Jalway rapped on the door. It opened promptly. As the two men entered Francine Feldworth sprang from the living room to greet them. Concern still showed on the girl's face. It was plain that she was glad that the men had returned.
Purvis Elger, stepping from the living room, gave a cheery welcome. At the same time, the portly man was observant. He noted that Francine's greeting to Hadlow was more spontaneous than her welcome of Jalway. This fitted with the rivalry that Jalway had mentioned during the conference in the cavern.
Professor Marcolm's door came open. The white-haired guest had heard the commotion in the hall. Attired in a dressing gown, he blinked sleepily as he crackled a question regarding the disturbance. Francine turned to explain concerning the absence of Jalway and Hadlow.
'I heard you knock some time ago,' recalled Marcolm, in a wheezy tone. 'I was on the point of rising then; but I went back to sleep almost unconsciously. This new noise, however, completely awakened me.'
'Stay up and have a cup of coffee,' suggested Elger. 'I'm sending Royne to get some refreshments.'
'That would mean staying up all night,' smiled the professor. 'With me, a sound sleep is the only sleep, and coffee disturbs it. I miss those lulling winds that marked our first nights here. But I believe' - he paused to scratch his tousled mop of hair - 'that I can sleep again if I remain undisturbed.'
His tone almost reproachful, the professor returned to his room and closed the door behind him. The others went into the living room.
In casual manner, Elger questioned Jalway regarding his stroll on the beach. He asked him if he had seen any sign of prowlers. Jalway shook his head to give a negative reply. Hadlow remarked that he had also found the beach quiet. He added that he had looked for Jalway along the upper inlet.
ROYNE appeared, pushing a tea wagon from the kitchen. The cadaverous servant had prepared sandwiches as well as coffee. Host and guests welcomed the refreshments and began to devour them with gusto. All were chatty, except Francine.
The girl had a sense of impending danger. She tried to attribute it to the worry that she had felt during Seth Hadlow's absence. Nevertheless, the foreboding remained. Francine noted that Purvis Elger was more than unusually jolly. She saw Bram Jalway smiling in his natural fashion. Seth Hadlow seemed less solemn than usual. Dashler, finishing his second cup of coffee, showed no sign of worry.
Francine could not understand why she felt those qualms. Yet she had cause for foreboding, though she did not know the reason. Doom was hovering over Timour Isle tonight. New schemes had been concocted by Purvis Elger, the master crook who posed in friendly guise.
Those lights at sea; the moving light beyond the sand dune - both were proof that men of crime had gathered to perform service for an evil chief. They were offset only by the fact that watching eyes had seen those symbols of lurking crime. The Shadow had spied the moves that were being made.
The Shadow's plans - like Elger's - were settled for this night. Before the crook's schemes reached their culmination, The Shadow would enter into the game. For the present, however, he was playing a waiting part, within the very building that sheltered an evil master and a group of intended victims.
When The Shadow's turn arrived, he would surely introduce an element of surprise that had not been discussed by Purvis Elger and Bram Jalway during their conference within the caverns of stolen wealth.
CHAPTER XVII. ABOARD THE DALMATIA
THREE men were grouped in a grimy, bunk-lined compartment. The dingy glow of oil lanterns illuminated their faces. One was a crafty-eyed little fellow. The others were keen-visaged young men whose countenances showed determination.
The little man was Hawkeye. His companions were Harry Vincent and Cliff Marsland. Hawkeye, first in Charleston, had gained his berth aboard the Dalmatia. More than that, he had found places for Harry and Cliff.
Like Hawkeye, the other agents of The Shadow had shipped aboard as able-bodied seamen to replace members of the crew swept overboard while the Dalmatia had been fleeing the hurricane.
The rest of the crew were up on deck. The ship was anchored off Timour Isle. One occupant alone remained in the forecastle with The Shadow's agents. That was a snoring man who lay sprawled in a lower bunk, rolling back and forth with every long sway of the ship.
'I've talked with Hexler,' whispered Hawkeye, 'and he's slated me to go ashore with the landing crew, to take the place of this fellow, Lopey' - he paused, indicated the dead head in the bunk - 'so that puts me in the game. But Hexler don't want more than one.'
'That's tough,' remarked Harry, grimly.
'You bet it is,' acknowledged Hawkeye. 'But it's lucky that I'm in on the deal. I worked my head off getting Lopey loaded up with that grog we found in the hold. Say - it would be tough if Hexler found out I handed Lopey the booze.'
'Lopey passed out before Hexler had a chance to question him,' said Harry. 'Cliff and I lugged Lopey down here. He could hardly talk when Hexler found him up near the bow. What's he going to do with Lopey?'
'He's taking him ashore,' replied Hawkeye. 'Just to have him later on. But he's supposed to bring six men with him. All in good shape. That's why he gave me the chance.
'It's tough that those poor guys who went overboard weren't part of Hexler's outfit. Then there'd be jobs for you two fellows, too. But as it is, you're slated to stick with the ship until she reaches Tampico.'
'But we're going ashore tonight,' put in Harry
'That's the ticket,' agreed Hawkeye. 'But how're you going to make it?'
'I'll tell you how.' It was Cliff who spoke. 'We'll lug Lopey up on the deck. If the captain wonders where we are, tell him what we're doing.'
'And then?' prompted Hawkeye.
'Then,' stated Cliff, 'the stuff will be on its way up from the hold. We'll start down to help. But instead, we'll cut back to the stern. We'll lower one of the small boats on the port side.'
'You'll have a tough time in this swell -'
'Maybe. It would be easier on the starboard side, but the unloading will be done in the lee of the ship; so we'll have to risk the outside. We'll clear the stern and head for the upper end of the island.'
HARRY nodded his accord with Cliff's plan. Before further discussion could begin, footsteps clattered at the head of the forecastle stairs.
'Hey, you, below there!'
'Ay, ay, sir!' responded Hawkeye. The little man scampered to the steps. 'Coming right up.'
'Who else is down there?' growled the man at the top, as Hawkeye reappeared. The Shadow's agent recognized the second mate.
'Two seamen,' returned Hawkeye, 'bringing up Lopey. He's got to go ashore.'
'Hurry it up!' bawled the mate, leaning toward the forecastle.
With the mate following, Hawkeye headed toward the starboard side of the ship. Reaching the rail, he saw a small cabin boat moored below. A man was coming up the rope ladder that the Dalmatia had lowered.
Hawkeye stared as he saw the hard face beneath the lantern light. He knew this fellow from days gone by. Ruff Turney, missing mob-leader from Manhattan. Hawkeye shrank back behind the rail, then shrugged his shoulders.
He had been small-fry when Ruff was a swaggering mob-leader. He realized that Ruff would not remember him, even if they came face to face.
Boldly, Hawkeye edged forward to join Hexler. This man - leader of the minions on the Dalmatia - was a brawny, rough-faced fellow who looked like a seaman.
'Where's Lopey?' growled Hexler.
'Coming up,' responded Hawkeye.
He turned away as Ruff joined Hexler. Hatches were off the hold; boxes were being raised by the crew. Other men were lowering a boat on the lee side of the Dalmatia. Harry and Cliff, coming from the forecastle, were bringing 'Lopey' toward the side.
They dropped the sodden mass of humanity upon the deck, then turned and moved away. The second mate, challenged them.
'Where you going?'
'Down to the hold, sir,' replied Cliff, 'to help with the boxes.'
