Reginald Thomas Maitland Scott

“ The huge dog, transfixed, towered above the girl in the green pajamas, while, two days from shore, a man played a muted violin and voyaged upon the course of his destiny.
Then came the swift, shocking change. The sweetness of the haunting music was gone, and in its place was the crashing wildness and the devilish angriness of Tartini's great violin composition, The Devil's Trill.
Nita Van Sloan opened her eyes in horror while the dog bared his big teeth in anger at the sight of his mistress so upset. Perhaps the dog even caught the message of the angry chords. ”

“ The fiendish method of death was apparent. It was apparent too, that Selwyn was the object which Dr. Quornelle had struggled to lift and that the one-sided conversation had been due to the gag in Selwyn's mouth.
With unbelievable cruelty the doctor had probably taunted his victim while he lifted him into the fume chamber. He had then turned on the gas, closed the contraption and callously left the house chuckling with glee. Such a cruel and unnecessary form of death could only be the result of a diseased mind. ”

“ I believe that all these crimes, however, are but steps toward a greater crime which he is now planning— a crime so great that it will, if it is perpetrated, dwarf all his other crimes. He is a great actor, a genius. There is no other man like him."
"Yes, there is," said the reporter slowly while he regarded his companion thoughtfully through his cigarette smoke. "You are a great actor, yourself, Mr. Wentworth. You think like lightning and you act while you think. You could do everything that this criminal has done." ”

“ He returned to his bedroom and rapidly finished dressing, commenting angrily in Hindustani to Ram Singh upon what had happened. From a drawer he took a .45 automatic Colt and strapped it in a holster beneath his arm under his coat. The heavy weapon would send a bullet with crashing force and with a roar that the ears could feel. No longer did he intend to fight soundlessly with air pistols and with stealth. There was one man too many in the world, and that man must die.
Even in the height of his anger Wentworth had a revulsion of feeling. ”

“ The elevator hall was also dark, and no light came up the elevator shaft. He pressed the bell to call the car. No car responded. Faint sounds of confusion ascended to him through the empty shaft. It seemed as though the electric current, both for power and light, had been cut off from the entire building.
For Wentworth to gain the street it would be necessary to descend twenty flights of stairs through a pitch black building. On every landing a man might be lurking behind a partly opened door, waiting with pistol raised or with strangling cord looped. ”

“ Wentworth rubbed his knuckles, and, followed closely by Ram Singh, stepped over the fallen man and ascended the companionway to the main deck.
The deck was not lighted, and it was almost necessary for them to feel their way forward. Darkness and silence surrounded them. Not a man was to be seen, but it was impossible to believe that the man with the marlinespike was the only one on board. At least there must be men in the engine room, where a dynamo gave life to the few dim lights which were to be seen. ”

“ It seemed incredible that so powerful and important a man as Bannister should act the handmaid to Mortimer Mack, or to any man. Yet he had given up his seat at the roulette table and crossed the floor to extend his pen rather than allow Mack to wait a few minutes for Jerry Stone to return.
Bannister did not look like a man who would allow himself to be caught by the wiles of a woman such as Cora. His clear eyes and steady hand as he held the pen gave no indication of the dope victim, and he was worth so many millions that it would appear impossible for him to have been ruined by gambling. ”

“ It was Richard Wentworth's riding crop, and the dog placed it across Nita's green-clad knees.
The girl took the crop in her hands and held it tightly. Her deep, blue eyes stared down upon the rolling clouds of mist over the river as if she sought for something beyond human comprehension. Presently she began to speak her thoughts aloud.
"I can hear music," she said softly. "Somewhere out in the world, he is playing his violin. He may be in Africa or in India or he may even be in New York City. One never knows, Apollo." ”

“ She was young and slim and pretty. Her face was delicate and indicated that she was not accustomed to such a restaurant, nor to the characters who frequented it.
As she took a seat at a table, Grogan looked at her in frank surprise and one of the men in the booth pulled the curtain aside to peer curiously out at her.
The booth curtains fell hurriedly into place, and the voices behind them became so low that they could not be heard at all. The solitary waiter brought a fourth cup of coffee to the lone stranger. But the man called Dick left it untouched. ”

“ Inside the room a man's deep voice was commenting angrily, viciously, over the telephone. And he recognized it as the voice of Dan Grogan.
Suddenly the man in the room crashed the receiver into its cradle and rushed out into the corridor. He came so fast that there was no time for Wentworth to conceal himself. Then Dan Grogan, startled and scowling, came to a lurching halt as he looked into the muzzle of a pistol held by a man in evening clothes, a man who said nothing but seemed to smile very faintly as he indolently held the pistol. ”

“ If this was a trap, Wentworth could not believe it. He tossed his cane upon the bed and picked the woman from the closet floor, carrying her to the bed as easily as if she had been a child. Seating her upon the bed, he deftly removed her bindings and stood off in the center of the room to observe what he had found. Her face, with the gag removed, was a trifle hard even as her fury died away. Yet it was a face that would be considered very attractive by most men. ”

“ Deep blue eyes spoke poetry beneath masses of rich brown curls. Yet there was no lack of worldly experience in those eyes. They had seen life, understood it and were not afraid. In two days Wentworth would see those eyes in reality.
Reluctantly now he left the rail and turned his mind to the task in hand.
Blunton sat, comfortably bulked, in the largest chair of his suite. Outwardly he was a wealthy passenger who was accustomed to all the luxuries of life. But his face was very hard and displayed innate cruelty as he scowled at the cards which he dealt upon a small table in a game of solitaire. ”

“ In the morning, when the banks are open, the deadly gas will flow out of my great boilers which are charged with it under high compression. Every human being within a mile of Wall Street will die, and the vast treasure will be collected by my men who will wear the only masks ever invented to render this gas harmless."
"That gives us until ten o'clock in the morning," whispered Wentworth to Nita. ”

“ The dead man was just Bill. Joe and Bill had been pals for the last few months of their miserable and sordid lives. This evening after dark they had climbed on board the old tramp steamer, looking for firewood, a piece of old tarpaulin, a broken chair or anything to add to their comfort. No doubt it was stealing, but it was not stealing of a vicious nature.
The old tramp steamer had appeared dark and deserted ever since they had built their tiny shack between the two big boulders on the bank of the Hudson. Neither Joe nor Bill had the slightest suspicion that anybody was aboard the old hulk. ”

“ What kind of a place is it?"
"The place is all right," remarked the detective. "Let's see what you have in those baskets?"
"I don't like the police," grumbled the old waiter and darted back into the elevator. The detective strode into the elevator and roughly pulled the old man out. Without wasting any further words, he dragged him through the kitchen and into the music room, where the inspector and several detectives were subjecting Dorothy Canfield to a continuous fire of questions.
"Here's a guy, inspector," the detective announced, "who doesn't like cops and who tried to run away. ”

“ Nor would its mate ever again behold anything more in this world. The man who hid behind a woman and pressed a knife against her throat was dead.
Even as the man slumped upon the floor of the elevator, and his knife clattered beside him, Wentworth caught Nita and spun her around, pressing her close to him. He removed the gag and pressed her lips where it had been.
"My dear!" he exclaimed. "Can you ever forgive me for letting this happen to you?"
Her answer was silence and willingness to remain in his arms. There is no better answer that a man may have from a woman. ”

“ Nothing was too hideous to be possible if such a firm as the Mack Syndicate had undercover dealings with Dan Grogan.
Such a condition of corruption was the kind of thing which, above all else, Richard Wentworth loved to fight. And, when the happiness of a young girl was also at stake, he asked for nothing better.
But he wondered grimly whether in this case the odds against him were not too great to overcome. A man must die in less than one hour and a half. Could he stop the execution? He was in a taxi in Central Park. ”

“ I believe that Mortimer Mack, or someone above him, is to a large extent already in control of New York. I believe that he gets the politicians into his power by means of dope and women and, perhaps, by means of gambling. When he fails to control a politician I believe that he has that politician murdered or cause him to commit suicide by bringing ruin or disgrace to him."
"Dick, it's shocking!" Nita exclaimed "It's disgusting and horrible to think that such a man can enslave seven million people like that!"
Suddenly Wentworth grinned as if he had not a care in the world. ”

“ He paused and then looked straight into her eyes. "Have you ever noticed that the Spider has never harmed a decent man?"
There was still some disdain in her eyes, although it had softened. "And have you proved him innocent?" she asked.
"Not— yet."
She looked her question. "I knew you to be Dick Wentworth's closest friend," he continued, "and I had one of my detectives send you the bogus radiogram while he hid in this apartment to see if you would reveal the hiding place of anything incriminating. He succeeded in discovering the greatest of all secrets— death." ”

“ Selwyn asked faintly as his stomach settled and he felt a little better.
Wentworth looked closely at him. "Do you mean to tell me that you do not know?" he asked.
Selwyn shook his head.
"Do you know who took the diamonds away from you?"
Selwyn nodded. "Of course! It was my boss. Then he denied it and telephoned for the police, and I had to run. I had no chance."
"No," said Wentworth, "you are wrong. The man who took the diamonds from you is the man who just tried to murder you."
Selwyn looked his unbelief. He shook his head. "Couldn't be!" he protested "He doesn't look like my old boss." ”

“ Madame Pompé seemed quite composed and carried herself very well indeed after a slight start upon beholding Dorothy Canfield. She did, however, seem a little uncomfortable physically, moving restlessly and bending forward so that she did not lean against the back of her chair.
"Is that chair not comfortable, Madame Pompé?" asked Wentworth. "May I get you another one?"
"It isn't the chair," she replied. "This gown is not cut very low behind, but you can pull it out some and look down if you want to know what the trouble is." ”

“ He reached his car just as Ram Singh was lifting Molly into the tonneau, having refused to put her down for one instant from the moment that he had snatched her from the top of the rising safe while the fire was eating through the floor upon which he stood.
But he dropped her abruptly upon the floor of the car as his master touched him on the shoulder.
"Khudda bara hai!" exclaimed Ram Singh emotionally, while tears of joy streamed down his face.
"Yes, God is great," agreed Wentworth, smiling while he slipped unconcernedly into the driver's seat. "But He favors those who help themselves." ”

“ In the dark hall Wentworth silently stretched himself upon the floor close to the wall by the library door and advanced his head so that he could see into the room and hear as much as possible. He was in such a position that he could withdraw his head instantly; and a head close to the floor was less apt to be detected than if it were at the height of a man.
He struggled to recognize the voice and almost thought he did so, but could not be sure. The fact that the man was Dr. Quornelle did not prove that he was the great criminal. ”

“ Mortimer Mack was no longer in the room. Buckley and Jerry Stone seemed also to have disappeared, and Ned Morris was not to be seen.
Then Wentworth saw Nita. She was standing in the entrance, looking around the ballroom, and he knew instinctively that she was looking for him. She seemed, even at that distance, to be pale and a little unsteady. Wentworth hurriedly excused himself.
As he approached her, Nita saw him and came quickly to meet him, visibly pale and upset. "Oh, Dick!" she exclaimed in a low voice. "It is too terrible for words. They have just killed him." ”

“ And Wentworth did move away, taking a step or two to meet the detective. He had felt the weight vanish from the tail of his coat and he moved so that his body shielded Nita from the eyes of the man who was about to search him.
During the second perfunctory search by the detective, Wentworth looked into the eyes of Mortimer Mack. Both sets of eyes seemed to be smiling. But Wentworth felt something venomous and ugly behind Mack's eyes, especially as the search again ended in failure. He saw the eyes of a man who could smile while he hated— who could probably kill while he laughed. ”

“ Several guests were waiting for the elevator amid the twelve red fires. Commissioner Kirkpatrick stood in the middle of the room and regarded the hundreds of reflections, red fires and female forms, without showing any surprise or emotion. He turned directly toward the gilded woman and looked at her as he would have gazed at a statue. Strange female forms did not mean any more to him than they did to Richard Wentworth.
"Mr. Mack," he said dryly to the little man who was standing nervously beside him, "those women will die if they keep their pores covered with that stuff too long. ”

“ As he spoke, Wentworth placed a foot on the running board and his hands upon the top of the taxi. With the agility of a wild animal he vaulted to the taxi's roof, crouched for a second and sprang easily, slender cane in one hand, and opera hat firm upon his head, to the top of the stone wall. Three shots rang out from the third taxi in rapid succession, even as he leaped into the shelter of the trees and bushes of Central Park. ”

“ I congratulate you upon saving her life. But, still, my dear inspector, I maintain that you don't know much about women."
Ram Singh came into the room with a dressing gown of green silk which he threw over his master's shoulders completely hiding the somewhat dilapidated waiter's clothes. The subtle makeup around his eyes and his grayed hair robbed him of some of his natural attraction, but left him with an air of mystery. There was nothing left of the weak character which he had portrayed so cleverly upon entering the room. ”

“ Grogan turned his back and stared morosely out into the street.
What Wentworth had heard gave him much uneasiness. It seemed certain that his pistol must have fallen out of its holster when he had stooped to pick up Molly. If it was one that was registered with the police, and he was almost certain that it was, it would certainly be traced to him. Even if, by chance, he had not left distinct finger prints upon it, there would be exceedingly awkward questions to answer.
But Wentworth did not remain uneasy very long. A tight corner only made life more interesting for him. ”

“ Ram Singh had taken the last of the barricade away from the door and stood with his hand on the bolt, looking back at his master.
Molly, gasping, also looked back at Wentworth and wondered how he managed to refrain from coughing. He seemed so calm and at his ease as he sat at the telephone in the smoke.
She began to believe that he must be superhuman. What other kind of a man would and could do the things for her that he was doing? She did not wonder so much about Ram Singh. ”

“ Waving his arms and lurching grotesquely, the scarecrow of a man approached the edge of the roof and looked down into the street where police lines were herding the masses of the curious out of danger from the machine gun. Still waving his arms the scarecrow tottered along the very edge of the roof so that people in nearby windows held their breaths. Apparently the man with the machine gun did not see the strange figure which was approaching him. ”

“ It was just before dinner on the following evening that Ram Singh finally returned to Wentworth's Park Avenue apartment. His first act was to light some incense and place it before old Ganesh the elephant-headed god of India— the god which he had carefully brought away from the apartment which they had deserted. In his own room he squatted upon the floor while the incense burned and chanted a mantra in a low voice. Ganesh was a god who should be carefully cultivated if good luck were to remain with Ram Singh and with Ram Singh's master. ”

“ It was usually where danger and excitement dwelt that Richard Wentworth might be found.
It was this liking for danger which had brought him, that night, to Grogan's restaurant whose sinister secret, if uncovered in time, would, he believed mean the saving of many lives and much misery.
As the taxi rolled northward, Wentworth lit a cigarette with his free hand and watched Molly as she began to recover consciousness. He was, he knew, in a difficult situation. No man can tell how a strange woman will come out of a faint. Some women snap back to full life very quickly ”

“ Selwyn continued, "and then he put me in that horrible glass box."
The exertion of talking or the memory of the frightful moments of suffocation, before consciousness lapsed, turned the young man weak and faint. He became violently ill.
Wentworth gently held his head. Always his hand hovered near the pistol upon the floor, while his eyes darted continuously to the door. At any moment death might stalk through that door, and he had to be ready for instant action. ”

“ For Bill's feet had scarcely touched the deck when a huge and ferocious man— as Joe described him— darted down the companionway from the deckhouse and rushed at Bill. Bill tried to run away, but the big man shot out an arm on the end of which was a great, sharp hook. Joe said it was like an immense fish hook only that it had no barb.
"A one-armed man or at least a man who had lost one of his hands," commented Wentworth, tossing another cigarette to the man on the mattress. ”

“ Wentworth slipped soundlessly from the bed to his feet and approached the closet door, cane in hand. His eyes showed his keen interest and even his pleasure. The case was becoming more and more puzzling. Little things, but strange things, were adding themselves to it. Big things and direful things might be upon him at any moment. Such situations were to him as wine to other men. Again the sound occurred. Something alive was behind the locked door. ”

“ The room was empty. Madame Pompé was gone, and she had taken with her the wicker wine basket containing the incriminating evidence of her spoken words. It seemed as though Mr. X was striking back successfully at Wentworth, defeating him, driving him into a corner.
Almost desperate, Wentworth decided instantly that it was necessary for him to run away. For Nita's sake he could not remain to continue the fight any longer.
With Ram Singh he darted into the hall and found the electric switch. He turned it. There was no light. He came to the front door which opened upon the elevator. ”

“ Dan Grogan was quick to unfasten the wire which bound his feet and to get into his clothes. He did not like to lie naked before a man who fired a pistol so carelessly, and who wielded a belt buckle with so little compunction. He felt that he would have at least a little more confidence in himself with his clothes on.
As a matter of fact Wentworth had denuded him of clothes for the very purpose of shaking his confidence and beating down his morale. A man, under our present day conventions, is weakened psychologically by being rendered naked. ”