His first impression was of a large apartment, bare of floor and wall, with a set of dusty show cases placed at one side behind a rickety counter. It did not look like a store where much business of the kind it ostensibly catered2 to was transacted3.
All this confirmed Herc's growing suspicions that the place was conducted as a blind. That[Pg 201] it was nothing more than a haunt for Japanese spies and those allied4 with them in their schemes against Uncle Sam.
A soft voice, a voice with a purring inflection as silky as that of a cream-fed cat, broke on his ears.
"What will the gentleman please to 'ave?"
Herc saw that a small, spectacled Japanese had glided5 rather than stepped in behind the counter, and now stood regarding the new customer with a face that might as well have been a mask for all the expression it conveyed.
It is a curious fact, but Herc, who up to that moment had acted the part of a bold investigator6, suddenly found himself embarrassed. He struggled to find an answer to the simple question that had been put to him. This Jap behind the counter regarded him with growing suspicion.
"You come in for something—a cigar, maybe?" he purred.
[Pg 202]
"Yes—oh, yes,—give me—give me a box of matches," blurted7 out Herc desperately8.
"A box of matches? Veree well."
The Jap turned deftly9 to the show cases behind him, and inserting a long fingered hand in a drawer, drew out the required article. Herc fumbled10 in his pocket for the change necessary, but in so doing he drew out a navy button, cut from his first uniform, with the small silver.
As he extended a nickel across the counter, with no very clear idea as to what he was to do next, he had the misfortune, for so he presently perceived it to be, to drop this pocket piece.
It fell with a jingling11 sound and before he could pick it up, the Jap was out from behind the counter and had grasped and was extending it to him.
"A navee button," said he suavely12. "The honorable gentleman is in the service of the so estimable Uncle Sam?"
There was one thing that Herc could not do,[Pg 203] at no matter what cost, and that was to lie. Yet he had important reasons for not wishing his service to become known to the Jap. So he compromised.
"Yes, it's a navy button," he said pocketing it.
"Ah; it is a fine service," said the Jap, with a swift appraising13 look at Herc, and at the red hair that showed under his pulled-down hat. "I often deplore14 that I am Japanese and so cannot to enter it."
"Yet there are Japs in the navy," said Herc, and then with one of those incautious bursts which Ned so often deprecated, he rushed on, "one came in here just now,—Saki, do you know him?"
From behind the spectacles a swift look of comprehension flashed into the Jap's eyes, and then died out again like a suddenly extinguished fire.
"Saki? I no know heem," he said.
"Humph, I am on the right trail," exclaimed[Pg 204] Herc to himself. "This fellow knows all about Ned. I'm afraid, also, that he is suspicious of me, but that can't be helped now."
"If you will wait one minute, I will bring you change," came the silky voice of the Jap. "Matches are one penny, you give me one nickel."
"All right, get the change. I'll wait for you," said Herc, trying to mask his anxiety to penetrate15 the secrets of this place under an appearance of indifference16.
The Jap, with one swift backward glance at Herc, glided off and up the same stairway that Herc had seen Saki and Kenworth ascend17. So he was going to join them and doubtless tell them of his suspicions. Herc was in a quandary18.
If he left the place to give the alarm to the authorities, by the time he came back the birds might have flown and with them all clew to Ned. On the other hand, he could not, single-handed, face the whole nest of them.
But the next instant came another thought. After all, the place was not on the outposts of[Pg 205] civilization. It was policed just as any other well-ordered district. Not a block away were gay summer cafés and promenaders. What harm could come to him here?
It was while his mind was busied with these reflections that Herc's eye fell on the door at the end of the store, already mentioned.
Where did it lead to? Perhaps to Ned's prison place. Herc glanced about him. The store was empty. Outside someone passed along whistling gaily19. After all, he had nothing to fear and all to gain, if he could ascertain20 something concerning Ned's fate.
With half a dozen swift strides, Herc was across the store and at the rear door.
He fumbled with the latch21 an instant and then the portal swung open. Beyond was a dark passage. This rather surprised Herc, who had surmised22 that the door gave on to a back yard or another street, and who had thought that in case of emergency it might be utilized23 as a means of escape.
[Pg 206]
It was at this moment that a murmur24 of voices reached his ears. Several persons were seemingly descending25 the stairway up which the spectacled Jap had passed to procure26 change.
Herc was about to dart27 for the front door when he heard a sudden sharp clicking sound.
As if by intuition he guessed what it meant. By some mechanical means a bolt had been shot and he was trapped. He sped back again to the rear door. Darting28 through it, he dashed into the dark passage beyond. Then he suddenly checked himself. Why not secure that rear door from the inside?
But a second's fumbling29 in the dark showed him that there was no means of doing this.
The voices grew louder. They swelled30 to an angry clamor. Herc hastily slammed the door and plunged31 forward into the blackness. As he ran, he heard the trample32 of feet behind him and knew that the hunt was up and that he was the quarry33.
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1
civilian
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| adj.平民的，民用的，民众的 | |
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2
catered
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| 提供饮食及服务( cater的过去式和过去分词 )； 满足需要，适合 | |
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3
transacted
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| v.办理（业务等）( transact的过去式和过去分词 )；交易，谈判 | |
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4
allied
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| adj.协约国的；同盟国的 | |
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5
glided
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| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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6
investigator
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| n.研究者，调查者，审查者 | |
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7
blurted
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| v.突然说出，脱口而出( blurt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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8
desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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9
deftly
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| adv.灵巧地，熟练地，敏捷地 | |
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10
fumbled
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| （笨拙地）摸索或处理（某事物）( fumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 乱摸，笨拙地弄； 使落下 | |
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11
jingling
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| 叮当声 | |
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12
suavely
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13
appraising
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| v.估价( appraise的现在分词 )；估计；估量；评价 | |
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14
deplore
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| vt.哀叹，对...深感遗憾 | |
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15
penetrate
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| v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解 | |
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16
indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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17
ascend
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| vi.渐渐上升，升高；vt.攀登，登上 | |
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18
quandary
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| n.困惑，进迟两难之境 | |
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19
gaily
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| adv.欢乐地，高兴地 | |
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20
ascertain
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| vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清 | |
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21
latch
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| n.门闩，窗闩；弹簧锁 | |
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22
surmised
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| v.臆测，推断( surmise的过去式和过去分词 )；揣测；猜想 | |
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23
utilized
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| v.利用，使用( utilize的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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24
murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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25
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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26
procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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27
dart
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| v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲 | |
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28
darting
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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29
fumbling
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| n. 摸索,漏接 v. 摸索,摸弄,笨拙的处理 | |
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30
swelled
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| 增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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31
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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32
trample
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| vt.踩，践踏；无视，伤害，侵犯 | |
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33
quarry
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| n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找 | |
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