The Lost Oasis 
Originally published September 1933 in DocSavage Magazine 		 Author Pulp Artist PB Artist
Lester Dent Walter Baumhofer Doug Rosa

The story begins: "The New York water front was in the grip of excitement. Expectant, curious crowds milled in the district, and more were arriving." 
Having just returned from a period of intense study at his Fortress Of Solitude, Doc finds that someone aboard the ship Yankee Beauty has put out a million dollar reward for the locating of Doc Savage. Wary, he investigates and finds the mysterious offeror to be Lady Nelia Sealing and her partners Red and Jules Fourmalier. Not knowing if they are friend or foe, he eavesdrops on them and learns that they have escaped from some awful slave camp run by the villainous Sol Yuttal and Hadi-Mot. Their reason for seeking Doc Savage is to get help to destroy the fiends and free those who remain hopeless prisoners. Unknown to all, Yuttal and Hadi-Mot are also aboard and unleash their hideous "fluttering death". Fourmalier's body is found in a pool of red with a huge hole ripped in his throat. Red and Lady Nelia escape and Doc follows their trail, but not before discovering two huge fistfuls of uncut diamonds in Lady Nelia's cabin. Yuttal and Hadi-Mot get to them first. Red falls the second victim of the grisly "fluttering death". Lady Nelia is kidnapped. Doc and his team follow the villains using Long Tom's "night vision" apparatus. The trail leads into the woods of Maine and to the discovery of the lost Zeppelin Aeromunde. Doc and his men secretly board the airship and stowaway for what is certain to be a trip to the slave camp. Shortly after departure, Doc and his men are discovered and there ensues an Atlantic crossing of almost constant battle inside the bowels of the airship between Doc and his men and Yuttal and Hadi-Mot's marauders. The "fluttering death" proves to be large poisonous vampire bats.The Areomunde at The Lost Oasis By the cunning of Doc Savage, they arrive at The Lost Oasis in the African desert alive. They are soon taken prisoners and are forced to mine for diamonds. In the searing heat of the desert, they endure inhumane treatment at the hands of their captors. There is no escape...the encampment is surrounded by huge carniverous plants, and of course, there are the awful bats. But Doc rescues Lady Nelia and stages a prisoner break. Doc has set his trap, and in the final moments Yuttal, Hadi-Mot and their men are done in by their own hand. Two trips are required to take everyone out of the place and to Cairo, Egypt in the Aeromunde. The diamonds are to be released into the market gradually lest they glut the market and drive the diamond trade into trouble. Doc sets up a relief fund for the released prisoners with the immediate proceeds. The rest...well, see what happens in The Sargasso Ogre.  

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