Shadow Magazine Vol 2 14

   On a foggy night a mystery man waits on Long Island sound.Two crates make their way to shore carrying Lei Cheng and Koon Woon. A deadly plot begins in The Grove of Doom.

   Harvey Chittenden returns home after 12 years as the sole inheritor of Upper and Lower Beachview, a massive estate in Long Island. Joined by his new wife Mildred and close friend and advisor Craig Ware. They are greeted by Walter Pearson, the lawyer of Harveys estranged father and younger brothers. Harvey believes his brothers want him out of the picture so they will inherit the estate. Pearson wants to initiate a resolution to the families squabbles. Pearson speaks of Harvey's uncle Sydney who disowned his family. Sydney was older than Harvey's father Galbraith. After Sydney's abandonment of the family, Harveys grandfather made Harvey the sole beneficiary in his will since he was of age when the will was drafted and his brothers were still children.  After their meeting Pearson goes through the Grove that links Lower Beachview where Harvey now lives and Upper Beachview where his father and younger brothers live. After he enters the massive grove of trees Pearson is never seen again.

   After Pearson's disappearance Mildred has a funny feeling about the grove. Harvey takes a trip to town. His groundskeeper Jessup then goes to the country club on the estate grounds to investigate. At the club he spies the chance meeting between Lamont Cranston and Detective Calvin Merrick. Lamont is playing golf while Merrick is looking into Pearsons disappearance. Jessup pays no mind to Cranston and starts to follow the detective. Cranston notices Jessup spying on Merrick.

   Merrick decides to investigate the grove. Realizing the grand scope of the woods he theorizes the possibility that Pearson had a heart attack and may be in the trees. As Merrick makes his way towards the center of the grove he notices that all the trees look exactly the same. He finds the scene unsettling. He starts to make haste to exit the grove. Merrick stops believing he's being dramatic. The woods are completely silent. Merrick's fears return as he starts to hear a constant rustling of leaves. He starts to move until he is restrained by a powerful force that chokes him to death. Lamont had been keeping an eye on the grove. Hours pass and Merrick never returns. Lamont books a room at the country club and enters the grove at night as The Shadow.

   Mildred wakes from one of the nightmares she's been having since Pearson's disappearance. She goes outside and is compelled to go towards the grove for reasons she couldn't explain. She notices a black form come from the grove and onto the lawn. Although frightened she doesn't think the shadow was a threat, perhaps a good spirit, she is in awe of him. Later the more menacing figure of Lei Chang emerges and she sees him enter the house. She goes to the open window outside the living room and hears Lei Chang talking to someone. She returns to her room worried of the possibility of her husband or the other two inhabitants, Craig or Jessup working with this horrid man.

   The next day Harvey's younger brothers, Wilber and Zachary are surveying the scene. Wilber looks like his older brother but without a tan. The youngest brother Zachary is smaller but clearly the shrewdest of the two. Wilber has been informed by their "friends" that Jessup was involved in racketeering in New York City. They don't seem to know what happened to Pearson but his disappearance is helpful to them. Now they can bring in a new lawyer that could convince their father to alter the will so Harvey doesn't end up with both halves of the estate. Zackary notices a shadow and has one of his men Hunky check it out, believing it to be Jessup. Zachary wants to let Harvey try to get his brothers ousted. If he plays his hand the two of them can make Harvey look bad to their father and get him disowned. Zachary asks Wilbur if he would visit Harvey if he invited him over to talk.

   By Chance Harvey calls Wilber and wishes to discuss matters. Zachary and Wilber consider the possibilities. Maybe Harvey will make peace, maybe he will start an issue but they may as well see what he wants. Zackary wants Wilbur to go see Harvey, as Wilbur is making his way to the grove he realizes that Zachary won't necessarily benefit if something happened to Harvey because then everything will go to him being that Zachary is the youngest. Regardless he enters the grove to Lower Beachview to speak with Harvey.

   The next day Zachary tells his father that Harvey contacted Wilbur the previous evening for a meetup in which Wilbur had never returned. In a rage Gailbraith takes Wilburs dog Beowulf and Zachery through the Grove to confront Harvey. Once there an argument ensues. Gailbraith demands info on Wilbur and the lawyer Pearson. Harvey claims he never called Wilbur and has no idea and goes into the house. Craig Ware and Mildred are present for the confrontation.  Craig tells them that Harvey was asleep before the midnight meeting and couldn’t have met with Wilbur. Galbraith respects Craig’s calmness but wants answers and angrily attempts to leave.

   While going back toward the grove Beowulf is freaking out. He is calmed by Craig who claims he’s good with animals due to his history as a showman. Gailbraith and the dog make some distance into the grove with Zachary behind them. As they pick up pace Zachary has a feeling of something bad coming. He makes his way toward the beach outside the grove as his father and Beowulf are taken. It’s not clear if Zachary was aware something would happen or if he just had a bad feeling. It’s alluded to that Gailbraith is dead. As are the other men taken by the grove Pearson, Milbrook, Wilbur and presumably Beowolf.

   Mildred decides she’s going back to the bench where she first saw Lei Cheng exit the grove to see if any new interactions happen. She sees Lei exit the grove and go towards the house. She overhears Lei Chang talk about plans with the "master" then he makes his way back to the grove. She sees a tall figure carrying a compact sack that covers his face and exchanges it with Lei. She returns to the house and is confronted by Harvey and eventually Craig Ware. She tells them what she saw and they both write it off as her having nightmares. Harvey is especially displeased by all of this. Mildred comes to the conclusion that the tall figure working with Lei must have been Harvey.

   The next day The Shadow sends orders to Harry Vincent and Clyde Burke through Burbank and  decides to find a man in Chinatown that might have insight on the Lei Chang situation. The reclusive Choy Lown who is feared by the tongs in Chinatown and has much knowledge of their affairs. The Shadow slips into The Tai Yuan Oriental shop. A front for an opium den. The owner of the shop, Wing Goy, is closing when he is confronted by the shadow. After a short tussle The Shadow incapacities Wing and his servant. While making his way into the hidden sanctum of Choy Lown. The Shadow finds a pit where he must jump to the opposite opening. As he jumps he finds himself in a thin steel net. Which is visualized in the cover of the issue. The shadow lightly rocks the net back and forth loosening the cables. Eventually he breaks the net from its fastenings and drops to catch himself on a ledge. He raises himself up, cuts the net and removes a vial of liquid and vial of powder from his cloak. Mixing these causes an explosion that breaks the wall to Choy Lown’s office. Choy Lown who seems to be 100 years old is impressed that the shadow made it to his sanctum. The two now with a mutual respect begin to converse. The shadow asks of Koon Loon. Choy is surprised to hear that he and Lei Chang are in America. Choy writes down the story of Koon Woon in Chinese and gives it to The Shadow along with a silver token the shadow may use to contact Choy again if he ever needs him.

   The next day Craig Ware has gone to Connecticut. Mildred talks to Jessup about how great the home looks. Jessup is removing barrels of spoiled concrete that he plans on dumping in the ocean. He also just received a new shipment of rabbits which he raises and offers Mildred to go see them. That evening Harvey is concerned with a possible attack. He asks Jessup and his two men to stay the night. At night fall 16 men storm the estate. Mildred watches as Harvey Jessup and his 2 men enter a gun fight. The Shadow enters the fray. As the battle commences several of the gangsters fall. The second group of men manage to kill Jussup and his two men. 7 intruders The Shadow's and Harvey are all that remain. Mildred watches the chaos from the house. While dealing with the 7 intruders Harvey is attacked by Zachary. In a brief tussle Harvey wrestles the gun away from him. The two argue over the situation. Harvey says the last of his terrible family is here to finish him off while Zachary accuses Harvey of eliminating Wilbur, their father and the lawyer. Harvey tells Zachary that he must go into the grove or he will shoot him. Harvey chases Zachary into the grove then stops, he hears  Zachary's cries until a fateful final scream. He returns to the house and tells Mildred to call the police.

   Three days later the police have handled the carnage. Jessup and his two men were ID'd as rumrunners and that they must be using the terrain of Upper and Lower Beachview for their crimes. His cement barrels are nowhere to be found but must contain illegal substances. Mildred and Craig speak of the situation. Mildred talks of Lei Cheng and the tall figure. Craig tells her that Zachary, Galbraith and Wilbur must have been involved with Jessups rum running and have all taken leave now that the jig is up. Wilber must have been the tall figure Mildred saw with Lei Chang. Mildred speaks of The Shadow who was named by a dying criminal during the shoot out. Craig speaks of The Shadow as a crime fighter that can be heard on the radio. Mildred recalls hearing his laugh on the radio as well. Craig assumes if The Shadow was involved then crime must have been dealt with and they are safe.

   Craig goes into the grove to prove that everything is alright. Mildred freaks out and calls for Harvey who has been a wreck since his interaction with Zachary. Craig surprisingly returns unscathed. He speaks to Harvey about his fears. Harvey feels guilty about forcing Zachary into the grove. He realizes that something must have happened and he forced his last relative to his death. Craig says he will bring in men to search the grove. Harvey, not wanting to involve anyone else, goes in alone to find his brother. Craig, now worried about Harvey, tells Mildred he has to go and find him. Mildred decides she will go too.

In the grove Harvey is confronted by The Shadow who tells him to stop his pursuit and law low. Harvey trusts The Shadow since he helped in the Gun fight nights ago. He watches as Craig and Mildred walk toward the center of the grove. Craig Ware finally admits his scheme to Mildred. He is in fact the son of Sydney Chittenden the estranged older brother of Gailbraith. He is the rightful inheritor of the estate. Now Mildred stands in his way. The shadow intervenes. He tells the story. Craig lured Pearson to his death with false messages then acted as Pearson over the phone to hide the murder. Craig Ware was who had been speaking to Lei Cheng in the house, Jessup was working for Craig. Jessup was the tall figure entering the grove. He would bring rabbits into the grove to feed Koon Woon and return with bodies in cement to dump in Long Island sound. Calvin Merrick was caught in the Grove. Jessup overheard the conversation of Wilbur being willing to meet Harvey if he called. That led to the phone call to Wilbur to meet with Harvey. Craig calmed Beowulf so that Galbraith would enter the Grove and perish. He thought Zachary died as well but it wasn't until the night of the raid. Zachary believed Harvey was responsible for all the disappearances so he sent Hunkey, Banks and the rest of his men to Lower Beachview to find Galbraith and Wilbur. The Shadow says Koon Woon won't attack because Craig has not given the order. Craig says Lei Cheng is there and will send Koon Woon to attack. Witlessly Craig looks to the trees where Lei Cheng is hiding. The Shadow spins and shoots Lei down, killing him on impact. The Shadow turns back to Craig and shoots him before he can fire a shot of his own. Before dying Craig whistles which is the call for Koon Woon to attack.

   Koon Woon reveals itself to be a 30 foot Python that has been trained to kill. The massive snake from China is worshiped as a God. Through the investigation of Harry Vincent and Clyde Burke The Shadow was able to learn Craig Ware was a Chittenden but he couldn't find Koon Woon and Lei Chang while searching the grove. Learning the secrets of Koon Woon from Choy Lawn, his plan was to let Craig Ware reveal the location of Lei and Koon Woon so The Shadow could stop all elements of the scheme.

   Koon Woon makes an attempt at attacking Mildred. The Shadow pulls her away in time to save her. Koon Woon now sets its sights on The Shadow. The Shadow bates Koon Woon into an attack where he throws a grenade into the mouth of the snake, killing it. The Shadow signals Harvey and Mildred to leave the trees. They hear a laugh. The symbol of The Shadow, the final master of The Grove of Doom.

Appearing in "The Masked Lady"

Featured Characters:

The Shadow

Supporting Characters:

The Shadow's Agents:

Villains:

Perry Brodwin (dies)
Freda Grabe (dies)
Chuck Margle (a mobster; dies)
Bull Face & Corky (Margle's henchmen)
Waldo Hoxland (a gambler; dies)
Lou Telf (a private detective; dies)
Bennie the Bookie

Other Characters:

Commissioner Ralph Weston
Inspector Joe Cardona
Stanley, the chauffeur
June Albury (the Masked Lady)
George Albury (June's sister)
Tony Wardron (a millionaire)
Trixie Blye (a showgirl)
Lucien Darra (a gambler; dies)

Locations:

New York City

Cobalt Club
Scamper Club

Items:

Vehicles:

Synopsis for "The Masked Lady"

Reprinted from Shadow Magazine #184.

Notes

The hardback edition of, The Weird Adventures of The Shadow, has a very abridged version of "The The Grove of Doom" story (1966).
"The Grove of Doom" was also reprinted as an abridged paperback, Tempo Books (1969).
"The Masked Lady" story was reprinted as a simplified comic book plot in Shadow Comics #14.
This issue also reprints the script Danger in the Dark (Radio Show) by Edward Hale Bierstadt.

Trivia

"The Grove of Doom" restores more than 13,000 words deleted from the previous reprints.

Links and References

None.

Shadow Magazine Vol 2 14

Appearing in "The Grove of Doom"

Synopsis for "The Grove of Doom"

Appearing in "The Masked Lady"

Synopsis for "The Masked Lady"

Notes

Trivia

See Also

Recommended Reading

Links and References

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