Half an hour passed. It was Golga's job, apparently, to maintain this vigil, unless otherwise directed by Elger. The servant did not seem to mind it. But when the clock on his table was pointing to the hour of eleven, Golga arose as though by plan. He went back into the rear hall. There, he noted a light from beneath the door of Elger's study. Golga kept on to the front.
There, the servant noted another light from beneath the door of Francine's room. He recalled that the girl had been reading a book. Probably she had stayed up after the others had gone to bed. Golga kept on past silent doorways. Suddenly, he paused. A slight, whistling noise came to his ears.
Golga entered the living room. He turned on the light. He heard the same noise again; from the rear corner. Advancing there, the servant made a prompt discovery. The corner window was unlocked; more than that, it was slightly raised.
Wind, whining about the tabby walls despite the shelter of the trees, had caused that whistling. Golga could feel the puffs of outside air. As he reached the window, he noted also that the outer bars had been removed.
Golga paused abruptly. He turned, quickly went back across the living room and extinguished the light. He crept along the front hall, stopping at every door. First, Seth Hadlow's. There, by chance, Golga heard a motion from within, as of the occupant turning in his bed. He also caught a slight sound that sounded like a cough.
Stopping outside of Bram Jalway's door. Golga heard no sound at all. He rested his hand upon the knob, and then changed his mind. He moved farther along the hall and stopped at the professor's door.
No sound from within. Carefully, Golga turned the knob. He opened the door and entered. He could see the professor's form in the bed; he also spied the whiteness of the man's hair upon the pillows. The professor stirred. Golga backed out and quietly closed the door behind him.
He looked toward Francine's door. The light still shone from beneath it. As Golga watched, the light clicked out. Francine had finished reading. Golga knew that the girl was in her room.
The big servant paused only for a moment when he reached Dashler's door. The sound of the sailor's snores were sufficient evidence that Dashler was there. Returning front-ward, Golga listened, but heard no sound. Boldly, he opened Jalway's door and flicked a flashlight upon the bed.
No one there. The room was empty. Golga extinguished his light, promptly closed the door and crept creaking back toward Elger's study, anxious to report to his master. Reaching his objective, the servant knocked at Elger's door. There was no response. Golga rapped louder.
A SOUND from within. Elger was coming from the inner bedroom. He opened the door and admitted the servant. Golga's face bore an expression that proved he had a message of importance. Elger closed the door without a word.
The rear hall remained gloomy and silent for a full minute. Then came a swish from the front. Blackness took on a tall, living shape. The Shadow advanced toward the door of Elger's den. He paused to listen outside the barrier. His gloved hand gripped the knob and opened the door a fraction of an inch. Voices came to The Shadow's ears.
"Within the last half an hour?" Elger was demanding. "You're sure of that, Golga?"
A growled affirmative from the servant.
"You looked in Jalway's room," came Elger's next remark. "Well, that proves he was out. But are you sure that all the others were where they belonged?"
"The girl turned out her light," informed Golga, gruffly. "I could hear the sailor snoring; and I saw the professor in his bed."
"What about Hadlow?"
"I thought I heard him, at first. I can't be sure about it, like the others. But I would have looked in there if I hadn't found Jalway missing."
"Leave the windows as they are," decided Elger. "Keep watch in the living room and let me know when Jalway returns. We can let him think that his trip has not been discovered. Maybe we can find out what he is up to, Golga."
Pausing for a few moments of reflection, Elger finally added:
"Ruff lost another man last night. The fellow dropped through into one of those old cellars at the slave quarters. It was an accident, though. I don't think that Jalway could have been at large last night."
The door closed imperceptibly. The Shadow faded into the darkness of the front hall. Half a minute later, Golga appeared and went forward. When he reached the living room, the servant heard no whistling from the corner.
Bringing out his flashlight, he found the window bars back in place; the window sash had also been closed. The screws of the bar frame were loose, however. They had been hurriedly replaced.
Returning to the front hall, Golga paused between the first doors. He heard a distinct cough from Hadlow's room. Stopping at Jalway's door, Golga listened intently. He heard someone moving about within the room. Golga crept onward, to report to Elger.
Again, a blackened shape appeared as soon as the servant had entered the den. Once more The Shadow approached and performed his motion at the door. Listening, he caught Golga's new report. He heard Elger grumble.
"Jalway, all right," came Elger's opinion. "Well, we'll keep a watch on him. So long as he snoops around outside, there's no reason to worry. But it proves that we've got to look out for him.
"Smart, choosing a window in the living room. He figures that if we noticed it was open, we wouldn't know who did it. Well, Golga, we've got Mr. Jalway's number. We'll keep it.
"Turn in for the night. I'm not going below until tomorrow evening. I'll be up a while and I'll take a look in that front hall myself before I go to bed. After this, we'll check on Jalway. But we'll make no move so long as he does his prowling outside."
The Shadow faded from the door. His laugh came as a sibilant whisper as he reached the darkness of the front door. No echo remained when Golga reappeared from the den. The servant went to his own room.
BACK in the den, Purvis Elger sat puffing at his meerschaum. His right hand steadied the pipe, while his left drummed softly upon the desk. A slow, crafty smile wreathed itself upon the schemer's lips.
Purvis Elger had learned that one of his guests was a prowler. He had decided that the fellow was playing a lone game. That, to Elger, was proof that there would be but one to watch: Bram Jalway.
Cunningly, Elger was planning a way to bring Jalway's prowls to an end, should occasion make that course advisable. He was satisfied that the fellow could cause no damage to affairs here on Timour Isle.
There was reason for Elger's smile. The shrewd crook was basing his opinions on Golga's report. Golga was vigilant. He had learned that one guest was missing. Elger was confident that the servant could keep tabs on whatever might happen in this house.
But Elger's smile would have faded had the crook realized how little Golga had actually discovered. Master, like servant, held to the impression that these castaways - Bram Jalway included - were all ordinary persons.
Not for an instant had either suspected that among the group was one who moved with the stealth of night itself. They did not know that this house of crime was harboring the secret presence of The Shadow!
CHAPTER X. THE SHADOW'S MESSAGE
THE next morning brought a letdown of the high winds that swept the Georgia coast. The center of the storm had passed, but mountainous waves still beat upon the shore of Timour Isle.
The hurricane, reduced to a gale intensity, had gone northward, along the Atlantic seaboard. Ships had scurried to the shelter of the Chesapeake capes. New Jersey beach resorts were suffering damage from heavy waves.
In New York, strong winds were screaming fiercely among towering skyscrapers. A chilly drizzle was driving down into the canyons formed by Manhattan streets. New Yorkers were gaining a taste of the tempest that had paralyzed shipping along the coast.