Read Online The Slave Market of Mucar by Lee Falk - Free Book Online

6
    WITHOUT TRACE

    The clanging of footsteps on metal stairs, the excited shouts of guards, and the shrilling of whistles re-echoed throughout Masara Prison. It was 3:00 A.M. and the strain of the night was beginning to show on Warden Saldan's face.
    Larsen came up to him as he negotiated one of the main corridors.
    "No sign of a break!" he said in a good simulation of surprise.
    "How did they escape, Warden?"
    "How in blazes do I know?" said Saldan, his face dark with anger. "This demands a full investigation."
    He turned as the clatter of footsteps sounded behind him. It was a new guard, Slingsby, who had only been with them a month or two.
    "Any news from the search parties?" the Warden demanded curtly.
    Slingsby looked tired and there was dried mud on his boots. He shook his head, thrusting his flashlight back into his belt, as he spoke.
    "Not yet, sir," he replied.
    He went off back down the corridor as the warden and Larsen turned away. Something prompted Saldan to linger as they reached the bend in the passage. Looking back, he and Larsen saw that Slingsby had stopped by the cell which had recently contained Zadok and his companions. He was gripping the bars and peering through into the back of the cell.
    Saldan drew Larsen round the corner, where they couldn't be seen or heard.
    "Keep an eye on that new boy," he growled. "He's too nosy."
    Larsen's tough face broke into a grim smile. He touched the peak of his cap briefly with his forefingers.
    "Leave him to me, Warden," he said eagerly. "I'll see he doesn't give us any trouble."
    He tapped his belt significantly, before hurrying away. A few minutes later, Larsen sauntered back in the direction of the cell. He found the door open. Inching forward until he could see inside, he saw Slingsby down on his hands and knees at the rear of the chamber, examining the stones in the wall with a flashlight.

    Back at Jungle Patrol Headquarters, Colonel Weeks was up in pajamas and at his desk. A rumpled Ricketts burst in after the curt response to his hurried knock.
    "There's been another break at Masara," he told the young officer.
     
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    "Only one day after we warned the warden about tighter security precautions," said Ricketts.
    He dropped into the chair indicated by his superior officer. Unlike Weeks, he had been on all-night duty and was fully dressed. To his surprise, Weeks did not appear at all angered at the news of the break. He was relieved as he felt he could not face the colonel's cold anger at this time in the morning. He realized the news was not a reprimand to him, but at the same time he felt in a way that his mission to Masara had been a failure.
    He learned the reason for the colonel's apparent indifference a moment later. The colonel leaned back in his big chair and tamped his pipe with a fresh supply of tobacco. Then he lit up with great satisfaction, sending his spent match spinning expertly into the big earthenware tray on his desk.
    "I'll tell you something you don't know, Tim," he said quietly. "Six weeks ago, I sent Patrolman Slingsby to Masara Prison to get a guard job."
    He waited until the pipe was drawing properly before he continued.
    "He's up there, now-undercover, of course. I should hear from him any minute. Let's hope he has something to report."
    A few minutes later the phone rang. The colonel picked it up with a quiet smile of triumph.
    It was the main switchboard operator of H.Q.
    "There's a message coming over the shortwave, sir," he said. "I'll switch it straight through to you. Urgent and confidential."
    "Right!" the colonel said. His face had come alive and he breathed deeply. He had all the instincts of the hunter, Ricketts thought, as the colonel opened the cupboard at the front of the desk and took out the special shortwave radio phone.
    "Weeks speaking," he said crisply. "You didn't waste much time, evidently."
    Ricketts could clearly hear Slingsby's voice, coming over the miles of space which separated them.
    "Ten men, sir. From a