Latest / Black Stars Campaign / 27 - Black Stars Campaign by Johnston McCulley

Transcript

27 - Black Stars Campaign by Johnston McCulley · Black Stars Campaign

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Chapter twenty seven of Black Star's Campaign by Johnston McCully.
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: This Liberal Wox recording is in the public domain. Read
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: by Yoganan Black Star's Campaign, Chapter twenty seven, Mus Takes
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: a chance. It was an evening of varied experiences from Mus,
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: one that he'd liked to remember later as being the
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: acme in adventure and chance taking. Mux had been held
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: a prisoner in the headquarters room at the place to
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: which he had been mood listening to the Black Star
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: perfect disarrangements for his dissent upon the Branitan residence. A
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: prisoner who was allowed to see and to hear, yet
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: was helpless to give a warning now and then he
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: got up from the couch and walked back and forth
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: across the room, while the master criminal chuckled behind his
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: mask and frequently indulged his taste for sarcastic remarks. My
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: dear Mus, it would be a feather in your cap,
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: would it not? If you were able to tell the
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: authorities all that you know now? The Black Star asked
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: what a sensation could cause me walking to policeaid quarters
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: and shrieking information to the years of the chief and
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: the sheriff and Roger webeck, but I am afraid that
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: you will not be able to do anything of the sort. Mus. However,
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: we all have our little disappointments in life. You will
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: have something worse than a disappointment before this thing is over.
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: Max snoled, you are still inclined toward violence, Amus, you
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: should cultivate a more peaceful nature, such as I possess.
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: Violence merely destroys itself, My dear Mus. Yeah, and I'll
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: probably destroy you before we make an end of this.
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: Mus declared, I tell you can't get away with it.
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: You are bought due to strangle on what you've bitten off.
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: The Black Star did not reply to that. He merely
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: chuckled and went to the end of the table to
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: consult this member and the book again. It appeared to
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: Mus that the master crook consulted that book to a
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: great extend distay, acting as if he felt that there
• 1:52
  Speaker 1: was some minor detail he had forgotten. After a time,
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: the little bell on the wall tinkled, and a robed
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: and masked figure entered the room and went to the
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: Black Mux glanced at him in disgust. The Black Star's
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: men had been reporting continually during the day. Number five,
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: the man wrote, counter sign, wrote the black Star on
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: his blackboard. Everglades report, there appears to be no suspicion
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: as to what we really intend to do tonight. The
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: police reserves are being held in waiting and the Sherifface's
• 2:21
  Speaker 1: deputies ready for action. But those seems to be all
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: the arrangements that have been made. How about Berberck, the
• 2:27
  Speaker 1: black Star wrote, he is at police aad quarters now
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: waiting for the alarm so he can take the trail good.
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: That's all, the black Star wrote. The member of the
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: band bowed and back through the door. The black Star
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: wrote something in the memorandum book, closed it and put
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: it into a drawer in the table. Then he turned
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: toward Mus again. Max. I've decided to have you remain
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: here this evening, he said. I cannot spare the time
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: to watch you, and so shall not take you with me.
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: Thanks for that much, Max Kraus. You will remain in
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: this room. Mus, and I shall have to keep your
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: wrist lashed together. Of course, I know that it will
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: be uncomfortable, but that is the penalty for discovering my
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: old headquarters and forcing us to move. I can't have
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: you interfering with my plans to night. You know, if
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: I had a chance, i'd interfere with them, all right,
• 3:16
  Speaker 1: But the chance is missing a Mux. Do you mean
• 3:19
  Speaker 1: you try to prevent me from making a fortune from
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: a band by running away with some jewels and a
• 3:23
  Speaker 1: couple of diplomats. You haven't run away with them yet,
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: Mux told him. It's only a matter of an hour
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: or so, My dear Mux, probably I shall bring those
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: diplomats here. You will have the chance, Mux, to associate
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: with a lord and a knight. The black Star rang,
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: and his servant entered, I am going to leave a
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: prisoner year to night. When I leave, the black Star said,
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: I expect to find him here when I return. You
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: understand he will be here, sir, the servant promised, as
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: long as he behaves himself, keeping the liberty of his room.
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: The master criminal went on to say, if it does
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: not behave handle him in your own way, Yes, sir,
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: Tell the mechanic to be ready to start in ten minutes.
• 4:02
  Speaker 1: The servant hurried out. The black Star glanced into his
• 4:05
  Speaker 1: member and the book again, and paced the floor now
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: and then, looking at the little clock on the table.
• 4:10
  Speaker 1: After time the servant returned. The mechanic is ready, sir,
• 4:13
  Speaker 1: he reported, Good take care of MUCKs while I'm gone,
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: but do not pester him. So long as he's a
• 4:19
  Speaker 1: good boy, He'd better not pester me, Mux growled. The
• 4:23
  Speaker 1: Black Star wrapped his robe closely around him and put
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: on the heavy ulster over it. He looked at Mux
• 4:28
  Speaker 1: once more, his eyes glittering through the mask. Then he
• 4:32
  Speaker 1: chuckled and hurried through the floor. Mux threw himself full
• 4:35
  Speaker 1: length on the couch and glad that the man who
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: acted as the Master Oaks servant. I'm getting mighty tired
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: of tests, he complained. The heats are all right, and
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: I suppose I hadn't ought to kick, but I ain't
• 4:47
  Speaker 1: nice to have your wrist tied together all the time.
• 4:50
  Speaker 1: If you're scheming to get me to unfasten them, you
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: ain't going to work the scheme. I can tell you
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: that the servant declared them rest of your stage, just
• 4:58
  Speaker 1: as they are. Far as and consent. You had better
• 5:02
  Speaker 1: never let me get them loose, Max wandered, You wouldn't
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: do much if they were Is that, sir? I could
• 5:08
  Speaker 1: separate your sections in about ten minutes. Max told him.
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: The servant laughed, sat down at the end of the
• 5:14
  Speaker 1: table and started to smoke. Max glad at him, rolled
• 5:18
  Speaker 1: over and turned his back to the room and the
• 5:20
  Speaker 1: manner it. Max might not have shown it outwardly, but
• 5:24
  Speaker 1: he was almost frantic. The Black Star and his men
• 5:26
  Speaker 1: were on their way. He knew before long they would
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: surround the Brannet in presidence, they would get inside, rob
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: women guests of their jewels, kidnapped the two diplomats and Braniton,
• 5:36
  Speaker 1: and rushed away again before the police could reach the scene.
• 5:40
  Speaker 1: Once more, the public would howl, and the newspapers would
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: ask why the police in Roger were but did not
• 5:44
  Speaker 1: capture the master criminal, who did much as he pleased
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: with the wealth of the Tongue. Max did not know,
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: of course, where he was at the present moment. This
• 5:53
  Speaker 1: new headquarters might be out of the edge of the
• 5:55
  Speaker 1: city or in the very heart of it. But Max
• 5:58
  Speaker 1: did not know that if he could escape from the
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: building there would be a chance of warning the police
• 6:02
  Speaker 1: in Berbeck, and possibly in time for them to do something.
• 6:06
  Speaker 1: He tested the courts that lashed his risks and told
• 6:08
  Speaker 1: himself for the hundredth time that they could not be remote.
• 6:11
  Speaker 1: Everything had been taken from his pockets, including his knife.
• 6:14
  Speaker 1: He had glanced around the headquarters room went away. He
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: had chance and had failed to see anything that might
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: help him to get his risks free. That was the
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: first task, and then he would have to escape from
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: the place, wherever it was. He did not know whether
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: the servant was the only man remaining there. The Black
• 6:31
  Speaker 1: Star might have others on guard, nor were men all
• 6:34
  Speaker 1: that had to be considered. There might be traps in
• 6:37
  Speaker 1: the house. There might be another deadly fends or something
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: like that. Mux was beginning to feel desperate. He knew
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: that every second had its value now. He rolled over,
• 6:46
  Speaker 1: sat upon the couch and yawned. I sure hope the
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: Black Star turns me loose tomorrow, he said. He hinted
• 6:54
  Speaker 1: he might after he pulled off to night's stunt. Yes,
• 6:57
  Speaker 1: and maybe he won't unless the sheriff let's land and
• 7:00
  Speaker 1: those two women go. The servant said, Gee, the sheriff
• 7:04
  Speaker 1: won't do that. Even my boss couldn't make him do it.
• 7:07
  Speaker 1: He's got those three in the jug and there they'll
• 7:10
  Speaker 1: stay unless the blacks are rescues them himself. Max caught
• 7:13
  Speaker 1: up and walked slowly to the table. There ain't any
• 7:16
  Speaker 1: law against me having a smoke, is there? He asked,
• 7:18
  Speaker 1: help yourself? Anything like that girl's as long as you behave.
• 7:22
  Speaker 1: The servant replied, the Blackstar has a good brand of cigarette.
• 7:25
  Speaker 1: I'll say that much for him, said Max. My boss
• 7:28
  Speaker 1: snoke's the same kind. You're kind of crazy about that
• 7:31
  Speaker 1: boss of yours, ain't you a Sermont asked? Sure? Why not?
• 7:35
  Speaker 1: He saved my life and he certainly has helped me
• 7:37
  Speaker 1: since he gives me a steady job, good money and
• 7:40
  Speaker 1: treats me decent. He ain't like the general run of bosses,
• 7:44
  Speaker 1: then I should say not, Max declared. He put a
• 7:48
  Speaker 1: cigarette in his mouth and picked up a match. It
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: was an awkward task for his bound brists. He struck
• 7:53
  Speaker 1: the match, held the flame to the end of the cigarette,
• 7:55
  Speaker 1: and topped a cloud of smoke. If every man has
• 7:58
  Speaker 1: a boss like mine, Max continued, the world would be
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: a better place. I had a boss in Paris once.
• 8:03
  Speaker 1: That was a terror I almost strangled in one day.
• 8:06
  Speaker 1: Why didn't you, the servant asked. Mux dropped the flaming
• 8:09
  Speaker 1: match into the filled the waste basket. Oh, something happened
• 8:13
  Speaker 1: to stop me somebody got his lambs on me or something,
• 8:16
  Speaker 1: and I didn't happen to get a chance again. I
• 8:18
  Speaker 1: had to do a dodge. The corpse was after me.
• 8:21
  Speaker 1: Cops say, I've had rail corpse after me in my days,
• 8:25
  Speaker 1: Max boasted. I cut out that line of life a
• 8:28
  Speaker 1: few years ago when I met mister Burbick. But before
• 8:30
  Speaker 1: that I was something of a terror, especially in Paris. Paris,
• 8:35
  Speaker 1: I never had a chance to go there, said the servant.
• 8:37
  Speaker 1: You want to go when you get a roll sometime.
• 8:40
  Speaker 1: It's some town boy, some town Max puffed at the
• 8:43
  Speaker 1: cigarette again and then turned toward the couch. The servant
• 8:47
  Speaker 1: gave a cry and sprang from his chair. You cursed full,
• 8:50
  Speaker 1: he shrieked. You dropped that match in them papers. Max
• 8:53
  Speaker 1: whirled around, astonishment in his face. Put it out. The
• 8:57
  Speaker 1: whole dawn place will burn down, he cried, if it
• 9:00
  Speaker 1: catches on them curtains and things. He darted forward himself,
• 9:03
  Speaker 1: snatched a small ruck from the floor, and began beating
• 9:06
  Speaker 1: at the flaming waste basket. The servant was working on
• 9:09
  Speaker 1: the other side of the table, trying to watch mus
• 9:11
  Speaker 1: at the same time, but the latter seemed to be
• 9:14
  Speaker 1: Eager to put the fire, Mux smashed at the flaming
• 9:17
  Speaker 1: paper with his rug and managed to scatter it. He
• 9:20
  Speaker 1: ran from burning sheet to burning sheet, beating at the flames.
• 9:23
  Speaker 1: The servant was not so watchful. Now Mux seemed intent
• 9:27
  Speaker 1: only on putting out the fire and preventing a serious place.
• 9:30
  Speaker 1: But as he fought the flames, he managed now and
• 9:32
  Speaker 1: then to thrust his hands and wrist into the fire.
• 9:35
  Speaker 1: The flames seared his flesh, but Mus ignored that. He
• 9:39
  Speaker 1: saw the cords that bound his wrist begin to smoke.
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: He saw a fire attack one of them. He thrust
• 9:44
  Speaker 1: his wrist into the fire again as he beat at
• 9:46
  Speaker 1: a sheet of flaming paper and tugged at his bonds.
• 9:49
  Speaker 1: The fire was almost out. Now he tugged at his
• 9:52
  Speaker 1: bones again. They gave, they snapped. Mux was free. He
• 9:58
  Speaker 1: gave a cry of relief, a velve and launched himself
• 10:01
  Speaker 1: straight at the Blackstar's servants. The end of chapter twenty
• 10:06
  Speaker 1: seven