Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-02-08
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glimpse Of q featureless face. standing
out above the light-a. face that was
nothing but q. red bandanna hnndker.
chief with Sits in It for eyes-and q
pair Of feet below at the top Of the
The searchlisht winked out. There
was Z flash Of lightning and a crash Of
thunder. A second time the pocket fash
found Kirby. It found him crouched
low and reaching for the 40 under his
arm. The booming Of the revolver above
reverberated down the pit OF the stair.
way. ..s4-
Arrow.swift with the 1.-THE ease Of a
Wild thing from the forest, Kirby ducked
round the corner for safety. He did
not wait there, but took the stairs
down three at stride. Not till he had
reached the ground floor did he stop
to listen for the pursuit. -
No sound Of following footsteps came
tn him. BY some miracle of good luck
he had escaped the ambush. It was
characteristic OF him that he did not
fly wildly into the night. His brain
functioned normally. coolly. Whoever
II was had led him into the trap had
lost bis chance. Kirby reasoned that
the assassin's mind would be bent on
making his own safe escape before the
police arrived.
The cattleman waited, crouched be.
hind an outjutting pillar in the wall
of the entrance. Every minute he ex-
pected to see a fugitive figure sseak
past him into the street. His hopes were
1t was nearly midnight
when two men, talking cheerfully Of the
last gusher In the Burkburnett field,
emerged from the stairway and passed
into the street. They were tenants who
had stayed late to do some unfinished
There was a drug store in the build.
Ing, cornering on two streets. Kirby
stepped into 1t and asked question Of
the clerk at the prescription desk.
rs There more than one entrance
to the Denmark Building?"
mo. sir" The clerk corrected him.
self. We'll, there's another way out.
The Producers & Developers Shale and
Ol Company have a suite Of Offices that
run into the Rockford Building. They've
built an alley to connect between the
two buildings. It's on the fifth flooy."
us 1t open? Could a man get out Of
the Denmark Building now by way of
the Rockford entrance?"
Easiest in the world. All he'd have
to do would be to cross the alley bridge,
20 down the Rockford stairs, and walk
into the street."
Kirby wasted no more time. He knew
that the man who had tried to murder
him had long since made good his get
away by means of the fifth story bridge
between the buildings.
As he walked back to the hotel where
he was stopping his eyes and ears were
busy. He took no dark alley chances,
but headed for the bright lights Of the
main streets where he would be safe
from any possibility of a second am
bush.
His brain was as busy as his eyes.
Who had planned this attempt on his
life and SO nearly carried It to sue
.eSs? -... .. -:
Of one thing he was sure. The as
'assin who had flung the shots ut him
lown the narrow stairway Of the Den
nark was the one who had murdered
his uncle. The motive for the. ambus
ade was fear. Kirby was too hot OH
he trail that might send him to tho
:allows. The man had decided to play
.afe by following the old theory that
iead men tell no tales.
To be continued tomorrow