Griff turned. Two of his lieutenants had entered. The chief deputy barked an order.
“You heard what the chief said,” he told his men. “Get into that conduit. We can trap those crooks with the goods.”
The lieutenants hurried from the office. Griff decided to follow. Police Chief Kerr arose. He waved the other men to chairs.
“Stay here,” he ordered. “I’m going up to see about this. We’ll get them if they’re there.”
Word had passed up the street by the time Kerr arrived in his car. The man-hole was open. Deputies were already in the conduit. Griff was standing as director. Minutes passed. A head came from the man-hole.
“They’ve cleared out,” stated a deputy. “We found the blocked end of the pipe, under the bank. The other end is closed, too.”
Police Chief Kerr stepped into his car. Angrily, he ordered the driver to take him back to city hall. Griff saw the chief depart. The leader of the deputies entered another car and ordered the driver to follow Kerr.
The police chief was announcing the disappointing news to Rowling and the others when Griff arrived. The leader of the deputies joined the conference. Long minutes of discussion passed.
“I can’t understand how they escaped,” summarized Chief Kerr. “There were fifty deputies on that front street. Those crooks had their swag to lug away. That man-hole is the only outlet.”
A man came hurrying into the office. It was one of Griff’s lieutenants. The arrival approached his leader.
“What is it, Caderly?” questioned Kerr.
“Listen, Griff,” announced the lieutenant, “you’ve started something. While the boys were busy around that man-hole, a couple of them got an idea. They remembered seeing that delivery truck that belongs to Farrow.”
“Yes? Where was it?”
“Stalled right over the man-hole on—”
“Wait a minute!” For the first time, Griff remembered his visit to Farrow’s store. “I saw that truck going out. A lot of big boxes in it.”
“Yeah,” agreed Caderly, “and banners that covered the wheels. The boys did a sneak over to the garage after they got their hunch. I’ll tell you what they found — a trapdoor in the bottom of the truck!”
“After I was in the store,” recalled Griff, excitedly, “that truck stopped in the middle of the street, on its way to Gwynnesborough. A box fell off it. Say — that’s when the crooks got into the conduit. They had plenty of time to carve their way up into the bank!”
“The truck pulled up in back of Farrow’s,” added Caderly. “Some of the boys on the back street saw the driver and that clerk of Farrow’s unloading boxes that they had brought back with them.”
“Where are the two men now?”
“Out on the street, looking on. I saw them up near the bank.”
“We’ll get them!” exclaimed Griff. “Farrow’s in that store. We’ll use them as decoys. We’ve spotted the man, all right.” Griff turned to Rowling and gave a significant nod. “It’s Slade Farrow. I’ve been watching that fellow, but he was too smooth for me.”
“Hold up there!” Police Chief Kerr spoke as Griff was turning toward the door. “I’m in charge of this, Griff. Bring your deputies along — tell them what to do — but take orders from me.”
Griff scowled. He stared toward Rowling as if in protest. The millionaire hesitated; then nodded.
“That’s right, Griff,” he declared. “If you’re going to enter Farrow’s place, you’ll need Chief Kerr. Isn’t that best, Norton?”
“Yes,” agreed young Granger. His face was solemn. “I’m going along, too, Rowling. I can’t understand this about Farrow. I was sure that he was an honest man.”
FIVE minutes later, Dave and Louie were surprised by a pair of deputies who suddenly approached and covered them with rifles. Police Chief Kerr stood by while Griff barked orders to his lieutenants.
Watching from their window, Harry Vincent and Cliff Marsland saw the captives marched along the street. The prisoners turned the corner toward the rear of Farrow’s store. Kerr, Griff and Granger were in charge; a group of deputies behind. Other deputies and police were watching the front of the clothing shop.
“It’s coming,” whispered Harry.
“Right,” agreed Cliff. “Be ready.”
This was the emergency which The Shadow had foreseen. His agents were prepared to deliver aid.
CHAPTER XX
TABLES TURN
STACKS of banknotes lay upon packing cases. Piles of bonds and securities formed another pile. A heap of scattered documents were on the floor. Slade Farrow was sorting through this pile while his three threats watched.
They were in the large store room. The gathered spoils brought triumphant grins to the faces of Hawkeye, Tapper and Skeets. Yet the three crooks curbed their eagerness. All decision lay with Slade Farrow, the man whose orders they obeyed.
A bell rang above. Slade Farrow paused in his labor. His face clouded. Hawkeye reached toward his pocket. Farrow shook his head and motioned the little crook to put away his gun.
“It’s Dave and Louie,” decided Farrow. “I told them to keep watch on the main street. They’ve managed to slide away to report. Wait here. I’ll go up.”
The three crooks seated themselves among the spoils after their chief had left. Their confidence in Slade Farrow was absolute. Even Hawkeye did not appear perturbed. The little crook was interested in the stacks of money.
Then footsteps sounded. Apparently, Farrow was returning with Dave and Louie. It was not until the sounds arrived at the door that the three crooks turned in that direction. When they did, they were dumbfounded.
THEY saw the scowling face of Griff, broad-shouldered leader of the Southfield vigilantes. The husky man was armed with a revolver. Beside him were two deputies with rifles. The three crooks were covered.
“Up against the wall,” ordered Griff.
The crooks backed with raised hands. Griff and his men stepped through the door. Farrow, Dave and Louie appeared in single file. They, too, were marched to positions by the wall, controlled by the rifles of other vigilantes.
Police Chief Kerr entered with Norton Granger. The official’s eyes gleamed as they fell upon the spoils. While Griff and his men covered the crooks, Kerr motioned to Granger to aid him in inspecting the recovered pelf.
“So we got you, eh?” Griff was growling, as he covered Farrow with his revolver. “A crook all the time?”
“A crook,” admitted Farrow, “but a clever one. Perhaps you are due to find that out, Griff. My men were after more than money. You should have known that from the start. I’ve learned a lot since that night at the hotel. I may have more to say about where I found—”
“Shut up!” snarled Griff. “One word and I’ll shoot you dead. Trying to pull something, eh? I’ll—”
Chief Kerr had turned quickly. He saw a murderous look on Griff’s face. He spotted a finger on the revolver trigger. He sprang forward to stop the shot.
“Hold it!” The snarl came from Hawkeye, “I’ll plug the first guy that moves!”
The deputies had wavered in their vigilance, due to the sudden words from Police Chief Kerr. Hawkeye, quick as a snake, had whipped out his revolver. He was turning it in a wide circle, to cover all the invaders.
Men were about to drop their rifles. Griff’s hand had lowered; but as Hawkeye’s circling gun muzzle passed him, Griff barked an order that would have succeeded through force of numbers:
“Get them! Shoot them all down!”
A peal of mocking laughter burst through the room. It came like a knell of doom — a terrifying sound that chilled all who heard it. Griff stood petrified, beside the door. His henchmen wavered. Chief Kerr was transfixed; so was Norton Granger.