Stooping, The Shadow stepped beneath the rooflike surface of the supported block. Upon one of the posts he discovered a switch. He pressed it, and the elevator descended. This was the mechanism used to operate the lift from within.
The cleverly contrived wire that supported the lamp socket was the device that enabled one to operate the elevator when it was needed from below.
In the corridor beneath the cellar, The Shadow found the barrier to Marcus Holtmann’s dungeon. He turned the knob, and the door moved upward.
Less than ten minutes after leaving Froman’s room, The Shadow had discovered the hidden prison!
MARCUS HOLTMANN was seated on the floor, leaning against the wall. He was finishing his repast — the first that he had enjoyed since his incarceration. In one hand he held the saucer that had contained the preserved peaches.
Holtmann’s eyes were wide as he stared toward the opened door. As The Shadow entered, and the barrier dropped behind him, Holtmann’s hands trembled, and the saucer clattered and cracked upon the floor. The presence of the stranger in black was formidable and awe-inspiring.
Choking gasps came from Holtmann’s throat as he tried to speak to this amazing visitant. Then he caught the glint of the eyes beneath the brim of the slouch hat. They were stern, flashing eyes, yet in them the pitiful prisoner detected the light of friendliness.
Holtmann tried to rise, and sank back. The Shadow was beside him, lifting his helpless body. Then a choking scream came from Holtmann’s lips.
His form doubled, and he pressed his hands to his body. Twisting in new and unexpected torture, he toppled from The Shadow’s grasp, and lay writhing on the floor.
The Shadow’s eyes saw the broken fragments of the saucer. Quick understanding shone in those gleaming orbs. Then, as the figure in black stepped swiftly forward to aid the anguished prisoner, The Shadow’s thought was uttered by the victim.