The face that Phil saw was an honest one; it belonged to Harry Vincent, who had arrived with The Shadow’s other guests. Harry didn’t declare that fact; he simply acted as though he and Phil were persons who had run into the same peck of trouble.
“Come along,” suggested Harry. “I know a way out of here.”
Clyde and Hawkeye were sliding out of sight among the willows through which The Shadow had chased the leopard tribe. They didn’t want to complicate matters for Harry by letting Phil know that more than one stranger was around. Matters however were due for other complications.
The way that Harry took was by a rough-hewn path up from the Oval. At times it became almost a sheer cliff and when they reached the top, it showed gradual slopes in all directions. They were long slopes and in the foreground Phil could see a dim vista with the gray lines of crossing paths and drives, along with the light-reflecting sparkle of ponds and pools that otherwise were dark.
Instead of introducing himself, Harry Vincent explained where they were.
“They call this the Knoll,” said Harry. “You can see most of the park from here. People gravitate to it in an upward direction. From here we can pick wherever we want to go, except back where we came from.”
Phil Harley was inclined to agree with his new friend. By way of appreciation he introduced himself, whereupon Harry Vincent did the same. Since Phil still took it that Harry was a chance New Yorker who had blundered in among the leopard men, it wasn’t necessary to go into the details that had produced Phil’s own predicament.
Looking around the Knoll, Phil saw benches and a few bicycles parked alongside of some go-carts. Apparently people who trudged up here became too tired to take such odds and ends along with them. At least it was nice to know that there was one place in New York where belongings could be left and found again.
This, however, did not apply to Phil and Harry.
While Phil was philosophizing, Harry was looking off toward a distant building where lights had begun to flicker. There was an order coming through in the new code that The Shadow’s machine had cracked. At first Harry didn’t get it, but when the signal was repeated, he caught the message.