Then came an astounding change. Slender white hands came from the cloak. The Shadow caught his opponent’s wrists. Dropping toward the floor, The Shadow swung Fritz headforemost. He used the man’s wiry body as a giant club.
The human weapon descended with terrific force against the fellow called Bart. The Shadow arose and laughed softly. His two antagonists lay on the floor before him.
Fritz was completely dazed. Bart was only partly stunned. The Shadow removed the man’s belt and bound his hands behind him, firmly and with amazing speed. He used a handkerchief to gag the man’s mouth.
Then he turned his attention to Fritz. The man wore no belt, so The Shadow used his suspenders.
Leaving his helpless victims, The Shadow commenced a quick search through the room.
He acted with the air of one who was familiar with the place. Papers, drawers, books, and other articles were quickly inspected. The Shadow seemed to be checking a previous search.
He left the room and turned on lights throughout the apartment. His eyes were looking everywhere. He stopped suddenly in the little alcove. Something caught his eye.
He stepped to the window shade. There were blotchy marks at the left side of the rolled-up blind. There were similar marks at the bottom of the shade. Visible only to a keen eye, they had attracted The Shadow’s notice.
THE white hands were at work. Within a few seconds, the left hand found the secret catch and the right hand drew down the shade. As the papers which Paget had hidden fell toward the floor, The Shadow plucked them from the air. He began a quick perusal of the document.
The dust-covered fingers of Rodney Paget had left the marks that had betrayed his ingenious hiding place. The Shadow’s previous search had failed, but, firm in his belief that Paget still possessed the document he wanted, The Shadow had succeeded through the aid of a trifling clew!