Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-24
4 Blow From Behind.

subterranean passage it was hard TO
realize that he was again one of the
living. He struggled to his feet, lurch-
ed d.azzily hither and thither, and
rubbed the dirt out of his eyes. Then,
steadying himself with one hand, he
cautiously pushed his head through
the opening. No one being in sight,
he scrambled to the surface.
He stood in the center of the mar
row space between DR. Bimble's lab
oratory and the rear of the Gage
establishment. On the other sides of
the Enclosure were a squatty structure
that might have been a laundry and
a slightly taller building that, judging
from the barrels and boxes piled
against the wall, was probably a
grocery. Evidently the stores and
shops had not yet opened, for there
was no sign of life in either direction.
The Phantom took a few steps for
ward, then stopped abruptly, his eyes
fixed on a small window in the rear
of the cigar store. A recollection sent
a shiver through his body. He remem-
bered the hand that had appeared so
suddenly in the narrow opening, the
swift, murderous stroke and the groan
that had died so quickly. There was
an air Of peace and tranquility about
the building that struck him as weird
ly homogeneous in view of the scene
that had been enacted within.
He was about to turn away when a
quick, light step sounded behind him.
Before he could move, two sinewy
hands had gripped him about the
throat, forcing him down. He tried to
resist, but he was still too weak to
exert much physical effort. A sicken-
ingly swedish smell assailed his nos
trils, he felt his body grow limp, there
was a roaring in his head that
sounded like distant waterfall, and
then he had a sensation of sinking
sinking
The Phantom Has an Inspiration.
Remarkable sir: most remarkable.
May feel. your pulse?"
The Gray Phantom knew, even he.
fore he opened his eyes. that the
speaker was DIR. Tyson Bimble. He
was lying in bed, undressed, in the
same room his host had assigned him
the night before. The lights were on,
so he must have slept through the
day. and he felt correspondingly re-
freshed
The anthropologist, sitting in a
chair beside the bed, was timing his
pulse beats. The doctors thin legs
were wrapped In the same tight
trousers he had worn on their first
meeting, and an acid-stained coat was
tightly buttoned across his plump
stomach
Normal" he declared admiringiy
pocketing his watch you possess
extraordinary recuperative powers
my friend. What constitution
The Phantom's lips frightened
Scraps of recollection We're coming to
him. He gazed narrowly into the
Doctors guileless face.
"A little chloroform goes a. lone
way even with a constitution like
mine" he remarked pointedly.
"Ah. but you were utterly ex,
hausted, my friend. Otherwise my
excellent Jerome would not have had
quite such an easy time with you. A
little strongarm play and a Whit or
two OF chloroforn were all that was
necessary. The effect soon wore off
and you lapsed into a natural and in.
MIGRATING sleep"
SO. II was Jerome. guessed al
much. The Phantom looked per
plexediy at the doctor. But wasn't 1,
rather rough way Of putting man
| to bed?"
ut was the only safe way of deal
ing with an impulsive and strong
headed man like you. But for tho
timely appearance Of my admirable
Jerome, you would undoubtedly have
walked straight into the arms OF the
| police"
The argument sounded plausible
| enough. The Phantom realized thai
the reaction following his escape from
| the tunnel might have caused him t.
| do several foolish things.
An aStute grin creased the doctors
| face. Even the Gray Phantom is al
times very transparent. Last night
when you started removing your
| clothes in my presence, I knew that
you had no intention of going to bed
| However, / reasoned that you were
| an intelligent man and could be
| trusted to take care Of yourself.
| woke up at an carly hour this morn
| ing and stepped to your door. You
had not returned. Greatly alarmed
told Jerome to look for you. The es
| Unable fellow found you shortly after
you had dug your way out of the tun
mel. You ought to feel deeply indebted
| TO him. SIR
Il do" with faint trace of sar
casm. But / should like to wiring tn,
| neck OF the practical joker WHIT
| blockaded this end of the passag.
| while l was at the other"
The words were no sooner SpokeI
| than the doctors face underwent ,
startling Transformation. The affabI
smile vanished, giving way to a lool
OF such violent wrath that even tn
Phantom felt little awed.
THE hound shall get his lust de
serts. sir" declared the doctor in snar
ling tones. Then. as if regretting hi
display Of temper, he laughed easily
I."Provided, Of course, we learn VIII
perDetrated the outrage"
Again the Phantom was puzzled
He was certain the anthropoIogist'
ferocious outburst had been genuine
1t had been far too real and conyint
ing to be feigned even by a cIeve
actor. Yet he sensed a contradiction
Whoever was responsible for tn
blockaded door must have traverse
the doctors house on his way to tn
cellar. 1t did not seem likely thu
, strangers could be taking such iii
critics in private residence withol
the knowledge of its occupant.
II really ought To have new lock
, put on the doors" observed Bimbl'
addressing himself rather than hi
guest That collection of mine is to
| valuable to be left unprotected"