"My poor wife," he choked. "And my darling little daughter, Roxey! Ben O'Gard told me he tried to save them, but they perished."
Doc Savage was silent. He knew Victor Vail's story must have brought back memories of his wife and infant daughter.
"Little Roxey, that was my daughter's name," murmured the musician.
DOC SAVAGE finally spoke.
"It strikes me as rather strange that the story about the fate of the liner Oceanic did not appear in the newspapers. Such a yarn would have made all the front pages."
Victor Vail gave a start of surprise. "But didn't it?"
"That is strange! Ben O'Gard told me it had. Personally, I never mentioned the incident. The memory is too painful." The sightless violinist paused. He made a finger-snapping gesture of surprise.
"That is another mystery! Why should Ben O'Gard tell me falsely that every one knew the story of the awful fate of the Oceanic?"
"Perhaps he desired to keep the fate of the liner a secret," Doc offered. "Did he suggest that you keep quiet?"
"Why why I recall that he did bring up the subject! And I told him I never wanted to hear of the ghastly affair again!"
Doc's great voice suddenly acquired a purr of interest.
"I should like very much to know what actually happened during that period you were unconscious!" he said.
Victor Vail stiffened slightly.
"I refuse to listen to anything against Ben O'Gard!" he snapped. "The man saved my life! He tried to save my wife and baby daughter!"
"You will hear nothing against him," Doc smiled. "I judge no one without proof."
Doc did not point out that Victor Vail only had Ben O'Gard's word about that life-saving business.
The blind man rubbed his jaw in a puzzled way.
"Perhaps I should mention another strange thing which may be connected with this," he said. "The mystery which I call the 'Clicking Danger'!"
"By all means! Leave out nothing."
"It has been nearly fifteen years since I last met Ben O'Gard," muttered Victor Vail. "With Ben O'Gard's faction of the survivors was a sailor with a nervous ailment of his jaws. This malady caused his teeth to chatter together at intervals, making a weird clicking noise. The sound used to get on my nerves.
"Here is the mystery: At frequent intervals during the
last fifteen years, I have heard, or thought I heard, that clicking noise. I have gotten into the habit of playfully calling it the 'Clicking Danger.'
"Actually, nothing has ever come of it. In fact, I rather thought it was my imagination entirely, instead of the sailor. Why should the fellow follow me all over the world for fifteen years."
"It is possible Ben O'Gard has been keeping track of you," Doc replied.
The sightless master of the violin considered this in a somewhat offended silence.
Doc Savage studied Victor Vail's eyes intently. After a bit, he came over to the musician. He led the man across an adjacent room. This was a vast library. It held hundreds of thousands of ponderous volumes concerning every conceivable branch of science. This was probably the second most complete scientific library in existence.
The one collection of such tomes greater than this was unknown to the world. No one but Doc Savage was aware of its existence. For that superb library was at the spot he called his Fortress of Solitude. a retreat in a corner of the globe so remote and inaccessible that only Doc knew its whereabouts.
To this Fortress of Solitude the giant man of bronze retired periodically. On such occasions, he seemed to vanish completely from the earth, for no living soul could find him. He worked and studied absolutely alone.
It was in these periods of terrific concentration and study that Doc Savage accomplished many of the marvelous things for which he was noted.
BEYOND skyscraper library lay another room a vast scientific laboratory. This, too, was of a completeness equaled by but one other the laboratory at Doc's Fortress of Solitude.
"What are you going to do?" asked Victor Vail curiously.
"I came backstage to-night to see you for two reasons," Doc replied. "The first was to tell you how I enjoyed your rendition of my violin composition. The second was to examine your eyes."
"You mean "
"I mean an artist as great as you, Victor Vail, should have the use of his eyes. I wish to examine them to see if vision cannot be returned."
Victor Vail choked. His sightless orbs filled with tears. For an instant, he seemed about to break down.
"It is impossible!" he gulped. "I have been to the greatest eye specialists in the world. They say nothing less than a magician can help me."
"Then we'll try some magic," Doc smiled.
"Please don't joke about it!" moaned the blind man.
"I'm not joking," Doc said steadily. "I positively can give you sight of sorts. If conditions are as I think, I can give you perfect vision. That is why I wish to examine."
Victor Vail could only gulp and sag into a chair. It did not occur to him to doubt the ability of this mighty being beside him. There was something in the bronze man's voice which compelled belief.
An overpowering wonder seized Victor Vail. What, oh, what manner of person was this bronze master?
A lot of folks had wondered that.
Rapidly, Doc took numerous X-ray pictures of Victor Vail. He also got exposures using rays less familiar to the surgical profession. He continued his examination with ordinary instruments, as well as some the like of which could have been found nowhere else. They were of Doc's own invention.
"Now wait in the outer office while I consider what the examination shows," Doc directed.
Victor Vail went into the outside office. He did not comprehend why, but he had such confidence in the bronze giant's ability that he already felt as though he could see the wonders of a world he had never glimpsed.
For Victor Vail had been born blind.
The sightless violinist would have been even more happy had be known the true extent of Doc Savage's ability. For Doc was a greater master of the field of surgery than of any other.
Doc's composition of the violin selection marked him as one of the greatest in that field. He had done things equally marvelous in electricity, chemistry, botany, psychology, and other lines.
Yet these things were child's play to what he had done with medicine and surgery. For it was in medicine and surgery that Doc had specialized. His first training, and his hardest, had been in these.
Few persons understood the real scope of Doc's incredible knowledge. Even fewer knew how he had gained this knowledge.
Doc had undergone intensive training from the cradle. Never for a day during his lifetime had that training slackened.
There was really no magic about Doc's uncanny abilities. He had simply worked and studied harder than ever had a man before him.
Doc was developing the ray photos he had taken. The task quickly neared completion.
Suddenly Victor Vail, in the outer office, emitted a piercing howl.
A shot exploded deafeningly. Men cursed. Blows smashed.
Doc's bronze form flashed through the laboratory door. Across the library, he sped.
From the library door, a Tommy gun spewed lead almost into his face.
Chapter 3
FIGHTING MEN
DOC HAD charged forward. expecting to meet danger. So he was alert. Twisting aside, he evaded the first torrent of bullets.
But nothing in the library offered shelter. He doubled back. His speed was blinding. His bronze figure snapped into the laboratory before the wielder of the machine gun could correct his aim.
The gunman swore loudly. He dashed across the bookfilled room. Deadly weapon ready, he sprang into the laboratory. Murderous purpose was on his pinched face.
His eyes roved the lab. His jaw sagged.
There was no bronze man in the lab!
To a window, the gunner leaped. He flung it up, looked out.