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

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  Speaker 1: Chapter twenty three of Black Star's campaign by Johnston mc cully.
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  Speaker 1: This libruvo's recording is in the public domain. Read by
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  Speaker 1: Yoganum black Star's Campaign, Chapter twenty three, Max gives a tip.
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  Speaker 1: It is evident that the hotel's switchboard operator was surprised
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  Speaker 1: to get a call from the roof. Oh it's all right,
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  Speaker 1: Werbeck heard Landers say, I'm up on the roof with
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  Speaker 1: missus Valley. One of the ladies is going to leave
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  Speaker 1: the city, and she wanted to call a friend from here.
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  Speaker 1: Just of whim, I found the door unlocked. Then he
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  Speaker 1: gave a number Roger. Werbeck made a mental note of it.
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  Speaker 1: Here might be a clue that will lead to something important.
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  Speaker 1: Werberk crept close to the door and listened. Presently, Landers
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  Speaker 1: spoke again, Hello, this is Landers. I'm trapped on the
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  Speaker 1: roof of Newnwtonia Hotel with Mammy and her sister. Cohen
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  Speaker 1: and his crowd are trying to break the door in now,
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  Speaker 1: but I think it will take them some time and
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  Speaker 1: then I can stand them off for a while. If
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  Speaker 1: you don't come for us, we're caught, Yes, Berberg and
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  Speaker 1: the sheriff. They've walked in on us. I got them
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  Speaker 1: under control, but some others came. The place is a
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  Speaker 1: regular trap. Thanks, but hurry. Werbek slipped to one side
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  Speaker 1: as Lander's put to receive on the hook and hurried out.
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  Speaker 1: He followed the black stars left in a back across
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  Speaker 1: the roof, and watched as he met the woman. He'll
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  Speaker 1: come for us, Werberk heard Landers say it'll take him
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  Speaker 1: some time. Of course, fifteen minutes at least. We'll have
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  Speaker 1: to hold off these men on the other side of
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  Speaker 1: the door. If it comes to the verse, some of
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  Speaker 1: them will get something more than a doze out of
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  Speaker 1: a vapor gun. I don't intend to spend fifteen or
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  Speaker 1: twenty years in prison. If he had only gone downstairs,
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  Speaker 1: Mammy Blanchard began. If he had, we'd have run into
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  Speaker 1: a few deputies. I tell you they planned to trap us.
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  Speaker 1: They have shadowed some of us. Then it must have
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  Speaker 1: been you, Mammy Blanchard told him, I've not been out
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  Speaker 1: of the hotel. Remember it's your carelessness that caught us
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  Speaker 1: into this mess. Well, we won't quarrel about it, Landers said,
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  Speaker 1: you women, go to the other side of the roof
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  Speaker 1: and wait. I'll stay near the door and handle those men.
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  Speaker 1: If they managed to break it open. Landers approached the door,
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  Speaker 1: and Verbeck crept after him. The light was so faint
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  Speaker 1: that he could see little, just a shadow where the
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  Speaker 1: Master Crook's lieutenant was walking. Erbert crouched as he advanced,
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  Speaker 1: made no noise, and was ready to stop if Landers
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  Speaker 1: betrayed any suspicion. But Landers, it appeared, did not expect
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  Speaker 1: a foe on the roof, and was intent only upon
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  Speaker 1: the door at which the sheriff and Lawrence were pounding.
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  Speaker 1: Verbeck had picked up a piece of timber beside the
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  Speaker 1: little refreshment's tent. It was a only weapon he had.
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  Speaker 1: He hated to use it, but he felt that the
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  Speaker 1: situation justified its use. Landers was about to match for
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  Speaker 1: him physically, and it was Erberk's duty to make a
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  Speaker 1: prisoner of him. Open the door and let the others
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  Speaker 1: take the women into custody. Landers was stamping upon the door.
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  Speaker 1: Get away, Oh, I'll fire through it, he called. As
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  Speaker 1: the pounding ceased for a moment. He sent out one shot,
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  Speaker 1: crushing through the wood, and Erbert could hear a chorus
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  Speaker 1: of shrieks below. He knew Lander's plan to delay them
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  Speaker 1: as much as he could and for what that was?
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  Speaker 1: What Werberk could not fathom. To whom had Lander's telephoned?
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  Speaker 1: How could he be rescued from the roof. Would the
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  Speaker 1: Black Star and his band face a battle with polleys
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  Speaker 1: and deputies attempt to raid the hotel and save Landers
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  Speaker 1: and the two women. Landers had stepped back and was
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  Speaker 1: listening to what was being said below. Werberk prepped forward
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  Speaker 1: until he was within six feet of the other man.
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  Speaker 1: He raised the piece of timber. He sent but one
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  Speaker 1: blow home, but he knew as it struck that he
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  Speaker 1: would send Landers crushing to the roof, even though it
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  Speaker 1: did not render him unconscious. He sprang past him and
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  Speaker 1: fumbled at the heavy bolts in the door, drew them,
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  Speaker 1: and threw the door open up quick He cried blad
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  Speaker 1: cries from the sheriff, and Lawrence greeted him. They sprang
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  Speaker 1: to the roof, two deputies at their heels. They seized
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  Speaker 1: the groaning Landers and rushed across the roof toward the
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  Speaker 1: women torches. Gowen cried, The torches flushed. The women were
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  Speaker 1: standing near one of the big chimneys. Cowen led his
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  Speaker 1: deputies toward them. You don't get away this time, he said,
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  Speaker 1: it's handcuffs and a sell for you. You have played
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  Speaker 1: your last game with Black Star, you two beauties. The
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  Speaker 1: fair prisoners were led toward the stairs. Landers had been
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  Speaker 1: handcuffed and was being carried to the floor below. Werbeck
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  Speaker 1: and Lawrence followed him, but when they reached the floor below,
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  Speaker 1: Werbeck called the sheriff a side. Lander's telephoned from the
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  Speaker 1: refreshment stand on the roof. He said, I've made a
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  Speaker 1: note of the number. It might lead us to something.
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  Speaker 1: But here is a funny part. He asked somebody to
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  Speaker 1: come and rescue him. How they are going to try it,
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  Speaker 1: I do not know, but I think that message went
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  Speaker 1: to the Black Star. Maybe he'll try a raid here,
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  Speaker 1: Cowen suggested. Landers estimated so he told the women that
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  Speaker 1: he would be yere in fifteen minutes at least. But
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  Speaker 1: how could even the Black Star get enough of his
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  Speaker 1: men together to raide a place like this in that
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  Speaker 1: length of time. It's a roof. We have to watch.
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  Speaker 1: You remember how the Black Star escaped from the roof
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  Speaker 1: of the National Trust Building, don't you. He seems to
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  Speaker 1: have methods of which we know nothing. Some more of
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  Speaker 1: that light stuff and talking to us out of the air, probably.
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  Speaker 1: Sheriff said, well, what shall we do. Have your deputies
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  Speaker 1: put the prisoners in a room and guard them. We'll
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  Speaker 1: stay here by the door and watch the roof. Sheriff
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  Speaker 1: Kowen gave the orders. He and Berbeck remained by the door,
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  Speaker 1: Lawrence with them. What's the big idea, Lawrence inquired, Perhaps
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  Speaker 1: nothing we're waiting to see. Werbeck replied, well, can't you
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  Speaker 1: let a fellow in on it. If it hadn't been
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  Speaker 1: for me, those people would be far away by this time,
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  Speaker 1: and you'd be bound and gagged in that room, waiting
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  Speaker 1: for the public to laugh at you. Simply this, Berberk said,
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  Speaker 1: land A telephoned to somebody to rescue him from the roof,
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  Speaker 1: and we're waiting to see who comes to do it,
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  Speaker 1: and how he comes. They waited for ten minutes without
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  Speaker 1: hearing or seeing anything. They left the door and walked
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  Speaker 1: to the nearest chimney and stood there, watching, listening, like
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  Speaker 1: men who expected something to drop from the sky. And
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  Speaker 1: something did come from the sky, that puzzling, brilliant light
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  Speaker 1: they were learning to know so well. It fluttered the roof,
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  Speaker 1: swept across it, almost blinding the three men there Werberg
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  Speaker 1: and Kohen and Lawrence ran back to the open door,
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  Speaker 1: shading the eyes with their hands. The light disappeared, and
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  Speaker 1: they heard the black Star's voice. What have you done
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  Speaker 1: with my people, he shouted. We have put handcuffs for them,
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  Speaker 1: you crook. Gowen shrieked, and we'll do as much for you.
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  Speaker 1: One of these days, watch out, Werberk warned. Some sixth
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  Speaker 1: sense seemed to tell him what was coming, and it did.
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  Speaker 1: A vapor bomb that burst not ten feet from the doorway.
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  Speaker 1: They darted back and away from it. They saw the
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  Speaker 1: bright light flood the roof again. Then the darkness came
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  Speaker 1: once more, and they heard nothing more, saw nothing more.
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  Speaker 1: I'd like to know how he does that, Covin said,
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  Speaker 1: Does he hang around in the sky like a star? Well,
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  Speaker 1: he didn't rescue anybody anyway, That's one comfort. He hasn't
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  Speaker 1: been more than fifteen minutes getting here, Werburk. But we
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  Speaker 1: don't know how he's traveling, and so we can't judge
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  Speaker 1: how far away his headquarters might be. Tut telephone number.
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  Speaker 1: We can investigate that at any rate. The first thing
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  Speaker 1: in the morning, Gown said, I'll get the telephone people
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  Speaker 1: busy and I'll take these prisoners down to the jail
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  Speaker 1: and give each of them a nice little room American plan.
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  Speaker 1: The prisoners were taken away, the excitement in the hotel
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  Speaker 1: died down. Werbeck went to Lawrence's Sweet to smoke a
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  Speaker 1: cigarette and get away from the crowd for a time,
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  Speaker 1: and finally started home. He was worrying about MUCKs one thing.
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  Speaker 1: He was hoping that the Valet would find some way
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  Speaker 1: in which he could be of service. While he was
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  Speaker 1: a prisoner in the Black Star's headquarters. He knew that
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  Speaker 1: mus could be depended upon to make every effort. The
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  Speaker 1: Blackstar's threat about doing something sensation the following night also
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  Speaker 1: came to his mind. Was the Master rogue to win again?
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  Speaker 1: Was there no way in which he could be stopped,
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  Speaker 1: recaptured put behind prison bars? Already the city was in
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  Speaker 1: the grip of terror. No man could tell where the
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  Speaker 1: Black Star would strike next. He might loot another bank
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  Speaker 1: or a jewelry store, or read the jail in an
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  Speaker 1: effort to rescue his companions in crime. The public was
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  Speaker 1: considering everything except the thing that the Black Star had
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  Speaker 1: actually planned to do. Missus Richard Branniton completed her arrangements
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  Speaker 1: for entertaining the distinguished diplomats Lodge Sambury and suburban Banks,
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  Speaker 1: and had no thought the Master Criminal might pay a
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  Speaker 1: residence a visit. While her guests were enjoying themselves, Werbeck
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  Speaker 1: reached his rooms and threw himself into a easy chair
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  Speaker 1: to rest. He did not fear for himself. He did
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  Speaker 1: not think that the Black Star would make an attempt
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  Speaker 1: to abduct him again, for prisoners were only in the
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  Speaker 1: way at the Master Criminal's headquarters. Also, they were half
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  Speaker 1: a dozen plainclothesmen in the apartment house, watching everybody who entered,
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  Speaker 1: ready to act in any emergency that might present itself.
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  Speaker 1: It was too early to retire, so Werbeck smoked and
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  Speaker 1: tried to read a magazine, but found that he could
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  Speaker 1: not get himself interested. He disliked to go to one
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  Speaker 1: of his clubs, for all the other members would want
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  Speaker 1: to discuss the Black Star and nothing else. Across a
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  Speaker 1: room to get a favorite book from the case, but
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  Speaker 1: whirled around and went back because the telephone had run Hello.
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  Speaker 1: He called erberk, Yes, this is a black Star. Some
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  Speaker 1: of my men have informed me how Landers and the
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  Speaker 1: two women were caught. It took courage to climb to
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  Speaker 1: the roof the way you did. But that is not
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  Speaker 1: the point. Those three people are very necessary members of
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  Speaker 1: my organization, and I want them released. Werberck laughed into
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  Speaker 1: the telephone. Have you called the sheriff, he asked, He
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  Speaker 1: seems to be the man in chag just now. I
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  Speaker 1: have not called the sheriff yet. I thought i'd call
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  Speaker 1: you first and get you to influence him. You see, Werbeck,
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  Speaker 1: I have mux here with me. What has that to
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  Speaker 1: do with it? Simply this. If I have to descend
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  Speaker 1: to violence, I'll do it. Nothing shall stop me from
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  Speaker 1: having my revenge upon the city unless those people of
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  Speaker 1: mine are released by noon tomorrow. I'll blow the jail
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  Speaker 1: off the map, and i'll attend to mister mus in
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  Speaker 1: what way? Werberk asked, I'll simply have him knocked on
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  Speaker 1: the head and dumped into the river. If I have
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  Speaker 1: to be violent, I'll be a proper thug. What are
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  Speaker 1: you to say, nothing except that you have a wonderful
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  Speaker 1: love to speak as you do. Perhaps you think I
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  Speaker 1: can't blow the jail to pieces. I do not say
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  Speaker 1: you can't, but I don't think you will do it,
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  Speaker 1: not with landers and the princess inside it. And maybe
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  Speaker 1: you think i'd hesitate about making away with mux Deo.
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  Speaker 1: I scarcely think you will do anything of the sort.
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  Speaker 1: Erbeck said, you would accomplish nothing, and you'd be hanged
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  Speaker 1: for murder after we caught you. You don't think I
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  Speaker 1: am serious, Blackstar replied. I agree to give you one
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  Speaker 1: till noon tomorrow, but I couldn't make the sheriff turn
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  Speaker 1: the loose. You may be sure that you'll guard them
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  Speaker 1: well and see that they'd stand trial. Why if they
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  Speaker 1: were turned loose, I'll arrange that they are to be
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  Speaker 1: freed and put in the middle of the polo field.
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  Speaker 1: I'll do the rest. On second thought, I'll give you
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  Speaker 1: more time Erbic if you have to argue with the sheriff.
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  Speaker 1: I'm going to be busy tomorrow night. As I have said,
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  Speaker 1: I'll give you until the following morning. I'll bring you
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  Speaker 1: up ten for your answer, and it had better be
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  Speaker 1: what I want to hear. You actually think we'd do
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  Speaker 1: such a thing. Werber casked, we'd look pretty, wouldn't we
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  Speaker 1: turning three criminals loose? Because another criminal asked it not
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  Speaker 1: an ordinary criminal, but the Black Star, and I don't
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  Speaker 1: ask it. I'd demanded, Max is here, and I'm going
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  Speaker 1: to let him speak to you. Perhaps you don't really
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  Speaker 1: believe that he is here. He'll tell you that I'm
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  Speaker 1: serious and mean what I say. Werberg waited, his heart
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  Speaker 1: pounding at its ribs. If Max Smalley had the presence
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  Speaker 1: of mind, if he Hello, Boss, came Max's voice over
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  Speaker 1: the wire. Hello Max, I'm sure here in this big
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  Speaker 1: crook's headquarters. Boss. I don't know what he intends to
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  Speaker 1: hand me, but it'll be plenty Max. What do you
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  Speaker 1: want me to do? Werber cast, Well, maybe I'm prejudiced,
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  Speaker 1: Max said, but I don't care to be knocked on
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  Speaker 1: the head and thrown in any river. It wouldn't be
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  Speaker 1: a hard job for them. Then were I in far over?
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  Speaker 1: That was a hint at least, And it ain't exactly
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  Speaker 1: nice to be croaked with music ringing you new years.
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  Speaker 1: Weerberg heard an exclamation of rage and shout of a blow,
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  Speaker 1: a gasp, and then nothing more except a little click
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  Speaker 1: that told him the wire was dead. Mus had tried
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  Speaker 1: to give a tip and had not been given a
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  Speaker 1: chance to complete it. The end of chapter twenty three,