Author: Kenneth Robeson
Date: 2011-04-26 23:22:09+00:00

TARGET FOR DEATH

A Doc Savage Adventure by Kenneth Robeson Originally published in Doc Savage Magazine January 1947

2

DOC SAVAGE

Chapter I
thing became a deadly buzz-bomb of a thing that was going to be tossed in somebody’s THE mystery, really, began long before lap.

Lieutenant Treat checked into the hotel ad-Lieutenant Treat had just signed the joining Waikiki Beach, which is in the suburbs register of the famous beach hotel and was of Honolulu. But Lieutenant Treat’s arrival, assigned a room.

strangely, set off the spark that started the fuse sizzling, and from then on the entire

TARGET FOR DEATH

3

The clerk said, “Are you expecting any He disappeared beyond a rack along-mail, Lieutenant?” The clerk was a good-side the marble counter. He returned in a looking young man and he put a smile on his moment. He shook his head. “Sorry, Lieuten-clean features which made him even more ant . . .”

handsome.

“Phone calls?” asked the arrival hope-

“Yes,” said Lieutenant Treat. Then, in fully. “There should have been one from a an almost tense, expectant manner, “Yes, I gentleman named Randall . . . Richard Ran-am! I’d appreciate it if you’d look for me—”

dall?”

“Of course,” offered the room clerk with The young clerk again shook his head.

more willingness than usual.

4

DOC SAVAGE

“There are no advance mail or mes-She could hardly wait until the bellhop sages of any kind, Lieutenant. Sorry.” He had disappeared with his tip, the door closed beamed again. “I’ll call you, however, if any-behind him. Then, with a little cry of joy, Lieu-thing comes in. Right away.”

tenant Treat flung her cap on the bed, re-

“Thank you.”

moved her uniform blouse and dived toward

“It’s a pleasure, Lieutenant.”

the array of parcels.

Even before Pearl Harbor, no hotel The dress, of course! Three years, clerk had ever gone out of his way to be so now, since she had worn a dress. She took attentive. But then it wasn’t every day that the dress from the box—a gay print—and you met a girl as breathtaking as Lieutenant rushed to the long mirror on the vanity, hold-Treat.

ing the dress up before her dainty figure.

The clerk, standing behind the counter, She stared at her image in the mirror, cupped his chin in his hand and, dreamy-cocked her head jauntily and said, “Hi, Sally eyed, watched Lieutenant Treat move toward Treat!” No more military stuff, no more tiring the elevators. He liked the way she walked.

months of work. That was finally over.

He liked the trim, perfect fit of her navy Now
there
was
just
home—the
nurse’s uniform. She was really an extra-Mainland—and there was just Rick!

special kind of brunette with the most won-The smile dropped from her face. She drous big brown eyes he had ever seen!

put the dress down and hurried to the tele-The Filipino bellhop attending her was phone.

loaded down with parcels that indicated the Funny about Rick Randall. Before special brunette must have just completed a she’d left Manila, a few days ago, to fly on glorious shopping spree. That’s right, the here to Honolulu, she’d had the lengthy cable clerk recalled as he floated back to earth, she from Rick. All their plans were made. By the had mentioned it as she registered.

time she arrived here at the hotel, he’d said

“Gosh, it’s wonderful,” Lieutenant Treat in the message, he’d be ready, to leave with had sighed as she stood there, turning to her for the States. He, too, was finally getting glance out toward a wide veranda that over-his discharge. They’d fly back together.

looked Waikiki.

Rick had known her plans exactly. He’d

“Isn’t it, though?” the young clerk had even said he’d be here at the hotel waiting also sighed, looking at her wide brown eyes.

for her, when she got in.

“Today’s the day,” she had added. “I’m And now, the clerk said there was no out . . . finished . . . discharged.” She had message.

sighed again. “Gosh, it’s wonderful. I’ll be Oh, well . . . perhaps he’d been tied up able to wear real clothes again!”

at the last minute.

Women sure were funny, the clerk de-Nevertheless, because she was so cided. What she was wearing right then anxious to see him again, she called the ho-looked perfectly swell to him. The uniform tel information clerk. Yes, she’d just checked molded her small, shapely figure like a glove.

the desk to see if there was any mail or a The round, white hat made a halo for her message, but she was calling again to be beautiful, darkly shining hair. The white collar certain. Had a Mr. Richard Randall tele-visible at her neck framed her charming, phoned her?

smooth throat.

The information clerk reported no calls The elevator doors closed.

or messages. “We’ll ring you immediately, In the wide, spacious, second-floor don’t worry, Lieutenant,” the girl said.

room, Lieutenant Treat waited until the native Sally hung up. Well, she busied herself bellboy finished trying lights, opening the sorting out all the new things she’d bought.

long French windows, adjusting the bamboo Surely Rick would be calling any minute.

shutters. A fresh, pleasant breeze came in There was a knock on the room door.

from the Pacific.

Sally Treat’s heart jumped with expec-She stepped to the open doors. There tancy. Rick! Who else? She flashed across was a balcony just outside, and in large the room and flung open the door.

flower boxes lining the rail flowers were a riot The pleasant-faced room clerk in the of bright colors. Beyond, through the palms, white linen suit stood there.

she could see Diamond Head. It’s all so

“Oh,” Sally said, her tone tumbling wonderful, she thought.

down the scale.

TARGET FOR DEATH

5

The tall young clerk held a long white River town so many, many miles from here.

envelope in his hand. The smile started to But now the words on the brief note puzzled leave his fact, but swiftly returned again as her. It sounded as if Uncle Jonathan weren’t Sally caught herself and hid her disappoint-there in Ohio at all. And just where he was ment at not finding Rick standing there.

seemed to be a question. As a matter of fact,

“For you,” the clerk said, handing her the whole letter was puzzling. It read: the envelope.

She saw her name and the hotel ad-I’ve learned you are leaving by clipper dress written on the envelope, but it had not for Honolulu tonight. It is impossible for me come via mail. It was not Rick’s handwriting, to see you. Also, it would be too dangerous to either. “
try to deliver this letter to you here. It will But—” she started.

“
arrive via special messenger in Honolulu.

I’m terribly sorry,” the clerk offered.

“

I understand you are on your way home Sorry?”

“Yes, this letter was here for you all the to the states. You’re a very sensible girl, time, but I didn’t know about it. You see, it Sally, and the only person I dare trust. Dewas in the safe.”

liver the enclosed envelope to Cousin James Surprise widened Sally’s big brown just as fast as possible. Tell no one you have eyes.

heard from me. Do not mention this letter to

“The safe?”

a soul. Remember, this is important.

“The manager told me,” said the young Be careful . . . be very careful, my child.

man. “He saw your name just now on the Affectionately, register, and then he got the letter and asked JONATHAN TREAT
me to bring it up here personally.”

“

But . . . but why the safe?”

“

Reading the letter for the third time, it It must be pretty important, I guess.”

became clear to her that Jonathan Treat She was puzzled.

“
must have been right there in Manila before Well—” She looked at the large enve-she left. What was he doing there, and why lope, then at the clerk. She gave him a sweet had he been unable to see her?

smile. “Well, thank you very much.”

The whole message made her uneasy.

The clerk went back along the hall as if

“Be careful,” he warned. She couldn’t under-he were walking down an aisle to the tune of stand it.

the Wedding March.

Sally looked at the second, smaller envelope, the name written on the front. “James Treat.” She remembered the relative, a IN the privacy of her room, Sally ripped bachelor, much younger than wealthy Jona-the envelope open. The handwriting on the than, a strange sort of person who had never envelope still puzzled her. Inside, she found mingled very much with the family. She a second, smaller sealed envelope around hardly knew him.

which was folded a large sheet of writing pa-She turned the envelope over, stared per. The loose sheet contained writing in a at it, placed it on the dresser and stood star-man’s firm, large hand.

ing at it. And it was like staring at a gift The
letter
started,

“My dearest marked “Do Not Open Until Xmas.” You niece . . .”

wanted to know what was inside. Curiosity Sally quickly glanced down to the sig-took hold of her. She fingered the envelope nature at the bottom of the page.

“
again. No, she decided. No, that wouldn’t be Jonathan Treat” was the name she right. She shouldn’t open the second enve-found there.

lope.

Her uncle! She hadn’t heard from him Sally left it there and continued chang-in years. Why in the world wealthy Jonathan ing from her smart uniform to civvies. She Treat would be writing to a poor relation like turned her thoughts back to Rick Randall.

her. . . .

She could hardly wait to see him. . . .

She started to read the letter. The last Still he had not called when she had she’d heard of Uncle Jonathan, during the finished dressing. She even delayed before war years, he’d been living quietly in retire-the vanity, fussing with her makeup, killing ment in the old Treat mansion in the Ohio 6

DOC SAVAGE
time. She’d called the information desk twice Bureau drawers stood open. Even the closet again. They would begin to think she was doors.

desperate for a boy friend.

One thing startled her as her wide-Disappointment was a nasty worm eyed gaze paused on the dresser. Jonathan crawling around inside her. She’d felt so gay Treat’s personal note to herself—the note and carefree and wonderful in the new dress, giving instructions about the sealed letter—new shoes, new everything. She wanted Rick was gone! Someone had found it!

to see her.

Her first impulse was to call the man-She was restless. She couldn’t just ager and report the entrance to her room.

wait here like this. She had to do something.

She understood how easily the thieves had At least, she could go downstairs and wait in gained admittance. The open French doors the lobby. Picking up her new white purse leading to the balcony, of course. There was she started for the door.

a stairway out there that led to the wide ve-Heavens, the letter! She’d almost over-randa below. She’d noted it.

looked it. She started to lock it up in her trav-She had even started to pick up the eling bag, then paused. “Be careful . . . be phone when she paused. The warning came very careful!” Jonathan Treat had warned.

to her mind. Jonathan Treat’s warning: “Tell Disturbed, she stood there biting her lip.

no one you have heard from me.”

Finally she folded the small envelope The sealed letter, naturally! They’d carefully and slipped it down the neck of her been after that. Luckily she had carried it with dress. She’d carry it right with her, then she’d her, and all they had found was the note writ-be sure.

ten to herself.

Off the hallway outside her room, she She stiffened.

found a wide flight of stairs that led to the Whoever had been here in her room lobby. She went down, bought an evening now knew that she had the letter on her per-paper and sat there. She found that she son. The thought frightened her. Perhaps couldn’t read, however. She was too excited.

they’d return, or follow her. Anything could Her gaze kept going from the desk to the happen!

main street entrance to the lobby.

Rick Randall!

Finally, feeling conspicuous sitting Rick was the one person she could tell.

there as though she were all alone on an oa-He’d know what to do. Sally decided to wait sis, she got up and walked into the cocktail no longer for word from him. She picked up bar. She spent almost half an hour idling over the phone and put through a call to Schofield a single cocktail. Then she went back to the Barracks. She stated that she wanted to desk.

speak to Captain Randall. It was very, very The young, good-looking clerk had important!

gone off duty. The shifts had changed, she She waited.

quickly noted. Perhaps they’d overlooked Finally, she was told: “We’re trying to informing her of any message. She gave her locate Captain Randall. Can we have him call name and asked again.

you?”

No, she was told, there was nothing . .

She thought. She couldn’t wait here.

. nothing at all.

She was too nervous and upset. Quickly, she She felt miserable as she returned to stated her name. “If you do find him, tell him her room. Unlocking the door, she moved I’m on my way out there. Have him wait!”

inside, pushed the door slowly closed and She hung up.

stood staring into space. She simply couldn’t Looking uneasily at the open French understand about Rick. His plans, in the ca-windows, she went hurriedly across the ble, had been so precise and definite . . .

room, closed the long narrow doors to the Then she gasped.

balcony and locked them. Then she went out Her room, literally, had been torn apart!

and locked the room door securely behind her.

HER regulation service bag and new suitcase lay open on the bed. Clothes were TRAFFIC was fairly heavy outside the strewn all over the place. Her new things, the hotel. Honolulu, even since the war, was packages, had all been torn open hastily.

packed with people from all over the world.

TARGET FOR DEATH

7

Taxicabs were at a premium. There wasn’t a leaning forward a little as he did so. He said, one in sight.

“You don’t try anything, girlie. You don’t act As she waited at the curb, searching up and you don’t get hurt.”

up and down, a car pulled away from the op-He let his dark, quick eyes shift mo-posite side of the street. It made a U-turn and mentarily to his knees, and she followed the stopped near her at the curb. The driver movement of his eyes, as he intended her to leaned across the front seat and spoke to do.

her.

The gun was in his right hand, held

“Cab, lady?”

down between his knees so that it would be She hesitated. “Is this a taxicab?” She unnoticeable at a casual glance.

saw no name on the side of the cab.

Her heart leaped.

The man said: “Private company, lady.

“You see?” the man with the gun said.

There aren’t enough regular taxis for Hono-She was terrified.

lulu. Where’d you want to go? I charge a flat The car neared the next intersection.

rate.”

The driver started the turn left. There was

“Schofield.”

one of the fat native policemen on his funny

“Okay. That’s where I’m going.” He no little platform . . .

doubt referred to the two men already in the The girl moved unexpectedly. She rear seat. They were Filipinos. “You can sit in grabbed the steering wheel and gave it a the front. We have to double up nowadays.”

mighty yank. At the same time, her left foot He opened the door.

stomped down on the driver’s right instep.

Well, she thought, there was nothing She drove a sharp heel down upon the man’s else to do. She might wait ages for an unoc-foot and forced it down on the brake pedal.

cupied cab. It was near dinner-time. They’d The car swerved, grazing the traffic all be rushed right now.

stand, and stalled as the brakes locked.

She got in.

A hissing sound came from the back They drove down the street. She was seat. One of the men had jerked forward to thinking of the letter, and of Rick, and she grasp the girl. He seized her arm, struggling was terribly upset. Sally still carried the eve-with her.

ning newspaper in her hand. She had twisted Sally Treat twisted around, using both it up into a round, tight roll.

hands to take hold of the man’s arm and Honolulu still had the funny boxlike traf-force it away from her. The man’s arm, at the fic platforms at the busy intersections. A fat wrist, was sweaty. The touch of him sent a native policeman sat on each platform be-shudder through her body. She dug her nails neath a wide umbrella, directing cars.

into the wrist, and the man, muttering, Suddenly Sally gave a start. She’d yanked his arm back.

been so busy thinking that she hadn’t noThe fat traffic policeman was climbing ticed. She looked sharply at the driver.

down off his perch. The three men in the car

“This isn’t the way to Schofield!” she looked abruptly worried. Sally opened the car said.

door and leaped out.

“Can’t make a U-turn here, lady.”

The cop was moving toward the far

“You made one at the hotel!”

side of the car, saying something to the

“Did I?”

driver.

Sally didn’t wait. All she wanted to do was get away from there, away from those A WARNING bell sounded in her mind.

men. To stay would mean questioning and She swung to glance sharply at the two men identification, and Jonathan Treat had re-in the rear seat. They looked at her quested that she talk to no one.

woodenly.

That was all she could think of as she Anger flashed in Sally Treat’s eyes.

ran across the sidewalk and darted into a

“Stop this car!” she ordered.

department store doorway. The store was a One of the two men in the back seat busy shopping center open night and day to spoke. “Take the turn up to the Pass,” he accommodate its business.

said quietly.

Sally whipped around again. The man who had spoken was watching her closely,

8

DOC SAVAGE

She burrowed through the shoppers, were numerous people in the lobby. Surely zigzagged through various aisles until she she was safe enough there. She wanted time reached an exit on a side street. From there to think. . . .

she hurried back to the main street, a half She sat down, jumped up again, noting block away from the intersection where the that there was a telephone operator around car was still being detained by the policeman.

the corner from the main desk.

Sally Treat lost herself in the sidewalk Sally went to the telephone desk and crowds. She made her way, via a devious gave the name of the officer she had spoken route, back to the hotel. She didn’t go to her to at the army base just a little while ago. She room. She didn’t want to be alone. There TARGET FOR DEATH

9
also gave her own name. “I’d like to speak to The operator nodded. “That’s right.”

him if you can reach him again,” she said.

“I’d like to speak to her. It’s very ur-

“Where will you be, miss?” the operator gent.”

queried.

Catching the tone in the brunette girl’s Sally indicated the lobby chair nearby.

voice, the operator looked at her thoughtfully.

The operator pointed out a phone Then she said: “I’ll see if Miss Savage is in.”

booth nearby, said, “I’ll call you when I reach Next, the operator was talking to your party. You can take the call in that someone.

It
was
upsetting
the
way
booth.”

switchboard operators could speak into a receiver in a way that you could not hear what they were saying.

SALLY went back and sat down. She Finally she looked at Sally Treat and found that she still carried the newspaper.

asked, “You’re positive it’s something ur-Opening it, flattening out the rolled pages, gent?”

she held it up before her. But all the time she Sally jerked her head.

was watching the entrance and the desk and

“Tell her we met in Manila.” She named the people moving back and forth.

the hospital. “Tell her my name again. I must She pretended to be reading the paper, see her!”

glancing down at the front page, looking up The operator was talking again. Then sharply again for any sign of the three men she broke the connection and said: “You may from the sedan, watching the telephone op-go up. It’s Room 321.”

erator.

Sally let out her breath with relief.

Once, as her gaze slid across the

“Thank you,” she said.

newspaper, a name caught her eye. Her She started to turn away when the op-gaze went back to the item again. The item erator asked, “What shall I do about the other was captioned: call, miss?”

“Oh!”

PAT SAVAGE VISITS CITY

Sally Treat thought swiftly, then asked, Patricia Savage, lovely cousin of Clark

“Could you put the call through to Miss Sav-Savage, Jr., famous international figure age’s room if it comes in?”

known as Doc Savage, the Man of Bronze, is

“Yes.”

“Please do that. Keep trying to reach now visiting in Honolulu. . . .

them!” She hurried toward the elevators.

The man, the thin, unobtrusive-looking Pat Savage! The name recalled a man sitting in the wicker armchair nearby, scene to Sally Treat’s mind. It had been a lowered his newspaper slightly so that he hospital in Manila. Pat Savage had visited could watch Sally Treat’s progress across the there, and they had met for a moment. She lobby to the elevator. He waited until the remembered a tall girl with beautiful bronze-elevator doors had closed. Then he got up gold hair, and with the most amazing eyes. . .

and strolled casually through the lobby.

Sally glanced at the item again. Pat His features were sharp and foxlike, Savage was staying at this same hotel. Sally dark, but he was not a Filipino.

Treat was remembering the stories you He left the hotel. He walked fast now.

heard about Doc Savage, the reputation he had for righting wrongs to people and always punishing evildoers.

Maybe . . .

Chapter II

Maybe Pat Savage, his cousin, could help her!

DARKNESS was settling down. The Sally hurried back to the telephone op-typical Hawaiian night was cool and pleasant.

erator’s cubicle. “I’m sorry,” the operator From a room adjoining the bar there came started to say, “I haven’t been able to reach the soft strains of a string orchestra. The mu-your party yet. They’re trying to find him.”

sic was good, and some couples were danc-

“Look,” said Sally Treat anxiously, ing. Later, the place would be crowded.

“there’s something else. A Miss Patricia Sav-But in the bar section, near the front, age is stopping here at the hotel . . .”

there were only a few customers. The place 10

DOC SAVAGE
was done in bamboo and soft lights. It was a

“Why?”

nice place to sit and drink or talk.

“She’s with Doc Savage’s cousin. Ten The man with the thin, foxlike features to one she’s shooting off her mouth. Right sat in a booth and waited. His drink before now. She must have heard around the hotel him was untouched. He waited for some that Doc Savage’s cousin was stopping time.

there. Dammit!”

Finally the two men came in and

“But what could she do? Doc Savage is headed straight for the booth. They glanced in New York.”

at the booths on either side, noting that both The ratty-faced man grimaced. “Look,”

were deserted. They were the two who had he said patiently. “That associate of Sav-ridden in the rear seat of the sedan.

age’s—the one called Renwick, the engi-They joined the thin, pinched-faced neer—he was in Manila, wasn’t he?”

man.

“Sure, but—”

“What the hell kept you?” he de-

“Well, why?”

manded quietly.

“What do you mean—why? You saw

“We didn’t want to take any chances.

the writeup in the papers, didn’t you? It said We turned that car in and rented a new one.

Renwick was there on some government pro-That took a little while.”

ject . . . an advisor on new postwar recon-

“How about that traffic cop?”

struction work. The papers said that.”

“Aw, that was easy. A fin took care of

“Sure. But how do we know? You it. Those guys have their hand out.”

never can tell.”

The second arrival asked, “The babe One of the small men made a gesture still in the hotel?”

with his hand. “Oh, hell, you’re just imagining The thin-faced man nodded. His two things. Renwick doesn’t know a thing about partners might have been twins, they were so it.”

much alike. They were small, thin, neat,

“Maybe not. But now things are going quiet-spoken men. They had the dark skin to pop sure as hell. Maybe that Pat Savage and hair of Filipinos. But they were not.

knows where he is. Who knows, the guy Because on one, white skin showed at could be right here in Honolulu. Okay, what the man’s thin wrist. It showed as a smudge, does she do? She’ll run right to him, that’s as though something had rubbed the outer what.”

layer of darkness off.

The two men across the table from the The ratty-faced man noticed this. He speaker thought that over. None spoke as said, “How’d that happen?”

the waiter brought over a round of drinks.

“The babe—when she grabbed my arm Then one of the men said: “What in the car. The damn stain rubbed off.”

makes you think the Savage dame will go to

“Why the hell weren’t you more care-him?”

ful? She’ll find that stain on her hands!”

“Look,” said the third man. “The Treat

“Maybe she won’t notice it.”

gal is scared, see? Yet she doesn’t run to the

“The hell she won’t!”

police. First, she tried to reach her boy friend, The second small man said: “Well, this Captain. Then she hears about the Doc anyway, we found out about that Captain.

Savage babe in the hotel and asks to see That’s what kept us. He took the evening Pan her. I was right there, not ten feet from her. I American plane to San Francisco.”

heard it all. She’s with the Savage dame right

“He got the fake message, then?”

now.”

One of the small men grinned. “I told The other two men gave this some you it’d work. He thinks the babe went right thought.

on through to ‘Frisco. So he hopped the first Then one asked: “Well, all we do now plane he could get and followed. That elimi-is get them separated. Handle them one at a nates him. Now we can get to the girl without time. One of them’ll have it!”

any trouble. It was just too bad this after-

“That’s right.”

noon, is all.”

“Have they left the hotel?”

“Not half as bad as it’s going to be,”

The pinched-faced man shook his said the third man. Something about the way head. He moved his chin slightly, indicating he said this disturbed the other two. They the shutters at the wide windows directly looked at him narrowly.

across from the booths. Entrance to the hotel TARGET FOR DEATH

11
was clearly visible. Though it was dark now, the same as Doc himself oftentimes became boulevard lights illuminated the entrance to interested in someone’s problem.

the hotel.

And it was all her own. For once, Doc

“We got the car outside,” said one of didn’t even know about it. Here was an op-the small men. “Maybe we’d better wait portunity to show her illustrious cousin that there—just in case.”

she was darned clever, too!

“You think this guy Renwick might be in She turned and looked at pretty Sally Honolulu?”

Treat.

“I wish I knew. Anyhow, we’ve got to do

“And the letter?” prompted Pat Savage.

something about those two across the street The brunette removed the small, folded in the hotel. Soon! We can’t fool around.”

white envelope from the front of her dress.

“All right, what’ll we do?”

“It’s this,” she said tensely. “I don’t

“I’ll think of something in a couple of have any idea what’s in it. I can’t understand minutes. We’ll wait in the car. Let me think why so much has happened concerning it.”

about it.”

“Why not read it and find out?”

The man with the foxy face paid the The girl’s eyes flew wide.

check, and they went out.

“Do you think I should?”

Pat said frankly, “Under any other cir-cumstances, I guess it wouldn’t be nice to PATRICIA SAVAGE, cousin of Doc read your uncle’s personal letter to someone Savage, was a striking girl. Tall, soft-spoken, else. But this is serious. You’re in danger. If her smooth features contained an unusual there’s any way of finding out what’s causing bronze hue. The eyes, too, when you saw that danger, I think we should do it immedi-them closely, were of an unusual flake-gold ately. The contents of the letter might be the coloring. Close friends called her “Pat.”

answer.”

Pat Savage sat on the divan in her Sally Treat nodded.

small suite and watched the varying degrees

“I . . . I hadn’t thought of that.” She of emotion displayed on the pretty brunette’s came to a decision. “Yes, I guess we’d better face. Pat listened attentively until Sally Treat read it.”

told her story fully.

They opened the letter and read the Then, for a full moment after the girl’s contents together. Like the note to Sally her-words ended on a breathless note, Pat sat self, this one was also brief. It said: silently and thoughtfully. There was mystery enough in Sally’s story to intrigue her. There Dear Cousin James: was the promise of high adventure.

It might be some time before you hear from And danger. But the danger part of it me again. Remember what you asked me to didn’t phase her in the least. For Pat Savage do? That has been taken care of exactly as was a girl who liked excitement and action.

you requested. I know you’ll understand.

There was much of the daring of Doc Savage Yours, in her makeup.

The only trouble was, her search for JONATHAN
thrills was often frustrated—by Doc Savage himself! Many times Pat had tried to worm Pat Savage was frankly puzzled. The herself into some of the excitement continu-letter was in a heavy handwriting, written with ally followed by her famous cousin and his a pen with a very blunt point. Even the peri-associates. A few times she had been suc-ods at the ends of sentences were heavy cessful in partially climbing on the band black dots.

wagon.

“What do you make of it?” asked Sally Then—darn! Doc or one of the others Treat, her eyes going to Pat’s. “Surely, would find out about it and she’d be sent there’s nothing here that should cause so home like an unruly child. They’d say the much mystery.”

mission was far too dangerous. They’d tell

“Hardly,” agreed Pat.

her it was no sort of thing for a girl.

She wished she were more clever. Like Well, now, Pat thought with a catch of her cousin, Doc Savage, for instance. Doc interest, right here in her lap she had a Savage could probably look at this letter and chance to help out someone in trouble . . .

get something out of it. But for the life of her 12

DOC SAVAGE

Pat saw no slightest clue to the menace that American plane out for San Francisco. He’s threatened Sally Treat.

gone. . . .”

They replaced the note in the envelope

“Gone!” Her heart thudded. “You really and Sally held the thing, looking at it uncer-mean—”

tainly. “It’s written to another uncle of mine.

“I’m sorry, miss. I don’t understand James Treat lives in that same small Ohio about that note myself. I don’t know who town.” She had already told Pat something could have sent it to him.”

about the various distant relatives of her fam-

“Thank . . . thank you,” murmured Sally ily who lived there. “Nothing ever happens in Treat dully, and she hung up.

that place. They’ve lived there for years. I She explained it to Pat Savage.

can’t understand this . . . this crazy business Pat’s amazing golden eyes sharpened.

of people following me.”

“There’s a fox loose somewheres,” she de-She stood up, walked nervously up and cided. “He knew you were arriving here. He down the room. She stopped and stared at also knew about Captain Randall. So he got Pat Savage. “And I’m afraid . . . terribly him out of the way.”

afraid! I’m afraid to go out. I’m afraid to stay Sally was still holding the letter. She here in the hotel. I . . .”

handed it suddenly to Pat Savage. “Keep it,”

The telephone rang.

she said. “Keep it until I decide what to do.

Pat answered it, listened a moment, No one knows I’ve met you or that I know then handed the instrument to the trim bru-you. If anything . . . does happen to me, then nette girl. “For you,” she said, smiling. “I hope they won’t find it.”

it’s your friend Captain Randall.”

“Nothing’s going to happen to you,” Pat Sally had already told her about trying tried to reassure her.

to reach Rick Randall at the army base.

“I’m frightened!” said the brunette girl.

Her face brightening, Sally Treat There was an expression in tall Pat’s grasped the telephone.

eyes which said she was considering something. She didn’t speak for several moments.

Then, on a sudden impulse, she moved to-IT was the officer she had talked to ward the telephone stand.

earlier. The man said, “There seems to be

“I really shouldn’t do this,” she said.

some mixup, Lieutenant,” he started.

“Doc Savage will be furious.”

Sally tensed.

The brunette girl asked, “You mean,

“I don’t understand?”

you’re going to call Doc Savage in New

“I mean, your calling earlier this eve-York?”

ning. You said you were anxious to get in Pat shook her head.

touch with Captain Randall . . .”

“No-o,” she said slowly. “I don’t have to He paused, then: “Well, miss, Captain tell Doc anything about it. . . .” She looked at Randall had already received your note at the girl again, decided to tell her something.

noon today. That’s why he left.”

“You see, one of his associates is right here She jumped.

in Honolulu. Why, I don’t know. His name is

“My note? Left for where?”

Renny Renwick, and he must be on some

“Didn’t you send a personal note out to business of his own. I happen to know where him via messenger this morning, miss?”

Renny’s staying.”

She gasped. “Heavens, no! I wasn’t She thumbed through the telephone even here in Honolulu until afternoon! That’s book a minute, then gave a number. She when the Clipper got in.”

waited.

“It’s funny,” said the voice on the Then she was talking.

phone.

Sally Treat could hear a great booming

“How—”

voice coming clearly from the receiver. She

“You see, I’ve learned Captain Randall heard the man say, “Now, Pat, just forget you received a note apparently from you. It took know I’m in Honolulu. Forget it, see? I’m on me a little time locating a friend of his who something special and I don’t want it nosed just told me about it. He was under the im-around. I simply can’t see you. . . .”

pression you were flying right through to the

“Renny,” Pat said in a voice that would States. He said you had asked him to follow have raised Charles Boyer’s blood pressure as soon as possible. So he got the first Pan fifty points. “Renny, pl-lease!”

TARGET FOR DEATH

13

Renny listened. And Pat talked. Fast The driver followed the instructions and convincingly. She told Sally Treat’s story, carefully.

finished with, “I’ve got to see you, Renny.

They rolled, without lights, past the in-Right now. Were coming over . . .“
tersection of the side street where the cab The voice boomed on the wire. “Wait!

had turned off. They were just in time to see Someone might be watching that girl . . .”

the cab stop at the curb at the end of the sin-But Pat hung up on him.

gle short block. The night was so quiet they She swung to Sally, “Come on, honey,”

could hear the voice of one of the women she said. “Now, we’ll get some action. Wait saying something to the cab driver.

till you meet Renny!”

Then the taxicab was coming out of the street again. It swung into the through street and its red tail-lamp soon disappeared.

Chapter III

Come on,” ordered the lean, pinched-faced man.

THEY were parked there in the car The three men left the sedan parked in when the brunette and the tall girl with the darkness and moved quietly up the tree-lined bronze-colored hair left the hotel adjoining street. Their dark clothes, their quick-moving Waikiki Beach. They sat in shadows cast by figures blended with the night shadows.

full blooming bushes that grew between the There were only three or four houses in curb and sidewalk.

the block. The last one was surrounded by a The two men who looked like twins sat high thick hedge. It was beyond the hedge, in the driver’s seat. The third man, the one along a narrow walk that led to the bungalow with the narrow, sharp face, sat alone in the that the two women had disappeared.

rear.

The high hedge concealed the sound-

“Wait,” he warned. “I think they’re going less approach of the three men. They paused to take a cab.”

close to it, listening. The night was quiet, the Shortly an empty taxicab rolled up to air motionless. They heard voices coming the hotel entrance. They watched the two from the front porch of the small house. The women disappear inside the car. The cab two women were talking.

went away from there.

“He must be here,” the one was saying.

“All right,” the man in the rear seat

“Look, the door’s unlatched. We’ll go inside said. “And, dammit, watch yourself. Not too and wait.” The voices faded.

close!”

One of the men hidden against the The driver turned carefully in the street.

heavy hedge whispered, “Who’re they talking The taxicab was a block ahead now. The about? Who lives there?”

trailing car held at that distance as the cab The fox-faced man snapped, “How the moved toward the downtown area of Hono-hell do I know? But this is where we take lulu.

them. Couldn’t be a better spot. Quiet and Before reaching the more congested all.”

area, however, the cab swung left and soon He nudged one of his two partners.

was going up into a hilly, residential area that

“Take the back door. Wait there so nobody overlooked the great, spreading city. Stores gets out the back way.” He added softly, and hotels dropped behind. Tree-shadowed “Anything goes wrong, we meet at the usual streets replaced the business section. Private place. Never mind the car if you have to get homes were set well back on landscaped away fast. It’s rented under a phony name, lawns.

anyway.”

The trailing car dropped still farther One man moved off in the shadows.

back, so as not to attract attention.

The hard-faced one and the other slid The cab abruptly disappeared down a through the sidewalk opening in the hedge.

side street.

They skirted a flower garden and approached

“Careful!” warned the sharp-faced man the front porch. High bushes of flowers in the trailing car. “That’s a short dead-end formed a lane right up to the porch. They street. Only a couple of houses, if I remem-padded up the four steps and reached the ber. Turn off your light, roll up near the corner front door.

where they turned off, and wait.”

There was a light on in the living room, but the shades were drawn. One man’s hand 14

DOC SAVAGE
rested gently on the doorknob, then started

“That explains it,” said the giant of a turning it soundlessly.

man.

“All right,” he whispered. “Now!”

His voice boomed. It fitted the size of Neither saw the towering figure that him. His name was Colonel John Renwick, had detached itself from the high bushes and he was an accomplished engineer, but alongside the front porch. But they heard the he looked more like a heavyweight cham-man’s approach when the top step creaked pion. He was well over two hundred pounds, under the big man’s weight.

and his hands were massive. Just the ap-They whirled around at the sound.

pearance of him seemed to hold the two men gripped in terror.

Renny leaned down, wiped a finger A SINGLE stride brought the giant of a across one of the men’s faces. Then he man across the porch. His arms swept out looked at his finger. It was stained. The man even as they turned to face him, both taken cringed. “I thought so,” said Renny. “They’re completely off guard.

not Filipinos at all!”

Enormous hands seized the two Sally Treat added: “I wondered about smaller figures in a movement that sent the that. I found some of that on my hands after I breath crashing from their lungs. Each found had struggled with one of them in the car.”

himself with his arms pinioned downward at Pat Savage was talking. She filled in his sides, as a great arm enveloped him like details of the brunette girl’s story that she a steel tentacle. They were lifted off their had left out when she phoned Renny.

feet.

“Find out what they want, Renny,” she The giant figure kicked the front door suggested.

with his toe. The door rattled.

Powerful Renny had already reached It shortly whipped open and Pat Sav-down to take hold of one of the men. He lifted age stood there. Amazement was in her him up off the divan as if the man were a golden eyes. Then she moved back, making sawdust-filled rag doll. Holding him clear of way.

the floor with one hand, he frisked him. He

“Close the door,” the huge man said.

found a small automatic and dropped it into He continued toward the living room, the two his pocket.

men struggling in his powerful long arms, but Next he shook the man. He shook him each was helpless.

until the fellow’s teeth rattled.

The small, pretty brunette girl stood He gave the other the same treatment.

there, her face frozen at the weird sight. Pat The second man carried no gun. Renny held Savage came up behind the giant of a man, onto the second man and said, “Tell me and was saying: things, pally.”

“Sally, this is a bit informal, but I’d like The fellow gritted his teeth.

you to meet Renny. Those in the Doc Sav-Renny cuffed him. Redness showed age organization have a way of doing things through the stain on one cheek.

in an unorthodox manner. Renny, meet Sally

“I said, tell me things,” said Renny Treat.”

again.

The big man glanced briefly at the girl, The fellow’s eyes glazed. Sally Treat said something, then heaved the two men shuddered as she looked at the man’s eyes.

into a divan. He towered over them, his alert eyes watching them closely.

He said, without turning his head, “I RENNY dropped the man back on the tried to tell you, before you cut me off, not to sofa and picked up the other one. He come here. I was afraid something like this whipped off the man’s coat, searched the might happen. Especially when you said pockets, found nothing. There was a tight-Sally, here, was being followed.”

ness around big Renny’s mouth.

Sally Treat stared at the two men on

“All right,” he said. “The ball’s in your the divan. Neither had moved. Their dark corner, pally. Let’s have it. Fast!”

eyes were riveted on the big man.

Renny was now holding the man with She suddenly cried: “They’re the ones.

the lean, foxlike face. The man’s eyes were Two of them, anyway. They were in the car as restless as marbles rolling around in a and they tried to kidnap me!”

saucer.

TARGET FOR DEATH

15

He said two words. The words weren’t around with him, like a sack of meal sus-the kind used around women. Renny’s face pended by a rope. His legs dangled.

flamed. He cocked his arm, his hand held The third man had arrived in the living open, palm forward.

room from the back of the house. He stood in Sally, across the room, screamed.

the wide archway to the dining room. The

“Renny! Behind you!” she cried in hor-long-bladed knife left his hand just as Renny ror.

turned around. The heavy knife was thrown The big engineer spun, still holding the in the way an expert hurls a knife at a target.

lean-faced man. In fact, the man spun It came across the room in the instant of time it takes to blink an eye.

16

DOC SAVAGE

There was no chance for Renny to Halfway to the corner, Renny heard the yank the knife’s human target aside. In fact, car engine start up. Gears meshed. The dark he himself would have been struck had not bulk of the car moved across the intersection.

the man been in front of him.

As it did so, he saw the man leap to-The heavy-bladed weapon thudded ward it. A car door opened and slammed into the fellow’s back with the sound a hand quickly. Then the machine gathered speed makes slapping against a leather cushion. A and went away from there with a roar.

peculiar sound came from the man’s lips.

Renny drew up. They’d had the ma-Renny dropped him.

chine parked down there, of course. The two Sally Treat looked as if she were going of them had escaped. Renny returned to the to faint.

house before any neighbors could become

“Grab her!” ordered Renny, sliding past curious and start asking questions.

Pat Savage. He lunged after the figure that There had not been any noise. The en-had been in the dining room doorway.

tire thing had taken place in only one or two It was as though the man standing moments, and no one else was outside on there for an instant had been a trick of the the quiet street.

imagination. He was gone as swiftly as he Pat was bent down over the figure on had appeared. A door slammed in the rear of the floor when Renny came back into the the house. There was the clatter of feet on a living room. Sally Treat stood a half dozen stairway even before big Renny reached the feet away, her face very pale, but neverthe-kitchen and yanked the door open.

less she was in control of herself.

The soft silence of the night was all Pat glanced up, said, “The other one that he found when he reached the topmost got away. I tried to hit him on the head with a step. The long flight of steps led down to a book end, but he ducked the moment you rear yard that sloped away toward a wooded went out the back door.” The heavy metal area at the end of this dead-end street. Also object lay on the floor beside her. Pat was dropping downhill, at the end of the yard, was calmly and efficiently searching the man’s a driveway that led to garages behind the few clothing.

scattered houses.

“Dead?” asked Renny.

Renny listened. He heard nothing.

“As dead as he’ll ever be!”

What a girl, thought the big engineer.

Pat stood up, saying, “There’s not a let-THEN, somewhere in the quiet night, a ter, or card, or a single bit of identification on door slammed. The sound came from the him. Even the labels have been removed front of the bungalow. The man he had left from his clothing!”

sitting on the divan! Renny plunged around Renny said: “These boys have been the side of the house as he heard someone around.”

running.

“What do you mean?” Pat Savage’s But the fellow was smart. The only golden eyes held on Renny’s somewhat steps Renny heard were when the man gloomy-looking features.

crossed the front porch. Then the fellow must

“I think,” said Renny thoughtfully, “this have taken to the front lawns of the houses is where you two ladies came in. And it’s high along the short street. Grass silenced his time you were getting out. Come on!”

steps. Trees, shrubs and hedges hid his flee-Pat said, “Now, wait—”

ing figure.

Renny said, “You’re getting out of here.

Renny wondered if the man had gone The two of you! The faster the better. You let up or down the hill. The logical route would me handle this.” He stepped to the hall door, be toward the city. So Renny started down locked it, motioned them toward the kitchen.

the hill at a run, eyes alert, the small auto-Renny made certain that all the shades were matic in his hand now.

drawn down tightly, turned out lights as they He didn’t think the knife thrower would went through the small bungalow. At the return. Pat and Sally Treat were momentarily kitchen door he fitted his key into the outside safe. And Pat Savage was a girl who knew of the lock.

how to handle herself.

“But . . . but what about that man, in there?” Sally Treat asked tensely.

TARGET FOR DEATH

17

Renny told her, “I’ve got to get the po-

“Good! That will leave you a free hand.

lice, of course. It so happens I know a few What about the man who was stabbed?”

cops here. Maybe I can talk them into keep-Renny explained, “The police will keep ing it quiet for awhile. I hope so.” He looked it quiet. We didn’t learn a thing from him. He at Pat Savage and frowned a little. “It also was careful not to carry any identification. . . .

means I’ll have to give up this place here. It But, Doc, there’s something I haven t told was a nice setup. Everyone thought I was a you . . .”

salesman for an automobile company in the

“Yes?”

States.”

“It happened during the night. She

“What are you doing here in Honolulu, couldn’t have come down through the lobby, Renny?” prodded Pat Savage.

otherwise I would have seen her. There’s a

“Never mind. Just forget you even saw balcony outside the second-floor rooms, and me. It’s too bad you came here.” He flicked she must have slipped down that way and off the kitchen light and urged them toward got away.”

the door. “We’ll pick up your luggage and

“What are you talking about?”

things.”

“The girl . . . Sally Treat. She disap-

“Now, wait a minute—” Pat started to peared some time during the night, while Pat complain.

was asleep!”

He hurried them toward the garage at

“I thought you said . . .”

the rear of the yard, where his car had been

“I’d made arrangements to put them on put away for the night.

a plane this morning? I did! So I made Pat leave anyway. . . . Sure, she kicked up a fuss. She wanted to stay. But Pat’s safely out Chapter IV
of here now, and on the way to the States.

Listen. . . .” He took out a notebook and con-THE trans-Pacific telephone call finally sulted it. “She’ll make direct connections in went through. Renny sat in the small hotel San Francisco for an eastbound coast-to-room in downtown Honolulu and heard Doc coast flight. That flight will arrive in Denver at Savage’s voice in New York. He felt some 4 o’clock tomorrow morning. I figured that measure of relief. Probably only a few drams would give you time to intercept her. Denver of it, for the mystery was still as puzzling as would be a good place. Most of the passen-ever, but now, at least, he had Doc there in gers will be asleep at that hour. Pat has the the States to handle a part of it.

letter with her.”

Renny had already made arrange-

“You’re positive?”

ments with the telephone office to allow him

“Yes.”

an uninterrupted circuit for as long as he

“No trace of Sally Treat?”

chose.

“I’m working on that,” said Renny.

He gave Doc a concise, clear résumé

“What have you got?”

of everything that had taken place during a

“A Clipper left here during the night for night filled with events.

Manila. I think the girl’s on that. I think she’s He concluded with: “So I took the girls going back there.”

back to the hotel. I made them both stay the

“You’re sure?”

night in Pat’s room. I figured it would be safer

“I’m not sure of anything,” said Renny.

that way. I spent the night sitting right there in

“But I’ve checked the passenger lists. Sev-the hotel lobby, just in case. Also I made ar-eral women were aboard. I’ve investigated all rangements to get them out of here on the of them . . . hotels where they had been stay-first plane to the States this morning. I figured ing, names, stuff like that. One of them gave that was the best thing.”

a fake address here. I think that’s Sally trav-

“Yes,” came Doc’s faraway voice.

elling under an assumed name. I’ve got to

“Keep them out of it. You realized that, of return to Manila myself. Maybe I’ll find her.”

course, when you heard Jonathan Treat’s

“Yes,” agreed Doc. “It’s important that name first mentioned?”

you get back on the assignment at once. . . .

“Naturally!” said Renny quickly.

We’ll take care of Pat at this end.” Then,

“You didn’t tell Pat?”

there was an urgency in Doc Savage’s voice.

“Not a word.”

“What was in the letter?”

18

DOC SAVAGE

“That’s it,” said Renny, “not a thing, He asked: “Will I have time for a cup of Doc . . . not a blasted clue to it. Pat showed it coffee?”

to me. She insists she’s going to deliver it.

“Oh, yes,” said the girl in the trim gray That’s why you must meet her there at Den-uniform and jaunty cap. “But if you’d like, I ver.”

can get you some coffee?”

“Don’t worry,” reassured Doc. Then:

“I also want to make a telephone call,”

“All right, we’ll contact you in Manila. Same said the mousy man. “Would that be all right?

place. Within the next forty-eight hours.”

Would I have time?”

“Roger,” said big Renny. He hung up.

“Plenty of time,” assured the girl. “Don’t worry. The loudspeaker will announce when we are ready to leave.”

THE airliner was a 4-engine sky giant

“It’ll only take me a few minutes,” said making stops only at Denver and Chicago, the man.

enroute from the Pacific Coast to New York.

The girl moved off toward the rear of It had left San Francisco at five the preceding the plane.

afternoon. It was a combination sleeper and Soon they were coming down for the daytime plane, for some of the transcontinen-landing at the big field. The plane taxied up tal passengers preferred to “sit up and save,”

near the main building and the engines as the airline advertised it in their folders.

stopped. A movable stairway bumped the The quiet, mousy, inoffensive little man side of the cabin and one of the steward-was one of the “sit-ups.” He sat in a reclining esses unlatched the door at the rear.

seat across from the berths, which were One or two passengers got off to made up and curtained for the night. Behind stretch their legs. The man continued to them, other passengers slept the miles away.

watch the curtained berth for another mo-He had been reading most of the time.

ment, listening attentively in the soft quiet of He hadn’t pestered the stewardesses—there the carpeted cabin.

were two on the sleeper plane—as most of No sound. No movement. The passen-the passengers do when they become rest-gers still slept.

less during a long flight. Right now he He got up and left the plane, hurrying munched an apple, which he had taken from into the waiting room of the airport station.

a brief case that he held on his lap.

He saw the stewardesses enter an office to He wore thick-lensed glasses, a heavy make their report. In less than ten minutes he gold chain containing an elk’s tooth, and he had completed the telephone call. He didn’t had a habit of continually rubbing the palm of stop for coffee. He hurried back to his seat.

his hand across his dark hair to smooth it The curtains of the berth were still down. The hair was already carefully closed tightly when he boarded the plane combed, and there was no need for the again. He sat down with relief and picked up smoothing process, but he continued to do it his magazine. He smoothed his hair.

from time to time.

A few other passengers sat up. Most of them dozed. Lights were dimmed. An indi-AT the last moment before take-off, rect, small tubular light shone down on the there was some commotion.

quiet, small man’s magazine.

Two new passengers came aboard.

One of the stewardesses came back They seemed to be having an argument.

through the long cabin. She smiled as she They paused in the doorway, and the one approached the man who was still reading.

man was saying in a belligerent manner, “Lis-She knelt down and spoke to him quietly.

ten, shyster, don’t give me that high-pressure

“We’ll be landing in Denver in a few courtroom kind of talk. I’m telling you he said minutes. Please fasten your safety belt.”

to wait until almost take-off time, then come As she spoke, his eyes, blinking behind aboard. But he isn’t here, and I don’t think we the heavy glasses, went past her shoulder to ought to leave without him!”

the curtained berth directly across the aisle.

The tall, well-dressed man snapped, He watched the curtains. They were mo-

“Never mind about him. He has his plans, tionless. The occupant was still sleeping, he and he’ll handle things in the usual efficient was positive. He had checked carefully way. You ought to know by this time that—”

through the night.

TARGET FOR DEATH

19

“I know that he isn’t here, is all! Where

“You see? She didn’t have his name on is he?” The speaker was short, very wide in the list! I’ll bet sure as blazes you’ve fouled the shoulders, and built like a man made for up things. Maybe we oughta wait in the ter-lifting five-hundred-pound weights. His face minal—”

was so homely that it was interesting. His

“Will you please,” said Ham sharply, clothes were loud enough to have been

“close that rattle-trap? You make the noise made from a patchwork quilt.

an empty barrel makes rolling downhill.

His partner, on the other hand, was Sometimes—”

sartorial perfection itself. Dark, lean, square-For the second time, he paused, shouldered, he was in a distinct contrast to moved aside as someone came aboard the his friend.

big airliner. It was a pilot, wearing a first offi-The dapper, tall man said, “He didn’t cer’s smart uniform. He had to duck his head exactly say he’d be here. He merely told us as he entered the doorway. The visor of his to be here. Can’t you get that through your cap shielded his eyes.

thick skull?”

Ham turned, started to open his mouth,

“I think I’ll flatten your ears!” growled closed it again and glanced at Monk, who the homely squat man.

was looking the other way. It appeared as

“You might,” suggested his partner though Ham were going to make some acidly, “try the same treatment on those flip-comment about the pilot’s size, but he said pers attached to the side of your own head.

nothing.

In fact—”

The pilot went directly up the cabin He stopped saying that, stepped out of aisle, disappeared through the small doorway the doorway, pulling the stocky man to one to the cockpit. Shortly another pilot came side with him. He was suddenly all politeness back, carrying his regulation pilot’s pouch, and courtesy. “I beg your pardon, miss—”

and got off the plane.

The homely man turned. It was one of The portable ramp was moved away the pretty stewardesses. Immediately the from the plane and the door slammed. The shorter man’s features beamed. “Hello,” he motors started.

said brightly.

The stewardess said, “Gentlemen, The stewardess smiled. She consulted would you mind taking your seats and fasten-a passenger list attached to a clip-board in ing your belts. We’re taking off in a moment.”

her hand.

“Mr. Brooks and Mr. Mayfair?” she asked.

HAM motioned homely Monk toward The tall, dapper man said, “That’s cor-their double seat. He delayed an instant, said rect, miss,” in his polite manner. His name, something to the girl which Monk could not really, was Brigadier General Theodore Mar-hear. But from his seat, Monk turned, craning ley Brooks. A graduate of Harvard Law his neck, to look at Ham and the girl. He saw School, he had made a name for himself as a the stewardess nod toward a curtained berth famous attorney. In the Doc Savage organi-right across from where Monk had seated zation, however—of which he was a mem-himself.

ber—he was usually called simply Ham.

Then Ham had come forward and sat The other one, the homely one, was down. They fastened their belts. A moment Monk—to his Doc Savage associates—and later the huge plane was airborne.

in the world of industrial chemistry known as Monk waited until the props had been Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Blodgett Mayfair.

adjusted after the first climb off the runway.

He had quite a reputation as a chemist.

The terrific engine roar subsided and they The stewardess was motioning to two settled down to quiet flight.

seats just ahead of the doorway. “Those are

“What’d she say?” Monk then asked.

your seats, gentlemen,” she told them pleas-

“Not so loud, you chump,” Ham said antly. “May I take your hats?”

softly.

She stepped across the cabin aisle to

“Well?”

hang the hats in a small cloakroom opposite Ham nodded in the direction of the cur-the entranceway. Instantly homely Monk tained berth across from them.

swung toward his partner.

“Pat?” asked Monk.

“Sleeping like a baby,” Ham told him.

20

DOC SAVAGE

Monk grinned.

“There’s no one in there!” she cried.

He said: “I just want to see her face

“It’s empty!”

when she wakes up in the morning and finds The small quiet man with the heavy us!”

glasses came half out of his seat. Then he

“I think,” advised Ham, “we’d better caught himself and quickly settled back stop talking about it.”

again.

They settled down.

His hand patted nervously at his Right in front of them, in the next dou-smooth dark hair. His eyes darted about the ble seat being used by only one passenger, cabin and came to rest on the pilot, suddenly the little unobtrusive man continued to keep tense beside the door.

his face buried in his magazine. Despite the Monk leaped up and started bellowing.

thick-lensed glasses, he was compelled to He glared at his dapper partner, Ham.

hold the magazine close in order to read.

“Daggonit!” he roared. “It’s all your Or so it appeared.

fault.”

Instead of reading, he was listening in-Everyone was looking at them.

tently to every word said by the two passen-The pilot stepped hurriedly through the gers behind him. When the two men finally door into the control room.

settled down for the flight, he relaxed a little.

He, too, was waiting for morning.

The flight was due in Chicago around Chapter V
eight o’clock. Most of the passengers were out of their berths and had breakfasted by SOME passengers had heard Monk’s seven-thirty.

excited voice. A murmur of conversation rip-But Ham and Monk still kept their vigil.

pled through the long cabin.

As did the quiet man directly in front of them.

Ham kicked his burly partner in the Monk said, “I think we’d better wake shins and said quietly, “Shut up, you fool.

her up.”

Perhaps Pat is in the ladies’ lounge. I’ve got

“Why bother?” said Ham. “Let her one of the stewardesses looking.”

sleep. After all, she’s ticketed through to New

“Pat never left that berth all night,” said York.”

Monk. “I kept watch.”

“But it’s funny she isn’t up.” Monk The stewardess came up to them and looked worried. “You don’t think maybe said quietly, “She is not aboard the plane.”

something’s wrong with her?”

“You see?” demanded Monk.

“Of course not.”

Ham’s eyes were thoughtful. He asked Then, after saying that, Ham looked the girl, “Did everyone get off for a while at startled. He abruptly stood up and walked the Denver stop?”

back to speak to one of the stewardesses.

She shook her head. “Only the few Both were busy in the small galley. The berth who were awake. At least, that’s what I across the way from Ham and Monk was the thought. Miss Thompson and I had to go into only one with the curtain still drawn.

the station for a few moments, however, to One of the stewardesses listened to make our reports. She could have left while Ham’s suggestion.

we were in there.”

“Yes,” she agreed, “it’s time she was

“She must have,” said Ham.

up. Besides, we make up the berth into seats Already the huge plane was circling the for more passengers at Chicago. It won’t give Municipal Airport at Chicago. Ham recog-me much time.”

nized the big gas tank south of the field. They She left the galley and went to the cur-crossed busy Cicero Avenue and came tained berth. She spoke quietly through the around to line up with the north-south run-curtain, waited a moment.

way. It was necessary for them to return One of the pilots had entered the momentarily to their seats and fasten their cabin. He lounged against the door leading to safety belts.

the pilots’ compartment. He was watching.

Monk squirmed. He could hardly wait The stewardess opened the curtain until they had landed and taxied up to the and put her head inside the berth. She swiftly main building. Then he was out of his seat withdrew her head. Her face was filled with again.

amazement.

TARGET FOR DEATH

21

“What are we gonna do?” he de-THE plane was momentarily deserted manded.

while being refueled for the Chicago-New

“Wait a minute,” said Ham.

York hop. Only the stewardesses, Ham and Many of the passengers were getting Monk were aboard.

off, some of them having reached their desti-Monk was saying, “Blast it, I’m going to nation. The small, mousy man with the heavy talk to the pilots!”

glasses was one of the first. At the doorway, He went forward and banged on the he said to the stewardess:

cockpit doorway.

“I . . . ah . . . I am not continuing A tall, wide-set, towheaded young through to New York.” He was somewhat man unlatched the door. He had friendly blue pale. “I feel ill. Could I get a refund on the eyes, but at the moment they were sober and unused part of my ticket?”

determined. He carried a chart of some kind

“Certainly,” said the stewardess. “See in his hand.

them at the ticket counter in the waiting Apparently he was an extra pilot, for room. I’m sorry you don’t feel well. We have there were three pilots in the cabin.

a first-aid room here at the field . . .”

He said, “My name’s Randall. I’m not

“I’ll . . . I’ll be all right,” said the man the regular captain or first officer of this flight.

nervously, and he hurried off the plane.

I’m merely making a check flight.”

Ham, standing nearby, had heard his

“Listen,” Monk said, “we want to know remark. He glanced at the man as he got off.

about a girl disappearing off this plane during the night. It’s damned funny . . .”

22

DOC SAVAGE

The young man named Randall nod-Doc Savage said, “Richard Randall . . .

ded toward one of the pilots, whose back just returned from Honolulu.”

was toward them. The pilot wore earphones

“Ah,” said Ham.

and seemed to be listening to some message Monk’s small eyes brightened.

coming to him through the headset.

Doc told them: “I mentioned Randall’s

“He’s the one you want to see,” said name after Renny’s phone call from Hono-Randall.

lulu. I made a quick check on Randall, found

“The guy I want to see,” rumbled Monk, out he was highly respected and located him

“is the president of this blasted airline. I want through the Army. He was in San Francisco. I to know why—”

arranged for him to be aboard this plane out He stopped.

of Frisco, assuming the guise of a pilot mak-

“Say!” he exclaimed.

ing a check flight. He’s working with us on The first officer had removed the ear-this case.”

phones and stood up. He faced them.

“But . . .” Monk started, anxious to say It was Doc Savage.

something.

“I know what you’re wondering,” Doc interrupted, looking at the burly chemist. “I DOC said: “Pat got off at Denver. Ap-had to work fast to get him on the same parently she ducked into the terminal while plane with Pat. I figured Rick could watch the stewardesses were away from the plane over her until we arrived at Denver.”

turning in their report. Randall here was out-

“But how did you get on?” Monk side when the stewardess discovered she wanted to know.

was gone. He told me at once. I’ve just Doc smiled a little. “Right under your checked with Denver and I described Pat to nose, so to speak. I was the relief first officer them. She was seen by a porter at the field who got on at Denver. That, too, was ar-during the night.”

ranged in advance with the airline people.”

“Where’d she go?” asked Monk.

Ham said, “Doc’s one of the officials of

“She made reservations for a later this airline, you dummy. Or had you forgot-flight into New York. I wouldn’t worry about ten?” He glared at his homely partner.

her. I think she’s perfectly all right.”

“I’m gonna bop this guy yet!” mumbled

“I’m positive she is,” added the young Monk.

pilot who had introduced himself as Randall.

Rick Randall explained, “Miss Savage Randall had appeared big standing in was worried. I introduced myself right after the cockpit doorway. Now, near Doc Savage, she boarded the plane in San Francisco. She his size was somewhat dwarfed by the had an idea she was being trailed by some-bronze man’s presence.

one right on the plane. She didn’t know who For Doc Savage was almost a physical it was, but once she told me her berth had giant. This was seldom apparent when Doc been searched just before she retired. She stood alone, because his physique was one had stepped into the ladies’ lounge for a few of perfect symmetry. Since early childhood moments and she discovered it when she he had been trained along specific physical returned to her berth.”

and mental lines. He was a scientist. He was Suddenly Ham gave an exclamation.

a doctor and surgeon. He was known as a

“The little guy with the heavy eye-mental marvel.

glasses!” he said.

But Doc Savage himself would be the Everyone
looked
at
the
smartly
last to admit these qualities, though he had dressed lawyer.

proved them many times over in feats of ac-Ham told them, “He sat in front of us.

complishment.

He was already aboard when we came on at Like Pat Savage, he had an unusual Denver. He was ticketed through to New bronze hue to his features. His hair was of York, but I heard him tell the stewardess just the same coloring. The eyes were clear, a moment ago that he was getting off here.

bright, stirring pools of flake-gold, it seemed.

Said he felt ill.” Ham’s eyes narrowed. “And A slight frown touched Ham’s brow.

that was right after we discover Pat wasn’t

“Randall?” he mused. “Randall . . . ha-aboard. Looks queer, doesn’t it?”

ven’t I heard that name somewhere?”

Doc showed interest.

TARGET FOR DEATH

23

“I think,” he suggested, “we might take Doc was saying, “First, though, we’ll a quick look around the waiting room. Per-take one more look around for this man Ham haps he’s still there. I’d like talk to that fel-described. Then meet at the airline personnel low.”

office near the ramp. We’ll get the letter from They hurried off the plane.

Randall.”

The three of them separated again, to make certain their quarry was not around.

THE old Municipal Airport building was The short, very bald man immediately jampacked with people. Planes by the doz-went inside the building. He headed straight ens were moving in and out, and inside the for the airline personnel office. He carried a waiting room there was confusion as pas-briefcase.

sengers tried to buy tickets or pick up “go-Fifteen minutes later, Doc and his two sho” seats on crowded planes.

associates converged at the airlines office.

The pilot, Randall, left them a moment Each reported no trace of the mild little fellow to change from flight gear to street clothes.

with heavy spectacles.

“I’ll meet you here, by the ramp,” he said to Doc said, “Well, he seems to have dis-Doc.

appeared. We’d better pick up Randall and

“Arrange for a relief pilot for me from get the letter. I’ve had a difficult time of it here to New York,” Doc told him.

keeping him from rushing straight to Honolulu Doc and his two assistants checked to find his fiancée. I managed to convince the waiting room, wash rooms, restaurant him Renny is out there doing his best to trace and telephone booths. They went outside, the girl, and that we needed Randall for the where dozens of passengers were waiting to flight from San Francisco to Denver. But as board airlines, limousines or taxicabs.

soon as he has turned over the letter to me Ham could not find the small, prim little he’ll make a dash for the Pacific.”

man who wore heavy glasses.

In the office they were told that they

“The more I think of it,” Ham said to would probably find Rick Randall in an ad-Doc, “the more convinced I am that guy was joining building where the pilots changed uni-a phony. I remember noticing he wasn’t read-forms. Locker rooms were located there.

ing the magazine at all. He didn’t turn any They followed the fenced-off walk to pages. And neither was he asleep. Funny he the nearby building. The room must be on scrammed off this plane so fast when he the second floor.

found Pat missing!”

“Randall? . . . he must be that new fel-Suddenly Monk jumped.

low. Why he left here just a few moments

“The letter!” he said. “Maybe that guy ago with someone.”

found the letter in Pat’s berth!”

“Where did they go?” Instantly Doc

“The letter,” Doc said, “is safe. Rick Savage was on the alert.

Randall has it. Pat turned it over to him as

“I really don’t know,” said the man who soon as she learned that he is Sally Treat’s was in charge of the building. “A baldheaded fiancé. He is going back to Honolulu to try to man—he wasn’t wearing a hat, that’s why I find Sally as soon as he can get a flight out.”

noticed—came up here and asked for Ran-Doc’s eyes flickered. Then he went on dall, and they went some place. I don’t think thoughtfully, “I think we’ll now take over. We’ll Randall knew him, but they left in a hurry, handle delivery of the letter.”

anyway.”

Ham looked at the bronze man. “You Doc Savage was already moving to-mean—Renny—the request he made?”

ward the stairs.

“That’s what I mean,” said Doc.

When Ham and Monk caught up with Near them, the short, hatless man him, Doc said grimly, “This thing is even glanced toward them once or twice. He was more serious than I thought. It shows that within hearing distance. His glance could you can’t be careless for even a single in-have indicated that he was looking for a stant. A baldheaded man was standing near plane arrival.

us just a moment ago when I mentioned that He was quite bald, his smooth, round Randall had the letter! He probably heard head shining in the morning sunlight as every word that was said.”

though it had been polished with wax. He

“I wonder—” Ham started to say.

had bright, alert, dark eyes.

24

DOC SAVAGE

But Doc and Monk had hurried down

“At the proper time. When I’m abso-the stairs.

lutely convinced you are Jonathan Treat’s cousin.”

The baldheaded man shrugged again.

Chapter VI

“At least,” he said, “Sally’s getting a level-headed husband.”

IN the taxicab that followed busy When they reached downtown Canal Archer Avenue toward downtown Chicago, Street, the baldheaded man told the driver to the small, friendly, baldheaded man removed swing up to Madison. He named a hotel assorted cards from his billfold. He handed there. Turning to Randall, he said, “I’ll pick up them to Rick Randall, one at a time.

my bags and we can catch a train. It’ll take

“This is my lodge card,” he said pleasus about six hours. We have no air service antly. “Dues paid until nineteen forty-seven.

there.”

And this”—he handed over another—”is my The cab finally turned into Madison local Lions Club card. Here’s one that allows Street near the North Western Station. It was me to send Western Union telegrams collect a neighborhood of flop houses, saloons and and another showing my credit is good at cheap restaurants.

Larson’s Department Store, which is the Randall frowned as they entered the largest store in our town.”

lobby of the hotel.

He looked at the big pilot and said, His acquaintance noticed the expres-

“Now, young man, are you satisfied who I sion and said pleasantly, “We Treats are a am?”

thrifty lot, my friend. I only needed a room

“How about your driver’s license?”

here temporarily.”

“I don’t drive a car, my friend.” He The tile flooring in the small, narrow sighed, but the pleasant, friendly expression lobby was chipped and dirty. A man in shirt remained on his face. “My goodness, you sleeves sat behind a small cubicle opening take a lot of convincing, don’t you?”

that served as the room desk, reading a

“I’m not taking any chances,” said the morning newspaper and picking his teeth pilot. “I still haven’t decided whether you’re with a toothpick.

James Treat or not.”

In a sagging lobby armchair a man

“Well, son, I don’t blame you. But I can snored loudly. That was about the extent of assure you I’m Jonathan Treat’s cousin. But the activity at the moment.

you do just like we decided. Come down to The two men climbed three flights of Richmond, Ohio, with me and be convinced.

wooden stairs. There was no elevator. The You meet all my relatives and they’ll tell you.

room was halfway back along a narrow, dark Then you can give me the letter.”

hall.

“And you think I should not try to con-The small man fitted a key into the tact Sally?”

lock. “It’ll only take me a moment to get my This was the subject with which the stuff together,” he was saying. He spoke bald man had introduced himself at the air-rather loud now, or at least it seemed that port. He had approached Rick asking if he way in the bare, long hallway.

were Sally’s fiancé.

They entered the room. He flung a

“Not right at the present moment,” the cheap valise on the bed, removed some bald man answered gravely. “To do so would clothing from a bureau drawer and stuffed it only place her in greater danger. We must into the bag.

handle this matter carefully. Human lives are Randall stood just inside the doorway, at stake.”

watching him. He guessed, finally, the man

“I don’t feel right about walking out on was all right. The fellow had approached him my friends this way. I wouldn’t have done it if there at the airport, identified himself, knew you hadn’t insisted that their investigations enough about Sally and her relatives to prove are placing Sally in an even more dangerous that he must be one of the family. But there position. What is this business all about?”

had been one point he had insisted upon.

Randall asked.

He wanted no others outside of Ran-

“The letter,” said the man, “probably dall mixed up in it. “For Sally’s sake,” he had explains it. If you will hand it over to—”

said.

TARGET FOR DEATH

25

But how had he found Randall so eas-The one man seated in the lobby had ily and known him to be Sally’s fiancée?

climbed to his feet and was walking slowly The baldheaded man was busy strap-toward the desk. He was big, wide, and there ping the bag. He had been talking in that too-were scars on his heavy features.

loud voice. He stopped what he was doing He said to Monk, “You heard what the and looked up at the big flier.

man said. Get out!”

“Now, about that letter—”

Monk hit him.

“I told you,” repeated Randall, “you’ll The chemist had unusually long arms get it at the proper time.”

for his size, he had speed, and he loved From the doorway directly behind him, nothing better than a good fight. And when the man’s voice said, “Right now’s the proper he was mad he was an explosive atomic time, chum!”

bomb.

The bomb that was Monk’s right fist landed on the bruiser’s jaw and the big man A HALF block away from the rundown landed on his back. He rocked like an over-hotel, stocky Monk Mayfair climbed out of the sized beer keg and managed to get to his cab and paid off the driver. “This’ll do,” he feet again. He put a nasty look on his ugly said, and started up the street.

face, pulled his head down into his thick There had been no time to locate Doc shoulders and rushed the chemist.

and Ham at the airport, when he’d suddenly Monk straightened him with a fast up-spotted Randall getting into a cab with the percut, jabbed him in the stomach so that he baldheaded stranger. So Monk had quickly doubled forward again, smashed him in the followed.

jaw for good measure. When the fellow stag-Now the trail had led here. He was be-gered around dizzily, Monk booted him in the ginning to wonder about Randall. Maybe Doc rear with his foot and drove him down on a shouldn’t have put so much faith in that guy.

moth-eaten divan.

Doc should have got the letter right away.

The man fell off the old couch, crawled As Monk entered the small lobby, the slowly along the dirty tile floor on his hands man in shirt sleeves looked up. He stared at and knees. He moved two or three feet, then the chemist with a sort of absent expression decided he was tired of doing that and flat-as Monk came toward the desk.

tened out on the floor. He didn’t move again

“A couple of fellows just came in here,”

after that.

said Monk. “What room did they go to?”

The homely chemist spun back to the The man leaned back and continued to desk. The man in shirt sleeves had remained stare at Monk. His eyes did not change ex-seated there, confident that this troublesome pression.

guy could be given the brushoff. Now things

“Nobody come in here,” he said. He had occurred with such rapidity that he was continued to pick his teeth.

slightly amazed.

“It was a tall, big fellow,” said Monk.

He decided it was time to reach for the

“And a short man who—”

object he kept underneath the counter. He He stopped. The clerk was sitting there started to put his hand under there to grab slowly shaking his head, not saying a word, the heavy blackjack.

calmly using the toothpick.

But Monk’s long, powerful arm went Monk got it, then. His lips clamped to-across the counter top faster than the clerk’s gether and his fists knotted. Ordinarily, the hand could move. His hand grasped the chemist spoke in a small squeaky voice that man’s shirt front and he yanked the fellow was, strangely, not in keeping with his burly toward him. He cocked his other fist.

appearance. But when he was mad he bel-

“You want some of the same treat-lowed like a foghorn.

ment, pal?” growled Monk.

He moved close to the desk and shook The man smiled stiffly.

the rafters with his voice.

“We don’t want no trouble here, see?”

“Don’t irritate me, pal! I said, where are

“All right,” said Monk. “Which floor?

the two fellows who just came in here?”

Which room number? I’m in a hurry.”

“And I said,” snapped the shirt-sleeved He straightened out his arm and the man, “nobody come in here. Scram, see?”

man went back hard against his chair as if kicked by a mule.

26

DOC SAVAGE

“Third floor,” he said. “Room three By the time he was moving again, forc-nineteen. Now look, mister, we run a nice ing the ladder downward with his weight, the respectable place here . . .”

two men had scrambled into a car parked in Monk disappeared up the stairway.

the alleyway behind the hotel. The machine went out of the alley with a roar.

Monk shook his head sadly as he HE was moving up the flight of steps to reached the ground. He thought maybe he the third floor when he heard a crash some-could have learned something for Doc if he where above him. A man swore. There fol-had caught those two and worked them over lowed a variety of thumping sounds as if a bit.

someone were knocking down walls.

The balanced iron ladder creaked be-He took the last flight two steps at a hind him. It had started to swing upward into time.

position. Monk spun, grabbed it with his And he was in time to see a figure hand, pulled it down and started up the lad-tumble out into the gloomy hallway. Monk der again. He’d better see about Randall. . . .

squinted. Then he jumped.

A window in a tenement flat behind the The baldheaded man Doc had men-hotel, across the littered alley, raised and a tioned . . . the one Monk had trailed here with woman with soap suds on her bare, lumpy young Randall.

arms stuck her head out the window. She Monk bellowed, “Hey!” He leaped for-glared at Monk as he paused, halfway up the ward.

ladder again.

The man had just picked himself up.

“Seems like the police oughta close He shouted something to someone within the that rat trap!” she screamed at the chemist.

room, pointed—then streaked the opposite

“I’ve a mind to . . .” She came to the decision way along the narrow hall. A second figure before finishing the statement. Her cries rat-appeared, from inside the room and followed, tled against Monk’s ears.

before Monk had reached the room doorway.

“Police! Help! Fight!”

Randall, the tall towheaded pilot, stood Monk hurried up the fire escape to the inside the room rubbing his jaw. Monk third floor and ducked inside.

paused long enough to ask, “You all right, He found Randall in the small bed-kid?”

room. The pilot was stuffing clothing back Randall stared. Apparently he was into the cheap suitcase. A briefcase was also slightly dazed. Then his eyes recognized the on the bed.

chemist and he said, “I . . . I’m all right.” He Monk said gloomily, “They got away.”

shook his head, as though it were difficult for He looked at the things on the bed. “Find him to think clearly.

anything?”

Monk pounded down the hall. He saw Randall shook his head. “I’m sorry,” he a figure just disappearing across a window-said.

sill. Above the window a red bulb glowed

“Sorry?”

faintly.

“For being such a chump. I fell for that By the time Monk himself was sliding guy’s line.” He told about the baldheaded across the windowsill, the two men were man identifying himself as James Treat, and down the fire escape to the second landing.

of the lodge cards and stuff he had to prove Monk bawled a threat at them and started it. “I should have consulted with Doc Savage.

clattering down the iron steps.

But I’ve been so worried about Sally I was Already the two men were on the low-ready to do almost anything to insure her ermost section of the fire escape, a section safety.”

that swung down to the ground beneath their weight. They stepped to the ground just as Monk reached that balanced, movable sec-MONK said: “A shady printing shop tion of the ladder.

can turn out those cards for a dime a dozen.

Both men paused, heaved upward on This thing is pretty serious. You’d better let the ladder, and it swung upward with Monk Doc handle it.”

suspended halfway down its length. He al-

“I know,” Randall admitted. His shirt most lost his balance and fell.

was torn. His jacket had been removed.

There was a lump on his forehead and he TARGET FOR DEATH

27
gingerly massaged another on the back of

“I’m not talking to you,” barked the cop.

his head.

“I asked—”

“I was standing there with my back to Monk talked over the cop’s voice. He the doorway. I wondered why that guy addressed the wooden-faced man behind the seemed to be talking louder when we got up desk. “Good-by, sir. Everything was just fine.

here to the room. It was the tipoff to his We shall certainly return again sometime.”

friend. He must have been in a room across He kept moving toward the exit, urging the hall. He slugged me with a sap.” He put Randall along.

on his suit jacket. “I guess I passed out for a The cop looked after them with indeci-couple of seconds. When I snapped out of it sion, and before he could think of something they were searching me. I—”

to say Monk and his friend were outside.

Monk cried: “The letter! They got it?”

The chemist quickly flagged down a The pilot patted his midriff. “Almost.

cruising cab. As the cab pulled in to the curb, I’ve been carrying it in a money belt inside Monk commented to Randall, “You’d be my clothing. Lucky for me I did.”

thrown in jail if you ever complained about Monk felt relief. He looked anxiously the service in that flea trap!”

toward the hall. “We’d better breeze out of here. A woman was screaming for the police, back there in the alley. Doc likes to handle Chapter VII things in his own way. If we get mixed up with the law, it’s only going to slow things up.

LATER, Rick Randall turned the letter Doc never likes publicity, either.”

over to Doc Savage.

He grabbed the cheap bag and brief The flier said, “I’m sorry I almost case. “We’ll take these along and Doc can messed things up.”

look the stuff over.”

They had met Doc and Ham back at They hurried down the stairs. The lump the airport, but now they were all gathered in on Randall’s forehead was red and swollen.

a suite of rooms that Doc had rented as a Monk’s loud necktie was askew and his hair temporary headquarters at a downtown hotel.

was standing on end.

It was afternoon. Doc had placed several Just as they hurried down the last flight trans-Pacific calls.

of stairs into the lobby, the patrolman walked They all looked at the letter which the into the front entrance.

flier produced.

Monk quickly nudged Randall and Ham was puzzled. Monk was puzzled.

slowed to a casual walk down the stairs.

Randall himself shook his head.

The cop was saying to the man at the

“What do you make of it?” he asked.

desk, “You got a fight here? Someone made Doc, for once, seemed puzzled also.

a complaint.”

“There’s a hint of some secret here, yet the The man in shirt sleeves, behind the secret is not explained. This letter could have desk, sat there placidly munching on a tooth-been sent through the mails as well as not. It pick. There was a tired look on his face.

would be meaningless to anyone reading it.”

“Trouble?” he asked. “No trouble, offi-

“Exactly,” agreed Randall. “Then why cer. We run a respectable place here.”

has it proved so dangerous to anyone carry-The cop turned around. The big man ing it?”

with scarred features sat on the divan. He

“Frankly,” said Doc, “I don’t know.”

had been patting at his jaw with a handker-A little later, leaving them to await any chief. He began blowing his nose loudly, half messages from either Manila or Honolulu, covering his features with the handkerchief.

Doc went out. He was gone the remainder of Then the policeman saw Monk and the the afternoon.

pilot. There was a flicker of suspicion in his There were no long distance telephone eyes as he noted the lump on Randall’s fore-calls.

head.

Doc returned after dinner-time. He pro-

“You been in a fight?” he demanded, duced a number of Photostats, and each was staring at the big man.

a copy of the letter. He handed a copy to

“I beg your pardon?” said Monk in his each of them.

small squeaky voice.

28

DOC SAVAGE

“A matter of precaution,” he explained.

lamp, started to climb to his feet. He had to

“If the real letter is lost or stolen, we’ll have a grasp a chair to keep from falling.

copy just the same.”

The heavy, sweet, cloying odor struck

“Good idea,” said Monk.

his nostrils. It seemed to be everywhere in Ham wondered if that was the only the room. He wondered . . .

reason Doc had had the copies made.

He managed, finally, to stand erect. His

“Heard anything from Renny?”

skull felt like as if it were going to burst. He Doc shook his head.

snapped on the lamp.

“I’m worried about that big lug,” admit-Doc stepped to the window, let the rain ted Ham.

and the wind pour over him, and drew in Doc retired to a room that he had set deep gasps of air. The terrible drowsiness up as a temporary private office. The re-started to leave him. His mind overcame the mainder of that evening he spent on the tele-complete weariness of his body, which phone. The local telephone company had wanted only to go back to bed.

immediately established through circuits He sniffed the air.

when Doc Savage contacted an official he Chloroform!

knew in the city.

Instantly he thought of Monk, Ham and At midnight, there was still no word young Randall. They had separate rooms from Renny or the girl.

along the hallway that led through the hotel They retired.

suite.

Doc flashed down the hall. He entered rooms, flinging the windows all wide open, IT was raining, and there was a strong every window he could find. The smell of the breeze, so that the curtains billowed into the chloroform was everywhere he went!

bedroom. The rain whipped in also, driven by He was in Monk’s bedroom, the lights the gusts of wind. It splattered on the pol-on. He shook the stocky chemist, dragged ished floor beneath the windows and big him from the bed, pulled him over next to the drops of it reached to the bed.

open window and sat him in a chair. He mas-It was the rain that brought Doc Sav-saged his arms and legs, worked up the cir-age from deep sleep.

culation, slapped the chemist sharply across He lay there, feeling the rain, puzzled the face.

by the fact that it was so completely dark.

“Wake up, Monk! Wake up!”

He’d been dreaming he was driving along a He ran into each of the other rooms highway at breakneck speed, racing the and gave Ham and Randall the same treat-streamlined train that flashed across the ment. He returned again to Monk.

countryside. Naturally it had been daylight, The burly chemist was on his feet. He because he remembered waving to the train saw Doc through a fuzzy haze and swung at engineer. And it hadn’t been raining.

him. He fell.

He decided to get out of the car and Doc rushed through the suite again, see what was wrong. He fell out of the bed.

shaking Ham and Randall, rousing them.

For a moment he could not move. His They were stirring.

legs, arms, body . . . every part of him was But as a matter of precaution he went strangely numb. His head throbbed as if a to his own room and opened the medical dozen little iron mallets were attacking it. His case which he always carried with him. He throat was dry and his tongue felt large and selected a strong stimulant, one that could be swollen.

injected intravenously. He gave each of the He knelt there on the floor, putting out men a shot.

his hands, supporting himself because his Doc himself now felt all right. His un-arms felt like rubber. He became aware of usual physical strength had shaken off ef-the wetness beneath his hands. Wetness fects of the chloroform. Soon he had the oth-splashed against his face also, and brought ers wide awake.

him more fully awake.

They discovered that the suite of He realized, then, that he was in his rooms had been completely ransacked. A hotel bedroom. His mind cleared. He felt window in the kitchenette had been jimmied, around, touched the metal base of a bridge and outside there was a fire escape. It was here that the prowler had made his entrance.

TARGET FOR DEATH

29

It was Ham who yanked open his Chapter VIII
closet door to search through the pockets of the suit he’d been wearing the evening be-RENNY cursed the heat of the city, and fore. He found several pockets turned inside inefficiency of the local telephone company .

out.

. . especially the delay before finally letting Then he was holding the Photostat of him know that Doc Savage had been trying the letter written by Jonathan Treat. The let-to reach him. In this part of the world you just ter had been right there in the inside pocket had to figure it took twice as long for anything of his suit coat.

to be accomplished as it did back in the good Puzzled, Ham exclaimed, “If that’s old States.

what they were looking for, why didn’t they He held the phone in his hand and take it? It was within easy reach.”

waited. He heard the mingle of voices as the Doc and the others each checked their connections were made across the thou-own copies of the mysterious letter. And sands of intervening miles. He had not slept each found that he had not been robbed of in hours. He had not shaved. He wiped sweat the copy. Neither had anything of value been from his brow with the crook of his arm. The stolen.

telephone was practically lost in his massive

“Just a minute . . .” Doc said. He fist.

looked at Monk. “Where is it, Monk?”

Then, his gloomy features showing re-Ham and the big towheaded pilot lief, he was saying, “Doc? Doc, this is looked at Doc.

Renny!”

“Where’s what?” inquired Ham.

He immediately gave a report of his ac-Monk was feeling well enough to grin tivities. He was saying, “Yes, Doc, she’s here again. He said to Ham, “Doc gave it to me in Manila. I know that for sure, but I haven’t last night, just in case. He figured someone yet caught up with her. I’ve got something, might try to get the letter from him, so he however, that might be the break we want.

gave it to me just to fool ‘em.”

Listen, I want you to get me the exact de-Monk had stepped to his bed. He scription of this man called James Treat, the picked up a pillow, shook it free of the case.

cousin of Jonathan Treat there in Richmond.

The grin faded a little as he looked inside the That’s the one to whom the letter was . . .”

empty pillow case.

Doc said, “I can give you that informa-Then he quickly whipped off the case tion right now, Renny. I was in contact with on the second pillow. He got down and authorities in Richmond yesterday afternoon.

looked around the floor.

Here . . .” He seemed to be reading from Doc said, “Never mind, Monk. They got something. “James Treat is a tall, thin, gan-it.”

gling man of about forty. Black hair, black The tone of his voice held each of them mustache, weighs one hundred and seventy tense.

pounds, has a habit of squinting his left eye It was Randall who said, “I don’t under-as he talks.”

stand it. They passed up all the copies and

“That’s him, Doc!” exclaimed Renny.

searched until they found the original letter.

“He’s right here in Manila. I’ve tracked him to What difference would it make?”

a nearby hotel. Now that I’m positive, maybe

“That,” said Doc quietly, “is what we can locate the girl through him.”

makes the entire thing so mysterious.”

“Or Jonathan Treat,” said Doc.

Ham said, “And for which we were all

“Yes!”

almost murdered!”

Doc then brought Renny up to date on They thought about that. As a result, what had happened there in the States.

no one was in a mood for sleep. The time

“You can reach me here,” advised the was four a.m.

bronze man.

At four-thirty the telephone rang. Monk

“It should only be a couple of hours,”

answered it, then motioned for Doc. “For Renny said with renewed vigor. “I’m going you,” he said.

right over there now. I’ll call you later.”

The operator said to Doc Savage, “I He hung up.

am ready on your call to Manila.”

James Treat! He knew right where he could lay his hands on the man. At last this 30

DOC SAVAGE
riddle would be solved, and more than likely They entered an adjoining room of the he would find the girl, Sally, also.

corner suite. Three more police officers stood He hurried out.

there, and all were watching giant Renny’s entrance.

The dead man had been placed on the IT was still early evening. People of bed.

about every nationality moved through the The man had died on the floor. You war-scarred city. The air was humid and hot.

could see the dried blood, and the police had Huge Renny followed a narrow street that led marked off the spot. But now they had placed uphill from the Bay.

him on the bed.

The hotel had been restored almost to The man had been stabbed in the normal. It was one of the better places in a back.

city that catered to everyone from millionaires The officer who had admitted Renny to to the world’s worst villains.

the suite rolled the corpse over on its back.

American military police and S.P.’s pa-

“Ever meet this man?” he asked.

trolled the streets. Servicemen were still here Renny shook his head.

on duty.

The dead man, alive and standing on Renny went directly to the desk in the his feet, would have been tall, lean and gan-wide, busy lobby of the hotel.

gling. His hair was very black. He had a

“Mr. James Treat,” he said to the clerk.

heavy black mustache. His weight would be The Filipino looked at him quickly.

about one hundred and seventy pounds.

Renny wondered why.

“Do you know who he is?” continued

“You said . . . James Treat?”

the officer.

“That’s correct.”

“James Treat.”

“Just a minute, sir.”

“You said you’d never met him?”

The clerk glanced at him in that sort of

“That’s true. I was coming here to meet curious way again and stepped out of sight him for the first time tonight. I had his de-behind a partition. He was using a telephone, scription. That’s how I know he is James but Renny could not hear what was being Treat.”

said. Then the man appeared again.

The officer considered that for a mo-

“You may go up,” he said politely.

ment. The three other men remained silent,

“Room 212, sir.”

watching big Renny.

Renny walked up the wide staircase

“Well,” the officer said finally, “you’re that led to the second floor. White doors with right. We found a passport on him. But noth-shutters faced on the long hallways. The ing else. Apparently robbery was the motive, door he sought was the entrance of a corner for everything else on his person was miss-suite. He was familiar with the layout of the ing.”

hotel, for he had been here in the past.

Then he said: “We think we have the He knocked.

one who stabbed him.”

He imagined he’d heard someone talk-Renny’s eyes raised a little.

ing, but he must have been mistaken, for

“We received a telephone call from only one man was in sight when the door someone here in the hotel. We came here was swung open. The voices probably came and found this second person lying dazed in through the shuttered doorways of nearby the room. We realize this second person rooms.

could have been framed. Then, again, this Caution instantly took hold of the big person could be pretending, in order to ap-engineer when he saw the man who opened pear innocent.”

the door. The fellow wore a khaki uniform Renny tried not to show his sudden in-and a holstered gun.

terest. The officer said James Treat had He was one of the local police.

been robbed. That meant whoever had killed

“You wish to see Mr. James Treat?”

the man had carefully removed anything that the officer asked.

might give Renny a clue to the mystery.

Renny nodded. He watched the man.

Perhaps the person the police were He said nothing.

now holding knew the answers!

“This way, please.”

Renny said: “Whom are you holding for Renny followed, still alert.

the murder?”

TARGET FOR DEATH

31

The officer nodded to one of his assis-EACH officer in the room had glanced tants. The man stepped to a door and toward the trim brunette girl as she was led opened it. It was a third room of the corner into the room. Momentarily their eyes were suite.

off Renny, the engineer.

They brought the girl in, an officer guid-His mind juggled the situation with ing her by an arm. She seemed dazed. She great rapidity in the moment he saw the girl.

had been crying, and her face was very white And she was staring directly toward him as against the dark background of her brunette she was brought in.

hair.

It was Sally Treat.

32

DOC SAVAGE

Renny made a swift, decisive gesture Renny nodded. He was looking at the with his head. The movement said, “You girl. “She is an American, is she not?”

don’t know me. You’ve never met me!”

“Yes, sir.”

He wondered just how Sally Treat

“You know,” he said thoughtfully, “I would react. Would she string along, trust really should come to her aid. Perhaps I can him?

find a lawyer to represent her. Momentarily, The officers had looked back again.

I’d like to act as her advisor. May I have a Renny’s head shake had been missed.

moment alone with the young woman?”

The girl’s dark brown eyes lowered.

That stopped them. The procedure was She said nothing.

unusual. But this man Renwick was a very The officer in charge spoke to Renny important person. The officer in charge de-again.

cided he’d better grant the request.

“Do you know this woman?”

“Of course,” he said.

Renny shook his head. “Never saw her Renny nodded toward the adjoining before.”

room. “I’d like to talk to her alone for just a He thought Sally Treat winced, but it moment or two.”

was an imperceptible thing. Renny had never

“Certainly.”

felt so much like a heel in all his life. But he When the door closed behind them, had a plan. . . .

Renny held the girl’s arms and looked down

“She claims,” the officer in charge was into her troubled, lovely face. He spoke saying, “that she, too, was robbed . . . that softly.

she came here to the room, and when some-

“What happened?” he prompted.

one answered she stepped into darkness.

“It was . . . just like I told them,” she She insists there was a struggle and that she whispered tautly. “I’d located James Treat. I was dazed for a while. When she revived, the knew he was here in Manila. I had an ap-person was gone and she was alone with the pointment to come here to his room tonight to victim.” A tight smile played across his thin, find out about Uncle Jonathan Treat. Then . .

dark face. “I don’t like her story, sir.”

. someone opened the door here. The place

“Then you’re charging her with mur-was dark. A man grabbed me . . .”

der?”

“Do you know who it was?”

“We’re taking her to headquarters.

“I haven’t the slightest idea. He tried to We’re merely holding her on suspicion. There strangle me with a pillow. I lost conscious-is no charge—yet.”

ness for a little while.”

He said the last carefully, then studied

“You found nothing at all?”

Renny’s face for a moment. “In fact,” the offi-She shook her head. “Even my own cer added, “I’m not completely satisfied about purse was gone. The police arrived almost you.”

immediately.”

Renny slid a hand into his inside Renny thought a moment. “Kid,” he pocket. “Allow me to identify myself,” he of-said tensely, “what I’m doing might not seem fered.

very chivalrous. But it’s for your own safety.

He handed over the papers . . . identifi-This thing is coming to a head fast and more cation papers that had been issued in Wash-people are going to get hurt. I’ve got to be on ington, D. C. The papers showed that he was the move. I won’t be able to look out for you.

here on a government reconstruction project, But there’s one place where you will be safe.

and that he was a renowned engineer and Jail! Please try to understand.”

was to be given carte blanche. This was a He waited.

part of Renny’s mission in the Pacific—or She looked frightened at first. He had been, until Doc Savage had first con-talked some more. He convinced her. “Don’t tacted him about the other thing.

worry,” he explained, “it will only be tempo-The officer in charge read the papers, rary. I’ll see to it that no one is allowed to visit passed them to his associates. Instantly a you there.”

complete change took place in their attitude.

“All right,” Sally Treat agreed.

They all smiled. They were gracious. One

“First tell me,” he said. “Why did you said: “You understand, Mr. Renwick, you run away from Honolulu? Sneaking away in were not under suspicion for one instant!”

the middle of the night without telling Pat?”

TARGET FOR DEATH

33

“I’m sorry about that,” she said unhap-

“Every one of them’s been one of the pily. “But, after Pat had gone to sleep I heard Treat family.”

a slight noise outside in the hall. I went over

“Yep.”

to the door to investigate. I was afraid to

“Each one of them’s visitin’ that open it, so I whispered, ‘Who is it?’

stranger in town. Big guy. Biggest man I ever

“There wasn’t any answer, but an en-seen. Looks like he’s been in the sun a lot.

velope was pushed under the door. I took it Bronze-like.”

over to a small lamp which I turned on. The

“Yep.”

note was addressed to me, and it was signed

“I heard he’s questioning each one of

‘Uncle Jonathan.’ It said for me to return to them. Wonder why?”

Manila at once, telling no one I was leaving.

“Dunno.”

It said to bring the note addressed to James.

“Danged funny,” the first man repeated.

“But I couldn’t find the note. The one to The afternoon wore on lazily.

James. I thought Pat might have given it to Night finally came, folding over the you. So I left without it, thinking that if Uncle town as if moving on tiptoe.

Jonathan wished the note returned to him I Monk and Ham returned to the hotel could phone or cable Pat.”

and went directly to the rooms that had been rented by Doc Savage. Doc was waiting for them.

WHEN they took Sally away, Renny

“Well,” Monk reported, “we shooed in was still worried. Would the person behind every one of the Treat relatives we could this mystery try to reach her in the jail?

find. The woods are full of them. One owns a Dammit, Renny decided, there must be livery. Another’s an undertaker. One old something in that confounded letter. He’d call guy’s a judge. They show up, Doc?”

Doc Savage immediately. The letter should The bronze man nodded. He checked be in Doc’s hands by this time.

a sheet of paper on the table in front of him.

Renny returned to his hotel and made Ham said, “We gave each one of them his call, informing Doc of all that had taken a Photostatic copy of the letter, as you in-place.

structed. Any results?”

Doc sighed somewhat wearily. “Not a thing. I thought it might stir up something. But Chapter IX
it hasn’t. Not one of them could explain the letter.”

THE town, nestled along the banks of

“Had any of them heard from Jonathan the winding Ohio River, looked as if nothing Treat?”

had disturbed its serenity for several dec-Doc shook his head.

ades. Huge old elms and willows lined the Ham said, “We were out there to the bluff which rose up above the river, and here place where Jonathan lives when in town.

and there through the trees you could see a What a mansion! Sets up on a hill on the house, or a small quiet park, or a church edge of the village. It’s boarded up right steeple rising up through the trees.

now.”

There was a hotel of sorts just off the

“I was there,” said Doc.

village square. Its wide old porch faced along He consulted the list of names again.

the main street. Townsmen gathered there,

“There’s one left,” he told them. “One mem-sitting with their feet up on the white railing, ber of the family we have not seen. It ap-and talked. Some just sat. It was a warm af-pears he is a recluse who will have nothing to ternoon.

do with the others. They say he disappears From time to time a villager either en-for months at a time. He has a camp some-tered or left the hotel. There seemed to be an where back in the hills, but no one knows urgency in the way each came and went, not exactly where it is. His name is Tod Treat.”

pausing to pass the time of day, going

“A guy like that,” said Monk, “probably immediately inside.

doesn’t know the war’s over!”

One of the old porch-sitters remarked,

“We can’t leave a stone unturned,” Doc

“Danged funny, if you ask me!”

pointed out.

“Yep,” agreed the only crony who sat

“But how are you going to locate a next to him.

character like him?” asked Ham.

34

DOC SAVAGE

“News oftentimes travels fast in com-gray, and stood right up on end, as though munities like this,” explained Doc. “I’ve he might have been scared by a ghoul. As he dropped a word here and there about him.

talked, he patted at the unruly hair from time Maybe he’ll show up.”

to time as though that would make it stay Doc’s statement proved correct. At ten down. He could have saved the energy. He that night Tod Treat walked into the hotel.

wore old slacks, sneakers and an open brown shirt.

“What do you make of it?” he asked HE was a small, wiry sort of man with without any sort of preamble.

bright, alert eyes. His hair was bushy and Doc’s eyes flickered.

TARGET FOR DEATH

35

“To what are you referring?”

Doc said, “Turning this letter over to us

“The letter, naturally!”

is mighty helpful. You’ve certainly been Monk gulped. Ham jabbed him in the coöperative. Yes, why don’t you come ribs.

along?”

“You know . . . about the letter?” Doc Monk came back into the room to re-asked carefully.

port that the Cincinnati police were more than

“Certainly,” said Tod Treat in his abrupt willing to place their laboratory equipment at manner. “And it don’t make no sense to me Doc’s disposal. “I also made arrangement at all. That’s why I come to you. I hear you’re with the local jitney service to have someone in the village, and trying to find out about that drive us in,” said Monk.

letter, so here I am!”

Within a few minutes they were started.

Doc said: “Just how did you get hold of The crime laboratory was located in a it?”

building behind the city’s general hospital. It

“Elmer brought it.”

was one of the most modern anywhere.

“Elmer?”

“He’s an old friend of James Treat. He says James is in trouble and maybe I ought to have the letter. James is over there in the Pacific somewheres looking for Jonathan, so Elmer brought the letter to me. He doesn’t trust the rest of them Treats.”

“Did Elmer tell you exactly how he ob-tained the letter?” prodded Doc. He remembered how they’d almost been murdered in their sleep the night before last.

“Nope,” said Tod. “And I ain’t one to poke into a person’s affairs. Live and let live is my motto. Here!”

He pulled the letter out of his shirt pocket and handed it to the bronze man. Doc inspected it carefully. It was the original letter, he was convinced.

“Where,” continued Doc Savage, “can we locate this fellow named Elmer?”

“Ha!” said Tod. “That fellow is as restless as a terrier with worms. He’s gone again.”

“Gone where?”

“Don’t ask me!”

That seemed to be the extent of the information Tod could give them.

Doc turned to Monk. “Call the Cincinnati police crime laboratory. Ask them if we could use some of their equipment tonight . .

. mainly their infra-red equipment and enlargement cameras.”

Cincinnati was less than an hour’s drive away.

Monk used a phone in an adjoining room. Doc was still talking to Tod Treat. The First, Doc put the letter under the infra-man with the unruly, standing-on-end hair red lamp. He checked for secret markings or was saying: “
writing.

So if it’s okay, I’d like to come with And found nothing.

you. Anything I can do to help locate Jona-Ham said, “it looks like we’re sunk, than, I’ll do.”

Doc.”

36

DOC SAVAGE

The bronze man was thoughtful. His Doc nodded.

strange flake-gold eyes were restless. “I’m Monk went on: “Only with this method, not giving up yet,” he said grimly.

you go a step farther. You can take an entire With Monk’s assistance, they made letter, or message, and reduce it to pin-point enlargements of the letter. Doc studied the size!”

enlargements with a magnifying glass.

“And,” finished Doc, “so microscopic He still found no secret writing or mark-that the reproduction can be hidden beneath ings of any kind. Yet he seemed to be the period at the end of a sentence, for ex-searching for something.

ample.”

“I’d like to take these enlargements and Ham stared. “You mean to tell me,” he blow them up to still larger size,” he said to said, “underneath an ordinary period in that the chemist. “I want the largest reproductions letter, a message can be hidden?”

possible.”

“That,” said Doc tensely, “is now what Monk thought. “There’s a Photostat we’re going to find out. Something’s there.

house here in the city that has one of the This huge enlargement shows it!”

biggest enlarging cameras in the country. If we could get somebody to open up their plant tonight—”

Chapter X

“What’s the name of the owner?” asked Doc.

MONK took over. Working with a tiny Monk gave it to him. Doc placed a call.

jeweler’s glass and chemicals that loosened He offered a high figure for use of the equip-the ink on the original letter, Monk displayed ment. A half hour later they were at the Pho-his ability as a technician. Infinite skill was tostat house downtown.

needed. A strained half hour passed.

Finally, Monk placed a small glass slide beneath one of the powerful cameras in THE enlargement was finally ready. It the laboratory. There was a tiny spot of a was as high as an ordinary room and almost thing on the slide—the thing that had been as wide. Then began Doc’s tedious task of beneath the period in the letter.

going over the thing with the magnifying He made the first enlargement. They glass. The others waited.

studied it. They were becoming tense with

“Monk!” Doc said finally, and there was excitement.

something in the tone of his voice.

“It looks like a map,” said Monk.

He handed the chemist the glass. “That Doc nodded.

period at the end of the second sentence in

“We’ll enlarge this enlargement,” said the letter. What do you see?”

Doc.

Monk took the glass, climbed up on a The procedure was repeated. It was chair to study the middle of the huge Photo-necessary, finally, to take sections of the stat. He became excited.

enlargements and blow these up in size.

“Writing, or a drawing of some kind, Then they fitted the segments together. Fi-protruding from around the edges of the pe-nally the entire thing was complete.

riod!” cried the chemist.

They stared at the drawing.

Ham looked also.

Small Tod Treat scratched his head.

Tod Treat watched them in amazement

“Looks like something on an island!” he said.

with his mop of gray hair standing on end.

“Pacific island,” added Ham.

Monk got down off the chair, picked up Doc read notations on the huge, the original letter, looked at it thoughtfully. He enlarged map. He did some quick mental turned to Doc Savage and said: figuring.

“The process was developed by the

“The island,” he said, “is somewhere Germans during the war. But only recently south of Manila. It is one of those that was was it made available for general use, after taken over by the Japs during the war . . . or, the Allies picked it up. In a way, it’s similar to at least, it is in a group of islands that were the microfilm process that was used to send invaded.”

letters to service men overseas via V-mail.

He turned to energetic little Tod Treat.

With microfilm, you can take a whole letter

“What connection, if any, would Jonathan and reduce it to small size on microfilm.”

have with that place?” Doc noted other de-TARGET FOR DEATH

37
tails about the map, but he made no com-hands and features showed the result of ment.

years of hard work.

“I dunno,” said Tod.

One was named Alvin. The other was Doc consulted the sheet on which he Lemuel. They looked almost alike.

had made notations concerning each of the Alvin frowned when he saw little Tod Treat relatives. He recalled there had been and said, “Are we going to be pestered with two brothers of Jonathan who seemed more him?”

helpful than the other relatives.

Doc told him, “He has been helpful. He Checking one of the names, he put found and returned the letter, which has through a call to the town up the river. He got given us our first lead to Jonathan.”

the man out of bed.

The information seemed to bother the Doc told what had been discovered. He two brothers. Doc wondered about it.

described approximate location of the fara-They boarded the waiting plane. With way island in the Pacific.

them, they carried the sections of enlarged The man to whom Doc was talking was map, which had been dismantled and placed named Alvin Treat. Doc caught an undercur-in a square, flat box.

rent of excitement in the man’s voice.

They’d be in Chicago in less than two

“Wait a minute,” Alvin said. “Let me hours.

consult my brother. He’s right here . . .” He As they settled down for the flight, Doc left the phone for a few moments.

said to Alvin Treat, “Now tell me everything When he returned, he said: “Just how you can about Jonathan and why he went soon could you leave for that place in the back to the Pacific.”

Pacific, Mr. Savage?”

The two brothers looked at Doc Sav-

“As soon as we can get a plane out of age. They were both thoughtful, quiet, delib-Cincinnati.”

erate men.

“We’re joining you. This is something Alvin said, “First, we’d like to know that involves the entire Treat family. We’ll tell something. How is it you are so interested in you about that place just as soon as we see Jonathan, Mr. Savage?”

you. We’re leaving almost immediately. We’ll Doc had wondered why the question come directly to Lunken Airport.”

had not been asked long before this. Now he He hung up.

figured it was time to reveal it.

“Two months ago,” he said, “Jonathan Treat contacted me at my New York head-DOC turned to Tod Treat. “What about quarters. He was returning to the Pacific now you? You’re hardly prepared to start such a that the war was over. He had some busi-long journey . . .”

ness there.”

“The hell I ain’t!” said Tod with deter-The two brothers nodded in unison.

mination. “I got plenty of money, too.”

“A few years before the war,” continued He pulled a roll from his worn pants Doc, “I met Jonathan Treat. Once, he did me pocket.

a great favor. I’ve always felt obligated to Monk whistled. He looked at Ham and repay that favor. Well, his only request when commented, “You’d think the guy was a he contacted me was that, should there be bookie.”

any interruption in the arrival of a brief weekly Dawn was breaking when they gath-report saying that he was all right, I was to ered at the airport beyond a levee of the Ohio investigate.”

River. Doc had arranged for a charter airline Doc paused.

to fly them to Chicago, first leg of the long

“And?” one of the brothers asked.

journey to the Pacific. In Chicago, they would

“Three weeks ago the reports stopped see Rick Randall again.

coming to me. One of my associates, a man

“Huh!” was the comment little Tod named Renwick, was out there in that area made when Alvin Treat and his brother joined doing some work. He started investigating.

them.

Then, he ran into this letter business.”

They were big men, dark, and they op-The two brothers said nothing for a erated a large farm outside the town where moment. Something seemed to be bothering other members of the family lived. Their them. Then one said, “Mr. Savage, do you 38

DOC SAVAGE
mind if Alvin and I speak to each other alone barely escaped with his life. Jonathan came a moment?”

home. He never talked about it. But we think Doc shrugged.

Cousin James knew. That’s why the letter The two men retired to the rear of the was sent to him.”

large cabin. They sat down and talked qui-

“James is dead,” Doc told them.

etly. After awhile they returned forward.

“We suspected that. We warned him Alvin said: “For reasons which we cannot to follow Jonathan.”

not yet reveal, we cannot tell you anything Doc asked, “You have no idea what it further about Jonathan. At the proper time, is Jonathan has discovered out there?”

we’ll explain everything.”

Both brothers shook their heads. “We It was outspoken little Tod who think,” said Alvin, “it is something that will snorted, “Well, I’ll be damned!”

make him even wealthier. And now Cousin Homely Monk had been ready to make James is dead. That leaves only ourselves, a similar comment in slightly stronger lan-Tod and Herman.”

guage. And he was even more amazed when

“Herman?”

Doc spoke.

“Herman,” said Alvin, “disappeared

“There is no hurry at all,” said Doc.

several weeks ago. He is a brother. We believe he is dead, too. So that only leaves the three of us.”

Chapter XI

“Leaves you what?”

“We are the only remaining three in THEY were in Chicago before eight Jonathan’s will. Other relatives in the family o’clock that morning. Doc had held the hotel never got along with Jonathan. They are not suite. He was still awaiting word from Renny.

mentioned in the will.”

Back at the hotel Rick Randall was out

“You are positive?”

when they arrived. They would have to wait

“Yes. Now do you see why we must be till he returned to know if there were word so cautious? Tod has no sense. It is up to us from Renny.

to help you in any way possible. We pray that Tod Treat wanted to know, “Ain’t we Jonathan is alive. If not, our own lives are in starting right out for the Pacific?”

grave danger.”

“There are a few details to be com-

“I can appreciate that,” commented pleted first.” That was the extent of Doc’s Doc.

explanation at the moment.

A little later he was alone with Monk in

“Shucks, then I guess I’ll go out and the room that he was using as an office. He buy me some duds,” said Tod.

was waiting for a trans-Pacific call to go He disappeared for awhile.

through.

It was only a few moments later that Monk said, grimly, “I wonder just how the big, quiet brother named Lemuel came to hard those two brothers are praying for dear Doc and said, “We’ve decided to tell you.”

Jonathan?”

Doc’s eyebrows raised a little.

“I wonder,” said Doc.

“Yes?”

Rick Randall arrived.

“About Jonathan, we mean,” continued Lemuel.

Doc waited.

HE immediately announced, “I’m going

“Brother Jonathan, you know, is a mil-with you. Since you’ve held me here this lionaire.”

long, I may as well travel with you rather than

“He is one of the richest men in the dash ahead by myself. Now that I realize country,” added Alvin.

Sally is comparatively safe.”

“I know that,” said Doc.

Doc looked at him.

“He made his money discovering cop-

“Now that Renny has assured us that per and tin and stuff on those Pacific islands.

Sally is protected, you can be more useful in Then, just before the war, he found some-another way than you would be by going with thing else.”

us,” he said. “That is, if you really want to

“What did he find?”

help. . . .”

“He has never told anyone,” said Le-

“What?” asked the young man.

muel. “But when the Japs moved in, he TARGET FOR DEATH

39

Doc explained the mission he wanted The stewardess told the passengers, done in the small Ohio town where the Treats “We might have to sit here for several hours.

lived. “Get every bit of information you can, Arrangements have been made at a hotel in then contact me or Renny in Manila.”

town where you may stay. Each of you will The big towheaded pilot thought it be called in plenty of time before we depart over. “You really need this information?”

again.”

Doc nodded.

Restless Tod Treat immediately pre-

“All right,” Randall said.

pared to leave. “Me,” he said, “I’m going to Doc sent Monk and Ham out for spe-get some sleep in a comfortable hotel bed.”

cific supplies that might be needed. They He insisted on carrying the heavy suitcase were to arrange to have the airline fly them to with him.

the West Coast. Doc decided they would wait

“I hope he breaks a leg,” said Alvin.

until no later than six that evening to hear They had berths on the sleeper plane, from Renny, then they would begin the jour-and the two Treat brothers decided to stay ney.

aboard.

Little Tod Treat returned. He carried a Doc, Monk and Ham went into the ter-large suitcase which apparently was stuffed minal building. Doc said, “I think I’ll wait in the with things he had bought, for he staggered operations office for awhile. I’ll see what the under its weight.

weather reports say.”

“Now we can stay till hell freezes over!”

He was restless, the two aides knew.

he announced. He patted at his unruly hair. It Monk and Ham discovered there was a stuck up in the air like dry brush.

pretty waitress in the coffee shop of the ter-Doc became restless as the afternoon minal. They were each on their third cup of wore on and he was unable to contact coffee—it was a half hour later—and were Renny. Perhaps he should not have as-making progress with the blonde waitress, signed Renny to the job alone. . . .

when one of the stewardesses from their The telegram arrived from Pat Savage.

plane hurried into the doorway of the coffee Reading it, he smiled a little. Also, he felt re-shop.

lieved that Pat was out of this and safe in She saw them and made a quick mo-New York.

tion with her hand. She appeared worried.

The wire read:

Monk and Ham paid their checks and hurried out.

I THINK YOU’RE A BUNCH OF

“It’s about one of your friends,” the at-STINKERS
tractive stewardess said.

LOVE

“Who?” Ham asked.

PAT

“The one named Lemuel Treat. His brother is terribly worried about him!”

“

At five o’clock there was still no word Why? What’s wrong?” Ham stared at the girl.

from Renny. Doc decided they could wait no

“A man came aboard the plane and longer. They were on a six o’clock last flight to the Coast. Ham and Monk had completed asked for him. They started toward the termi-all arrangements. They barely had time to nal and that’s the last anyone has seen of catch the limousine to the airport.

either of them. His brother has searched everywhere.”

Sometime during that night, the fog

“Perhaps they went into town to the ho-grounded the plane at Salt Lake City.

tel,” suggested Ham.

The stewardess shook her head. “We THERE had been a storm, and after-checked there. And we’ve questioned the wards humidity and heavy, thick fog that was limousine drivers. No one left here after the first limousine load that went in after we were as motionless as death. They barely made a grounded.”

landing at the field before the fog closed in. It

“
was decided to ground the huge airliner, for Did you see the fellow Lemuel Treat Salt Lake had always been a danger point on departed with?”

“
coast-to-coast air routes. Mountains rose The other girl did. She can tell you.”

steeply nearby.

They hurried back to the plane, parked near the ramp at the edge of the field. Fog 40

DOC SAVAGE
crawled around them, and in the motionless,

“It isn’t good news,” he said to Alvin wet gray mist the great spreading wings of Treat. “This is a message from the police in the mammoth plane towered over them.

Salt Lake. I left word with them before we left They found Doc Savage talking to the there this morning.”

other stewardess aboard the plane. Tall, Alvin put out his big, bony hand. The rawboned Alvin Treat was with them.

report said:

“The man who stepped aboard for a moment,” the girl was saying, “was rather MAN YOU DESCRIBE FOUND MUR-small and unassuming. I remember he had DERED BRUSH NEAR AIRPORT THIS
very black hair and I don’t think he could see MORNING. DEAD SEVERAL HOURS.

very well. He wore heavy-lensed eyeglasses.

NO CLUES.

He—”

Ham gave a start. He looked at Monk.

Slowly, Alvin handed the message The chemist said, “And I’ll bet he wore an back to Doc. The bronze man passed it to elk’s tooth on a heavy gold chain!”

“
the others. No one spoke.

Yes! He did!” said the girl.

Finally Alvin Treat said: “That’s one Ham swung toward Doc and said, “The less. I wonder who will be next?” His voice fellow who was on the plane the other morn-trembled.

ing on the way to Chicago! Remember, he disappeared there?”

Monk cried, “But how in blazes did he Chapter XII
get here, tonight? He wasn’t on the flight out.

Doc carefully checked every passenger!”

No one had an explanation.

SEVERAL hours before the trans-world Clipper was due to land in Manila, Renny received the long-distance telephone call AT five that morning there was no trace from Rick Randall.

of either man. And near dawn a wind sprang The big engineer had been keeping a up. The fog quickly lifted. Soon they were nightly vigil near the small jail where Sally given clearance. Little Tod Treat had been Treat was being held in custody. One thing worried him. The man who had stabbed called at the hotel and was now aboard.

James Treat to death was still at large. There News of the disappearance did not upset him.

had been no clue to his identity. Would his

“I wish they’d both disappear!” said next victim be the girl herself?

Tod. “Those guys!”

Renny had been uneasy about this Monk said to Ham, “What a family!”

right along. If anything happened to her . . .

And so he had kept the vigil for three Doc consulted with Alvin Treat. “What nights now. There was only a single jailer on do you want to do? Wait here?”

The big, gangling man shook his head duty throughout the night. A clever man, a with determination. “I’m not worried about murderer, might get away with anything.

Lemuel. He knows how to handle himself.

Darkness was falling and Renny was You can rest assured he’ll follow and join us preparing to leave for the jail when Randall’s call came through. It was from the small Ohio later.”

They continued the flight westward.

town where Doc Savage had sent the young And even before that day was ended, flier.

they were on the Clipper and over the end-He told big Renny, “I’ve tried to reach less Pacific. They were an hour out of San Doc Savage. But he and the others are somewhere over the Pacific and we can’t get Francisco when the stewardess came back a message through.” He had learned when and spoke to Doc Savage quietly.

On the Clipper they had a small com-the Clipper was due at Manila and passed partment to themselves. Doc excused him-this information on to the engineer.

self and went forward to the pilots’ cockpit of Then he told of Doc’s request, and of the ship.

the investigation he had completed for the bronze man.

Shortly he returned. He held a slip of

“You can tell him,” said Randall, “that paper in his hand. His face was set in tight lines.

Alvin and Lemuel Treat spoke the truth.

TARGET FOR DEATH

41

They, and the one named Tod, and another happened, and of Doc’s impending arrival brother called Herman are the only ones within a few hours. They talked for some time named in the will. James was the fifth one, and it was getting close to midnight. Quiet but Doc says James is dead.”

had settled over the city.

“That’s right,” said Renny.

A little later, they both heard the drunk Neither knew, of course, about Lemuel being brought in. They listened as the sound Treat’s murder also.

of voices carried through the bare-walled in-

“But here’s something important,” con-terior.

tinued Randall.

Two patrolmen, from what Renny could

“Yes?”

hear of the conversation, had found the

“The one named Herman disappeared drunk nearby and had decided a little sober-several weeks ago. They thought he was ing-up process would save them trouble.

dead too. But I’ve traced his movements and They turned the drunk over to the jailer and he was last heard of in Manila!”

departed. An iron door slammed.

Renny clutched the phone. “Can you The jailer was having some trouble describe him?”

with the man.

“A big fellow. Dark, heavy set, in his Renny could hear the fellow stumbling forties. Looks like the other brothers. Tod, up against things. The jailer cursed him. He apparently, is the only one who doesn’t look sounded as if he were trying to assist the like them.”

drunk to a bunk in one of the small cells.

“Anything else?”

Abruptly the sounds stopped. There

“How’s Sally?”

was heavy silence. The thing was too sudden

“Fine,” said Renny. “You needn’t worry to be natural.

about her at all. I’m watching over her.” And Renny made a quick motion with his he felt no conviction in his own statement. A hand in the half light of the girl’s room, warn-brother named Herman, here in Manila.

ing her not to speak.

Renny lost no time getting started after They strained their ears, listening.

Randall had finished his call. He went directly Someone fell. A man groaned. Then—
to the small jail. Maybe the one named Her-silence again.

man, too, knew of Doc Savage’s plans to Renny moved silently toward the open arrive in the city within a few hours.

closet doorway. He motioned the girl to sit down on the small iron cot that served as her bed in the room. He whispered softly, “Play RENNY located the officer who had this thing through with me. Don’t worry.”

been in charge the night of James Treat’s His giant, powerful figure reassured murder. Renny put on a little pressure this her. She sat down and waited.

time. Mention of Doc Savage did the trick.

Tense
moments
passed.

Renny

At ten that night, unknown to anyone thought he heard a whisper of sound in the except Sally Treat and the jailer, he was in-hallway outside the room. Vague light came side the small jailhouse. He had left specific through the barred window from the street orders.

outside, but did not quite reach to the hall

“Leave only the one regular man on door. He, himself, was concealed in black-duty, as you always do. Any change in rou-ness, though the door to the closet was tine might scare this fellow off. But if he’s open. He watched the hall door.

ever going to make his move, he’ll do it to-

“Sally?”

night.”

There was a small section of the prison set aside for women. It consisted of two THE word was softly spoken. It electri-plain, single rooms. Sally, at the moment, fied Renny. The figure was standing there in was the only prisoner. There was a short the small room doorway and the engineer hallway, ending in a barred door, that con-could not even see him.

nected with the other section of the jail.

“Ye-es?” the girl said.

A small closet in Sally’s room was big

“It’s Herman . . . Herman Treat, re-Renny’s hiding place.

member? You were pretty young the last First, however, he talked to the girl. He time I saw you. Jonathan’s brother, remem-told her, as much as he knew of it, what had ber?”

42

DOC SAVAGE

A soft gasp came from the girl’s lips.

“It’s about Jonathan,” said Herman.

“What . . . what are you doing here in

“He’s in great danger, as you know. Both of Manila?” she asked.

us are in danger of our lives, Jonathan and I.

The man stepped further inside the That’s why I haven’t contacted you. I had to room. Renny could see him now. He was a be very careful . . . because of Jonathan.”

big man, solid, dark-haired. There was the

“Where . . . is he?” the girl asked.

reek of alcohol about him, but his voice

“The letter will tell us,” said the big showed that he was cold sober.

man. “What happened to the letter? I must TARGET FOR DEATH

43
find it. That’s why I took a desperate chance He said: “If you want to talk to him and came here. Tell me!”

anymore, you’d better hurry!”

For a long moment the girl did not As he led the way back, he said, “He speak. The man came closer, looking down grabbed me and choked me when I was try-at her as she sat stiffly on the edge of the ing to lead him to a cell. I thought he was just bed.

another drunk. I came to and I heard him in Then she said: “How did you know . . .

here talking. Then he made that break for it. I I was here?”

let him have it.”

“I—”

Herman was lying on the floor of the The words came out before she could square room surrounded by several small stop them. “You killed him! You murdered cells. He was dying. The shot had entered James!”

near the heart.

Renny could see the expression of Renny bent down over him. He said hate that dropped like a curtain across the grimly, “Who’s the other one? You covered tall man’s face.

things here while someone else worked back

“Damn you!” Herman snarled, and he in the States. Who is it?”

lunged forward. His hands were reaching for The big man knew he was dying. The the girl’s throat when Renny came out of the viciousness had gone out of him. He was closet doorway and hit him. His fist drove the probably afraid. He was losing conscious-big man backward against a wall.

ness so fast that Renny had to bend close in But Herman was hard-muscled, quick-order to hear his whisper.

moving. He came back off the wall and Herman was saying something. Renny lunged at the engineer. His fists smashed missed the first part of it, and he knew that if toward Renny’s face.

he had heard the words they would have The girl cried out.

been very important. A dying man usually Renny hit him again. His huge fist sent speaks the truth.

the man reeling out to the hallway. Some-Then, barely audible, he heard the last thing flashed. A knife! Renny grabbed the part of the statement. Herman was saying: wrist of the hand that held it, twisted, heard “. . . man with . . . bald head . . .”

the man curse with pain.

That was all. The man had stopped The knife clattered on the stone corri-breathing.

dor. The man bent down as though to re-Renny stood up. He repeated quietly, trieve it, then butted Renny in the stomach “Man with a bald head. I wonder what he with his head. It was a driving lunge, and meant.”

Renny went staggering backward into the room.

A door clanged shut. The iron door that Chapter XIII
separated this section from the rest of the jail. Renny was leaping down the hall as the THE sun beat down on the calm, mo-key grated in the lock. Herman must have tionless sea and gave it a coppery, blinding taken the keys when he knocked out the glow. The sleek, powerful boat rode up on guard.

the step and sliced the water into segments He was gone!

like a knife. Its engines, diesels, throbbed Then—there was the sudden blast of a with only partially unleashed power.

shot out there in the main jail room. A man Doc Savage was at the wheel of the screamed with pain.

former navy PT boat. He stood on the heavy Sally Treat ran out into the hallway rubber matting of the windshield-protected sobbing. “Renny—” she said in horror.

bridge. An Admiral Halsey type peaked cap He grabbed her. “I’m all right, kid,” he protected his eyes from the glare of sunlight said quickly. They listened. Steps came to-on smooth water.

ward them. He pushed the girl behind him. . .

Big Renny stood beside him, the navi-

.

gation chart spread out before him, high-It was the jailer. The man carried the powered binoculars held to his eyes.

keys and he unlocked the door. He was

“It’s something out there,” said Renny, massaging his throat. The gun was in a big continuing to watch through the glasses.

holster at his side.

44

DOC SAVAGE

“Holy cow! Why don’t they chart all these IT was a tiny speck of an island set scattered islands, anyway!”

down in the middle of the vast Pacific. It was Doc held the craft on course. He said, probably a mile long and half as wide. From “Considering that a number of these thou-the shore, the island rose inland to a height sands of islands are uninhabited, I think the of perhaps two or three hundred feet. Every-charts are exceptionally good. During the war where there was nothing but heavy green the navy discovered several others that were foliage.

not on the maps.”

Doc Savage was still consulting the Doc had arranged with certain navy of-enlarged map section. He had turned the ficials for use of the fast, high-speed craft.

wheel over to Renny. “There’s a spot marked Much of the former wartime equipment was on the far side of the island,” he said. “Go still aboard.

around.”

Monk and Ham were in the cabin now, Also, from coloring of the clear water, looking it over. Little Tod Treat sat on a bunk, he had noted dangerous reefs. There was no looking somewhat green.

place for a landing here.

“I think I’m going to be sick,” he com-They skirted the island slowly. Noise of plained.

the engines came back off the land as Monk grinned.

though it were a sounding board.

“Brother, this ocean is a mill pond right Renny said abruptly, “Isn’t that a dock now. Wait until she really kicks up!”

of sorts up ahead?”

The remark did not seem to help Tod.

Doc watched. He nodded.

Tall, gangling Alvin Treat said nothing.

“Then someone’s been here!” boomed He sat on one of the compact bunks and Renny.

watched Monk and Ham.

“Naturally,” Doc replied.

Monk had removed the sub-machine They eased in through shoal water.

gun from a special bulkhead rack. He was They found a clear channel. The piling of the oiling and cleaning the weapon. He said to dock was weathered and battered, but they Ham: managed to pull alongside.

“Might have some use for this thing, Monk leaped ashore and made the who knows!”

boat fast.

Ham tried to think of something to say

“Come on,” he yelled at Ham. “Let’s to start an argument. He was bored. They have a look!”

had been at sea now for many hours.

Ham said, “Careful, you dunce.”

Monk finally finished cleaning the Doc told them, “I don’t think there’s deadly weapon. He inserted a reel of fresh much danger.”

cartridges into the machine gun and carefully They wondered what he meant.

replaced the weapon in the rack. He patted Doc pointed down along the shore.

the smooth metal.

They saw the other boat that had been pulled

“Baby,” he said, “maybe we’ll drum up up on a runway that led down into the water.

a little trade for you.”

There was a winch device that had been Ham had dozed off.

used for handling the boat.

Doc came down into the compact

“That craft isn’t large enough to have cabin. He picked up the sections of map that carried many people,” Doc pointed out. Then had been enlarged from the hidden spot in he added, “I rather believe there’s only one the letter. Doc seemed unusually alert. He man on this island.”

checked lines and figures on the map, went Alvin Treat was watching Doc Savage.

forward, called up to Renny.

“Jonathan?” he asked.

“I think we’ve hit it right on the nose.”

Doc nodded.

Tod shouted through his pale lips, They started ashore.

“You’ve found the island?”

But Tod Treat decided he was too ill to Doc nodded.

join them.

Monk kicked Ham and woke him up.

“I’ll wait,” he said. He was very pale.

“Come on, shyster, this is the end of the line!”

He lay down on the narrow deck and Everyone went to the small bridge.

lost interest in everything.

They moved inland through the trees.

Doc carried one particular section of the TARGET FOR DEATH

45
enlarged map with him. He located a trail, slammed into the wooden post near him. He said, “This seems to be the route to the leaped back.

place.”

“What place?” asked Alvin.

“We’ll see,” was all Doc said.

ANOTHER shot followed shortly. Doc’s sharp ears caught a sound in the stillness that followed the report of the shot.

THE route trailed around the edge of He said: “Whoever it is, is using a sin-the island. It kept to the low spots of the land.

gle-action rifle. It means he has to spend a Shortly, they came upon the deep trench that moment between each shot to pump another had been dug in the ground. The trench was shell into the chamber. Immediately after he filled with water from the sea.

fires again, I’m going to make a break for it.

Ham said, “What would that be?”

Everyone wait inside here!”

“We’ll follow it,” said Doc.

Alvin Treat said fearfully, “Doc’ll never The water-filled trench led back make it.”

through a narrow ravine. Shortly they came

“You don’t know how fast he can upon the metal shack built deep in the move,” said Monk. They waited. The bronze woods. There were tools and equipment, man was crouched down just inside the shaft rusted with age. Nearby there was an odd-entrance. The nearest trees were a dozen looking structure.

yards away.

It appeared like the diggings found at The shot came. It splintered woodwork the entrance to a mine shaft built inside a above their heads.

hillside. The deep, water-filled trench led right Doc was gone. He moved with blinding up to it.

speed. Another shot came fast, but not fast

“Danged if that doesn’t look like a enough. Doc was safe, and they could not mine!” exclaimed Monk.

see him at all.

“It is,” said Doc. “And someone built Silence followed.

this trench and flooded it with water from the Silence that stretched into long min-sea, so that it would be temporarily useless.”

utes. There was no sign from the woods, no

“Say!” cried Monk. “I remember reading indication of Doc Savage’s whereabouts.

how the Japs pulled that trick in some of the

“Dammit,” muttered Monk, “why didn’t I islands they invaded early in the war. Some bring that machine gun?”

of them were even gold mines!”

“Because,” Ham told him, “maybe Doc

“That,” Doc Savage said, “appears to didn’t want any shooting. He knows what be the secret that Jonathan Treat has been he’s doing.”

protecting so carefully.”

Almost an hour passed. Ham had to They made an attempt to enter the restrain his restless partner from trying to diggings. They did this by walking, like bur-escape.

ros, along a narrow edge of the trench that Suddenly they all heard the shout.

was filled with water. They managed to move It came again.

partway underground, striking matches to It was Doc.

light their way.

They hurried from the protection of the Then Doc said, “We can’t make it. The shaft. Doc was accompanied by a big, gray-shaft is dropping slightly downgrade. It will be haired figure. The man looked to be about filled with water.”

sixty, but he was solidly built, walked with a Renny thought a moment. “You know,”

springy stride.

he said, “given the proper equipment, this They saw that Doc carried a rifle now.

water could be pumped out. And this trench The big, gray-haired man had not leading in from the sea could be blocked off.”

shaved for many days. His features were

“I’ve been thinking of that,” Doc said.

burned from the sun.

They started back toward the entrance Coming up to them, Doc said, “Here he to the shaft. Doc was at the head of the naris, Alvin.”

row, slow-moving line.

Alvin Treat rushed forward. He flung He had just reached the exit into the his arm around the older man’s shoulders.

open when the rifle cracked out. Lead

“Jonathan!” he cried. He was trembling with emotion.

46

DOC SAVAGE

WALKING back toward the boat, Jona-Doc said quietly, “A man who has been than Treat told them, “I thought I was pretty a target for death as long as you have, be-good at stalking anything on this island.

comes quite primitive in his instincts. I don’t Luckily, though, Doc Savage, here, stalked blame you.”

me. He nailed me completely off guard.” He Apparently Doc had already explained looked relieved. “Thank heavens he did. I a part of what had happened in the States, might have killed you all.”

for the millionaire said, “When I knew I was TARGET FOR DEATH

47
marked for death, I tried to get that message His shooting, as a result, was wild. He through to James. Then I came here alone. It was completely confused by the blackness was the only safe place I knew of. I had a that choked and blinded him.

feeling Doc Savage would investigate when Doc Savage was able to capture him he didn’t hear from me. I’ve been biding my before he shot anyone.

time.”

It was Alvin who asked, “What’s in the mine, Jonathan?”

LATER, Doc told them, “We’ve always

“Gold!” the gray-haired millionaire said.

wondered who the baldheaded man was. He

“I discovered it just before the war. I’ve appeared once, briefly, at the airport in Chi-worked these islands all my life. I knew that cago.” He turned to Renny. “But that was someday I’d strike something like this. There Tod. He was on the flight in from Denver. He is a solid, heavy vein of gold running straight wore the black wig and the heavy glasses. I through the island.” They had reached the found them in the suitcase that Randall shore. Tod Treat was sitting there on the brought back from that shady hotel.”

edge of the PT boat, his legs dangling over-Alvin Treat said, “And at Salt Lake, side.

when we were grounded! No wonder Tod Monk remarked, “That little buzzard carried that suitcase with him when he said must be feeling better, otherwise he’d sure he was going to the hotel for the night. He as hell fall overside!”

merely waited a bit, took off the fake gray Jonathan Treat drew up short as they wig, put on the black one, came back and got approached a narrow string-piece that was brother Lemuel and murdered him. Then he the dock leading out to the craft. Seeing Tod hurried into town and stayed at the hotel.

Treat, he called out to the man with the wild-That was his alibi. Lemuel probably won-looking hair, “Hello, there, you old coot! Still dered what it was all about when he saw Tod trying to fool the world with that hideous wig, with a black wig and went with him out of cu-I see. You look a lot more natural bald.”

riosity.”

Unobserved by anyone else, Doc Sav-Doc nodded. He said:

age had been watching the millionaire closely

“When Tod had eliminated all of you, as they approached the boat. Now Doc and finally reached Jonathan himself”—he quickly put out a hand and detained the mil-turned and looked at the gray-haired million-lionaire from moving forward. He said some-aire—”he would have come into the fortune.

thing quietly.

He was the last one left in the will. Isn’t that Jonathan Treat exclaimed: “Hell, yes!

correct, sir?”

Bald as a bat!”

Jonathan said, “That’s correct.”

Renny heard the comment. He jerked And later, the millionaire told them, “I around and stared.

hardly ever knew that child Sally. So she’s The little man on the boat heard it also.

marrying this fellow named Randall, eh?”

He leaped to his feet, dashed into the cabin.

There was a bright twinkle in his eyes. “She Doc Savage shouted. “Look out! All of must be a wonderful girl. I think a nice wed-you!”

ding present is in order, don’t you?”

Little Tod Treat reappeared almost Monk said, “She’ll probably scratch our immediately with the sub-machine gun in his eyes out if we don’t hurry up and get her out hand. He screamed at them: of that jail.”

“And now, my friends, I have all of you!

Here’s where I finally take over!”

Doc’s arm flung out in a long arc just THEY landed at Manila the next morn-as Tod brought the weapon up to firing angle.

ing. Monk and Ham immediately went on Something flew through the air. At the same ahead to arrange about release of the girl.

time the gun started chattering.

Little Tod Treat was turned over to the local Everyone had flung himself to the authorities. It would only take one murder to ground. There was a sound like a small ex-hang him, and he had already confessed plosion. A great black cloud billowed over the working with Herman Treat in the death plot.

deck of the boat. It completely enveloped Ham had remarked, “He probably even Tod Treat.

planned to do away with Herman after he had served his purpose here in Manila.”

48

DOC SAVAGE

The two aides hurried to the jail.

“Why?”

Sally Treat turned out to be a vision

“They got into a fight,” said Sally.

that set their pulses tingling. And their

“Fighting is one of their pastimes,” Doc thoughts to scheming.

said, smiling a little.

Monk told her, “Ham has some errands

“Just the same,” said the girl, “you’d to do, so I’ll accompany you to the hotel.”

better do something. They’re locked up there Ham said, “Liar! Don’t believe him, at the jail. They’re being held in separate Sally! Don’t have anything to do with him.

cells!”

He’s married and has thirteen homely kids!”

Sally Treat arrived at the hotel where Doc and the others were staying. She arrived THE END
alone. She went directly to the bronze man.

“I think,” she said worriedly, “you’d better do something about Monk and Ham.”

Table of Contents

- Chapter I
- Chapter II
- Chapter III
- Chapter VI
- Chapter X
- Chapter XI