“Gentlemen,” announced Mayor Rufus Cruikshank, in a self-possessed voice, “we may be the victims of a hoax. I consider this to be some prank which our defeated opponents have arranged to worry us.”
Tense silence followed. Every one expected to hear again the shuddering tones of The Shadow’s voice. But no word came.
Graham Hurley, examining the radio socket, turned to the others, and announced that this must have been the cause of the uncanny sounds.
“Can you trace the connection?” questioned Rufus Cruikshank.
“No,” said Hurley, shaking his head. “Some one has evidently tapped the wiring from somewhere in the wall. It would mean a great deal of trouble, and probably no result.”
“Then we shall forget it,” declared Cruikshank firmly.
“I’m not so sure it is a hoax.” Chief Yates was speaking. “It sounded like a warning to me. It sounded like whoever spoke knows something.”
Yates nodded emphatically as he made this statement. The others were momentarily impressed by his words. Then opinion changed as Rufus Cruikshank spoke quietly.
“Gentlemen,” said the mayor, “I shall abide by your decision. You represent the Public Safety Committee. We have made our plans. Now, from an unknown source comes a voice of warning. Shall we heed it, by appropriating special funds for the prevention of unmentioned crime — or shall we choose to regard it as a useless, freakish utterance that shall have no bearing upon our course of action?”
“There are other appropriations necessary—”