Argosy All-Story Weekly, July 7, 1928 — page 40: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

180 tion and relief. A large part of the suspense was removed when the arch conspirator was thus located. From the man’s previous statement, Ward was quite certain that no hand but Redfern’s own would set off any of the deadly charges under the Radio Corporation’s buildings. Ward was equally confident that the strong radio waves that he was sending out from his own broadcasting instrument’s anten- ne on the roof of the old mansion, would overwhelm any impulse that Redfern might try to broadcast from the instrument in the little cottage. He watched while Redfern admitted his caller, at the same time reporting the fact over the telephone to Inspector Curley. The caller was a nondescript young fellow, whom Ward recalled having seen before in the group around Redfern, ) “ Good,” he heard Redfern say now. “Glad to see you around early, Martin. I wanted a little scout work done over on the Ward premises. Suppose you slip over and make sure that there’s nothing unusual stirring over there to- night. We don’t want to get ready to pull any stuff again unless we can be sure we are going to get away with it. The rest of the gang will be here ina few minutes now. They get nasty when they come expecting action and don't get it.” The spy started for the roof to fol- low the usual route by way of the tree limb over the wall into the Ward grounds. Redfern settled down by the radio set and began listening to reports coming in. Ward turned to the telephone and spoke to Inspector Curley again. “Redfern is there in the meeting- room now, and his man Martin has just come in, and has been sent over into our grounds on a scouting expedi- tion. They are ‘evidently planning something for to-night. T would ad- vise not interfering with Martin. If he is arrested and doesn’t return to the Moran cottage on time, it may arouse ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. Redfern’s suspicion and balk us again. I think you'd better hide your men who are on station as much as possible, and have the rest be sure not to see Martin. Let him think that we feel secure and careless and go back if he wants to.” “Good suggestion, Mr. Ward,” Curley agreed, and sent his orderly out around the grounds to instruct the men accordingly. Another group of men were in con- cealment in a little park in the block beyond the Ward grounds, waiting for the word to close in on the Moran cot- tage from that side. One of these men was at a police phone in this park, keeping it open and in touch with Curley. “Have your men up on tiptoe,and ready to jump in a few minutes now,” Curley sent word to this outside con- tingent. Up in the little laboratory Ward was turning his eye alternately from the big panorama mirror to the one showing the cottage interior and back again, now watching the progress of Redfern’s spy, Martin, about the grounds, and now noting with satisfac- tion the rapid gathering of the Red- fern clan within the little room. The moment the last of the gang ar- rived, and before Redfern had a chance to start anything, Ward would speak the word over the phone to Curley, and the inspector would, with the same breath, pass the order on over the field phone to the outside force, and through his orderly to those within the Ward grounds. Then, with a _ concerted rush, the two forces would close in on the little cottage and Redfern’s days of plotting and bombing would be over for good. Then, suddenly, something hap- pened to upset these calculations. Ward was intently eying Redfern by means of the little mirror suspended in the Moran fireplace, when suddenly as he watched this arch criminal in the little transmitting mirror at his elbow, it seemed as though he were looking di- <S) Gomichboo (E@)