"Doc Savage Adventure 1934-01 Brand of the Werewolf" - читать интересную книгу автора (Doc Savage Collection)

BRAND OF THE WEREWOLF


A Doc Savage Adventure by Kenneth Robeson


(Originally published in "Doc Savage Magazine" January 1934. Bantam Books reprint April 1965)

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BACK COVER

Seeking to avenge his brother's murder, Doc Savage and his daring crew become involved in a desperate hunt for the lost treasure of the pirate, Henry Morgan. Stalking them every inch of the way is the archfiend, El Rabanos, and his strange ally, the werewolf's paw!

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Chapter 1

THE STRANGE MESSAGE


IT was a little way station on the transcontinental railroad in western Canada. Only one man worked there. He had what railroaders call an "OS" job. About all he had to do was "OS" trains - telegraph the dispatcher that they were passing his point.

Usually, nothing much ever happened around there.

Just now, however, the telegrapher looked as if things were happening - big things. His manner was as excited as that of a small boy about to see the circus.

The thing which had flustered him was a telegram that he had just copied. It was addressed to a passenger on the fast express train which was due to arrive soon.

The operator interrupted his routine work frequently to stare at the name of the individual to whom the message was going. He scratched his head.

"If that man is the fellow I think he is - " He finished his remark with a low whistle of amazement.

Some minutes later, the brass pounder gave a start as if he had just thought of something. He got up hastily and went to a row of shelves in the rear of the room. These held magazines. Due to the loneliness of his post, the operator was a heavy reader.

He picked out and thumbed through several magazines which made a practice of publishing stories of famous men. The cover design of one of these consisted of a large bronze-colored question mark. Printed across this were the words:

THE MAN OF MYSTERY
(Story on page 9)


The telegrapher opened the magazine to page nine. The Story was what writers call a "fact article." Every word was Supposed to be the truth. More large black type asked:

WHO IS PROBABLY THE MOST
AMAZING OF LIVING MEN?


The telegraph operator had read this story before. But now he started to peruse it again. He was interrupted.