The Angel in the House

Visi-

; we who delve in the lore of the great adventurer have to thank for our authorities Sewell, the great historian of that generation-who personally traveled several million miles to get what meager facts the Hawk would divulge concerning his life and c

s master during that period in the cell as h

ned to him, fascinated, their mouths agape and a tickling down the length of their spines. It was probably only Friday's genius as a narrator which later caused some of his listeners to swear that new li

ver, there were deep things in Hawk Carse, and the deepest among them were the ties binding him to his friends; there was also that certain cold vanity; and considering

l the single door that gave entrance clicked in its lock and opened again. At this he raised his head. Five men came in, all coolies, three of whom had ray-guns which they kept scrupulously on the white man and black while the other two rigged up an appar

minals on its exterior, and a length of black, rubberized cable, which last was passed through one of the five-inch ventilating slits high in the wall. Carse regarded it with his hard stare until the door cl

ay," the Hawk or

utes passed

"You-you whom they call the Hawk," it would say; "you, the infallible one-you, so recklessly, egotistically confident-you have brought this to pass! Not only have you allowed yourself to be trapped, but Eliot Leithgow!

far away. A soft negro

aptain Carse? On the scree

e might have thrown himself on the coolie-guards who had

s words leaped roaring into Carse's

the screen itself had come to life. He was looki

o as to leave the center of its floor empty and free from obstructions, was now a place of deep shadow pierced by a broad cone of

of the table, upon its various upper surfaces an array of gleaming surgeon's tools. In neat squads they lay there: long thin knives with straight and curved cutting edges; handled wires, curved into hooks and eccentric corkscrew shapes; scalpels of

heir lifeless eyes were visible, concentrated on their tasks of preparation. Steam rose in increased mists as one figure lifted back the lid

new note in the dazzling whiteness of the scene. He was pulling on operating gloves. His slanted eyes showed keen and watchful throu

the surrounding darkness, raising one hand. A door showed in faint outline as it open

d their conveyance alongside the operating table.

ay. "They've shav

r was all gone-shaved off close-stunning verification of what was to happen. Awfully alone and helpless he looked, yet his face was calm and he lay there c

t stand

ontiers of space was primarily a lonely one; but Friday and Eliot Leithgow and two or three others were friends and very precious to him, and they received all the emot

him! And

like that of any dumb animal chosen as subjec

it!" the Hawk w

stood out all over. He saw Ku Sui pick up something and adjust it to his grip while looking down at the man who lay, now strapped on the ta

ight away. That was the exquisite torture the Eurasian had counted on: he well knew as he had arr

is hands and r

een was

e knob on the door of the cell. Carse saw that the knob was of me

egro explained rapidly. "And things worked b

w was holding its end with one hand while with the other he twisted out the screw which held in the knob. "Anyway, won't hurt to try," he said,

!" Carse

knowledge he had of such things. After a moment he bent one of the live ends of the wire he was holding into a g

ing how far the work in the laboratory had meanwhile progressed. In his mind remained each detail of the scene as he had viewed it last: the strapped-down fig

ick!" he c

lock's circuit," grunted Friday, ab

gone. Short-circuited! It remained to be seen whether it had destroyed the mechanism of the lock. Friday dropped the h

nd its holding screw part-way in. Gent

ui's voice was echoing through the room, m

ng to annoy me-you and your

small disklike object, almost unnotic

eded in destroying the lock. So open it and glance into the corridor-and escape, if you sti

. He peeped through, Friday doing so also over his head-peeped right into the m

me workin' on the lock an' sent those guards he

and considered what to do

sted here who's watching every move you make. Don't,

the burned-out fuse replaced. If you won't, I'll have it done f

mechanisms again, please. If you do, I will be f

ou have my full permission. You should f

more. Carse orde

ect the

ray eyes again fastened on the screen. Fie

truments, the sterilizers with their wisps of steam curling ceaselessly up. There were the efficient white-clad assistant-surgeons, their dull eyes showing throug

bent over him in such fashion that the prisoners could not see what he was doing. K

d's imminent destruction a short time before. The old characteristic fierceness and recklessness had come back to

red sharply to the

s,

e through that door when I nod.

on will to succeed or die. With

s,

had not been warned, for the screen st

first," the Hawk murmured, and smiled at the loyalty be

huge body bunched in readiness for the signal as te

ly it

and white man and bl

the furious clanging of a general alarm be