They remembered, too, that Scorpio had wrenched himself from more than three men who grabbed him.
Physically, the rogue was quite as slippery as he was mentally.
"We'll have to bring in the sheriff," decided Rundon, ruefully, "and a bunch of deputies. But if we can only keep them off until we need them! Somebody's got to handle it."
RUNDON looked to Grendale and the other money men. They, in turn, appealed to Denwood, who shook his head slowly. He doubted that he could handle the thing himself; and it was difficult to pick from among the others. Whoever was chosen couldn't afford to bungle; and it was too likely that the man would.
They were buzzing among themselves, however, and eyes were turning toward a person who had hitherto been little more than a spectator: Lamont Cranston. He had suddenly become the choice of everyone, for a very sensible reason. Sheriff Kirk held a high opinion of Cranston and had voiced it heartily. He credited Cranston with being the quickest thinker that he had ever met, because of the episode at the Pioneer Mine. The deputies liked Cranston, too, because he had saved the lives of a few of them during their mistaken encounter with Harry Vincent.
Catching the buzzed words, Denwood glanced toward his friend and received The Shadow's nod.
Denwood settled the discussion.
"Our minds are all agreed," he declared. "The sheriff values Cranston's opinions and will follow his suggestions to the limit. He knows, too, that Cranston has visited obscure sections of the lake and might pick up a clue to Scorpio, should the professor come back through the mountain pass and stay in hiding hereabouts.
"I believe, knowing Cranston as I do"-Denwood was keeping his tone as casual as possible-"that he will be able to keep the sheriff quite satisfied, yet unaware of actual matters, until the time for action. There is just one question, and Cranston alone can answer it: Will he accept the assignment?"
Eyes turned hopefully toward The Shadow. They saw the impassive face of Cranston light with what seemed a real enthusiasm.
"Gentlemen," came the calm-toned reply, "I shall be delighted to undertake the intriguing task that you suggest."
Only Harry Vincent, long in The Shadow's service, could sense the mockery behind that acceptance. He was sure that The Shadow was laughing inwardly; later, perhaps, Harry would know why.
At present, only The Shadow knew!
CHAPTER XVIII. THE COMMON GOAL.
They dined at the community lodge-Harry, Carradon, and Rundon. Lois Melvin was at their table, Because her presence would naturally be expected. By mutual consent, they took the girl into their confidence, enough so to curb her curiosity.
Lois could be trusted not to talk, and she wasn't the sort to fuss about anyone taking risks. The trouble was something that Harry should have anticipated. Informed briefly of what was to happen, Lois wanted to go along.
No argument would persuade her otherwise. Rundon became testy, in an undertone, and Lois displayed anger in her flashing eyes.
"Scorpio was right on one thing," she told him. "Gemini doesn't harmonize with Virgo. You turn facts to suit your wishes, Niles; while I only want things that facts permit me to have."
"Just how does that apply in this case?" growled Rundon.
"Very definitely," replied Lois, firmly. "You want to trap Scorpio, and you've talked your friends into thinking that the three of you can do it."
"It was Carradon's idea-"
"Your own, too, Niles," interrupted Lois. "You have good points, as well as faults. You are generous, overly so, in giving credit to others. But you haven't stuck to facts. You three are the last who should have been selected for this job."
"Why?"
"Because Scorpio tricked all of you, and captured you in the bargain. Individually, you have demonstrated just one ability-that of being trapped."
Rundon's eyes flashed fury. Carradon looked very much annoyed. But Harry eased the tension with a chuckle, as he told the others:
"Lois is right."
"Perhaps," said Rundon, regaining his calm. "But tonight there are three of us."
"Which doesn't change the case, returned Lois, sweetly. "What you need is somebody that Scorpio can't catch."
"Yourself, I suppose."
"Exactly!" argued Lois. "Think back, and you'll recall that I'm the one person who did manage to give Scorpio's bunch the slip. It's nearly dusk"-she glanced from the window-"so I'll go and change to my camping outfit. I'll meet you in the canoe."
She looked to Harry and Carradon as they walked from the dining room. Both looked doubtful, yet neither could find a solid reason why the girl should not accompany them. It seemed that Virgo people were unbeatable, when it came to logical argument.
It was up to Rundon to spike the idea, if he could find a way, and Rundon was doing some quick thinking. Laughing, Lois said that he was giving a display of Gemini ingenuity; but she reminded him that this was a sporting proposition, which should also appeal to people born under the sign of the Twins.
Rundon paused by the clerk's desk, stalling while he watched Sheriff Kirk come into the lobby and enter a telephone booth. He whispered to the others:
"That's Denwood calling, asking Kirk to come over and talk to Cranston."
"Which means it's time to start," analyzed Lois. "I'll go up and change."
"Wait!"
Rundon turned to the clerk, asked him to hand over a pack of cards that lay near the telephone switchboard. Stepping to a table near the stairway, Rundon spread the pack in front of Lois.
"We'll make it a sporting proposition," he decided. "Take any card you want, and carry it up to your room. If it's a low card, you can get into that camping outfit and join us at the canoe."
"And if it's a high one?"
"You're to go to bed and stay there, as a lesson that Virgo persons should not interfere with other people's business."
Lois calculated, then asked how high the low cards went.
"I'll be generous, as usual," conceded Rundon. "I'll give you from deuces up through eights, which is more than half the pack."
Lois drew a card, and snuggled it against her waist as she started up stairs. Reaching her room, she started the change to her camping garb, confident that her luck would hold. At the last moment, she turned the card face up.
It was a jack; a high card.
ANGRILY, Lois threw the card on the floor, her camping outfit with it. Obtaining pajamas instead, she finished undressing and flung herself into bed. Sullenly, she decided that people of her sign weren't good losers.
She wished that she hadn't taken up the proposition. By this time, the canoe had started, and she would have forgotten about it, ordinarily. She could have gone to the community movies instead, as everyone else was doing, judging from voices and laughter that she heard from the pier and the darkening ground outside her window.
Instead, she had sent herself to bed at sunset, by drawing the wrong card. It would be a miserable ordeal, lying awake for hours, listening to all the fun around the Community Center. But Virgo people always kept their agreements, just as they also cried over spilled milk.
They analyzed, too, as Lois had said, particularly when they had nothing else to do. It wasn't long before she began to wonder why Rundon had told her to take the card upstairs before she looked at it. The others should have seen it, too, to know whether or not they should wait in the canoe.
Scrambling from bed, Lois put on slippers and dressing gown; telephoning the clerk, she told him to send up the pack of cards that Rundon had borrowed.
The pack arrived. Closing the door, Lois examined the cards by the table lamp. Her lips compressed in anger. It was just what she expected; Rundon had carried his ingenuity too far. This was a forty-eight card pinochle pack; it didn't contain a card under a nine spot!
Guests on the veranda were suddenly disturbed by a shower of cards that came fluttering from a second-story window. Caught by a spanking breeze, the pinochle pack was distributed all over the lawn, as a token of Lois' sentiments toward it.