. everybody out of house and home,” grinned
Some of the colonists were from Ham.
cities. Others had come from farms where Rain pattered faintly on the roof, then
the soil had worn out. The experienced ones ceased. Mrs. Dwight shuddered.
had helped those not so experienced. Involuntarily, she turned pale; her voice sank
It was easy to see what a happy spot to a whisper.
Arcadia Valley must have been before the “A storm. And The Monster always
terror of The Monster wiped laughter from the comes when it storms.”
hearts of its inhabitants. Herb Dwight’s eyes flickered
Dusk was falling, clouds were uneasily toward the windows. His tall frame
appearing in the sky, as Dwight led Doc seemed bent and aged, suddenly.
toward his home for supper. “Already some of the more timid
have left,” he said. “I do not blame them—
much. We all will leave if this Monster is not
FROM a fringe of trees, half a mile trapped and killed. Only the fact that we
from the main colony, three men crept knew you were coming kept as many of us
forward. In appearance, they were colonists. here as there are.”
They also wore overalls and flannel shirts. Doc nodded. “This Monster, I
But they were not colonists. And their believe, is referred to in an Indian legend. It
errand was a grim one. seems strange, however, that its power
However, despite whatever their would be great enough to reach Chicago.”
errand was, fear was forgotten by the people “You mean—”
for a moment. “John Alden was killed in Chicago,”
Habeas Corpus and Chemistry had Doc reminded. “His body was not mutilated,
made an immediate hit! The pig and ape but otherwise the symptoms outwardly were
were surrounded by curious children almost as if he had been killed by The Monster. The
as soon as they came from the plane, and same odor was about his body. He lost his
made friends at once. voice as others have said they did when they
One small boy even got on Habeas saw the strange beast.”
Corpus’s back, while the pig squealed and Herb Dwight looked at Doc strangely.
ran in mock fright. For the first time in days, “I gather, Mr. Savage, that you may doubt
the children laughed naturally. Even their there is such a monster, may believe our
parents looked amused. people have merely imagined they saw
Chemistry brought laughter when he something.”
cornered an inquisitive youth, held him “No,” said Doc. “I do not doubt the
solemnly with one arm, while with his other stories of the colonists. They have reported
fist he pretended to pluck lice from the boy’s just what they saw.”
head. “What Doc means, I think,” Long
“Looks like you’re making a hit, Tom explained, “is that there may be a
Monk,” Ham said maliciously. human agency as well as an oversize, giant
“Yeah, well, at last they’re not riding beast to contend with.”
me,” piped the hairy chemist. Mrs. Dwight shuddered. “To think
The bronze man’s aides had a dozen that humans might be connected with such a
invitations for dinner, but they joined Doc at foul thing, that they might aid it in catching
Dwight’s cabin. Mrs. Dwight, small and other men so it might feed on bodies!”
motherly, brought pleased grunts from Monk
Monk frowned. “Now that’s all over,” Blam! Blam!

he said reassuringly. “There’s goin’ to be no Lead tore over their heads. Guns
more screamin’ from now on—” flashed from the direction of the plane.
He broke off, his face changing Only Doc’s warning had saved the
expression with startling suddenness. Every dapper lawyer and hairy chemist.
person at the table went rigid.
High and shrill, came a long,
unearthly wail. MONK and Ham separated without a
word. They moved forward in short bursts,
crawling rapidly, then dropping flat. The guns
MONK and Ham moved fast. Long continued to bark.
Tom was far from slow. They barely had their Doc Savage circled. He moved like a
chairs pushed back before Doc was outside. wraith in the darkness. A small object was in
Herb Dwight sat as one frozen for a his hand. It was one of his tiny gas bombs, a
long instant. The fast disappearance of his gas that brought quick unconsciousness, but
guests snapped him out of it. Courage not death.
returned to his lined face. Slowly he eased forward.
He, also, leaped from his chair, Ham was saying bitter things to
raced for the door. He grabbed a long- himself. The ground was muddy, his
barreled rifle as he ran. immaculate attire was being ruined.
The wail sounded even louder From the sound of the shots, there
outside. It did not stop, did not rise or fall. It could be only two men. Doc could take care
kept on, steady, high-pitched. of them.
The sound came from the direction And Ham knew that it was no
of Doc’s big transport plane. monster they were stalking, nor had the
And then the loud, unearthly wail weird wail been from a human throat. The
stopped. It shut off in mid-beat, and the wail had merely been a siren, which sounded
silence that followed seemed queer and when any one approached the plane and
sinister. passed through a ray of invisible light. It was
Herb Dwight was almost behind one of the usual precautions they took to
Long Tom. The white-haired colonist heard a safeguard the plane.
sudden shout of surprise come from the The sudden stopping of that siren
lanky electrical genius. was something else. Ham thought he knew
Long Tom put on more speed. He what that meant, also, thought he knew what
moved away as if Herb Dwight had been they would find when they reached the plane.
standing still. The lawyer saw a lumbering figure,
In the same instant, two other shortly ahead of him, creeping forward
shapes flashed by. One was running low to cautiously. A grim smile came to his lips.
the ground, making queer grunting sounds. Slowly he drew himself up, leaped
The other was half erect, and made no sound forward.
at all. Red eyes gleamed in a hairy face.
Habeas Corpus and Chemistry were
not going to be left behind. If there was to be DOC, close to the plane, hurled the
action, they wanted to be in on it, too. small gas bomb. It hit a wing of the ship,
The night was pitch dark. It had made a faint crash as glass broke.
stopped raining for the moment, but storm A hoarse shout came. “Beat it! That
clouds hid the stars. It was impossible to see bronze guy has thrown a bomb!”
three feet ahead. There were sounds of running feet.
Monk and Ham moved forward Doc sprinted after them. He could overtake
rapidly, Monk lumbering, Ham running with them easily, could probably gain some
the smooth grace of a fencer. information from one of the two attackers.
A low, trilling sound came to their Then he halted. A strangled shout
ears. Neither Monk nor Ham hesitated. They had come from near by. It was Ham’s voice.
dived face downward on the ground. It was a call for aid. Following it came a
tremendous thrashing, and more gurgling shock. Tonight, the ground was wet. Which
cries. would complete a circuit. I thought something
Doc did not hesitate. Ahead of him like this had happened when the siren
were two men who might hold the key to the stopped. This man was killed as he tried to
secret he sought, but behind him one of his enter the plane. That meant the circuit was
men was in trouble. shorted.”
Instantly he whirled, sped toward the “But—but who is he?” Dwight
scene of the fight. Squealing sounds were gasped. “I never saw him before.”
coming now. Monk’s bellow could be heard Long Tom shook his head. He had
as he also raced toward the scene. never seen the man before either. He was
Doc drew a small flashlight, flicked it dressed like one of the colonists, but
on. He stopped. evidently he wasn’t one of them.
On the ground, rolling over and over, Doc entered the plane. He returned
was Ham. His eyes were almost popping almost at once, his face expressionless as
from his head, his hands were beating the air usual, but his aides knew something was
futilely. wrong.
Astride him, one hairy arm crooked “Barge Deeter is a very persistent
about the dapper lawyer’s throat, was man,” Doc said quietly. “The hair that came
Chemistry. The ape’s small red eyes were from The Monster has been stolen. Nothing
blinking, his teeth were showing viciously. else was taken.”
Nipping at the ape’s heels was Habeas
Corpus.
Chapter XII
AN INDIAN RAID
MONK panted up, took in the scene
with one quick look. His mouth opened, he NOT all the colonists had been
almost strangled with laughter. alarmed by the sound of the siren. A mile up
“Chemistry!” said Doc quietly. the valley a girl and a boy were absorbed
The ape started, his grip relaxed. only in each other.
Almost sheepishly he loosed his hold, For them, fear had lifted with the
ambled over to Monk. arrival of Doc and his men. For the first time
“I—I saw something creeping in days, they felt free.
forward,” gasped Ham. “I jumped on it—and They walked along, almost unaware
it was that.” of the rain that fell. A burden had been lifted
“And what did you expect Chemistry from them—the burden of fear. Arcadia had
to do?” Monk howled. “Naturally he fought become a paradise again.
back.” “I’ve got a plot of land picked out,”
“And meanwhile, the men at the the boy explained eagerly. “We can get it all
plane have made their escape,” Doc Savage right, and then we can get married next
said quietly. week. Won’t that be fine?”
Monk sobered instantly. Doc never The girl’s hand tightened in his.
criticized, but Ham knew it was his fault the Thunder roared, back in the
men had gotten away. Doc had returned to mountains. A jagged streak of lightning
aid him. flashed across the sky.
“I don’t think all of them did,” Long And then The Monster appeared!
Tom put in with quiet satisfaction. The odor came first, that penetrating,
Long Tom was right. One had not sickly sweet smell. The two youngsters
escaped. His body lay beside the door to the halted, terror-stricken.
plane. One hand was burned. Its long legs moving slowly, almost
“The siren sounded a warning,” Long creeping, the huge, loathsome bulk of The
Tom explained to Herb Dwight. “But this man Monster moved into view. It stopped short at
came on. The plane was wired, not with the sight of the panic-frozen girl and boy.
enough juice to kill under ordinary Then the girl screamed. A long,
circumstances, but only to give a severe frenzied scream of horror.
Half a mile away, Doc Savage heard And his body—or what was left of his
that scream. His flake gold eyes blazed with body—was not much farther along the trail.
unaccustomed feeling. He launched himself Monk grew rather white around the
forward with blinding speed. eyes. Ham set his jaw as tightly as he could,
The boy and girl did not know that and tried not to look.
help was on its way. It would not have aided Doc moved about cautiously, taking
them if they had known. care not to destroy any marks on the ground.
Picking up speed with every stride, Then he knelt beside the body, examined it
The Monster raced toward them. carefully.
A thin yell came from the boy’s tight It seemed impossible that any animal
lips, broke the spell that held him. He shoved could wreak such havoc. But the evidence
the girl face down in the mud. was there. And the foul odor, just like that
Then he turned and ran—ran directly which had been on the hair, still clung faintly
toward The Monster! to the body.
The tracks showed clearly how the
giant beast had skidded to a stop, snatched
DOC found the girl, still lying in the up its helpless victim, only to drop him a few
mud. She was sobbing. She tried to talk, but moments later.
could not. Ham was looking at the boy’s head.
The bronze man surveyed the scene He recalled something about the legend he
rapidly. Lightning flashed. Far in the distance had heard. “H-his hair was black, Doc,” he
was a small dot, a dot that appeared to said jerkily. “N-now if he’d been bronze-
vanish. haired, maybe The Monster wouldn’t come
The odor of The Monster was still in again.
the air, but it was disappearing rapidly. The For the boy’s heart was gone.
girl lifted her head. She recognized Doc.
“You didn’t save him!” she cried. “We
were to be so happy! Now he is gone! Gone!” A SMALL man, hidden a hundred
The bronze man lifted her to her feet, yards away, didn’t hear Ham’s words, but he
his lips tightening slightly, but he did not was thinking the same thing.
speak. It would do no good to tell her that he The man wore only a breechcloth.
had asked Herb Dwight to notify all the His copper-colored skin was oiled, and
colonists that he wanted them to remain dabbed with paint. His face had been made
indoors until he and his aides could hideous by long streaks about the eyes and
investigate. Evidently this girl and her mouth.
sweetheart had not been given the message. He turned quickly, wiggled through
Monk, Ham and Long Tom rushed the grass as silently as a snake. When he
up, breathing heavily. They had been with reached a small grove of trees he rose to his
Doc when they had heard the girl’s scream, feet and started to run.
but the bronze man had far outdistanced Over one shoulder was a long bow.
them. He had arrows about his middle.
Doc turned to Long Tom. “Take her The Indians of Arcadia Valley had
to her home,” he said quietly. shed civilization, had returned to the days of
Gently, Long Tom took the girl’s arm. their forebears.
Still sobbing, she was led away. Now they were planning a raid such
Ham’s face was serious. “It—it struck as never had been staged before.
again, Doc?” he asked. Quite a different, but just as
The bronze man inclined his head formidable, a foe was watching Doc and his
slightly. “It would appear so,” he said soberly. men from a small hill, not far from where the
He drew a flashlight, turned it on the ground. boy’s body lay.
Footprints of the boy were easy to follow. He was one of the men who had
They were wide-spaced, but wavering. made the attack at the plane. He did not see
The footprints did not go far. The boy the Indian slip away. His attention was
had not had far to run to meet his fate. centered on Doc and his aides.
The man had not run far after Ham and Doc did not notice his
escaping the gas bomb Doc had hurled. He absence. The lawyer was also ranging wide
had remained hidden, and had trailed along of the trail.
when the bronze man and his aides started Then something collided with the
up the valley. back of his head. It did not strike squarely.
As Doc started to trace the tracks of Ham had just moved. He caught only a
The Monster, the man grinned. He ducked off glancing blow. But it staggered him. The
the hill, down to a spot where he was well flashlight wavered in his hand. The beam of
concealed. the light caught a small object in its path. The
There was a pack on his back. A object was stuck in the mud, still quivering.
small microphone dangled around his neck. Ham gulped, incredulously. It was an
He waited until the thunder died for a arrow. But the end was not sharp. It was dull
moment, then spoke into the microphone. and had a heavy weight on it. The lawyer
Not far away, the running Indian also opened his mouth to yell to Doc.
had dropped into a small valley. Two score of Two arrows struck him at the same
warriors waited him there. time. One caught him on a temple, the other
“It is time,” the small Indian said. at the base of the jaw. The arrows had been
“The one we were told was coming is now fired from close at hand, and were moving
here.” swiftly.
“The bronze-haired one, he is where Ham joined Monk on his face in the
he can be seized?” asked one of the waiting mud.
group.
The messenger grunted. In silence,
the others lifted their bows. All had guns, but DOC was closer to Ham. His
not with them. For the job they wanted to do, superkeen ears caught the sound of the
arrows would serve their purpose best. arrows as they struck the lawyer’s head.
In single file, almost invisible in the Instantly, his flashlight went out.
darkness, and making no sound, they left the And then all hell seemed to break
place where they had been concealed. loose. The air was filled with a very storm of
arrows—and made hideous with sound. Two
score of Indians, screaming war whoops,
“IT seems incredible,” said Ham. charged from all directions.
There was awe in the lawyer’s voice. The man with the portable radio
“Anything seems incredible to you heard the whoops. He turned pale, started to
outta a courtroom,” said Monk. The hairy run down the trail over which Doc and his
chemist had regained some of his usual aides had come. He ran squarely into a lean,
spirits. But secretly, he also was amazed. sickly appearing man.
Footsteps of the giant beast had Long Tom had left the girl at her
disappeared. Doc alone did not seem cabin, was on his way to rejoin Doc. He didn’t
surprised. The bronze man retraced their know who had run into him, but he didn’t stop
steps, appeared chiefly interested in the to ask questions.
individual footprints made by The Monster. The electrical wizard didn’t look like a
Rain was washing away some of the fighter. That is what his opponent thought.
detail, but the clear-cut prints made by the For that reason, the other didn’t even try to
huge feet were plain enough to make out the draw a gun, he swung a hard fist. He brought
faint markings of tiny hair along the sides. the fist up from the ground.
Monk’s small eyes blinked. He Had it landed, Long Tom would have
dropped behind, his huge fists clenched. been out of the fight. It didn’t. Long Tom
There was no reason for those footprints to struck first. He buried one fist in the other’s
simply stop. belly, brought the second over in a looping
He bent over, trying to find some swing that caught the man on the jaw. The
clue to the mystery. There was a solid thump. man went down.
Monk did more than bend over. He went on Long Tom leaped over him, raced
down, landing on his face in the mud. down the trail.
Doc could have escaped ordinary opponents with ease. But the Indians
were experts at ambush. They closed in on him, swinging clubs.
A human volcano seemed in action engulfed, went down almost at once. A club
ahead of him. Men were erupting from all caught him over the top of the head while he
sides, only to pick themselves up, dive back was still yards from Doc.
into the fray. Brilliant light flooded the scene
Doc could have escaped ordinary suddenly. Doc had tossed a small flare high
opponents with ease. The Indians were into the air. By its light he could see the
different. They were experts at ambush. They prone bodies of his three aides, knew they
closed in on him, some swinging clubs. were not seriously hurt.
The battle with the bronze devil Forty against one are heavy odds.
became a new legend. Doc had devices with him which could have
Doc’s hands were flicking out with equalized those odds. But he did not use
incredible speed. Man after man toppled them. He went down, seemingly because a
over. human wave had swarmed over him.
Long Tom hurled himself into the fray
recklessly. That was a mistake. He was
The shouting Indians did not know Even-Swap Crowel snorted

that he had permitted himself to be taken disgustedly. “I’ve got some land down in
prisoner. Arizona. Ain’t worth much, but it would be
His aides didn’t know that, either. worth more to yuh there, than this will up
Monk was the first to recover. here, with you dead. I’ll swap even.”
The hairy chemist shook Ham Herb Dwight looked at him with eyes
angrily. Ham roused, got to his feet. They that suddenly narrowed. “Seems to me I’ve
found Long Tom without difficulty. heard you try to trade others around here for
But Doc was gone! their land,” he said coldly. “There wouldn’t be
“And it was Indians,” said Ham, for any particular reason for you wantin’ us all to
once ungrammatical. get out, would there?”
“What are we waiting for?” rasped Even-Swap laughed harshly, his
Long Tom. “We’re going to need help.” hawk-nose quivering. “Hell, no, I’m only
The aides started to run. They trying to save your stubborn old life—”
headed toward the cabins of the Arcadia Monk and Ham burst into the room,
colonists. Fear gave them speed. Long Tom close behind them.
Thunder roared. The rain came down “The Indians got Doc!” Monk
with redoubled fury. bellowed. “Get your guns, we’ve got to
rescue him!”
There was a moment of startled
Chapter XIII silence. Even-Swap looked triumphant.
A SACRIFICE IS TAKEN “See—your famous Doc Savage can’t even
handle a bunch of scrawny Indians,” he
AT about that time, a strange sneered.
meeting was going on at Herb Dwight’s Monk’s big shoulders hunched, his
home. Nearly every able-bodied man in the squat head jutted forward. Small noises
colony was crowded into the small rooms. came from him as he stepped forward. He
A tall man with hawk-nose and threw up one huge fist. It caught Even-Swap
piercing eyes was taking the lead. “Even- under the chin. The other almost turned a
Swap” Crowel was one of the newcomers to backward somersault.
the colony. He had won his nickname by “I thought you guys were men!” Monk
always wanting to trade, to “swap-even.” snapped. “Did we come up here to try and
Usually those who traded with him found they save a bunch of babies?”
had not come out even. Argument broke out. A few—a very
“The Monster’s struck again,” he few—were in favor of helping hunt for Doc.
proclaimed loudly. “The famous Doc Savage The others were frightened. Monk did the
was almost on the spot, so to say, and what arguing. Ham and Long Tom slipped outside.
did he do? He did nothing!” No one saw them leave.
There was a murmur of agreement “If we knew it was only Indians,” one
from the packed rooms. colonist said hesitantly.
“But we oughtta give him a fair “It is Indians, I tell you!” Monk roared.
chance,” Herb Dwight put in anxiously. “He “Your ancestors fought Indians. Are you—”
has just arrived; he hasn’t had an opportunity Blam! Blam!
even to investigate yet.” Lead tore through the roof over their
“I say let’s get out!” Even-Swap heads. Loud war whoops came from outside.
bellowed loudly. “Let’s get out while at least They sounded as if coming from two dozen
some of us are still alive.” throats, and from all sides.
The murmur of approval grew louder, “W-why, the Indians have attacked
then died down. us!” Herb Dwight breathed incredulously.
Herb Dwight’s shoulders set, he The others said nothing. They
glared about defiantly. “I’m goin’ to stay. I’m reached for nearby guns.
not goin’ to lose everything I’ve got here—a Fighting the terrible menace of The
chance for a real home, a comfortable living.” Monster was one thing; fighting Indians was
something else. They weren’t afraid of bound, apparently unconscious and unable
Indians. to move, he advanced cautiously.
One or two thought it strange that the Doc’s eyes came open. His ear was
war whoops stopped when they got outside, close to the ground. He heard the other’s
but that, they reasoned, might be because approach.
the Indians were playing cagy. They raced The bronze man made no move. Nor
along behind Monk without question. A few did he yell out.
moments later, Ham and Long Tom joined The man with the gun came close—
the rear of the procession. so close that he could not miss. He raised
A broad grin was on Ham’s face. He the gun.
chuckled with silent mirth. “No use taking chances,” he
“First time I ever knew I could be muttered. “This way we’ll be sure.” He
such a good Indian,” he said to Long Tom. squeezed the trigger.
Blam!
The man with the gun went over on
THE Indians who had seized Doc did his back. His shot went up in the air.
not waste words. With the bronze man tied A small object had appeared in Doc’s
so tightly that he could hardly move a hand. It was shaped somewhat like a knife.
muscle, they had set off at a fast pace. In fact, it did have a sharp blade. But in the
They left the low hills, with scattered center of the knife was a small hole. It was
woods, and came to a broad meadow. The an ingeniously contrived pistol.
leader grunted. Doc was dropped to the The bronze man secured the
ground. weapon concealed in his sleeve when he
Four stakes were driven into the soft heard the gunman approach. As the other
earth. They were driven so deeply it would had raised his weapon, Doc had fired.
have taken an exceptionally powerful man to The bullet was not solid. It was of the
have pulled up even one of them. mercy type that Doc had perfected. But it hit
Doc was thrown flat on his back. with a solid blow, and when it caught the
Ropes were fastened to each wrist and each other in the face, it had knocked him to his
ankle. One end of the ropes were tied to the back. The quick-working anaesthetic made
stakes. him unconscious instantly.
The bronze man was spread-eagled The Indians heard the shot. They
on the ground, helpless. had not gone far. One drew a knife, rushed
Doc made no move. He did not show forward.
that he was even conscious. His breathing “The Monster wants the heart of a
was slow, unhurried. live bronze-haired man, not a dead one!” he
The leader grunted a signal. Silent shrieked.
as shadows, the Indians slipped into the The gunman had no chance. He was
background. A few cast anxious glances senseless. Something happened Doc had
toward the mountains to the north. It was not counted on. The knife-gun carried only
from there The Monster came. one shot, it was useless.
Another man was watching those Still shrieking, the Indian plunged the
mountains. He was the man with the portable blade of his hunting knife into the heart of the
radio, who had been knocked out by Long helpless gunman. The next moment he
Tom. He had recovered just in time to see ripped the scalp from the other’s head.
the Indians carry Doc away. Thunder roared. The Indian yelled,
A sly grin was on his face as he dropped the scalp and ran.
followed. A small object had appeared in the
When he saw Doc tied helplessly on north. In the space of seconds it became
the ground, his grin grew to an evil smirk. A much larger. The Monster was charging
deadly automatic was in his fist. directly toward Doc!
As the Indians retreated, he
advanced. But despite the fact that Doc was
THE sound of the shot and the And directly in front of it was Doc
Indian war whoop gave Doc’s aides and the Savage!
colonists the clue they needed. They were
not far away.
Monk, Ham and Long Tom shouted THE Indians would have been
orders. They all had been army officers. surprised, then, if they could have seen the
Under their direction, the colonists spread out bronze man. He was no longer tied. The rope
in a thin skirmish line. They advanced on the loops were off his wrists and ankles, had
double, weapons ready. been removed from his neck.
A majority of the colonists carried His marvelous physical development
rifles, a few were armed only with pistols. was the answer to that. Every muscle in his
Doc’s men carried strange weapons. body was exercised and trained far more
In appearance they were somewhat like than the ordinary man’s.
sawed-off shotguns. But there were big, Muscles had rippled in his wrists; the
circular cylinders for bullets, and at the front rope had been forced back up; his fingers
end of the barrels were large disks. had doubled back with the open blade of the
The weapons were really rapid-firing knife-gun, had severed the bonds.
elephant guns, shooting slugs large enough But Doc did not move. He lay quietly,
to stop a charging rhino, and with force seemingly even expectantly.
enough to penetrate chilled steel. The disk at There was a small object on his
the end of the barrel was a recoil check, so chest. That object was trained directly on The
that a man could fire without being knocked Monster. Had any one who witnessed the
to the ground. scene been wearing black glasses, they
Adapted by Doc, they were probably would have been amazed. For then they
the most deadly weapons ever conceived. would have seen that light was coming from
Using explosive bullets, they could have that object. The light was trained on The
stopped a charging tank. Monster.
They were part of the equipment Monk, Ham and Long Tom did not
Long Tom had brought from New York at know that, nor did they know that Doc was
Doc’s instructions, and were designed for free, that he could move at any instant.
cases just like this. Something like a moan came from
The colonists were yelling shrilly. Ham; he tried to put on even more speed.
They still thought they were hunting only for Monk darted to one side. He was yelling
Indians. shrilly.
And then they saw The Monster! For the first time, The Monster
It was still half a mile off, but it was seemed to be aware that there were many
coming with the tremendous speed of a men in front of it, instead of just one victim. It
racing car. Its eight long legs were eating up slowed.
the distance. A lightning flash made every Ham raised his gun. And the foul
feature of its loathsome appearance plain. odor suddenly was dense in the air.
The colonists might have stopped, Frantically, Ham tried to tighten his grip on
might have turned and run. Most of them the trigger. His muscles refused to obey; his
wanted to. But then came the first whiff of the tongue was tight in his mouth. Slowly, the big
foul, sickly sweet odor of The Monster. gun fell to the ground.
And in the same instant, Monk lifted The Monster came on with a slow,
his rapid-firer gun, kept the trigger down. stalking gait that was even more ominous
B-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r! than its rushing speed of an instant before.
The blast was like that of a dozen On all sides guns were dropping
cannons firing at once. The very roar sent from men’s hands. Almost as one, the
renewed courage through the colonists. Their colonists stopped, frozen. The terrible scent
guns came up. A hail of lead rained toward had done its work.
The Monster. Ham realized his senses were
But it was still out of range. It did not reeling, felt a quick, almost irresistible
pause, did not hesitate. impulse to run directly toward The Monster.
He knew he had to do something—anything, the foul odor, the queer, hypnotic smell that
otherwise all was lost. came from the huge beast.
Monk’s gun had slipped from his big Ham was frankly crying. Long Tom’s
fists. He, too, felt the pull, the hypnotic features were strained. Doc had been saved,
attraction of The Monster, felt he must run but Monk was gone.
toward it. But he, too, knew that he had to do Ham realized, now that Doc had not
something. been helpless, that for some reason of his
With a desperate jerk, Ham grabbed own, he had been lying quietly and silently.
a queer-shaped pistol from his belt. His arms And knowing the bronze man’s amazing
were leaden; his muscles were trying not to physical prowess, the lawyer knew that Doc
obey the impulse of his brain. The lawyer’s probably could have escaped without aid.
brain was well-trained. Slowly the pistol went But the light evidently had frightened
up; the muzzle pointed directly at the sky. He The Monster.
pulled the trigger. Now Monk was gone.
Ham, fighting with every ounce of will And still the rain came down steadily.
power, directed his short legs to run. They
moved, slowly at first; then with more speed.
They ran not toward The Monster, but to one Chapter XIV
side. BEAUTY IN DISTRESS
There was a sudden burst of light, a
tremendous flare that bathed the plain in its THE colonists were fumbling around,
glow. The gun Ham had fired had been a like men coming out from under ether. The
Very pistol; it had discharged the big light wind and rain were clearing the air. The odor
that troops used in the war for night fighting, of The Monster was vanishing. As it
made the scene as light as day. vanished, the men’s senses returned.
And then an amazing thing And with the ability to think came
happened. blind, panic-stricken fear. They did not pause
The Monster was almost upon Doc. to pick up their guns. They did not stop to ask
It seemed it would seize him in the next questions. The colonists turned and ran—ran
instant. like men possessed by demons.
It didn’t. It turned, flashed into action Doc’s face was grave. From his nose
with a speed that seemed impossible. It took he took two small objects, about as big
one tremendous leap, almost vanished from around as pencils, but not as long, and made
the range of light. It leaped again— of porous material.
The objects were antidotes he had
prepared in the plane’s laboratory to combat
MONK, head down, was running for the strange effects of The Monster’s odor. He
all he was worth. He had fought his way clear had given similar objects to his aides. In the
from the spot where the odor of The Monster excitement they had forgotten to use them,
was strongest. He had only one idea in mind: had been affected by the odor, had been
he wanted to divert the attention of The unable to use the powerful guns they carried.
Monster, lure it from the spot where Doc lay. Ham controlled himself with an effort.
He succeeded. He was directly in its He had fought with Monk, had quarreled with
path. The huge beast, its bulk rearing as high him continually. But there was real affection
as a two-story building, did not seem to between the two.
pause, but its pincers went out. “The old ape,” he said softly, and
Then Monk screamed. He had not tried to keep his voice steady. “He thought he
intended to, he didn’t want to. The shriek was was giving his life to save you, Doc.”
torn from his lips in spite of himself. The bronze man nodded. His flake
The Monster swooped him up. It gold eyes were sober. “The least we can do
leaped again. The next second, and it was is keep faith with him, and conquer The
gone. Monster,” he said quietly.
Doc Savage was on his feet and Something in his voice brought Long
running. He, alone, had not been affected by Tom’s head up sharply. He, too, was shaken,
but he tried to hide it. “You learned Swiftly, he examined the film. His
something, Doc?” he asked hopefully. low, trilling sound came suddenly.
“I do not know for sure. I think so,” Long Tom and Ham rushed to his
the bronze man said. side. “Find something, Doc?” Ham asked
A suspicion was forming in Ham’s hopefully.
mind, also, but it didn’t make sense. It looked “Something very strange,” the bronze
as though a gang of men might be wanting to man said. “This film shows The Monster as it
buy up the land in the valley, possibly approached me. The detail is perfect. It also
through Even-Swap Crowel, and were trying shows the action as the beast whirled to go
to take advantage of the terror created by after Monk.”
The Monster. He set up a small movie projector.
But there could be no valid reason “There is one other thing it shows. That is
for that. Government geologists had reported what I want you to watch for. It is a clue of
no oil formations, nor had any trace of the highest importance.”
valuable minerals ever been found in the
valley. The land was good only for farming; it
was valuable only to men like the colonists. THE colonists were not waiting for
Besides, who would want to live in further investigation by Doc. Every home was
the valley, with The Monster still running the scene of great activity. Men were loading
loose? their possessions into old cars and into
wagons. Women and children stood by, silent
and spiritless.
DOC and his men searched until The colonists were going. They were
daylight. They found no trace of Monk. abandoning their homes and the high hopes
Evidently he had not been killed at once. they had felt. The fear of The Monster had
Footprints of The Monster vanished conquered thought of all else.
abruptly a short distance from the spot where A few were hesitant. Herb Dwight
Monk had been seized. Search as they was one of these. But even his resolution
would, they could find no sign to show where had been shaken. And a number of men
it had landed again. were circulating among the colonists, relating
But as witnesses had testified the again and again the long list of victims slain
giant beast was capable of jumping great by The Monster, and telling of the
distances, this was not so surprising. It might impossibility of combating it.
have turned in any direction and the Even-Swap Crowel was one of
footprints escaped detection. these. But now, Even-Swap was making no
At dawn they returned to the big effort to trade land in Arizona for land the
plane. Ham and Long Tom were dejected. colonists were abandoning.
Doc went at once to the plane’s laboratory. He had his furniture and goods
Opening his shirt, the bronze man packed in a car surprisingly better than those
removed the small, oblong object that had used by the average colonist. He, also, was
been suspended there. It was a novel ready to leave.
camera. From it he took a long roll of film, Even-Swap saw Doc and his aids
developed it rapidly. return to their plane. The hawk-nosed man
The camera was one of Doc’s signaled sharply, and one of those who had
devising. Attached to it was a light of great been urging the colonists to lose no time in
strength, but it threw black light, not white. leaving, slipped to his side.
The film used was of the type to take Even-Swap gave crisp orders. The
photographs under infra-ray beams. other, a burly, thick-chested man with the
While Doc had been lying quietly, broken nose of an ex-prizefighter, nodded.
apparently waiting to be seized, he had in He crept close to the plane.
reality been taking pictures of The Monster. The pug was hiding near by when
The infra-ray lights had not been noticed by Doc spoke to Long Tom and Ham. His face
the giant beast. changed color abruptly. He turned and ran.
When he found Even-Swap, he talked swiftly.
Even-Swap’s face also altered; it was a quick, hissing sound. What looked like
became suffused with rage. a giant soap bubble began to form. Doc and
“I don’t like to do it, it ain’t my mob!” his men were inside the bubble.
he raged. “But we’ve got to act! We can’t The bronze man manipulated the tiny
have things spoiled now!” jets again, and the big bubble expanded
He ran to his car, grabbed a tank that more. It became a mass of foam, pressed the
had a long hose attached. The tank was fire back. Calmly, Doc stepped forward, the
heavy, but he carried it without difficulty, others at his heels.
running as rapidly as possible toward the The big bubble rolled along before
plane. him, forcing the flame back. Without hurry,
The colonists did not notice. There they walked right through the fuselage. Only
was too much confusion in the hurried the metal skeleton of the plane remained,
exodus. and part of that had melted.
As he neared the plane, Even-Swap
turned a small valve on the tank. A
tremendous sheet of flame broke from the EVEN-SWAP’S mouth dropped
end of the hose. open. He thought he was seeing things. He
Breathing heavily, Even-Swap turned had believed it impossible for anyone to
that flame on the plane. It completely escape the fiery hell he had created.
enveloped the big ship in fire. Desperately he swung the hose of
the flame-thrower so that the three men were
directly in its path. The fire stopped when it
DOC had just started to show the hit the bubble, stopped as if it had run into a
film in the movie projector. The sudden heat blank wall. The three men did not stop, they
from the flame-thrower was tremendous. came directly toward him.
Metal wing struts melted, gasoline tanks Even-Swap’s nerve broke. He
exploded. dropped the flamethrower and fled.
“Blazes!” shouted Ham. It was more Doc turned off the jets. The big
than just an exclamation. It was a literal bubble collapsed. It had been made by quick
statement of fact. The entire plane was expansion of gas compressed into the metal
ablaze. ball, the walls of the bubble being of a fire-
Chemistry and Habeas Corpus had quenching foam perfected to a degree even
been left in the plane when Doc and his higher than the foam used for fighting oil
aides made their night trip. Now the pig was blazes.
squealing in fright; the big ape was hopping Ham threw off his fire suit. He pulled
about madly, his fur smoking. out his mercy pistol, started to fire. Doc
Doc did not waste time. He ripped knocked the pistol aside.
open a small door in the laboratory, brought “The film is destroyed. This man may
out what appeared to be thin, transparent be the only clue we have left,” Doc explained
sheets. swiftly.
Ham and Long Tom knew what they
were. They grabbed them. Chemistry and
Habeas Corpus were covered first. Then they EVEN-SWAP had started to run
slipped into two suits of the transparent toward the colony. The flames from the
material. Invented by Doc long before, they burning plane had attracted the attention of
were fire suits, capable of withstanding the colonists, however, and they were
extreme heat. running toward the scene. Crowel saw he
But the heat from the flame-thrower would be trapped.
was as strong as the blast of an acetylene He turned, dashed toward the distant
blow torch. Even in the suits, the skin turned mountains. Doc raced in pursuit. Behind him
red, hair curled. Life could not long be trailed Ham and Long Tom, with Chemistry
sustained. and Habeas bringing up the rear.
Doc did not hesitate. He grabbed a
small metal ball, opened two tiny jets. There
Doc and his men were inside what looked like a giant soap bubble.
The bubble became a mass of foam, pressed the flames back.
The bronze man could have altered his course. He headed directly for the
overtaken Even-Swap at any time. He made mountains in the north.
no attempt to do so. Instead, he loafed along. The trail led upward swiftly. It wound
And he took care to keep concealed as much along for a time beside a mountain stream.
as possible. Then Crowel plunged off the beaten path,
Even-Swap cast desperate glances started to climb through thick trees.
behind. Then he decided he had thrown off Doc’s flake gold eyes glinted. There
pursuit. But he did not pause. He merely seemed no doubt but that Even-Swap was
heading for a hiding place, probably where

others of his gang were concealed. He might FAR down the mountainside, Ham
even be going toward the spot where The and Long Tom heard the sound of the shots,
Monster hid. realized that Doc must have encountered
Then came the scream. It was a opposition. They increased their speed.
woman’s scream, high and piercing. But fast as they went, they could not
Even-Swap heard it, but he did not keep up with Chemistry. The long-armed ape
stop. Rather, he redoubled his speed. Doc was very much at home in the big trees. He
did stop. He turned in the direction from swung along at a flashing clip. And he had no
which the scream had come. difficulty in following Doc’s trail.
Barbara Hughes appeared far to the Chemistry was attached to Ham. He
right. She broke into a small clearing. Her had a great adoration for Monk, and had
clothes were torn from running through trees. followed the hairy chemist around for hours.
Her eyes were wide and staring. Fear was on But he had even more respect for Doc.
her features. Probably because as an animal he could
Close behind her came several men. sense the attitude of humans, he knew that
The girl was running rapidly, but it was clear Doc was the leader, that all his men turned to
she could not escape. Her pursuers were him.
gaining with every leap. And Chemistry had been in many
Doc hesitated, but only for an instant. fights. He knew the sound of gunfire and
If he went to the girl’s rescue, Even-Swap what it meant.
would escape. He might lose the only chance As Doc neared the first of the
he had of solving the mystery of The gunmen, the man leaped up in terror, tried to
Monster. But if he didn’t go to the girl’s aid, run. He couldn’t understand why his bullets
there was no telling what might happen to had had no effect.
her. One of Doc’s arms floated out. His
The bronze man whirled; he ran hand seemed scarcely to touch the other’s
toward the girl. neck, but the man went down, the nerve at
Barbara Hughes saw him. For a the base of his brain paralyzed.
moment her face lighted with hope. Then it There were four other attackers.
changed. They were bunched. They were typical
“Run, get away!” she shouted. gangsters, hard of eye and accustomed to
One of her pursuers was almost up rough-and-tumble fights.
to her, he reached out one hand and Doc plowed into them without pause.
grabbed. Her dress ripped at the shoulder. He was met by a storm of swinging fists. Gun
She turned, raked the other’s face with her butts were in some of those fists. Others held
finger nails. The man bellowed with pain, and blackjacks.
turned her loose. The bronze man’s head appeared to
The girl’s cry had warned the others. fade back as the blows came toward him.
They saw Doc. Instantly, their tactics Gun butts and blackjacks struck only empty
changed. They paid no more attention to the air.
girl. They dropped, and pulled out guns. His two big hands caught the necks
“Save yourself, Doc Savage!” the girl of the closest gangsters. He swung their
cried. heads together with force enough to bring
The bronze man did not hesitate. quick unconsciousness.
Lead rained about him. Some of the shots The other two sought to run. Once
struck him. more Doc’s hands flicked out, pressed the
He was wearing his bullet-proof nerves at the base of their skulls. They joined
underwear. The bullets merely bounced off their companions in untroubled slumber.
harmlessly. As he ran, Doc pulled a thin cape The fight had been a brief one. But
from his pocket, and put it over his head. Even-Swap had disappeared. So had the girl.
That would protect him against being shot in Doc’s lips came together slightly.
the head. The girl had shouted a warning. She had
indicated clearly that this time, at least, she
was friendly. But she had not stayed to help it was terrible, and I was helpless. I was
or explain. watched every minute. I couldn’t call for aid.”
There came a crash of breaking tree “Tell me what happened,” Doc said.
limbs, and sounds of a scuffle. Doc raced The girl spoke swiftly. She had
toward the sound. hoped to escape from Deeter and call help
The girl had tried to run away, but for Doc and his men. Barge had prevented
she had not gotten far. She had been spotted that. He had taken her with him.
from above. “I knew that if I stood any chance of
Chemistry, looking absurdly like getting away alive, and of helping others
Monk, had one long arm about her neck, his later, I had to play along,” she said, and
furry paw over her mouth. With the other blushed. “I—I made Barge think I had fallen
arm, he had caught her just above the for him, and that I really wanted to go along
elbows, was holding her so she could not on his account.
move. “Actually, I was hoping I could learn
Now he was lumbering forward, what The Monster was, could learn some
carrying his struggling burden awkwardly. He way to save those poor people in Arcadia.”
looked very pleased with himself. “Yes?” Doc prompted.
“That will do, Chemistry,” Doc said “We went to a hide-out farther up
quietly. “You did very well.” here in the mountains,” she explained. “But
Chemistry beamed under the praise. Barge didn’t really trust me. I was
He set the girl to her feet. She was gasping, blindfolded. I only could learn a few things.”
and her face flushed with anger. “And those things?”
“Lieutenant Colonel Mayfair, I never The girl’s face paled, she started to
thought you would treat a girl so roughly—” tremble again. “Something big, something
she began. Then she turned, saw that tremendously big, is afoot, Mr. Savage,” she
Chemistry, not Monk, had been the one who breathed. “I do not know just what the full
had seized her. Her flush became scarlet. extent is, but I do know it is far beyond
“However, I think Chemistry did just anything I ever imagined before.
right,” Doc said calmly. “You have a great “There is a huge canyon, partly
many things which you might explain, which concealed by big trees, partly hidden in the
would help. Are you ready to talk?” form of a natural cave. Hundreds, possibly
The flush left the girl’s face, it thousands of men are there. I did not see
became white. Fear returned to her eyes. them, but I could hear them. Day and night
“I—I—” Sobs shook her small frame. there is the murmur of voices.”
“I—I’m afraid,” she said. “B-but, I’ll talk.” Doc looked thoughtful.
“I heard other things, too,” the girl
continued. “I heard the sound of many
Chapter XV planes, coming and going. Always there
THE GIRL’S STORY seemed some activity. The sound of those
planes could not be heard in Arcadia. I’m
“I—I REALLY am a newspaper sure, because of the mountain in between.
woman, and I was trapped, just as you were, And I”—she hesitated, seemed to shrink—” I
although they tried to make it look as if I were smelled something, something fearful.
in with them,” the girl said. Something that seemed to smell just like the
“I know,” Doc nodded. newspaper accounts of The Monster that has
The girl started. “B-but how could been killing Arcadia colonists.”
you know?” The bronze man nodded. He had
“Your city editor repeated to me the expected that. For a moment he looked at
message you sent through Deeter,” Doc said the girl without speaking, his hypnotic eyes
quietly. “You said it was ‘thirty,’ which in appeared to drill into her brain.
newspaper parlance meant the end for you.” “And the leader of all this, did you
“I should have known you would meet him?” he asked softly.
understand, but I didn’t see how you could The girl shuddered. “I—I don’t know.
ever escape from that horrible crematory. It— Perhaps. Sometimes while I was blindfolded,
I could sense someone near me, staring and closely. He noted with satisfaction that Doc
staring. I had the feeling that it was someone had removed the transparent helmet he had
I knew. But I didn’t see him. worn when charging the gunmen.
“Barge kept urging me to marry him. Doc Savage had exceptionally keen
He said that would prove I had really come ears. But even he did not hear Barge
there because of him, and that then he would Deeter’s approach. Probably that was
take off the blindfold, and that I could learn all because a mountain creek ran not far away,
there was to know. But—” She shivered drowning what noise the big man made.
violently. Had Chemistry been present, he
“And then you escaped,” Doc might have detected Barge’s presence. But
prompted. Chemistry had gone back to lead Ham and
The girl started. “Only an hour ago. Long Tom to the scene.
How stupid of me to forget that—that Hune The ape had been very proud of
helped me,” she said excitedly. “Hune was himself, and when Doc no longer noticed
one of the guards. He—he fell for me. I him, he felt he had to find an audience that
persuaded him to free me. He was afraid to would.
stay, so he came along when I ran. I know he Nor did Chemistry detect the fact that
must be hiding some place close.” he was being followed. Two men were
Doc’s flake gold eyes lighted. slipping down the mountainside behind him.
“He can tell you all you want to Barge Deeter had laid his trap well.
know,” the girl said.
THE guard, Hune, was hiding not far

DOC’S rescue of the girl had not from where the girl and Doc had been
gone unnoticed. Barge Deeter had standing. He had been afraid to appear,
discovered Barbara Hughes’s escape almost fearing Doc would mistake him for one of the
at once. As a small group went in immediate gunmen. And he had seen what happened to
pursuit, he organized a large party and those who opposed the bronze man.
followed. He could not afford to have the girl His face was sheepish as he made
free now. his presence known.
Big feet planted firmly, he watched “You have befriended Miss Hughes,”
through binoculars as Doc overcame the Doc said quietly. “For that I will have you
men who had caught up with the girl. taken care of in a befitting manner.”
His face set in crafty lines. He spoke The bronze man did not explain that
softly to the score of men with him. They what he meant was that he would have the
fanned out, drifted through the trees, man sent to his hospital in Upstate New
surrounding the spot where Doc and the girl York, where a delicate brain operation would
stood talking. remove his memory of crime, return him to
Barge Deeter took a small object the world as a good citizen.
from one pocket. He had held a similar object “I am particularly interested in what
in his hand when John Alden died at the you can tell me about The Monster,” Doc
Chicago airport. But none had seen it. And added.
none were destined to see it now. Eyes shifted in the man’s weak face.
Deeter grinned mirthlessly as he He looked about nervously, wet his lips.
slipped forward. Doc Savage had escaped “Okay, boss,” he said.
many traps. He would not be able to escape Barge Deeter lifted himself slightly in
this. the bushes where he was hiding. He raised
Despite his big feet, Deeter moved his hand containing the queer-shaped object.
silently. He was hidden close by as Doc and It was almost at that instant, that
the girl started looking for the guard who had Chemistry rejoined Ham and Long Tom. The
befriended her. lawyer and the electrician had found rough
But not having heard their going, were not making as good time as they
conversation, he did not know what they had expected.
were looking for. He waited, watching them
Chemistry bounded forward, trying to all sides, other men came into view. Barbara
talk. He made queer sounds. For a moment Hughes was trapped.
he had the spotlight—but only for a moment. “And the mighty Doc Savage falls at
Habeas Corpus, ranging on ahead, last,” Barge Deeter jeered. “At that, it was too
squealed in sudden fury. The lean porker easy for him, and The Monster will not be
darted ahead. pleased. But—”
Two men had appeared on the trail “But what?” prompted one of his
before him. They were the men sent by men.
Barge Deeter. “But we’ll take Doc along with us
Ham and Long Tom caught sight of anyway,” Barge Deeter grinned. “Even if he
them in the same instant. The dapper lawyer is dead, The Monster may like to have the
had been getting rather tired of walking; the heart of a bronze-haired man.”
prospect of action galvanized him into Barge ordered his men into action.
sudden speed. His sword cane flashed in his Doc was wrapped in a blanket, thrown over a
hand. burro that had been brought along.
Long Tom gave a yell of triumph. He,
also, bounded ahead.
The men stopped, as if surprised. Chapter XVI
Then they turned and ran. They ran at an TRAPPED
angle. They were leading Doc’s aides far
from the spot where the bronze man waited. “JIMINY, but those fellows can run!”
Ham and Long Tom did not know Long Tom panted. Ham puffed in agreement.
that, nor did they know what was happening The fellows certainly could run. But
to Doc. Long Tom and Ham were no mean sprinters
themselves. They gained slowly. Chemistry
swung along overhead, plainly irked that the
DOC’S flake gold eyes were riveted others could not move as fast as he could.
on the shifty face of the guard. The man Habeas Corpus was having difficulties. He
opened his mouth to speak. squealed angrily as he scrambled over rocks
Then it happened. and through underbrush.
The narrow glade was suddenly filled “We’ll catch up with those guys,”
with the foul, sickly sweet smell that always Long Tom breathed. “Maybe we can squeeze
indicated The Monster was near. a little of all this mystery out of them.”
The guard’s mouth opened. One There came a sound as if a giant bull
hand grasped his throat. He seemed to be whip had been snapped. Cra-a-ack!
trying to speak, but could not. He fell forward “W-what was that?” Ham spluttered.
on his face. They found out as they emerged on
The girl screamed. Her face became the edge of a deep, rock-strewn gully. The
ashen. Then her vocal cords seemed gully was at least a hundred feet deep and
affected, also. The scream cut off sharply. nearly as wide. A slender, bark-stripped tree
Doc whirled, turned in the direction was still waving in the air. Ham went back a
which the guard had been facing. He took a few yards and examined the underbrush.
step that way. “A catapult!” he yelled. “They shot
Then he, too, threw one hand to his themselves over that gully. They’ll be way
throat. His tongue protruded from his mouth. ahead of us now.” The catapult had been so
His lips worked without making a sound. constructed that it destroyed itself after it had
The big man of bronze took two been used.
more steps. He seemed to be forcing himself “Let’s go after them!” Long Tom
to go on where any other would have shouted. He started inching down the side of
dropped. the gully. It was precipitous and rocky.
Slowly his knees folded. He went Chemistry began jumping up and
down on his face. down and making weird sounds. He seemed
Barge Deeter rushed from the to have other ideas on the subject. His
bushes. The girl stood as if paralyzed. From nostrils were quivering and he kept looking
upwind, which happened to be the direction like to think about The Monster. He
to the clearing where Doc had been attacked. remembered how it had seized Monk.
Long Tom got half a dozen feet down “I wish Johnny were here,” the
the side of the gully, but the ape rushed after lawyer said suddenly.
him, pulled him back.
“Let me go, you nitwit,” Long Tom
protested.
“Wait,” Ham said. “Chemistry was
with Doc. He’s been right before on this trip.
Maybe we’d better follow him.”
CHEMISTRY led them to the

clearing where he had left Doc. There were
signs of a struggle. The body of the guard
who had befriended Barbara Hughes lay at
one side of the clearing.
Habeas Corpus squealed, tried to
run. Ham stopped him. There was a faint
odor still in the air, the odor they had first
smelled in Chicago, the same smell that
accompanied The Monster.
“He’s been killed just like John Alden
was,” Ham said. “Gosh, I wonder if they got
Doc?”
Long Tom muttered a noncommital No one would take "Johnny," whose real
answer and began pawing through a small name is William Harper Littlejohn, for a man
canvas bag he carried. He pulled out a queer of adventurous spirit. An archaeologist of
pair of glasses. The lenses were about the worldwide reputation, he seems immersed
size of small cans of condensed milk. They in his work, and his physical appearance
were black. Long Tom put them on and belies any great activity on his part.
But as part of Doc Savage's little group
began to go over the ground in slow scrutiny.
of scrappers, he's a man entirely different.
“Doc was in a fight,” he reported. “He His gaunt frame can go without
didn’t leave on his feet.” nourishment for days, at the same time
Long Tom was using the special sending forth energy and strength that are
fluoroscopic glasses developed by Doc almost unbelievable. Even those glasses,
Savage. It was a prearranged method of which serve to make him more puny--
following each other if they got separated. looking, are useful, for one lens, covering
Doc’s shoes were covered with a fluorescent an eye, is a high-powered magnifying
chemical which was invisible to the naked glass.
Throw in your lot with Doc Savage and
eye. But with the queer black glasses, his
his pals. Thrill to their adventures in this
footprints would glow like a neon sign. exciting yarn.
“No trace. They got him all right,”
Long Tom said slowly.
Ham was already moving. The trail “And Renny, too,” grumbled Long
was easy to follow. The burro that had Tom.
carried Doc Savage’s body left hoofprints in “Johnny,” really William Harper
the ground. Long Tom followed behind. He Littlejohn, another of Doc’s aides, had few
still wore the queer glasses. peers as a geologist. “Renny,” big, two-fisted
Ham muttered to himself as he Colonel John Renwick, was the engineer of
strode along. The story of The Monster’s Doc’s group. But Renny and Johnny were far
hunger for the heart of a bronze-haired man away, in distant China, working on a
kept running through his mind. Ham didn’t commercial enterprise of vast importance.
It had occurred to Ham that Johnny, “Doc got away from them somehow!”
if he were along, might be able to solve the he bellowed. “I’ve picked up Doc’s tracks!”
secret of what was so valuable in this Footprints from Doc Savage’s shoes
unsettled region. And Long Tom believed glowed under the fluoroscopic lenses. Long
Renny’s vast fighting ability might be of great Tom and Ham quickened their pace. Long
aid. Tom took the lead. The aides knew that if
Doc were free again, they could expect
action that would be favorable.
“We’re gettin’ closer,” Long Tom
exulted. “Doc seems to be takin’ his time.
The prints are getting fresher.”
The trail went through a rocky gorge.
It was narrow, and footholds were
treacherous. Halfway through the gorge, the
aides heard a harsh laugh from above them.
Ham looked up.
“Run!” he yelled. “It’s an avalanche!”
IT wasn’t an avalanche. But it was

about as effective. Huge boulders bounded
down the side of the gorge. Ham didn’t see
who had laughed up there. He just saw tons
of rocks descending. Fast sprinting got them
out from under the rocks and earth that
crashed down. But the trail behind them was
completely blocked.
When it comes to a big fellow with brains
“There’s only one way to go now,”
to match, ”Renny”—Colonel John
Renwick—fills the bill. His vocation is Ham observed.
engineering, and he has done such a good “Doc’s ahead, anyway,” Long Tom
job of it that his services are much in pointed out. “That’s the way we want to go.”
demand, even to naming his own price. Long Tom’s reasoning was sound.
As a member of Doc Savage’s little But the results were not quite what he
group, Renny’s strength and knowledge expected them to be. He turned a sharp
have proved valuable. In a fight he is a corner in the gorge. With the glasses on, he
raging tornado, using his enormous fists to couldn’t see anything except the fluorescent
deliver bone-cracking blows.
footprints of Doc’s shoes. But Ham saw
For fun, Renny smashes the wooden
panels on doors. His boast is that there is several other things.
no wooden panel built he cannot break. The first thing he noticed were Doc’s
shoes. The bronze man wasn’t in them! But a
grinning thug was!
Ham, with his interrogating legal
Ham plunged forward, whipped out
mind, kept trying to figure what goal could be
his sword cane. The grinning thug in Doc’s
behind the forces that were dealing death.
shoes went to sleep when the anaesthetic-
The answer eluded him. He expected they
tipped point of the sword touched his neck.
would find out eventually, however.
That didn’t do Ham any good. A
It was to be unpleasantly sooner
dozen hands seized him. Another dozen
than he anticipated.
grabbed for Long Tom.
“I’ve lost the trail,” Ham cried
Ham darted his cane in and out.
suddenly. The trail had run onto a stratum of
Then he dropped it and showed he could do
rock. The burrow didn’t leave hoofprints in
equally well with his fists. Long Tom was
that.
giving a swell exhibition of how an unhealthy-
Long Tom exploded with an exultant
looking man is not supposed to act.
shout.
Four men twice his size went down like African slaves being herded through a
with amazed looks on their faces. But Congo jungle.
superior numbers finally smothered him. Habeas was chained to Ham’s ankle.
Ham was smacked from behind with a club. Ordinarily, that would have annoyed the
Chemistry blundered into a wire noose dapper lawyer. But right now, he even felt
before he had a chance to get going. sympathy for the pig.
Habeas, squealing and biting, was seized in Barge led the way. They went down
a blanket. a steep trail. The trail turned. And involuntary
gasps came from Long Tom and Ham.
They were at the entrance to a huge
LONG TOM and Ham were tightly canyon. Big trees screened the top. A
bound. protruding lip of a huge cliff extended far out
“Look at that,” Ham groaned. “They over much of the canyon, making it invisible
fooled us with Doc’s own shoes.” from above.
Bronze hair showed faintly from one And under that cliff was a veritable
end of the blanket roll on the burro’s back. city. The forest of spruce and pines on the
Well-shaped, bare feet protruded from the other side hid it from almost any angle.
other side. Barge Deeter stood there,
grinning.
“Is—is he dead?” Ham could not help IT was more than a city. It was a
asking. Baghdad in Alaska. Oriental signs floated in
Deeter grinned wider. It was not a the breeze. There were bazaars on the edge
pleasant grin. of the hard-packed earthen street. Men of all
“He died too easy,” he gloated. “I nationalities, all colors, moved about the
thought he was tough. And you guys are just place.
dumb.” They seemed to have only one thing
Barge Deeter’s chest seemed to in common: The stamp of criminality was
swell. Probably he had never been quite as written on every face.
proud of himself as he was right then. Here, deep in the Alaskan wilds, but
“We heard of them trick shoes of comparatively only a few miles from Arcadia
his,” he sneered. “We knew we could grab Valley, was a gathering, a massing of
you if you followed. So now we got what’s left criminals such as none of the colonists had
of your gang.” imagined.
Ham winced at “what is left of your Ham’s mind clicked suddenly. No
gang.” The Monster had gotten Monk. The word of this vast city had ever seeped out. It
gang had killed Doc. Ham shuddered. He seemingly had been a secret also, even from
didn’t care much what happened to himself the Indians. That could mean only one thing:
now. This must be the home of The
Barbara Hughes was dragged into Monster!
view. Her face was tear-stained. “I—I’m Some parts of the legend of The
sorry,” she said, as she saw Ham’s stricken Monster had been vague. On one thing
features. “I—I tried to warn Doc, but he came particularly no one had been able to gain
to my aid.” information from the Indians. That was as to
Ham nodded. The lawyer did not ask where its den was supposed to be.
needless questions. He had never suspected The Indians had indicated merely
the girl. Only Monk had been wrong about that it was taboo, sacred ground. Much as
her. But then, Monk always was wrong about Yellowstone Park once was shunned by the
girls. Indians of the United States, who believed it
Barge Deeter took peculiar-looking the home of the gods because of the
chains and collars from a saddlebag on the geysers, so this valley had been shunned by
burro. He put the collars on Long Tom, Ham the Alaskan tribe.
and Chemistry. The collars were chained They had not reported the vast
together. They were shoved along, single file, concentration of men here because they had
not known it. None had dared visit this valley.
But the crooks had. They had moved in, had the far wall of the canyon. Munitions, war
taken possession. material of all kinds, was stored there.
Which must mean they had been It was hard to grasp at first the full
using The Monster for their own means. import of that, to realize what a huge scope
Ham’s thoughts broke off. They were of activities must be directed from this hidden
being pulled on down into the valley, the city.
vast, almost hidden canyon. Men stepped away hastily from in
front of Barge Deeter as the procession
moved along. All showed the big-shoed man
THE canyon was a seething caldron the greatest respect. But it was clear that
of activity. Two huge, amphibian transport even he was not the brain behind all this.
planes soared inside, glided down to some Occasionally, Ham or Long Tom could catch
hidden landing field. Several small, speedy the gist of some low-toned remarks.
scout planes slipped in after them. Long Tom Always it was some message to
understood, then, that it was from this spot pass along to “the boss.”
the planes had come that had attacked them The procession moved over to one
en route to Arcadia. side of the cliff. The sky came in view above
There was an excited babble in them, a perfect opening directly through the
many foreign tongues as the inhabitants of roof of the cliff. Halfway up the cliff, caves
the valley gestured toward the plane. Dark- had been constructed. But there was one
skinned Hindus, almond-eyed Chinese huge cave, well off by itself.
pointed upward. Ham caught some of the No men were near that cave. A faint,
lingo. foul, sickly sweet odor came from it.
“Soon our turn. Soon we go, too,” Ham’s face changed color. Long
some of them said. Tom started, while Habeas pulled back hard
Others were not concerned. Or on the chain that bound him to Ham, trying to
perhaps it was not their turn to go. Where run away.
they expected to go, or what they intended to Barge Deeter looked over one
do, none said. shoulder, his teeth showing in a wicked grin.
Men were gambling with all manner “Yeah, you’re right. It’s here,” he
of devices. There were card games, dice said. “You’ll see it soon enough.”
games, bird cage, roulette, faro, three-card Involuntarily, Long Tom’s eyes
monte. drifted to the still form sprawled over the
Long Tom noticed that the gamblers burro, rested for a moment on the bronze
were not using money. They were using hair almost trailing in the dust.
gems, jewels of fabulous price. One shabby- It wasn’t hard to interpret what Barge
looking man hurled a diamond tiara on the Deeter meant.
ground in the dice game. Ham gasped. They were prodded up a narrow
“The Preston tiara!” he exclaimed. “It footpath. The going was difficult. Some of the
was stolen last month!” guards came to their aid. Hampered as they
Long Tom and Ham looked more were by chains, they were stumbling.
closely at the gems piled up beside the Barge Deeter stopped suddenly,
gamblers. Doc’s aides kept track of important listening. It seemed to him there had been a
thefts. Their knowledge of them frequently faint change in the murmur of voices among
came in handy. They recognized gems stolen the thousands behind him.
all over the United States within the last few Then he shrugged. His imagination
months. must be playing him tricks.
“It’s all stolen property!” Ham The body wrapped in the blanket
gasped. “This must be a tremendous was taken from the burro, was tossed into
international clearing house of crime.” one corner of a dark cave. Ham, Long Tom,
“It’s more than that,” Long Tom Barbara Hughes and the animals, also, were
muttered. He pointed to huge piles of taken into the cave. They were bound tightly.
merchandise, and big stacks of boxes lining “Just take it easy, boys,” Barge
Deeter smirked. “You won’t be here long.
The show will start as soon as I can inform “Long time we be here, no?” the
the boss you’re here.” Oriental said. “We have paid, most of us,
Again there was a change in the huge sums. We were promised certain
murmur of voices in the valley below the things. But have those things been carried
cave. Barge’s features screwed up in a out? No!”
frown. Something funny there. He’d look into There was a murmur of approval.
it as soon as he conferred with the boss. “Instead of being taken on to our
But it couldn’t be anything serious. destination, as we were promised,” the
Of that Barge Deeter was sure. Oriental went on, “we remain here. Not only
that, but we see hundreds of others brought
here, while few leave. And we do not know
Chapter XVII that even those who leave reach their
REBELLION destination. There are rumors that many of
our brothers who have left have been killed
BARGE DEETER might not have on the way and their bodies disposed of.”
been so positive in his belief had he known The murmur of approval grew louder.
just exactly what was going on among the A hard-faced gunman stepped
packed throngs of criminals. forward. “So what?” he snapped. “The boss
The buzz of comment Barge had had to slow up for a while. He couldn’t keep
noticed seemed to center about a huge, up the game until Doc Savage had been put
cruel-appearing Oriental. The man was fat, out of the way. What did you want him to
with long-hanging jowls, and eyes that were do?”
narrow slits. He was clad in the most “We of the East have a saying,” the
expensive of silks, and the strangely shaped Oriental replied indirectly. “‘If a man giveth
cap he wore apparently indicated he was a his word, then not keep it, it is well to take it
man of rank. away from him.’”
Those of his countrymen he “Meaning what?” snapped the
addressed listened with careful attention. gunman.
His words were low, but they carried “All we have received are excuses,”
conviction. His listeners nodded their heads the Oriental evaded. “First, it was the
with increasing emphasis as he spoke. colonists. We must remain quiet until they
Several in the crowd around him drew cruel- leave. Then it is this Doc Savage. We must
shaped knives, rubbed the sides of the wait until he is dead. We do not even know if
blades reflectively on their palms. that is true, yet.”
The big Oriental spoke sharply in The gunman chuckled harshly. “The
singsong Cantonese. The knives hell we don’t. The boss has got that bronze
disappeared. devil now. We just saw his body brought in.”
Then he went on, approached “Then we may hear another excuse.”
another group. For a time, all those he talked The Oriental bowed. “Did you happen to
to were Orientals like himself. And from those think, wise one, that the boss has us, also?
he addressed, other speakers appeared. Word was brought me that the last possible
They also circulated, talked swiftly. exit by foot from this place has been blocked.
The change of tone in the near Only the birds that fly by air can leave. If the
underground city was startling. The gay, boss wished to depart, taking all our gold,
cheerful conversation ceased. A low, sullen where would we be?”
murmur took its place. Eyes grew wider, as the full
Europeans and Americans looked up significance of that soaked in. Treacherous
in wonder. Then they, too, gathered about themselves, the men could readily imagine
the big Oriental. The Oriental switched to treachery on the part of others. Argument
English that had little accent. He apparently ceased. The sullen murmur increased.
was well-educated. Even the toughest of the “But what of The Monster?” growled
European crooks listened to him with the gunman.
respect. The Oriental bowed deeper. “Does it
not occur to you, wise one,” he said softly,
“that perhaps we are to be left here to feed midway between the Far East and the United
The Monster?” States.
The murmur of the crowd changed to Many political fugitives, fleeing spies,
one of fear. Eyes flickered uneasily to that anarchists and plotters of all kinds had fled
big cave in the cliff. The picture was here for refuge, refuge that had been given
becoming plain, too plain. them on payment of much gold. World
“It was promised the heart of a rebellions were plotted here; arms and
bronze-haired man,” the gunman objected. ammunition were smuggled out of the United
“And has not received it,” the States to this depot, then transshipped to the
Oriental said. “I do not think it will ever Far East, where they would be used by wild-
receive it. We are the ones who are to feed eyed bands of fanatics.
it.” The room was like the apex of a
Fear frankly seized the ranks of his giant spider’s web; the radio waves were the
listeners, a terrible kind of fear. They could strands of that web which stretched over half
see their fate ahead of them. the world. Crime, dope-smuggling, arms-
“What’ll we do?” roared several at running, world revolutions, making and
once. “You must have a plan, or you wouldn’t breaking of empires—all were part of the
be talking.” food upon which the spider fed.
“I have,” the big Oriental said softly. And the big man in the center of the
“Get weapons ready. Walt until I give the room looked as cruel as such a spider might
word. Then act. I know how to deal with The be expected to look.
Monster.” His eyes were thin slits behind a
A roar like that of caged animals black mask. His head shot up as Barge
swept the canyon. Deeter rushed to him breathlessly.
BARGE DEETER heard that roar just

as he entered a big cave. The place was a
cave only in the sense that it had been
carved out of the cliff. Otherwise, it was the
latest word in luxury. There were expensive
rugs on the floor, fine tapestries on the walls.
The furniture was the best that money could
obtain.
From an inner room came the sharp
snap of wireless sets. It was to this room
Barge Deeter rushed.
The room would have done credit to
a broker’s office on a busy day. There were
half a score of sending and receiving sets
about the room. Men were at each of these.
Orders were being dispatched and reports
received.
From here was controlled the
network of probably the greatest criminal
organization the world had ever known. The
radio sets were in communication with
hidden stations in half a dozen countries.
Criminal jobs were planned and directed from “Something is wrong!” the man with
this room. the big feet panted.
But more than just crime was “You have Doc Savage?” the other
directed here. asked calmly.
The hidden canyon was ideally “Yes, but—”
located from a criminal point of view. It lay
“Then nothing is wrong,” the masked Had they been free, Long Tom and
man said with decision. “I know the little ones Ham would have tried to go on, would have
in the valley become impatient. But that will fought and plotted to the last in an effort to
be over. Come, we will put on a little show for wipe out this terrible plague-spot that
our playmates.” menaced the world.
He rose, led the way from the cave. But Doc was gone. And they were
captives.
Ham was watching Habeas and
HAM and Long Tom also heard the Chemistry. The lawyer’s eyes were puzzled.
sullen murmur in the valley. They did not Chemistry and Habeas both had
know what caused it, but they were sure it always thought much of Doc. He had been
boded no good for them. their favorite, even though they had been
Long Tom’s shoulders hunched. He pets of Monk and Ham.
could not keep his eyes from that blanket- Even in death, Ham had not thought
clad figure, lying so still, in the far end of the Habeas would shun the bronze man. But the
cave. pig did. He cowered back as far as his chain
Doc Savage was dead. The bronze would permit, just as far away from that still
man had come to the end of his trail at last in body as he could get.
this out-of-the-way Alaskan wilderness. His Chemistry showed no fear. But
bronze hair hung from one end of that neither did he show interest. He seemed far
blanket. more concerned with the iron collar about his
For a time, the electrician had neck.
watched that form hopefully. He had seen A strange thought stirred through
Doc Savage pull too many miraculous Ham’s mind.
escapes to give up easily. At any moment he
had expected Doc to come free, aid them to
escape. IT was at that moment that the sullen
But that still form had not moved. murmur below changed in tone.
Tears were in Long Tom’s eyes, although he Yells rang out. Somewhere a gun
tried not to show them. barked. That seemed to be a signal. In a
The evidence was too strong, and moment there was the sound of fierce
Barbara Hughes had insisted that she had fighting.
seen Doc killed in the forest clearing. He had Two men ran into the darkened cave.
died even as John Alden had died. One of them was Barge Deeter. The other
Barbara Hughes had told her story. wore a black mask.
Coupled with what they had seen The man with the mask held a knife
themselves, Ham and Long Tom had a clear in his hand. “We’ll take him to The Monster at
picture of the set-up. They could understand once!” the masked man rasped. “That will
why they had been attacked in Chicago, why quiet those fools.”
such strong efforts had been made to keep “Be careful!” Deeter shrieked. “Even
them from Arcadia. if he is dead, take no chances!”
But they were helpless. The fiendish “I intend to take none!” the other
cunning of their foe for once had been too snapped. The knife in his hand lifted. Time
great. Doc was dead. Monk was dead. And after time, it came down in a very fury of
the vast criminal set-up would run on motion. It was streaked with crimson from the
unhindered. A worthwhile project, the Arcadia blanket-wrapped man’s body.
Valley settlement, had been ended. Colonists Long Tom moaned and hid his eyes.
had been run out. The next second he opened them.
All that, they had to charge against Ham had given a loud yell of jubilation.
the chief criminal, the brains behind this The masked man had cut the blanket
hidden city. off the body it contained, had yanked that
Who that criminal was, how he body toward the mouth of the cave. Light
controlled The Monster, they did not know. struck it fairly. Ham understood now why
Chemistry had shown no interest.
“Doc!” yelled Ham.

“We’re safe,” breathed Barbara
Hughes.
“And we’re going to lick ‘em yet!”
Long Tom bubbled.
A big, fat oriental glided into the room as the masked The big Oriental moved forward;
man pursued the other. He had cruel, thin eyes, and swiftly he worked at the iron collar about the
long-hanging jowls. lawyer’s neck.
Doc’s reappearance was not as
The body had bronze hair. But it was supernatural as it seemed. In fact, there was
not that of Doc Savage! nothing miraculous about it.
An oath ripped from Barge Deeter. The bronze man long before had
The masked man was terrible in his wrath. solved the method by which John Alden had
He rushed at Deeter, seemed for a moment been killed, and had perfected a way to balk
about to use the crimson-stained knife on the it.
man with the big feet. Doc had examined John Alden’s
Deeter screamed, ran frantically. body in Chicago much more closely than any
“Fool!” howled the masked man. He of his distinguished medical associates. His
leaped in pursuit. keen eyes had detected the tiny, almost
invisible puncture in John Alden’s throat.
The method of death had been plain.
A BIG, fat Oriental, dressed in A tiny dart had been shot into that throat. At
expensive silken robes, wearing a cap that the same time, an odor had been released
denoted high rank, glided into the room. The that resembled that of The Monster. The dart
man had cruel, thin eyes, and long-hanging had been dipped in quick-acting poison. It
jowls. had paralyzed the vocal cords first, producing
“Ham? Long Tom?” he asked softly. symptoms similar to those effected by The
Monster’s odor. Then the poison had brought The bronze man did not move. He
death. could probably have reached his opponent.
A dart had struck Doc’s throat, fired But that would do no good if those bombs
from the Oriental weapon held in Barge were hurled. Doc would escape. Ham could
Deeter’s hand. But a thin, flesh-colored probably get away.
wrapping had been about Doc’s throat. The But Long Tom was still a captive.
wrapping could have stopped a bullet. The The girl was tied. So were Chemistry and
dart had glanced off harmlessly. Doc had Habeas. Some, inevitably, would be killed.
permitted himself to be taken prisoner to Outside, the roar of battle grew
learn the route to the hideout. louder.
Escaping had been no great feat. “What do you wish me to do?” Doc
Barge and his men had stopped to rest said calmly.
several times en route up the mountains, “Just walk right out,” the masked
leaving only one man to guard the burro and man gritted. “Keep your arms high over your
its burden. Doc had merely traded places head.”
with the guard; a chemical had changed the A dozen men poured on Doc when
guard’s hair to a bronze color. The guard had he reached the door of the cave, tied him
been unconscious, but alive, until the securely. He made no resistance.
masked man had killed him. The masked man seemed to know
When the city came into view, Doc just what he wanted to do. While others
had slipped ahead, changed his disguise. again tied Ham, and brought him along with
This the bronze man explained Long Tom and Barbara Hughes, the man
swiftly. The iron collar came free from Ham’s with the black mask led the way at a rapid
neck. pace toward a level spot on the cliff.
Doc turned toward Long Tom.
“Hold it, Doc Savage! You’re
trapped!” BELOW were seething thousands.
The bronze man whirled. His low Some had already started to storm the cliff.
trilling sound came, filled the cave, tuneless Men with submachine guns were on
but penetrating. Ham and Long Tom top of the cliff, were raining lead into the
moaned. Barbara Hughes slumped in massed throngs beneath them.
resignation. The slaughter was terrific.
A tall, black-masked man stood in But Orientals were in the vanguard of
the doorway. Behind him was Barge Deeter. the attack. They were the ones Doc had first
Each held two Mills bombs in their hands. talked with in his disguise as a Mandarin. His
“This room is equipped with a words had carried weight.
dictograph,” the masked man said silkily. “I Orientals are fatalists. They do not
heard all you said here. Try to move, and we fear death, they came on, despite the terrible
will throw these bombs. I assure you that you havoc wreaked in their ranks. By pure weight
cannot escape.” of numbers, it was apparent that sooner or
later they would reach the top of the cliff.
The masked man could picture what
Chapter XVIII would happen then. His face quivered
BACK FROM THE DEAD beneath the black cloth.
He caught Doc Savage, thrust him
DOC SAVAGE stood tense, muscles before him like a shield, pulled him to the
coiled, ready for instant action. edge of the cliff. A small microphone was
“Take him, Doc,” pleaded Long Tom. thrust into his fist by Barge Deeter.
The electrician’s features looked more “Halt!” he roared. His voice was
unhealthy than ever before. In an instant his magnified a thousand times, echoed through
hopes had been smashed. The chance of the canyon. The very unexpectedness of it
conquering The Monster, of wiping out this caused fighters to ease trigger fingers.
hell-hole had gone. Silence fell. Eyes turned upward.
There they saw, apparently, a big, fat Here they had found peace—for a
Oriental, the one who had stirred them into little time—until the terror came. Hope had
revolt. risen again with the arrival of Doc Savage.
“I have Doc Savage!” the voice That hope had died, too.
roared on. “He was the one who misled you! Only a twisted mass of metal
Now he is to die! Look!” remained of the bronze man’s plane. The
Gunmen reached forward, tore the bronze man himself and his aides had
Oriental disguise from Doc. He stood forth, vanished as utterly as if The Monster had
his magnificent bronze frame upright, his swallowed all of them.
features calm. Herb Dwight’s eyes were misty and
Startled exclamations came from the he turned for one last look at the home where
packed ranks beneath. There was a sigh, he had expected to spend his declining years
almost of awe. Every one in those ranks had in peace and happiness. He gulped, pressed
heard of Doc Savage, feared him. None, his wife’s hand tightly.
really, could picture the bronze man being a The Arcadia Valley project had been
prisoner, even though Barge Deeter had said a worthy one. Now it was all over. It had
he had been captured. been crushed by man’s greed.
But there he was. Plainly a captive. But Herb Dwight did not know that.
And he was in the hands of the boss. That He did not know of the events occurring in
meant he would be fed to The Monster. The the hidden valley. He only knew that hope
threat the fake Oriental had warned about was gone.
lost its force. All knew that when The Monster In the cities, men were shaking their
fed on the heart of a bronze-haired man, it heads as they read of the latest appearance
would no longer terrorize any one. of The Monster. An element of doubt had
Cheers rang from the thousands crept into the stories now. It seemed that
below where oaths and bullets had someone—no one appeared to know just
resounded only seconds before. who—had given out a story that The Monster
Tension relaxed in the masked was just an invention of the colonists.
man’s frame. He had gambled, and he had According to this story, the colonists
won. Confidently he stepped forward, lifted really hadn’t liked the project, had been
the microphone again. His voice rolled forth. hunting for excuses to get out. They had
“I do not know what lies you were concocted a weird tale, and even had
told to cause you to revolt, but you can see convinced the press of it for days. Actually,
your fears were needless!” he bellowed. the mysterious authority went on, the
“The peril we faced—the peril of the colonists were ungrateful for all the
bronze devil—is past. In just a few moments government had done for them.
you will have the pleasure of seeing him die.” The man with the black mask might
He paused dramatically. “You will have explained that report if he had wished.
have the pleasure of watching him being fed He had issued orders to a big battery of
to The Monster!” press agents to see that it was circulated.
A tremendous burst of sound came Not content with depriving the colonists of
from the throats of the packed thousands. It their homes, he wished to make them appear
was the sound of a giant wolf pack, scenting ungrateful as well.
a kill. It was a roar to chill the blood. But there was a reason for that. With
Ham and Long Tom looked uneasy. Doc Savage in his hands and the colonists
Doc’s expression did not change. He seemed gone, he wanted the story of The Monster to
aloof, unworried. disappear from the press. He wanted no
more investigation.
“Just a bunch of bums,” men were
NOT many miles away, the last of sneering to their neighbors as they heard the
the Arcadia Valley colonists were pulling out colonists were leaving their homes for no
from the place they had once called home. reason at all. “Here they had a chance to live
They left sorrowfully, even though fear better than we do, and they run off.”
tugged at their hearts.
The fleeing colonists didn’t know tricks. You are my friends; I would not fool
that, either. But some of them knew there you!”
was such a beast. They had seen it. “He would fool every one, if he
could!” the loudspeakers echoed.
Men grabbed Doc and his aides,
THE men in the hidden valley knew forced them up the path that led toward the
there was a Monster, also. They had seen it big den—the den where The Monster lived.
slip from its lair, huge and loathsome, while And then a strange thing occurred.
storms raged. They had smelled its horrible A figure raced from that den. It was a
odor, had seen remains of its victims. hairy figure, with long arms that reached
“We have won!” the masked man almost to the ground as it sped along with a
was shrilling happily. “Planes will soon speed queer, shuffling gait. Tiny eyes, almost
out of here again.” He had an attentive hidden in pits of gristle, gleamed redly.
audience and was making the most of it. It was Monk!
“Those of you who paid to be taken to the “I’ve solved it!” the hairy chemist
United States will be taken there. Arms and shouted. “I’ve solved it!”
guns that we have been forced to keep here, Then all hell broke loose.
will be sent on to their destination. The
uprising in Asia can come off as planned.” He
paused, shouted loudly. Chapter XIX
“And all because of The Monster!” THE MONSTER DINES
“Who in reality is no monster at all!”
The masked man jumped as if a THE masked man was really to
sword had been thrust into him. The last blame. The crowd below surged forward at
words had thundered out of the microphone, the unexpected appearance of Monk. The
had crashed into the valley through the loud- masked man lost his head. He thought the
speaker. They had come in his voice. packed thousands were attacking. He
But he had not spoken them! shouted an order.
Doc Savage stood silent. But Ham Gunmen lining the cliff turned loose
and Long Tom gulped suddenly. The bronze with submachine guns.
man’s ventriloquism was at work again. Nothing could have prevented the
“I have fooled you with my fake terrible massacre after that. Doc’s words
monster, even as I fooled the colonists of were still ringing in the ears of the crooks.
Arcadia Valley,” the voice went on. The The firing of the machine guns bore out those
masked man’s face was purple under the words.
black cloth. A horrible, screeching wail burst from
“I trick every one, even my friends. I their throats.
have told you no one could escape The They rushed forward.
Monster. That is not so.” The masked man saw that he had
The masked man whirled. He had lost. Barge Deeter was already running as
fathomed the secret of the strange voice. He fast as he could. The masked man whirled,
also knew that Doc was one of the world’s pulled out a gun, looked for Doc.
greatest when it came to imitating and The bronze man was no longer
throwing voices. there.
“Fools!” he shrieked. “It is the bronze With the speed of light the bronze
man speaking, not I! And I shall show you he man’s hands had come free. He loosed Ham
lies!” in almost the same instant, pushed tools into
A puzzled murmuring came from Ham’s fists. The dapper lawyer understood.
beneath. Some of those in the crowd below As Doc ripped free the bonds that
were remembering things that made it seem had held Barbara Hughes, Ham attacked the
Doc Savage might have spoken the truth. iron collar about Long Tom’s neck.
“No one can escape The Monster!” Monk rushed up, his homely face
the masked man howled. “And I plan no alight. Ham scarcely glanced at him. Far be it
from him to let Monk know how much he had
worried when he had thought the chemist Corpus, was carrying the pig so he could
dead. make better time.
Doc dived back up the path, up Then Doc stopped. He was almost to
toward the den where The Monster lived. the open den of The Monster. And he was
The masked man did not see him. directly under the peculiar open space there
He howled with rage, rushed into a small that led up to the sky, the open space The
cave. He pulled a lever there. Monster used when it made its raids.
A horrible, foul, sickly sweet odor
flooded the canyon suddenly.
Shrieks and screams came from the AN incredulous gasp came from the
charging thousands. For a moment they girl. Doc was going straight up into the air!
paused. Their voices stopped, as the deadly The bronze man seemed to be
effect of that odor went to work, paralyzing floating upward at first. Then the girl saw that
their vocal cords. his arms and legs were moving. As she came
Then the second effect of the odor closer, she understood why.
was apparent. It exerted its peculiar, hypnotic Doc was climbing a cable. That cable
spell. It attracted its victims, made them had been so painted that it was practically
come right toward it. invisible. It led high up into the air.
A sob came from the masked man. Even Long Tom and Ham showed
He had forgotten that, had thought only of surprise when they saw what was there.
stopping the mob. A small dirigible floated gently in the
sky.
Monk grinned, started to speak, but
DOC caught a whiff of the peculiar there was no time. Men, peering from the
scent. His hands darted to the belt about his dirigible, watching the fight below, had
waist, yanked out several small cylinders. A spotted Doc. The bronze man might need
hissing sound came. Gas poured from the help. The hairy chemist went up the cable as
miniature tanks in Doc’s hands. Others of his easily as did Chemistry immediately behind
group, who had temporarily been under the him.
spell of the sweet odor, snapped back to life. Doc needed no help. While a still-
They raced after him. startled crew was wondering if it was seeing
Doc had long ago solved the secret things, the bronze man landed among them.
of The Monster’s odor, had prepared an Time was short. The howling mob would
antidote. That antidote neutralized the queer reach the others on the ground in the space
effects of The Monster’s smell. of seconds.
A terrible, frantic scream came from So Doc wasted no time. His long
behind them. arms floated out, his iron-cabled fists
Ham looked over one shoulder; his smashed into jaws. A gun was pulled from
face blanched. one killer’s hand; the killer himself almost
The mob had reached the top of the went off the dirigible in trying to catch his
cliff, had reached the masked man. balance. Doc’s fingers caught him at the
Even as Ham looked, the mask was base of the skull before he could move.
torn from the man’s face, his clothing was The others gave up. They could not
ripped from his body. In less than seconds withstand the bronze demon who seemed
the man was literally torn apart by the fear- everywhere at once.
maddened throng. When Monk and Chemistry arrived,
Ham gulped. He had recognized that the fighting was over.
man. He had known him. They wasted no time in conversation.
Doc was running ahead, sure- Ropes were dropped; Ham fastened Barbara
footedly, and as if he knew exactly where he Hughes to one end, put Habeas in her arms.
was going. Long Tom, Monk and Barbara They were whisked aboard. Then Ham and
Hughes wondered at that, but did not Long Tom came up, hand over hand.
question. They followed him as fast as they
could. Chemistry had picked up Habeas
Beneath them, a fear-stricken man was a huge, monstrous shape. It was in the
ran by, dived into the den where The Monster shape of a giant spider. It had eight legs.
was. It swung from beneath the dirigible
It was Barge Deeter. by long cables. It had been whipped out of its
“And—and all the time I thought he den as the dirigible rose.
might be the real criminal,” the girl said. “A fake,” Monk explained. “Built like
“No,” corrected Doc. “He was only a Hollywood builds freak prehistoric beasts,
lieutenant. The real villain was Soung this thing hung from under the dirigible. Men
Percill.” were inside it, could talk by telephone to
those in the dirigible.”
“Then that explains why it fled when
THE cable holding the dirigible was the Very light went on,” Ham gasped. “The
cut loose, slowly the big gas bag rose into men were afraid we would see the cables
the air. Doc and his men had a dirigible of and know it was a fake.”
their own. They had no difficulty in operating “It explains many things,” Doc said
this one. quietly. “It explains why it could only be used
“How did you know it was Soung in a storm, when thunder hid the sound of the
Percill?” the girl asked when the first rush of dirigible’s motors, and also let the dirigible
work was over. hide in the clouds. During the World War,
“His escape on the way to the German dirigibles used the same principle,
crematory was obviously faked,” Doc said. lowering observation cars beneath clouds,
“He wanted to be thought dead in case you while the dirigible itself remained hidden
ever returned to Chicago, and Barge Deeter above.”
did not want to kill you. And, also, Percill was “And that guy that got killed when
afraid Johnny and Renny might come after you were staked down, the one with the
him if they thought he had killed me. portable radio, he had been sending
“If everything quieted down later, he messages, telling The Monster when to
could reappear and say he had been come,” Monk explained. “They weren’t afraid
kidnapped. I recognized his voice when of the Indians; they left this valley alone. But
orders were given from the observation room white men pay no attention to superstition,
of the crematory. He probably came in and it was only a question of time until some
aboard the same plane you did, but remained colonist learned what was going on. They
out of sight.” had to drive the colonists out.”
“And he had been a mysterious “But—but the odor,” the girl
figure in New York’s Chinatown for some exclaimed.
time,” Long Tom put in. “We all knew that. Ham looked out a window of the
His pretense at being an archaeologist was dirigible. His face turned green suddenly, he
only a screen. Half Oriental, half white, he walked away. Monk looked at him curiously.
combined the worst features of both. It is “Doc, I think, figured that out quick,”
easy to see he was plotting to get his grip on Monk said.
Asia, probably intended to foment rebellions The bronze man nodded. “A
there with his crook army, and establish combination of chemicals was used,” he
himself as an emperor.” explained. “Musk was one, which attracted
The girl sighed. “It—it has all been so Chemistry. A nauseous gas was another.
fast, it is hard to think.” Her eyes fell on The third was new, is used by physicians
Monk, and she gulped suddenly. when they wish to hypnotize patients
“B-but where did you come from?” preparatory to operations.”
“Seized by The Monster,” Monk “And you knew what it was all
grinned, “but they decided to let me live. along?” the girl asked.
They thought they might use me as a trading “Soung Percill was the real monster,”
basis if Doc got too tough for them.” Doc said softly. “He terrorized a colony of
“But, what—” worthy people. Yes, the hair that John Alden
Monk led her to the window of the sent was the real clue. John Alden mailed
dirigible, pointed below. Far beneath them, that from Salt Lake City with his letter telling
what he had seen. Barge Deeter made A body was half in, half out the jaws
repeated efforts to regain it.” of The Monster. Those jaws could work
Ham gulped. He thought that rather without injuring the victim, but they could also
an understatement. rend and tear. Mangling machinery had been
There was silence for a moment. installed there by Soung Percill.
Thoughts turned to the colonists. Those Barge Deeter had known The
colonists would be back in their homes by Monster would be lifted up, would float from
tomorrow, safe and happy again. They would the valley of hell; he had tried to climb inside
have their chance for real, wholesome lives. the fake beast. Somehow, he had tripped the
The criminals, those who had not killed each mangling machinery. His body was horribly
other, were trapped in the hidden canyon. torn.
Federal men would pick them up. The sunlight flashed briefly through
Long Tom sighed happily. The case his yellow hair.
was over. For a moment, that hair appeared
“And Barge Deeter, I wonder what bronze.
became of him?” the girl said reflectively. The Indian legend had been borne
Doc Savage did not reply. He was out. The Monster had seized a bronze-haired
operating the dirigible. Perhaps that was the man. It would never bother Arcadia Valley
reason. But Ham thought there was another again.
reason. He gulped, glanced once more out
the window at the huge, lumbering shape of
the mechanical monster, dangling beneath THE END
them.
DEVIL ON THE MOON

An exciting novel, complete in the next issue of Doc Savage, Doc and his
companions battling a new menace that strikes from the sky. The
diabolical nature can be revealed only in the reading of it—so don't miss
the next issue of
DOC SAVAGE
Ten Cents—At All News Stands

060 - The Mountain Moster

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THE MOUNTAIN MONSTER

A Doc Savage Adventure by Kenneth Robeson

The Mountain Monster

COLD rain whipped into Alden’s

JOHN ALDEN and Buck Dixon did

AT San Francisco, Alden tried to

speak on the subject of “The Landular NEW MONSTER SEEN

Four Arcadia Valley men had been Chapter IV

"Monk" is the chemist of Doc

A yell came from Barge Deeter. “I permitted you to lead us here in

“I followed a tip, and found Deeter Barbara Hughes looked on amazed.

found it on the lawn less than half an hour

had something unpleasant in mind. But he Then a submachine gun spoke.

“He did,” the operator said

Monk frowned. “Now that’s all over,” Blam! Blam!

The shouting Indians did not know Even-Swap Crowel snorted

heading for a hiding place, probably where

THE guard, Hune, was hiding not far

CHEMISTRY led them to the

IT wasn’t an avalanche. But it was

BARGE DEETER heard that roar just

“Doc!” yelled Ham.

DEVIL ON THE MOON

Ten Cents—At All News Stands

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