Creeping in from the edge of the clearing were two lines of moving men. In the dim light, their numbers seemed weirdly formidable. Harry and Carter had gained the door just in time to witness the simultaneous advance of Hub Rowley's two squads of gangsters!

Two automatics were in Harry's hands. Carter Boswick was similarly equipped. Safety catches were unlocked. Here, in readiness, the young men held weapons that could repel the invaders. Yet the size of the attack was appalling.

Quick thoughts flashed through Harry's brain. If they fired now, most of their shots would go wide. If they waited, they would be at too close quarters. They would be able to do some damage; but couldthey resist a charge from those hordes?

HARRY'S hesitation ended. He suddenly saw merit in opening the attack. It was a desperate chance, but it seemed the only one.

"Give them everything we've got!" ordered Harry. "Plug away full speed. With four pistols going, we can make them think they're up against a gang. Catch them while they still have a chance to go back. Then they may scatter!"

"Good," agreed Carter. "I'll take the bunch on the right. Let's go!"

"Shoot!" ordered Harry.

The four automatics barked as the two defenders opened a vicious fire. The repeated flashes from the door of the cabin were followed by loud echoes from the trees.

The result was instantaneous. The rows of men dropped with one accord. Flat on the ground, they began to return the volley.

Stacks Lodi saw his men wavering. One gangster had been clipped, and was groaning on the ground.

But Stacks showed a remarkable keenness in the face of this unexpected burst.

"There's only two of them!" he shouted, his voice audible above the barking revolvers of his men. "Give them the works!"

The encouragement rallied the gangsters. It pa.s.sed to Twister Edmonds' crew. There, two men were down to stay; the others were almost on the point of flight. But the sight of Lodi's mob holding its ground was all that they needed.

The volley from the doorway had ended with the suddenness that had marked its beginning. Harry Vincent's plan had failed. Bullets were zimming against the sides of the cabin. With one accord, Harry and Carter flung themselves back in the big room.

"Reload!" was Harry's command.

Carter groaned as he started to obey. Through the crack of the door, he could see one row of invaders rising.

A mighty shout came from the edges of the clearing. Both Stacks and Twister had figured the trouble; two warriors within the cabin, ammunition spent. A rapid charge was starting from both sides!

Harry could see the attackers through the window. He understood Carter's groan. They were helpless, now that the ruse had failed. The attack seemed destined to end in ma.s.sacre.

Then, above the shouts of the men rising for the charge, Harry heard the roaring booms of two cannon-like guns. Reload in hand, he stopped in momentary stupor. Those shots were coming from a bulging curve in the clearing, midway between the two advancing lines.

Gangsters began to sprawl upon the rough turf. Terrific bursts of flame, with roaring echoes, signaled the entry of a new contestant. As he saw the invaders toppling, first from one line, then from the other, Harry sensed the answer.

The Shadow!

FROM the projecting stretch of woods, the master of darkness was delivering an enfilade. Hiswell-directed shots were speeding leaden messengers directly along the lines. He was not shooting at individuals; he was aiming into groups of men!

One fighter was succeeding where two had failed. The Shadow had withheld the power of his .45s until his enemies were completely at his mercy. With four automatics, two in hands and two beneath his cloak, he had reserve ammunition sufficient to wipe out the dastardly crew!

The proper type of fire proved Harry Vincent's theory. The advancing gangsters took to spreading flight.

Half of them had fallen; the others were rushing away from the hidden menace. Men were sagging as they fled.

Only the mad break for safety saved the mobsters from annihilation. Some who had dropped were dead; others were wounded. But as the remainder became scattered targets, The Shadow's shots lessened in rapidity. A few pitiful enemies reached the woods and plunged into the underbrush.

Hub Rowley, alone, put up a stout effort to foil The Shadow. Back in the edge of the woods, he could see the flashes of The Shadow's guns. The big shot dropped behind a large rock and opened fire toward the bursts of flame. But although he prided himself as a marksman, he could not make a hit.

The Shadow, crouched in the darkness, swaying, moving, turning, was never in the same place twice.

Hub was still firing as the few escaping mobsmen plunged to safety; and it was then that The Shadow proved his ability to do what Hub could not.

The flashes burst in Hub's direction. Picking a blind target, The Shadow aimed with amazing precision.

Had it not been for the big rock, the first of the bullets would have found its mark.

Large slivers of rock chipped away as The Shadow's bullets smashed against Hub's natural barricade.

These death messengers from nowhere clicked their threat of doom. Dropping to the ground, Hub crawled rapidly away through the brush, keeping constantly beyond the rock. He had no desire to wait until The Shadow had moved to deliver a fire from the side.

Seeing The Shadow's shots directed into the woods, Harry and Carter supposed that he was driving off reinforcements. With their reloading finished, they sallied forth across the clearing. A few wild shots came from wounded gangsters in the open area. Seeing this, they covered the men and approached to disarm them.

WITH this work finished, Harry and Carter again turned toward the woods. The Shadow's fire had ceased. They did not know what might have happened. By common decision, both defenders hurried toward the woods. They could hear plunging gangsters in the darkness, and they fired rapid shots to encourage the flight.

"Hold it!" ordered Harry suddenly. "We'd better get over to the side of the cabin by the hill. Maybe there are others up there!"

At the cabin, they separated. Harry swung around one side; Carter took the other. They met on the side toward the hill.

"All clear here," declared Harry. "Come on-we'll go back."

As Harry went around the side of the cabin, Carter turned to follow. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a man springing suddenly to his feet. He had been close to the cabin wall.

Before Carter could raise his revolver the man was a dozen yards away, dashing toward the hillside. As Carter aimed, the fugitive threw a hunted glance over his shoulder. Carter's finger trembled on his trigger.A wild exclamation came from his lips as his hand dropped to his side.

The cry brought Harry Vincent from the corner of the house. It was a second before Harry caught sight of the running man whom Carter had failed to stop. Impulsively, Harry fired three shots at the fugitive; but the range was too great. The runner kept on like a frightened deer, and gained the upward-sloping woods.

"Why didn't you get him?" demanded Harry.

"I-I couldn't," blurted Carter.

"Where did he come from?" questioned Harry angrily. "When did you see him?"

"He popped up right here," answered Carter. "He had gone a dozen yards before I had a chance to fire."

"But you didn't shoot."

"I-I couldn't. I was going to-then he turned his head, and I saw his face in the moonlight."

"His face? How did that matter? This is no time to worry when you see a face-"

Harry stopped short. Carter Boswick, pale in countenance, was slumped against the wall of the cabin.

His gun was almost falling from his hand.

"What's the matter, old top?" asked Harry, in a tone of anxiety. "He didn't get you, did he?"

"No," murmured Carter, in a weak voice. "But I-I nearly got him. I couldn't do it, though, when I saw him. Harry, when I recognized him, I forgot all about enmities. I couldn't-couldn't think of him as being one of the crowd that came to murder us."

"You recognized him?" exclaimed Harry. "Who was he?"

"A man whom I had hoped was on the square," said Carter solemnly. "Harry, that fellow was my cousin, Drew Westling!"

CHAPTER XVI. THE SHADOW ORDERS.

IT was several minutes before Carter Boswick had recovered from the shock that had gripped him. The sight of his cousin, here by the cabin, after all others had fled, was something that he could hardly believe.

Even though Harry Vincent was anxious to get back to the front of the cabin, he waited for Carter to regain his nerve.

"Brace up, old fellow," pleaded Harry. "I know how you feel. You wouldn't mind shooting down a pack of gunmen face to face-but your cousin, on the run-"

"It's not that alone," responded Carter. "It's bad enough for him to have been in the mess; but to find him lurking, like a snake, ready to strike."

"Maybe he didn't have a chance to get away," smoothed Harry. "He didn't attack you when you came around the cabin."

"Lost his nerve," said Carter gruffly. "That's about the size of it, Harry. I feel steady now. Let's go."

Events had happened during the interim while Carter and Harry had been behind the house. Bodies ofdead gangsters remained in view; but the wounded ones had managed to crawl to the cover of the woods.

This perturbed Harry for the moment; then he realized that pot shots from that distance would be futile.

The mobsmen had been so completely routed that there was no danger of their return.

The two defenders went into the cabin. Carter turned on an oil lamp in the main room. He stopped and pointed to an old table. An object lying upon it had caught his immediate attention.

"Look!" he exclaimed. "Who left that there?"

The object was a large envelope, propped on end against a tin of tobacco. Harry picked it up and opened it. He recognized the clear blue ink and coded writing of The Shadow. Carter stared over Harry's shoulder and gasped as he saw the words begin to disappear.

"What is it?" he questioned.

"A message from my chief," responded Harry quietly. "It tells us what to do."

"You mean from-from whomever it was who opened fire from the woods? Say! Has he been here, too?"

"Apparently. Come on, Carter, let's get going! We'll talk about it on the way to my car."

Packing some of their belongings, Harry and Carter strode out into the clearing. Harry maintained silence while they looked over the field of battle. Five mobsmen lay dead-among them was Twister Edmonds, whom neither knew.

"There must have been more than a dozen of them," remarked Carter. "If we figure five dead, and at least the same number wounded, they were pretty well mopped up."

THE two men reached the woods and advanced cautiously, using a flashlight as a guide. They had brought only essential luggage, so were not heavily burdened. Both were on the alert for hidden enemies.

"Where are we bound?" questioned Carter.

"To Summit Lake," answered Harry. "Town just over the Wisconsin line. Hotel there-that's where we'll stop."

"In these outfits?"

Carter was referring to khaki knickers and leather puttees which both were wearing.

"Why not?" asked Harry. "This is primitive country. They won't refuse to admit us at the Summit Lake Hotel. If we-" He stopped abruptly and skimmed his flashlight in wide circles, revealing a myriad of cl.u.s.tered tree trunks.

"Hear anything?" questioned Carter.

"I thought so," responded Harry. "Move along easy."

He extinguished the light, and the pair went silently forward. The night had clouded, and it was quite dark. After twenty or thirty yards, Harry stopped Carter with a grip, and waited before he again turned on the light."Keep listening," said Harry grimly. "Some of that mob may still be around. I thought I heard something moving off in the dark among the trees. I think we're clear now."

"Over the Wisconsin line," mused Carter softly. "That's not far south of here, is it? Say-I didn't think this northern peninsula of Michigan was so far up.

"It's a strip between Wisconsin and Lake Superior," reminded Harry. Then, with a laugh: "We've both been doing a good bit of map reading lately."

Carter's thoughts reverted to Harry's plans. He knew that this trip to Summit Lake must be in response to instructions left by The Shadow. The idea of abandoning the cabin was now becoming distasteful to him.

He had a feeling of mistrust, awakened by his chance discovery of Drew Westling. Harry sensed Carter's uneasiness.

"We'll be back," said Harry, in a confidential tone. "It's best to be away. Now that The-that my chief is here, we'll begin to get results. Leave it to him for the time being, Carter."

"All right," agreed Carter. "We need a change for a day, anyway. That was a tough ordeal tonight."

They reached the spot where they had left the coupe and found the car untouched. Harry took the wheel, and the journey began. Both riders felt an immediate fatigue; but Carter Boswick retained enough initiative to begin a cautious questioning regarding Harry's mysterious chief.

Under the present circ.u.mstances, and in accordance with a notation that he had read in The Shadow's message, Harry replied with a more detailed explanation. It was essential that he should retain Carter Boswick's confidence; and with millions at stake, it was natural that Carter should have qualms.

IN brief phrases Harry mentioned the strange part that The Shadow played in the affairs of the underworld. A man who moved by night, a lone wolf arrayed on the side of justice, this weird being could strike terror into the evil hearts of the most hardened crime masters.

The Shadow, Harry stated, was a man of many capabilities. Even as his agent, Harry did not know The Shadow's abode. He had been rescued from hopeless predicaments by The Shadow's intervention. In fact, his acquaintance with The Shadow had begun when he had been s.n.a.t.c.hed from the brink of death by the being whose will he now obeyed.

Harry's words might have sounded fanciful to any but Carter Boswick. But with the recent demonstration still vivid in Carter's mind, there was no doubt of The Shadow's power.

Carter was still mulling over the amazing events and linking them with his remarkable escapes in Havana and aboard the Southern Star, when the coupe rolled into the outskirts of Summit Lake.

Harry and Carter not only found the Summit Lake Hotel to be an excellent one; but they also discovered that their garb was an accepted form of attire. Harry and Carter obtained adjoining rooms.

It was after three o'clock, but all-night card sessions were in progress. The two arrivals decided to stroll about a bit before retiring. Their nerves needed quieting after the excitement of this night.

On the veranda of the hotel, they finished a belated pipe smoke, and finally went inside. The period of vigilance had ended, and the change was a welcome relief. This was the very thought that Harry expressed to Carter, who had agreed.