"060 (B084) - The Mountain Monster (1938-02) - Harold Davis" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robeson Kenneth)

Doc Savage had faced many perils, as John Alden knew, but he didn't think the bronze man had ever faced an enemy as loathsome as that spider, an enemy against whom bullets were harmless, and who could leap over trees and disappear without a trace.
The engineer stared unseeingly from the windows of the plane. He was faced with a desperate problem.
He had to take some action to save the settlers of Arcadia valley, but he couldn't let an innocent man face terrible peril without warning. But Doc Savage had to come, he had to save those colonists. No one else could do it.
AT San Francisco, Alden tried to telephone Doc Savage's office in New York. There was no answer.
John Alden's face became old and haggard. He did not see the big man with gigantic feet watching him as he left the telephone booth.
A newsboy thrust a paper into Alden's hands. He paid for it automatically. A sleeper plane for the East taxied up to the runway. Grabbing his bag, he darted for it.
Behind him, huge feet covered ground with amazing speed as Barge Deeter trailed after him.
John Alden heard the sound of those feet. His face was white and shaken as he looked around. For an instant, the sound reminded him of the plop The Monster's feet made in the mud.
He was still shaking as he took his seat in the plane. He raised the newspaper to cover his confusion. Headlines leaped out at him:
CHICAGO MEDICS
TO HEAR TALK BY
CLARK SAVAGE, JR.
John Alden's heart pounded. Swiftly he read the story beneath:
Chicago, July 12—(DP)—Clark Savage, Jr., the famous scientist and adventurer, has consented to address a meeting of the Chicago Medical Association here to-morrow afternoon, it was learned to-day.
Savage, one of the leading medical men of the world, although he is not an active, practicing physician, has promised to speak on the subject of "The Landular Theory of Super-Growth."
Leading medical men here to-day said they hoped to persuade Savage to reveal details of some of his latest experiments, which are alleged to have surpassed anything yet attempted.
The Medical Association was fortunate in obtaining Savage as a speaker, as he and his men have just returned, it was learned, from one of their trips of adventure.
Savage, it will be recalled, is more or less a man of mystery since he has never been persuaded to give a press interview on any of his amazing adventures. But it is known that he has won the gratitude of many nations, including that of the United States, for his exploits. He is a man completely devoid of fear, who brings to his work not only an amazing scientific knowledge, but also physical prowess that is said to have no equal.
Friends have explained that this is due to a rigid training regime that keeps him in perfect condition. Since childhood he is understood—
John Alden's eyes gleamed. He was smiling as he looked up. Doc Savage was the man to combat The Monster. And he would be in Chicago to-morrow. Even the address of his hotel was given.
THE steady stare of eyes attracted the engineer's attention. He turned his head suddenly. Behind him, and across the aisle, was the man he had seen running after him at the airport. The big man with gigantic feet.
The big man's eyes dropped as John Alden turned, but the engineer's hands shook with a queer, unexplainable fear. He glanced down at the paper again, and received a shock.
The item was small. Metropolitan editors had been fooled too often to take chances. They gave this story only a small box, intimating to the reader that he was not to take it too seriously.
But John Alden took it seriously. He forgot all about the man with the big feet across the aisle. The item read:
NEW MONSTER SEEN
THIS ONE IN ALASKA
Here's another "monster" story for those who like them—this time from Alaska. Each year sea serpents and other fantastic reptiles are reported—usually being seen near some tourist resort that needs business.
To-day, our yarn comes from Arcadia Valley, the government homestead project in Alaska. During a storm last night, two sober (?) colonists assert and aver they saw a huge shape swooping toward them in the darkness. They hid in a group of trees and swear the "monster" leaped entirely over the trees. To-day, of course, they insist they found the usual "gigantic footprints" that are always found. The only change from the usual run of monster stories was that the colonists said they smelled a terrible odor, but that it soon disappeared.
Barge Deeter watched John Alden's face with particular attention. Then he borrowed a newspaper from a fellow passenger and read it carefully.
John Alden noticed the move. He recalled that this man with big feet had been at the airport in Portland. He had been standing near the telephone booth in San Francisco.
It might be coincidence, but it didn't look like it. The engineer let his eyes drift over the other casually. There was a suspicious bulge under the big man's coat.
When the plane landed at Salt Lake City, John Alden acted quickly. He was the first out and the first to get his baggage. There was to be a short wait before the Chicago plane was ready.
He darted into the waiting room, moved toward the washroom, then slipped through a small door at the rear of the building. Running swiftly, he circled until he could look into a window.
The man with the big feet was inside, looking around anxiously. His heavy eyebrows were drawn down in a frown. He moved to the washroom, looked in, then came out with a slightly baffled look on his face.
It was early in the morning, but a sleepy newsboy dropped from a truck and came across the field. He was holding the papers so the headline could be read. The headline said:
MONSTER SEIZES TWO IN ALASKA!
John Alden's face went quite white. He found it difficult to get his breath. His eyes darted about frantically. Light flashed on a small sign advising passengers that here they could send telegrams.
The engineer stumbled into the room, wrote out his message with fingers that could hardly hold a pencil:
FLINT JONES
ARCADIA PROJECT
ARCADIA VALLEY ALASKA
AM ON WAY TO GET DOC SAVAGE STOP SURE HE CAN AID US STOP DO NOT DESPAIR
JOHN ALDEN
He found another piece of paper and wrote rapidly. Then he talked persuasively to the telegraph operator. His lips were set in a thin, hard grin as he heard the call for the Chicago plane.
A majority of the passengers had copies of the newspaper and were reading the story of The Monster with deep interest. There were some exclamations of disbelief, but others were arguing that such a beast was quite probable.
The talk stopped suddenly as John Alden got on the plane. Nostrils twitched. Several of the passengers looked faintly sick.
A flush came to John Alden's features. He caught it also. Faint, but still strong enough in the close quarters of the cabin, he could smell the odor that always came from The Monster.
And it came from him, from his hands where they had touched the giant hair that had been concealed in his bag.
AS motors roared, Barge Deeter jumped into the cabin. His face cleared as he saw John Alden there. He moved forward, dropped into his seat, just as the plane pivoted slowly, motors now thundering as it moved for the take-off.
Barge Deeter caught the odor as he was abreast of John Alden. For a moment the big man stood quite still. Then he shrieked. His shriek came even above the thunderous noise of the motors.