7IIS OREGON SUNDAY JOURNAL, PORTLAND,' SUNDAY I 'GLUING, OCTOBER 12, i;i3
'T-Vt'
By Sax Rohmcr
4
i
Hid la-
I pctor. Wymoutht end ... bis .usually; puff,
; - - Is" voice had softnd wtrengeiy. ... . : -.- -:"
'' V V' , ..' , Nayland Smith struck, bis rtgto Art Into
'. tridlnff up and down, tho out llttl room. ' No on pok
for moment, and in tho alltnco I oould hear cha vblapar.
Ing of tba Thames outlde-of the Oamea woaoh had M
inany itmnge eecreU to teU and noraa buraenea wi
another, .:';! -;!U'v-VK,;'f;N-i;.?4;?'i':;" r.1? V'-'-i -s,
He lay prone upon the deal tMe thli' lateat of th
. river1 doad-dres la rough sailor garb and, to all put
' ward seaming, a. seaman iot nondecorlpf natlonaUty-uch
'ja 1 ho stranger :,"tn Wapplnr and Sba-dwelt, JKl' dark,i
i"- mrly hair clung olahunUy about th brown forehead; his
tkla was atained,' tney told m. 1 H wror a gold ring la
on ear, and thre Anger of th left band were missing.
rit wm almost th earn with Mason." Tb river
police Inspector wa speaking. "Thraaweelts ago, on
a Wednesday, he went off In hia own Urn on aom funny
bualnes down St. George' way-and Thuradar night th
. 10 o'clock boat got th grapnel on him off Uanorar Hoi, ,
Bis first two finger on th rtstot hand wer wlaan goa
and his left hand; was mutilated frightfully." ,
H paued and glanced at Bmlth. y , h j
,'. ' "That laacar, too," h continued, "tha,t you oam down
to see, lr you remember his bandst"
Smith nodded. - , . - t
"He was not , laabar," ha said ahortlr B wag 4
. dacolf . . r ' ' ' t . V - ,
i Bllenoa Sell again.''
X turned to th array of object lying B th Ubla
tho which had ba found In th dead maa'a clothing.
Kon of them war noteworthy, except that wtoch had '
- been found thrust Into th loose neck of hie shirt. Thl
' lat tt waa which had led th pollc to send for Kayland
Bmtflh; for It oontHutd th first clue whldh bad com to
light pointing- to th author ft theee m'ywterlou tragdl.
- it wa a Chinese pigtail. That alone was aufflclently
remarkable; but at wa rendered more so by th fact Abac.
-: th plaited queue. was a false oo. being attached to a .
most ingenious bald wig. ' ' w .
Tou're sura It wasn't part of a Chinas meka-upf
ouestloned Weymouth, his eye on th strange rello. "Poor ;
: Cadbji waa dver at dlagul." t -
SmHh Snatched th wig from my hands, with a oertal ;
9 irritation, and tried to fit It oa th dead deteottr. - '
"Toe small by lnchtsl" t Jrkd; "and look bow It's
padded m th crown. . This thing was made for a most
.'abaarnai bad.T.vl'., . , , 17 v
, He threw it down and fell to pacta; th room again. -
, .t "Where did you And hun exactly r ft asked.
acUy an hour ago."
-"And you last saw him at Vdek last Bcbtr-4s ,
Weymouth., , ' ' ' . t -' : - 1 v
4 "faght toa Quart pt.,, , -
Tou think h has been dead nearly twanty-fous
hour. PetrlT .' '. ; -' ' "i ; i .
'Houghljrtwnty-our hours." replied. . i
"Then, W know that Cadby wag an th track eft Ota.
. Fu-Mancho groups that h followed up som ara wbiok
led him to th neighborhood of. old XtatoUff Highway? ,
and that -he died th sam mghL Tou ar'sur that Is ,
Whr be was golngt" ,' '"N ... - " 1
Te," . aald WaymouOk ' "H was) -Jealous c gtntaf
anyflhln away, "poor ohapt It meant a' big aft for htm It
h pulled th case off; but be gay m tomBorstand that '
h expected to pend last night ta that 'd'etrlct.. He toft
the yard about S. aa Tva said, to go to i rooms and
drees for th job.' ; j, " , - - ?;
"Did b keep any" record of bis oases T" r'Jf "
"Of courset He waa faot particular. , Cadby was m
man with ambition, atrl ' Tott'U waat't see his book.
Walt whli I get hi addraea. If somewhere ta Srlrten,' -
- . He went te th telephon, and Iaspoto Symaa oT"
srVd.P'.th4 -dead taan's Uf,'S?-'& 'it ISVf rf
"VNarland Smith wa' palpably
" "He almoBt eucceeded where -we ba-r falHd, trlr 5,
be aaidL ..There 1. no-ktod ia ny nana vm. ae ww
hot cn the trick of Fu-Maachut Poor Ma bad prob,,
Zuy blundered on the aoM aad
fat. Without other eWd U.e fact -
id to the ' " V.ffiTiJtr '
lor w know that Fu-Mmcb led the deotl
"What ts th meaning of the mutilated bands, fftnlfar
"God knowsl Cadby death wa from drowning, yy
ayrv.--.:. ,: 'hy- 'v,i.. '"r:, 'i!.'M-i-i;f1' t
"There ar no other marks of violeno,1; . . ,
a. mrmnr atranr awUttmer. OwJTOfl inier :
ruptod Inpeotor Rymaa. '' Wcy, he puUd off eh-qurt?rT
mile, championship at the Crystal Xlace JTrl7
Cadby wasn't a man easy to drown,-Aadassor Mason,..
, h wiraa R. M. It and kk a flab , In th Jjatorl
t. 'Smith shrugged; hi shoulder helplejv'
"Let us hope that on day w shall know , hew tnT.
dlel" b aald. Imply.-- -v ' ' j s
Weymouth returned from th tJphnafc L-iL,
"Th address is No, Cold Harbor JJSSLvh
I ghall not b able to com along, but you can't jnlss
lit" Tocwn be.ide the Brixton Police Wn. eres no ,
famUy. fortunately; be was quite eJon In tb ,l-t-f
f caa boon lent in th American C-k. wWA. youU find ,
in bl Bitting room; it' In.th cupboard to th ;
top helt Herear his kys. ail Intact : X think tins fc th
iinVwinrt kev."
' Bmtth nodded," " ,
.. v "Com on, Ftri!"b said.
"W haveat
cIAcab was' walttng, and In a tW aeoonds w wer
speeding along Wapplng High trt. We bad Jf"o
more than a few hundred yard.. I think., when Smith
- suddenly slapped bl open i hand .sown on WoJ,
"That plgUUI" he cried. "I have left It beblndl W
must bav It, Fetrlel Btopl 8top ;,'U-LV '"'K ,
Tti cab waa pulled up, and Bmttn aim ......
n't wTforme!"Phe directed burriedly. . "H-w-
. aka Weymouth's card. Remember Wber be saia tn
book weaf
It' all w want Come straight oa to Soot-
lend Tard and meet m ther." '... J,'Jk.
"Bat Smith," I protssud, . few xoinute caa mak
no dlfterencel" -l.i..vi'
"Cant itl" he nappa. "T CsTTbittiKra "
is aolns to leave evidence Tike that lying about! - it a
Souan to on h bas It already, but thr is Jut a ;
Of' srive that n ?
loot in thought waa I that th cab waa-ouuide th houee ,
for which I was bound or I realUed, that w bad quitted ,
tte purlieu ot Wapplng Tt I had had Jelyur to review ,
the Whole troop oft events which bad crowded P7,Uf? f'ao ,
th return of Nayland Smith from Burma. Mntlly I
bad looked agalnupon the dead Sir CWcaitonDavey, and
with Smitbi hid waited In the dark tor th dreadful thingt
that had killed him. Kow, with tho. ramoMeleas ,
memories JoatHng in my mind. I wa entering the houee
of FuManchu s feat victim; and th shadow of that giant i
ii o Mm. .inon tt lllra'a. nalnahla aloud."
Cadbv- old landlady greeted me with a aur mlxtur
of fear and embarrasmnt In her manner. ; '
m Doctor Fetrlei" I said, "and X rl
regret that I
"Ohi alrl" she cried. 'Mon't teU me th anything baa
v. n .vT " -ii divinina- something of the mis-
happened to . him! Ana JS'JSS. li.
to Tth tot of th: medicaTI an7 'Oht th poor.'bTv. todl" '
"And. againj ."01 th poor brav IWZZZ? " ' 4
than aver from that hour, atao th orrow of tb worthy
old oul waa quit pathetic, and spoke eloquently for the.
unhappy cau of it " .'!"' , ':..? "! '.
"There was a terrible walfing? at th back of th bous (
last nigibt doctor, and I heard it again, tonight a cond ;
beflore you knocked, Foor lad! It wa tbam when hi
' ynnf hsw dlgsd V '' ''" ' ''' ' 1 v" i . s , .-v , .. te - i."
At th ,momnt X paid Uttl attention to ber words; -1
for uch belief ar common, .unfortunately; but when -sh
wa aufflclently composed I went on to explain what X
thought necessary. ( And now th old lady' embarrass
mnt took precedence of ber sorrow, and prnUy tin -.
truvn cws . . a. . , .,',-:, 1
"There' a young ldy-4nhla rooms, sir!"
I atarted, Thl might mean lltu or, might ma
.""Bha cam and waKed'for htm last bight dootor
from ten until half past-and this morning again, Sh
cam the third time about an .hour, ago, and has been
-,uptair alncal". -, . : , 'i,, V -
'D you know her, Mrs. DolanT" - - , .
i Mr. Dolan grW mbarraeeed again.
"Well, dowtor," ah ald, wiping her eye th while, "X
dot And Ood know h was a gotfd lad and I. Ilk a
mother to htm but ah ia not th girl X should bav liked
a son of mine to take up With 1" - ,j ,
M any other tlm this would bave been atnuatng)
. now, it might be serloua Mra Dolan'a acoount of the
wailing became suddenly .significant for perhaps it meant
that, one of Fu-Manchu's dacolt follower waa watch! n a
the house, to glv warning of any tranger' approach! -It
was unlikely that I should forget th dark eyes of an- :
ether of Fu-Manohu' aervanta. Waa that beautiful lure
of men. even now In th house, completing her evil workf
"I should never bav allowed her in his room," began
Mrs. Dolan again. Then there wa an interruption.-
- A soft ruatllns- reached my ear Intimately feminine.
Th girl wsui stealing down! - -. o, .
I leaped out Into the ball; and She turned and fled .
blindly before me back up the stairs I Taking thre step '
at a- time, X 'followed her, bounded Into th room above
almost at her heel, and stood with my back to th door. ,
Bhe cowerrd afcaln't th l-nk by th window, a slim
'n- "c-finsi.'1'1 soun. w hloh alon cxnlalned Mra
. " tna mart smmkhi lad St th ysrV
iDolan'a distrust TO gaslight was turned vry low and
her het shadowed her face, but could sot bid K startling
beautyj could not ntr the brilliancy of the akin, no dim
, th wonderful ya of this modem DUlah, For It .was
. ; "So I era m ttmor X'Ml4 grlmlri.ltnA turaed
; key In1 the lock. , ; - ',- 1 1. . r' ...
"Obi" ahe panted at that,' and tood facing me, lean
rag MoK with her Jewal-laaea nanas clutching tna aeaa
: dg.
Glv m whatvr you hav,iwinoved from brX;.
said eUrnly. "and then prepare to accompany me."
t 8b took a Step forward, (her ys wld with fear, b.
(Up Vrted.iK--;M'':
i"I have taken hothlng!' she said, ttar: breast 'was
'. beavlna: tumuKuouly. "Oh! let me go I pleas let me got"
and Impulsively b threw herself forward, ? pressing
aIumiI hn auiiut mv shoulder and lookinc ud into
my lace wttn passionate pteaamg,
It Is with some sham that I conf e. bow br charm ,
enveloped mv Uk a magic cloud. Unfamiliar with th
eomple oriental temperament, X had laughed at Nayland
Smith when ha had snoken of this girl's Infatuation.
"love in th east," bs had aald, "Is Ilk the conjuror's
mango tre; It I born, grow, and flower at th touch
ot a hand." Mow u her face I read confirmation of hi
vntvla , TTav nlnthaa ar.Aar hair exhaled
faint perrum,.
Uk 4l Fu-Mancbu's srvanta, sh wa perfectly cho;
for ber peculiar duties. , Her beauty was wholly tntoxloat-
lag. - (.,';n.
But X thrust ber away.
Tou bavs no claim to mercyr I said, D
not count upon any. What bav yo taken
from barer : .' '-'r.
"' Bh grasped th lapels
bow sh trmbld, ' :'
; n will toll you all
: panted, eagerly, fearfully,
bow to deal with your
am tost! . It you could
j would not be so cruel!
, added charm to th musical voice. "I am not
free, aa your Sngllah women are. ; What I do
. I must do, for It Is the will of my mastr-nd
X am only a slaval Ah I you ar not a man if
you can glv me to the pollcot Tou bav no
heart If you can forget that X tried to sav you
Cnol" vtf'W,-- -'V-X....;ii'.--';''V'-s'' ,
' X bad feared that pleat for. m bar own eri
' enUt fashion, h certainly bad tried t sav
me from a deadly perU-at th expen of my
ftUnd. But I had feared the plea for X did
-. not know how to meet It 'How could. X give
ber up. per hap to stand bar trial for murder?
jUd now X fell silent, and she awtwby X was
." silent, v ' 1 ' ' . ', '..
. X may deserve no mercy 1 may be vn as
bad aa you think; but what bav. you- to do
; with th poUcT 'It Is not your work to bound
a woman to deathl ; Could you vr look aa
other woman In th y-on that you loved,
end know that she trusted you if you bad don
r such a thingt. Ahl X have bo friend In all th
; worlds or X should not b herel Xo not be my
enemy, my- Judge, and mak m wore than X
, em; b my friend, and sav me from bimr
'Th- beautiful , fac wa1 cloa to mine; hr
'breath fanned my cheek, . "Have mercy oa men
, At that moment I honestly would bav given
half "of any worldly possession t bav been .
spared th dedsloa which X knew X must'oeme
t to. , Aftr an, what proof had I that sh
.wa a willing aocompllo of Dr. Fn-atancbaf
; Furthermore, h was an oriental, and ber code
;mut necessarily b difterent from mine. Irre
concilable as th thing may b with western
ideas. Nayland Smith bad reeily told m that
'.Aim Durri -uw Sir w V" m,tw uwn unn
remained that other reason why I loathed the
..Idea of becoming ber captor. It was almost
Vknowt ' , .
' ThuI ' uppc.e-ner seductive beauty ar.
gulng galnst my sans of right Th jeweled
' P mytahoulder nervoiuuy. and
ber lim bodr quivered against mln a sh
abandonment Of pleading
rmmbeied th fat ot the m
w( otood. -
waicoea me- wita au, ner eoui in ner y in
ig aeepair. Then I
man la whose room
,v;.- -v:i ". - ' ' ' that vnt X might wait a while."',
f my eoatl - 1 - " :
mhoulfl lOlOW , t S tCJl 11 '
friend, but with you-X AT . J H. JWi ,
oniy undr.tan-you m : v J fc 'i ,
1 nuuufcd to tarn,
.. to rsii my throb
bins; head t and I
. saw the strangest
sjfht which that
night yet' had of
red - ;
"Tou lured Cadby t hi death!" X aeld
and' nook hr oft -
nor eh, cried wildry, clutoWng t
ma "Noi I swear by- the holy nam I did not!
i aia xtcai - i watonea nnnepiea , upon bis
yl But utn-tt was because he would not
. o wernea uu m met mi aeeitini
I oould not
save hlml .Ahl -1 am not o bad ae thatl I
will tell you I have taken bl notebook and
' torn out the lastvegee and burned them! Xawkl ,
la th grate. Th book was toe bl to ateal v.
away. I , cam twice and oould not And Itt
Therel will you let me got"
W"If you wlU'tall m whar and bow ta sals Xr. rvr
ohu yeal" . -
Her hands dropped and sb took'a backward step. -A
bw terror wa upon her.
't "I dare notl I dare notl" " M
"Then you would u you daredf" .
. ' Sh waa watching- me Intently.
, "Not If you would go to find him!" he saM.
' ' And wtth all that X thought her to be. and stera
servant of justice, that I would have' bad myself, I felt
tb hot blood leap to my cheek at all which th words
Implied, fibe grasped my arm. -,v. ..
"Could you hid m from bint if X cam to yea and
told. you all I knowf" . . ,
. "Th authortti-" V: -f,.',V.' '-' f ,
"Ahr Hr eyas flebed. miey caa 'put m on tb
rack if they choose, but never one word .would X speak!
i Never on little wordl" ,i ' -. -
Sh threw up her bead scornfully. Than tb proud .
glance softened again, - -..j i U :
"But I will speak for your ' "
Cloaer sh came, and closer, until Sb could whisper
"Hid m from your potle from bim from vrybodyt' :
. and I wlU no longer be his alavel"
My beart was beating with painful rapidity: X bad not
counted on this warring with a woman; moreover. It was '
. harder, than I could hav dreamed of. For som time I
had been aware that by the charm on ber personality and
the art' of her pleading sh had brought m down from
my Judgment eat-iad mad ft all but impossible for
me to . give her up to . jurtlca Now, I was dUarmed .?
. but la a auandarv. What should I dot What could I doT
I turned away from bar and walked to the hearth. In
which som paper ash lay and yet emitted a faint mll.
Hat mora than tan aeoonds alansad. X am confident s
from: the time that I stepped aoroaa the room until X;J
a-lanced back. But she tiad aonal
A I leaped to the door,, the key turned, gantly from
th OUtsidaif '.!.:. 'f .w.,.-,..,-J-: - 7: .,,,.,; :-,:t. A
"M 'aleahr came ber aoft whisper; "but I am afraid
to trust you yet I e comiortea, for mere ie one near
who would have killed you had I wished Itl Remember-
' tatS01 rw henv' oa
IRl'im1'
stifled cry from Mra.Dolan aa th mysterious visitor ran
pt ber, The front door opened and closad. '.
, "'Shen-Tan' Is a dope shop In one of ths burrows oft v
th old Ratcllff Highway," said Inspector Weymouth;.
"Blngapor Charlie' they call it It's a center for om .
of the Chinese societies. I believe, but all aorta of opium
smokers ua it' Ther bave never been any complaints
that I know oA. I don't underatand thl.
W tood in hV room at New Scotland Tard. bending
over a sheet of foolscap upon whloh wr arranged aom t.
bumed fragments from poor Cadbys grate; tor so hur
riedly had the girlsdon bar .work-that combustion had i
not. been complete. ., . .... v.'i- A'
"What do we make ot tblst" said Smith. " ;
Hanohback - laacar want up -unlik 1
other not rturn till Snn-Tan (thar U
no doubt about th name, I think) 'turned me
booming sound laacar In mortuary X could
tdent- not for day or susplci-
Tuesday nisht la a cunvrent max- -.
'''pigtail . ..,.,,...,:
"The nl stall a rain!" raoned Weymouth.
"Bhe evidently burned th torn-out pages all together,"
conttnued Bmlth. ' "They lay flat and.thla waa In the
middle! I see the hand ot retributive Justloe In that In
spector I Now we bave a referent to a hunchback, and '
what .follow amounts to this: A laacar (among several,
other persons) went ud somewhere, presumably upstairs
. at Bhen-Yan'a-and did sot come down again. Cadby,
who was ther diseulsed. noted a booming sound. Later.
h ldnUfled tb laacar In som mortuary. We have no
1 feet Inclined to put dowa th 'laacar' as th daooit who
was murdernd by Fu-Manchu l it U nr supposition.
however. But that Cadby meant to pay another visit to
the place la a different 'make-up or disguise Is evident
and that the Tuesday night proposed was tost night ts a
.reasonable deduction., The reference to a pigtail Is priiw
: cipauy mtrung Because 01 wnat waa xouna on caaoys
Inspector Weymouth sodded afllrmatlvSly, and
tlanr-ed at hi watch.
"Kxaetiy 10.ZV ha aald. '"I Ml trouoi you, inspector,
for the freedom of your fancj wardrobe, Thar Is tlm
to spend aa hour In th oompanr t Bhn-Tana opmn.
' flandal" &'.4-. '.; ,.i.;.'I:'?iv'
, - Soma twenty minutes later two dangerous-looking ea
rn ring-ruffian entered a waiting cab, acoompAnled by
Inspector Weymouth, and were ? driven off Into tna
'wlldrnu of London' nlfbt, In tal theatrical butlnaaa
.."'-there . waa, . to, ' tny .' mind.. j aometbln rIdloulou-.Unot
V ihlldli and I could have laughed heartily bad It not
.; been that grim, tragedy lurked o, near. w, tare.
The mere recollection that somewhere at our Jour -
' nay's end I-MahchC awaittd w
my raflecuona, ( Fu-Manchu, who, with aii.xn power
represented; by Msyland Smith pitted against him, pur v
- sued bis dark schemes triumphantly and lurked la hiding:
within .this very area whloh was so seauiouaiy patroiiMi
,L jru-Manchu, whom I' bad never, aeen, but who: nam
.. stood, for horror Indefinable! "Perhaps I was deUnd,to
.- meat the terrible Chinese doctor tomshtl .
I ceasad to purau a train of thought Which promised
V
to lead , to morbid depths, and directed my' attention to .
what'Smltth wa saying. 'v'''VrfHN'CP- 'v...
We will drop down from Wapplng and reoonnolt?,
as you say the place 1 cloe to the riverside. Then yoa V
'i caa 'put; us ashore somewhere below. Hman can' keep
th launch dos tohfack otth-premles and yov
v follows will b banging about near the front near nough
to bear th whistle." rV'-'" '?,; .k-
hah got pipe began th otber.
;- Xf you are auspected, you shall give the alannT? v '"''
-I don't know." safd Bmtth. thoughtfuUr. :"XGvm la
1 1
- "Don't watt too long!" advised the inspector.: "We
Shouldn't be much wiser U your next appearanc was
on the end of a grapnel, eomewhere dowa QSeenwloh
Reach! with half your linger milling!" 1 .
The cab pulled up outside the river poOce depot,
and BmHh and I entered without delay, four shabby
looking (allows who bad been aeated In the offlo spring-.
Ing up to salute the Inspector, who followed us la, H
nodded. . i
"Outhria and lisle," b said briskly, "get along and
find dark corner whloh commands the door of Singe
; pore Charlie's oft the old Highway. Tou look the dirtiest ;
of the troupe, Quthrie: you mtght drop aileep on the
pavement andUsle can argue with you about getting
noma. .Don't move till 'you hearth whlstl inside or
- bav my order, and note everybody that so in and '
come out Tou other two belong to thl dtvlnionr
The C I. D. men having doparted, th remalmns; pair
saluted again. . . l . ---.'
"WeU, you're on special duty tonlgbt Tou're been
prompt, but don't atlck you -cbeet out so mucbl . X
you know of a back way to Bhen-Tan'eT"
The men looked at one another and both shook their ,
''beads. .vv -I-. .., A,.-. .!,". -.-m -.'"'. .. V-':" '' ?
- "There's an empty ahop nearly eppoefte, etrt" replied -one
of them. "I know a broken window at the back
where we could climb in. Then we oould get through to
the front and watch from there." V ; " ' v
"Good!" cried th Inspector. "Be yon ar pet spottad,
though; and It you hear the whlU don't mind i doing a
bit of damage, but b lnsld Shan-Tana Bk lightning!
Otberwts, wait for erdere" - - .- '':"'
... Inepector Ryman came In, glancing at tn aocb. 1 .
' "Launoh Is waiting,' h said. . 4
'' '" 'A"Rlghtl". repUed Bmlth thoughtfully. "X tm half ,
afraid, thmiah. that the recant alarms mar have .scared
our quarry your man. Mason, and then Ckdby.- Against
whloh we have this, that eo far as he ts likely to knew, ,
there has been no clue pointing to tbla opium den. Bet
whloh we have this, that so
i member, he think Cadby notes ar destroyed." , ; .
. .? "Th whole business is an utter ' mystery to mr
confieed Ryman,i "I'm told that thre'e aom danger
' oua Chinese devil biding somewhere In London, and that
you expect to And htm at Bhen-Tan'a. Supposing h
' usee that place, which Is possible hew . do you know
h' ther lonlghtt" ..-.'-";'" ,-. .1 V-. .-.:
; wi don't!" aid Smith t -but It 1 th first cln . w -hav
had pointing to on of hi haunt, and tlm means
preciou iive wnere or, jru-flianoiHi- is concernear
t "Who Is he, ir, exacUy, thl Dr. Fu-Manchur
'""I hav only the vaguest Idea, Inspector; but he ! no
ordinary - criminal., ; He 1 . th greatest genius whloh
the power of evil hav put on earth for centuries! He .
haa : tha hacklna of - a -Dolitlcal . arroun whose wealth la,
enormous and bl mission In Europ I to pay th wy
.ODo you follow met He ia th advance agent of a move-
ment so epoch making: that not on Britisher, and not:
on American, in so.ouu naa ever oraraw cx ur- s;.
f. Ryman stared, but mad no reply; and we Went out
passing down to the breakwater and boarding the wait
ing launch. With her crew of three, the party numbered
seven that ewung out into in poor, ana clearing tn
pier, drew In again and burged th murky hora '
i t'Th night had been clear enough hitherto, but now
- came scudding rain banks to curtain th crscsnt moon,
and 1 anon, to unveil hr , again and abow the muddy
.'.swirls .about ua .;-.v,.v' - ,'v-v
- Th Surrey shore 'was a broken wall -of blackne
patched with lights about which moved hasy suggestion
of human activity. The bank w were floilowlng offered
prospect sven more gloomy: a dense, dark mass, amid
which, sometimes, mysterious half-tones told of a dock
' aata. or audden high llahta leaped flaring to tbe eya
' "On your left past the wooden plerl Not where th
1 lamp is beyond that; next to th dark, square building
:Shn-Tan'r' . --,-l!.,:- -- '- .,''. :.J,t;-;-, v
it waa InsMctor Byman speaking.
- "Drop u aomewher . handy, then, replied Smith. ,
4 0" ?, ui.ur.etr?. wi2ii.opn . w my '" "
From tna tone or ni voice anew tnat tna nirnt
. mywtery of the Thames had claimed at least; one othsr
-vvlcm..,'..', - il,lr::'',CiX:'Li:.r".' 1
"ua siowi" came nnnaai oroer. -wea put ut ,,
th eton ftr ..-j 'j,.''1.'
i A seemingly drunken vote was droning from nalrb-
ttorina- ellevwav aa Bmlth lurched in hulk Inr fashion te
-mil,: 'sj l. ui'
7 H -)
v i . . m ibj r mi , - if. m
ar 1 fl vi j -as? ,v. m . j - fy r ;
3 ''.!'
I
- , th. doer cfaJlKtl. whop abov whloh. crudely palatad,
Smith t wsra.Jtha WOro-v.'i".: ,1 ';-', y-A:-'sA
TT- ,:,'.'!' -ry-w KSmmTAn. aUBSim v.,- .,: .?;;..,.!. fa
stKunlad alone behind him. and had time to note the
box OX stud ara)an shaving tackl, and roll cf twist
-whlcb toy aotldlly In th window r Smith kicked th
, door open, clattered down three wooden step, and pulld
bimcelf up wlnVa Jtrk, ellns; my arm for support,.
vWa stood in a bar and very dlrtyoora; which oould -only
claim kinship with a civilised shaving saloon by
, virtu , of th grimy towel thrown aero th back of;
- th solitary chair. A Tiddlsh theatrical bQl of som kind,.
in Illustrated, adorned one of the, waUa, and another bill. .,
i la what may bav ben Chinese; completed the decora
, ttons. From behind a curtain heavily brocaded with
smock, clack trouiar and thlck-soled suppers, ana aa-:
vaaolng, shook bis bead vigorously - ; , , , r -4iA"
.- "No havee-no shave!'! he chattered, slmlal fashion.
., squinting from on to th other of us with his twinsunc
ys. "Too Utel Bhuttee stiopr
' ; Don't you come non of It wt met" ''roared Smith la
a vole of amaalng' gruffne, and shook an urtlOclelly
.: dirtied flet under th Chinaman's nose. "Get Inaid and
glmm an' my mat a ooupl o plpasl Smoke pipe, you,
yellow scum-awyT" w :'4C"'v yCA;s:yiS"-i'
r My friend bent forward and flared Into th other
eyes with a vlndlcUvene" that amased me, ! unf amUIar .
as I was with this form of gentle persuasion, ',:; . i ' V'r
. "Kop 'old ' thatr be said, and thrust a cola tat,
th Chinaman's yellow paw. "Keep m walOn an ril
v .Puu.tn oanv shop down, Cbaruel Too can lay to itl"
-i;' Bmlth raised hi flat, and Tan capitulated.
l-' "Alto llghtl" b said.;
"Full up no loom. Ton
om s see."
Bo dived behind tb dirty curtain, Smith
' and X following, and ran up a carle stair. Th
next moment I found myself in an atmosphere
-wtolch faMy cot m by the Cbfloat It was ail
but unbearable, being- loaded with opium fume.
Never before bad X xpertencd anything Uk
ttXOvery breatb was sa agony, A tin. oU lamp
on a box la th middle of the floor dimly illumi
nated the horrible place, about th wall of
whloh ten or twelve bunks war ranged and
all t them occupied. Most of th occupants
were lying motionless, but one or two were
squatting tn their bunks noisily sucking at the
little mnal pipes. These bad not yet attained
to the 'opium smoker's Nirvana, '.',)''.
"No loom sam toll you." said Shen-Tan.
, complacently toatla- Smith's shllUns; with bis
yellow, decayed ttbV .'; :V- ..'i,.fe.Ti
, Smith walked to a corner and dropped,'
cross-legged a " tb floor, . pulling - m down
i"Two pip qulckr b said. . "Flenty rooml
Two piece plpe-cr plnty beep trenblr .
Tan handed him the pip, which b promptly
put to bis Hps. and prepared another for me, -i
. "Wihatevar you do, don't inhal any!" am
'' Smith's wblsprd injunction, '
It was with a sense ot nausea greater va
than that occasioned by th disgusting t
. mosphere of the den that X took the pipe and
pretended to smoke it Taking my cus from
my friend, X allowed my head gradually to sink
lower and lower, until, .within a few minutes.
I sprawled, sideways on tb floor. Smith lying
' clos beside ma ''. - .v-. ...,-... uv. .,
"The ship's sinktn'," droned a woto front
on of tb bunk. "Look at th rats."
Ten bad noiIely withdrawn and I
perlenoed curious sense of Isolation from my
fallows from tb whols ot th western world.
My throat was parched with th rum; my
bead ached. Th vicious atmospnor smd
ontamlnatlntr. , v ,
.j, X wa a on dropped.
s somwhr east of So, wbr tas
- best Is Ilk th worat
Whr tbere aren't no Tan Commandments, "
, an' a maa caa rals ttirst , ..
Smith began to whisper softly. '
v "W bav carried It through snnoesfu1ry
so far," b said, "I don't know If you bave
: barvd It but tbr 1 a tlr Juat behind
$ you, halt concealed by a ragged eurtaln. W
. are near that and well In th dark. I bav
seen nothing ausplclou so far or nothing;
' much. But if there was anything going for
ward it would no doubt be delayed until w
new arrival wr well doped, . BshI'' -:
He pressed -my arm to emphasis th
' warning; Through my half -closed aye X per
ceived shadowy form near th curtain to
whloh he had referred. I lay like a log; but
my muscle wer tensed nervously. .
Tb shadow materialised as tb ; flgur
moved forward Into tb room with a curiously
lith movement. - ; - -
So close to us stood th newoomr that X
wa abl to mak cut a g-haatly parchment
fac. with small obllau y. and a mis
shapen head crowned with a oolled pigtail,
surmounting a alight, bunched body. Thar
waa something unnatural, inhuman, about that
meekttka faoa sad eomaihdng repulslv tn tb
bwr snap of th long, yellfrw bands olasped
on unon the other.
- Fu-Manchu, from Smith's account, tn no way re
asmbled this crouchirisj. apparition, with th death' head :
' countenanoe and lithe movements, but an lnstlnot of
: som kind told me that we wer on the right scent-that
thl was on of th doctor's aervanta. How X cam to
that conclusion I cannot explain; but WKh no doubt In
: my mind that thl wa a member of the formidable mur-, ,
der group, I watohed the yellow man creep narr ;
. naarer ellently bant and peering.' y-:.. w.-j-r '
, He was watching ua ' -'t , ';
Of another olroumstance X became aware and a' dis
quieting circumstance. Ther were newer muraurlngs
- and slghlnga from 'th . surrounding - bunks. Ths pros- -
ence.of the crouching figure bad created a sudden semi-.
llano In the den. . which could only mean that aome of
, th supposed opium smokers bad merely feigned coma
f and the approach ot coma.- . v. -n.
Nayland Smith lay like a dead man. and trnstlng to
the darkness, I, too, lay prone and tlll, and watebed
: the evil face bending lower and lower until It oam '
; within a tew Inches of my own. I completely cloaed my '
'. yea. ',.'.. .
Dslleat Angers touched my right yltd. Divining
what was coming, X rolled my eyes up a th Ud wa
adroitly - lif ted and lowered , again, " . Tb man . movd ,
Wvaoodt" wisprd Smith at my stda 'l don't think .
X oould bav don itl H took m on trust after tbatt ,
My Oodl what aa awful face! Petri, it's th hunoh
back of Cadby aotsl . Ahl X thought sot Xo you ;
;.thatl" - :.;:- --.:" - v., ;.--
X turned my eye round as far as was possible, A
man had scrambled down from on of th bunks sad
was following tb bent flgur across th room!
They passed around us quietly, the little yellow maa
leading WltJh his curious, Uth gaH, and the other, an
. Impasaiv Chinaman, following. . The curtain wa raisea, .
. and I heard their footstep receding on the stair.
. Footstep on th stair, and th Chinaman reappeared. 1
rorod th floor and passed out 'Th llttla bant maa
went over to another bunk this time leading up th stair
one who looked Uk a laacar. - .,..-..,.,.,..
i "Did you see hi right bandT" whispered Smith. 1 "A '
dacoltl They com bar to report and to take orders I '
Fetrlel Dr. Fu-Manchu la up there!" ,! v,
t "What shall we dof" softly. A-"y
' ."Wait Then we must try to rush th stairs! If
. would b futile to bring In th pollc first He 1 sure
te have some other xlt. X will glv tb word whli th
. llttl yellow devil Is down here. Tou ar nearer and
wui bave to go first but If ths hunohback follows I
can then. deaf with bun. X Shall b directly at your
ibow." . . i .'.. -iv.,,. - v'v J;,,v.
our wniprea couoquy -wa interrupted 1 Dy tn re
, turn ot the dacolt who recroaeed th room aa tb China- X
: man had dona and Immediately took hi denartura -A.
third man. whom Bmlth Identified aa a Malay, ascended
the mysterious stairs, descended, and want out; and
fourth, whose nationality It was lmpoasibls to determine.
followed. Then,, ae the softly ' moving; usher, crossed to
m u,nW an tha rlsnht of the outer doniw - ,
I-.. . .'
"Up you go, Petri!'
cried Smith for further delay V j:
;,,,. an4 furthar rilaalmulatlnn naalaaa.,! .T
I, leaned to my feet.: Snatchlns mr revolver from
th pocket of the rough Jacket I wore, I bounded to
sh atalr and went blundering up In complete darknaaa.
A chorus or nruusn cries ciamorea irom penina. with a
" muffled scream risings above them all; but Nayland
Bmltb waa close behind ae I raced along a covered gang-.
; way. In purer air., and at my heel when I crashed open
a door at the end and almost fell Into the room beyond.
What I aaw was merely a dirty table, with some
odds and ends upon It of wfoioh. I waa too excited to take
note, an oil lamp ewung by brass chain above, and a
roan sitting behind the table: But from th moment that
my gase rested upon- th on, who at there, I think tt
th place had been an Aladdin palace I should have
Kai no ava for an of It wondera ,. s V.
. H wore a plain yellow robe, of a hue almost ldnt!ol
with that of hi smooth, halrles countenance. HI
1... .. k k.u k.
knuckles upward and Wa pointed chin upon their
thlnnesa Hs had a great blah brow. crowned'Wltk
.parse, neutral-colored halrV -A. , v, , -7f:
Of bis tace, aa it looked out at m over th dirty '
bla I dasoalr of writing convincingly. It wa that ot
1 r -A . rL. L..T, . ' t5 i. v.;i ii,!. . ,1V 5 -
thV ;runcanayy;Ftb.t eveV .flectoa ."hum.Tso: ,
they were narrowband long,- very slightly oblique ' t;
f a '-.brilliant gre! Dut their unique horror ly:K
in certain filmineas (It mad m think of th membranit
nlcUtan 14 g, blrd -gUlch pbaourlns; them as I threw.
"BopyrlgLi by"Ti.e" fiorla Ainerlca Cuivaij.
wld th door, semd to lift a Z actually pd t
tbrnhold, revealing th ye la all r their ' brtU'.a
vuidcence.
' X know that T stopped dead.' on foot within the Veo
( for the malignant force of the man wa onMthlag u
"passing my experience.- 11 we surprised by this sU
den Intrusion yes; but no trace of fear showed upc s
that Wonderful face only a sort f pltytngr eontemrt-
And, as I paused, h rose alowly to bis feet, never re-
aovin bis aaae from mine
nt's Fu-Manchu 1" cried Smith, over my shoulder.
in a voice that almost was scream, "It's Fu-Manohul
. Cow . hlml t Shoot , him dead, if . t-: v -, - ...
, - Th conclusion oft that sntnc X avW hJi A :,r
Dr. Fu-Manohu reached down bW4 tb tobl-nJ
tb floor slipped from under m!U;,--'''-vv.',,'.j;'.-1 '
On tost glimpse X bad of tb flxad, gra em ant
with a scream X was unable te rprs X ,: dropped-
, dropped-dropped sad plimg-sd ;into icy ; watsf.
which closed over my bead! . . . j
' Vaguely, I bad seen a spurt of flam-had heard, an
other cry following upon my owna booming- sound (the
, trap)-th flat note of a police whistle.: But whan X rose
to tb surfaca,; impentrJl darknass nvlopd ra. X
was plrUng filthy, oily liquid from my mouth, and fight,
lag down the black terror, that bad me by th throat t
terror of the darkness about me, of th unknown depth
beneath :!m, of th pit Into which I was east ami J
stifling stenohes and the topping of, tidal water,. ,
; "Smith P X cried "H!pl Helpr - : '
, " My voice seemed to peat back upon m yt X was
about to cry out again, whan, mustering all my presence
; of mind and all my falling courag. X recosmiied that X
bad better employment for my energies, and began ta
swim straight ahead, deeperately , determined to face :!
' the htrrbrs of this place to dl bard If die X must'
';: ;. A drop of liquid fir mil through th darkn
vhtatsf Into th watr basld ml -v.'.f fftx ' :-: '. -,.-! '
;. . X fIt that dasplt my resolution, X was sjofag mad. ' i
v. ' Another flery drop and anotherl ; ; :i
-'. I touched a rotting wooden post and slimy Umber.
I bad reached one bound of my watery prisoa, More
fir fell from above, and the scream of hysteria tutvered.
:" unuttend, ' la. my throat .'- -: ';-f;y:;i3:--. ",.;; w
'U ' Keeping myself afloat with increasing difficulty ta my
heavy garmenta, X threw my bead back aad nld mr
yet. t -'k'r:. ,J l-i ... '
. ... ;; No mora drops fQ, and no mor.4rops would fallt
but It was merely a question of tbn for the floor t
collapse. For it was beginning to emit a doll, red glow.
, The room abov me waa tn flamesl - v v . .
It was drops of burning oil from th lamp, finding
paaaeg through tb crack In th crasy flooring' whioj
bad fallen about me for th death trap had (aoea, X
, suppo meohantoally. -1---
.. My 'saturated garments wer draggta; m down
and now I could bear th flames hungrily 4 eating Into
the andent rottenn overhead. Shortly that caldron
would be loosed upon mr bead. The glow of th flame
grew brighter., and ahowed me .tho balf-rotten
SUea upholding- th building, ahowed me tb tidal mark
pon the sUme-coated waue-Sbowd m that ther was
no eecapel - .. s. ,
By aome subtrrana doot the foul pbse was fad
xrom tn xnamea jy cnai auec, wnn u outgoing tide,
my body would pass, ta th wax of Mason, Cadby ami
many another vctlml - . ........,
Rusty iron rung war efflxed to en xf th waHs
eommunicatlng with a trap-but th bottom three were
Brlghier and brtrhter grew th awesome light the
' light of what should b my funeral pyre reddening the
' ally water and adding a new dread to th whispering,
. clammy horror of th pit But something it ahowed me
,-, projecting beam a few feet above the water
e-'.e ; e and directly below th Iron ladder!
' . "Usrclful heaven!" I breathed. "Have I the strengthr
A desire 'for laughter claimed m with, sudden, all
but irresistlbl forca - X knew what It. portended ana
fought It do wn grimly. Sternly, - , .....
My garments weighed upon me like a waft ef tn":
with my chest acbing dully, my veins throbbing to bu,
lng, I forced tired muscle to work, and, every stro
aa agony, approached the beam, Nearer X erwam
nearer. -Xta ahadow fell black upon the water, w'
now had alV the eeming of a pool of blood, c
fused ounds remote uproar cam t my ears, i
" wa nearly spent ' I wu in th oriadow of h
t beam I If I could throw -up one arm , , '
i A shrill scream sounded above met ' ,-'
-Petrie! Petriel" (That voice must b Stnlth'i!) "Don't
touch the beam! For God's sake don't touch the beaml
' Keep afloat another few second and I can get to rout"
Another few second! , Waa that posslb-let
X managed to turn,- to raise my throbbing hed and
X saw th strangest sight which that XUsjht yet had
offered. i-'.v,- - --.. .t ..... ,
Nayland Bmlth toodapoa th lowest iron rang
supported by th hideous, crook-backed Chinaman, who
stood upon th rung abov I
f "I can't reach hlml" ' .; . ,
- It was aa Smith hissed th words diiTi lusTj that I
looked up and saw the Chinaman snatch at Ms colled
pigtail and pull It off! With It cam the wis; to which It
was attached; and th ghastly ysUow meek, deprived of
It fastening, fell from position I
"Hrl Herel Be quick! Oh. be culckl Teu eaa
- lower thl to hlml Bs quick! ' Be quick l'7
... . A cloud of hair cam falling about th Slim shoulder
. as th speaker beat to pass this strange lifeline to Bmlth j
and I think It was my wonder at knowing: her for the
,. girl whom that cay X had. surprised in Cadbr roonw
V- which savad my Ufa , -
-. For I not only kept afloat but kept my eras upturn T
' t that beautiful, fluehed face, and my eyea fixed upoi
bn whloh were wild with fear " for mel
i .- Smith, by some contortion, got th tala quue t-
my. grasp, and I. with tb trength of deeperatton, by
that mean aelsed hold upon the lowest rung. With my
friend'a arm around me, I realised that exhaustion was
- evn nearer than I had supposed. My last dlstinot memory-
ts of the bursting of ths floor abov and the '
burning joist hissing Into th pool beaeatbt ua. It fl . 4
passage, striated with light disclosed two sword blade,
riveted, edgee up, .along the top of the beam whlca X
'bad striven to reach... ...::"Jrv -. ?;,,.,
'The severed finger"' X said; aad swooned.
- 'v ' How Smith got me through aha trap I do- not knew-
nor bow we made cur wey through, th smoke and Cams
f th narrow pasaag tt opened upon. My next recollec
tion ts of sitting up, with my friend' arm supporting
to aad Inspector Byman holding a glass te my lip.
' A bright -glare dasaled my eye. A crowd surr t
. about us, and a danger and shouting drew moavsntar...'
nearer. -
"It's th ngln coming!" explained Bmlth. aeetn
my bewilderment. "Bbea-Tan's Is la flame 1 It was yo 1
shot as you, fall throuch th. trap, that brok th o J
"80 far as we know.'
?:r "Fu-Manchu" pi:;?'t . -:'"--: i:--i I
Smith ahrugged Ma sbculders. v
' "No on ha seen bim. Ther was soma doer at &a
back" '.; '-' .'-'.'.w.,'"':-;,.i'i ,V'.-.?,V-.'-.r' .vv;;-..?,.:-
. "Do you think b may- ' 1 1 'Vr'"! -"No,'
be aald tensely. "Not nirtfl X as him tylaj
dd bfor m ahaU I believe ltl' ,y.v. - n - t
Tha memory returned 1U away. ,1 struggld to loj
fMamltht'whers to sher X cried. ,'Wbr 1 her' 1
- "I don't know!" b answered ahortly. . . .
' "Sh' given us tjhe slip, doctor!" said Inspector Wey
mouth as a flr engln cam wing1ng round th corner
into th narrow lane "So baa Mr. Singapore Charlie
and. I'm afraid, somebody else! WCv got six or tight
aU sorta som Awake and som asleep;. but I auppos
we halTbave to let 'em go agaln.Mr. Smith teUs m
that tb' girl waa disguised aa a Chinaman, X expeos
that' why ah managed to llp away." , . . '
1 roaIled how I had bn dragged from the pit 'by
,ii,hnr the atranare dlscoverv Which ha.l
.ntht death to poor Cadby had brought Mf to tn:
" . ? J uTnunW tnn t,ht Hmlts, hart dronn,i
r. .. ha threw bis arm about m on th ladder. l'-r
rtauvhad been dropped Into the water. . .
iVwea later that night, whn th brlgad stlU
. " "". .k.n . h. v.. v...n
war
,u.. .. hA hl.i,lf.nl shall a what had han Rhn.
E.i ".tflT Rmlth arwl r vara aDaadina- w ,-
xan s "".. 1 -. , -a i Z - . k. " ,
n a calx Irom me scan vi uvm wvu, auuna u uc
, ; ..ivr... that f had an idea ' ,' .
"Smith X aald, "did you brias tb plsrtail with y
thai waa found on Cadbyf"
'YI I had hoped .to meet th wner."
V, ,Hav you got It nowt" . .
"Nol I vnet the owner!' 1. ,
t thrust my hand deep Into th pockets of th I1
pea-jacket lent IO mm, py lumyvxivr vjuiau, ioauuijf 1,
T'K
-wa ahail' never really excel at. this business,"
tlnued , Nayland Bmlth. "We are far too sentlment i
knew what It meant to ua Petri what it nieatit to (
world; but I hadn't the beartl I owed ber yur i
. e j had to square the accountl ,
1, 11 " . j- V ;.'
Here thrUltng, saere tatsas mm mmrm soy tr
(baa ves tal adventure tale 1 th tklr ef 1
F-Hneh atorlea, "Bedmeet," wklcb vr! I t
next ieaday. Nayland Smith, tb 1 -"
EaglUasaaus, sad Fw-SIaaobn, the st:M t '
- .rartv rhlaeaa.nlll saala match Tt l s I 1 '
game, contesting for the Ufa ef f ' '" '
moat." Ya will have tead few v.: 1
mere weird or eaeaney tea tae v
for the sulJaUkt sla sa 1
..(.-...,.-.. W f