SOUTHERN OREGON MINER
YU'AN HEE SEE LAUGHS
Copyright
by
Sax
Rohmer
WNU Servir*
By SAX ROHMER
excluimid In mock horror. “He
might never run out to Colombo to
And have a cup of tea with me us be
»«(^OODBY. then. Eileen.
take great care of yourself. promised!"
But really her heart was very
I’ve probably missed the train and
Because she didn't ex..ect
everything—but I don’t give a hoot. sad.
Be sure to write from Marseilles ever to see Dawson Haig again.
She made a charming figure In
and cable when you get in. And
don't forget I’m coming out In the light streaming from the cabin
door, alm;
dressed though she
March."
The girl clung desperately to her was In a jumper and tweed skirt,
brother, her soft arms locked about And Matt Kearney felt affectionate-
him. Matt Kearney could fee) that ly proud of his dainty sister.
"Come on,” said he. “Let's go
she was trembling, and:
“What's the matter with Kid Sis and dig old Rattray out. 1 must
positively beat It. I've got nt leust
ter?" he asked, squeezing her.
a quarter of an hour's walk through
“Kid Sister's miserable:
"Because you don't want to go dockland, and falling divine luck,
a long voyage by motor bus.”
back?"
Jack Kattray, chief officer of
“No. But because somehow. Matt
dear," she whispered very close to the Wallaroo, was exchanging n
his ear, "1 feel frightened about few pleasantries with the boss
this journey. Don’t be mad with stevedore by the hatch of Numlter
me. I know It's silly, and 1 ought
to be used to traveling by now.
But I’ve got a wobbly, funny feel­
ing.”
Kearney looked down at the tan­
gled curls nestling upon his shoul­
der; and in the light shining out
from the cozy stateroom they
gleamed and shimmered like bur­
nished bronze. He hugged her af­
fectionately and told himself that
a chill suddenly experienced and
resembling cold water trickling
down his spine was due physically
to the clammy quality of the night,
and mentally to the girl’s over-
wrought condition.
"Kid, dear,” he said, and stroked
her hair, “play fair, Seeing little
girls off Is bad enough anyway,
without giving a fellow the breeze
up.”
"I’m sorry. Matt It was utterly
Big Pig of me.”
“No—only Little Pig." he said
playfully. “I only wish I were
coming with you.”
"It wasn't fair, and 1 shouldn’t
have said It. It's just this beast­
ly fog and having to let you go
ashore in it Give me a kiss. Matt,
and we ll go and hunt Jack Rattray
—although I really don't know how
you’re going to get home.”
Had Some One Passed Him—Or
Wisps of mist floated under the
Had He Imagined It?
lights. Not another soul was in sight
on that deck, but there was activity Three hold, but he broke off this
on the deck below, and a tremen­ not too parliamentary debate when
dous clamor on the dockside. The the charming passenger appeared
R. M. 8. Wallaroo was going out In beside him with Kearney.
“What about a final?" asked Rat­
the morning—sixteen hours late,
thanks to one of those fogs. London tray.
'No final for me." Kearney re­
Special, which sometimes hold up
plied. He grasped Rattray's hand.
Thames traffic for whole days.
I
One last lingering glance Kear­ "Good-night, and all the best
ney cast Into the cozy stateroom know you’ll look after her."
Rattray, tall, leisurely, taciturn,
which Eileen was to occupy to
Colombo.
He would cheerfully smiled bls slim smile.
"Sure thing, Bo’said he.
have resigned six months' pay to
“You’re mocking me!” Eileen
be going, too. The wardrobe trunk,
which he bad labelled himself, a cried, and punched the speaker forc­
green hat on the rack above the ibly In the ribs. “I don’t have an
bed, a camera hung on the back of accent like that. I speak better Eng
a chair, a dressing case open on the ilsb than you do. anyway!”
table. The box of a hundred ciga­
“You speak more English," Rat
rettes which Dawson Haig had tray drawled provokingly
brought down to the steamer that
“Very Big Pig.” said Eileen.
morning lay on the turned-back
But Kearney left the ship in a
coverlet, and a pile of magazines happier mood and experienced no
on top of an unopened cabin trunk; return of that unpleasant chill. El
three novels which
Matt
had leen was In good company, and the
brought for Eileen In the rack be voyage would pass like three days.
He picked his way through litter
side tbe green hat.
“Ah, well!” he sighed, "you'll be on the dockside. Just tinder an arc
a comfortable Little Pig. Winter, he paused, turned, and loosed back,
the purser, is a star turn. You’re Jack Rattray and Eileen were
at bls table, and he'll see that standing on the deck by the gang
He waved his hat and
everything's right. Jack Rattray Is way.
an old pal. so that you won’t lack shouted:
"Good-by until March, and good
company.”
"1 sha’n’t lack company," said iuck!"
"Good-by, Matt,” came the girl'»
Eileen archly.
Her mood changed, and she voice; and:
"Cheerl-ho. old boy.”
But Rear
smiled mischievously,
That was Rattray.
pey welcomed the change, and:
The fascinating activity of those
“You little devil!” he said, and
squeezed her hard. "Don’t forget docks claimed Kearney. Here East
meets West: produce of the Spice
there's a spy aboard.”
“1 might buy him over!” said islands, tea of Ceylon, the timbers
“Oh, don't please do that!’’ Eileen of Burma, jostle ironmongery from
Birmingham, lie cheek and jowl
Eileen.
with chemical products of Silver-
TU tell Billy Haig!”
CHAPTER I
town. At night especially, under
dockland floodlights, amid river
noises and the hoarse voices of
workers, the mystery of the port of
London, tyi>e of a vast nnd ever-
turning wheel of empire, touched
the poetry which was part of him.
He stood there for a moment look
Ing about him and falling to notice a
man who, ten paces away, seemed
to bo watching the dock gntes—a
tnlllsh man wearing a white rain
coat, collar turned up. and a soft
brown hat with the brim pulled
down. But the other man had seen
Kearney—and the sight of Rear
ney had set him dreaming. Colombo
a year before. A year I It seemed
only like a week! The mist dis-
persed before the eyes of the dream
er by the gates. He saw Mount La-
vlnla hotel, and a petite, slender
girl In a blue frock crossing the
deserted mahogany dance floor. She
had been a sort of revelation, open
Ing his eyes to all that had been
lacking.
He was among the stars again,
could see the winking lighthouse
callously stabbing the tropical night,
hear the plaintive tremolo of a
Tamil love chant floating up from
the village. . . .
From these haunting memories
be was abruptly jerked back to
reality. He withdrew Into shndow.
A man was coining out of the
gates—so muffled up In a heavy
fur-collared coat that Ills features
were indistinguishable, This man
turned sharply left, passed Kear­
ney. and was swallowed up in the
fog.
And as be vanished, something—
an Instiuct perhaps; or was It a
faint odor suggestive of musk?—
suddenly brought Kearney an un­
accountable return of that senaa
tibn as though cold water trickled
down his spine. He stared Into the
fog. Had some one passed him—
or had he Imagined It?
He hated this sensation—as of an
indefinable dread — which twice,
now, had oppressed him.
A hand rested on his shoulder.
Kearney twisted about with a
cry. The man in the white raincoat
stood just Dehind him. And, stock
still, peering Into the other’s face:
“Good Lord!" Kearney exclaimed
joyfully, "it's Dawson Haig!"
•
•••••
•
Eileen watched from the rail un­
til fog hanging over the dockside
swallowed up Matt's figure.
She
turned and looked at Jack Itattray.
Seeing her expression:
‘•Whatever» .‘he matter, Eileen?"
said he.
"Oh, I don’t know, Jack 1" she re­
plied. She was angry with herself,
"I'm behaving like a perfect little
Idiot tonlgnt. And If you ask me
why, I can't tell you. It’s Just Jim-
Jams. Except that I think it began
with a horrible looking man wear­
ing a fur-collared overcoat!"
“Oh!” said Rattray, conscious
that duty called him but held
against his will by the girl’s unac­
countable mood, •’When did you
see this furry bird? And was It his
collar or his overcoat you didn't
like?"
“Ills face! He looked Into the
open door of my stateroom while
Matt was up in your cabin. I saw
Ills reflection In my hand mirror.
When I turned, he wasn't there.”
•‘Do you menn he was actually In
the room—fur collar and all?”
“No—foolish Idiot! He was stand­
ing Just In the doorway, and he was
smiling ... the most horrible smile
Imaginable.”
“An Englishman?”
“Oh, no, he wasn’t! A China­
man.”
"A Chinaman! In a fur coat !
No wonder you were shaken up!*’
"There was a queer mesky smell.
too—”
“Have you seen him since?”
“Yea. I saw him afterwards od
the dockside, looking up at mo.”
“I thh.k that settles It.” said
Jack Rattray reassuringly. "There
was a bunch of stuff shipped by n
Chinese agency down Limehouse
way for a firm In Sydney, Some
d— n silly mistake. Theyre hauling
It out now—n h—I of n Job—from
Number Three hold. This oriental
bird was probably the halfwit re
sponsible. It's given me more trou
ble than the specie."
“The specie?"
We're h Spanish galleon
“Yea.
this trip. Eileen ' " Itattrny smiled
his slow smile. "Minted gold from
the Bank of England, consigned to
the Commonwealth Bank of Ana-
Il's just coming
tralla.
Look I
Well, I
nboard. Two millions!
must slip off now. They've rushed
this little lot aboard us nt the Inst
moment, and I've got to find a safe
home for It. Take my tip. Turn
In with a book and. If you like, I'll
have a nightcap sent along In about
half an hour. Leave It to me."
“You’re a Kind Pig." said Eileen,
and squeezed his arm affection­
ately.
She had known Jack Rattray for
three years. He hud Introduced her
to Dawson ilalg In Colombo—only
a year ago. . . .
As be went off with his slow long
strides, she turned and entered her
cabin.
Tbe memory of that strange
lemon-yellow face, glimpsed be-
tween upraised flaps of an astrak-
han collar and the pulled down
brim of a soft black hat, haunted
her ridiculously. Of course, the
man wun some Chinese shipping
agent. The niquirent evil of his
smile might have been no more
thun a distorted reflection In the
mirror.
She wondered If Dawson Ilalg
would write. . . .
Queer, that odor, like mask. It
seemed to hung about. . , .
Yea, ahe would turn In nnd read.
•
•
“You see. Kearney,” said Detec-
tlve Inspector Dawson llalg, star
Ing up at an old print which dec-
orated the bur. “officially, my hands
are tied. It’s because I’ve always
made a point of finding the loop­
boles in official regulations that I've
got as far ns I have.”
The bar was sparsely populated.
Two firemen, amiably drunk, lolled
In a corner. A solitary, seedy look
Ing drinker sat against the wall.
smoking tils pipe anil inking sips
from a tankard
A »hlrt sleeved
bin mini made up the company
Kearney smiled hi the speaker.
He regarded William Dawson Ilnlg
ns one of the most remnrknlile men
In London a man destined to win
an International reputation
Ilnlg
had been nt Slunytuiral with Kear­
ney— Michael Kearney now United
Stilles consul ul Colombo st that
time having been stationed in l.lv
crpool. Catastrophe came lust as
Ilnlg went up to Oxford Endowed
by Ills father with a load of debts
and a posthumous V (’., he had en
listed In the Metropolitan police
force.
He wm today the young­
est detective-inspector In the crim­
inal Investigation department, with
n great future assured
“Iteguln t ions weren’t made for
you,” snlil Kearney laughing "But
I'm still In the dark You leave the
Wallaroo after lunch with dramatic
farewells, and then bang me on the
back nt the dock gates nt ten o'clock
nt night!”
Hulg raised Ills tankard, content
plating It with Interest, and:
"I gave you a lift as fat us Lima-
house.” he reminded Kearney. “You
ought to be thnnkful for that. And
the beer Is good
. ."
Kearney banged the counter The
barman replenished the tankards.
And, when he had etired:
"What's afoot?" Kearney naked tn
a low voice.
“I don't know !“ win Haig's sur
prising answer “I can only think
there's been a bad leakage of news.
Some time ago.” he went on. "a con­
signment of pottery wns sent from
China to a firm In Birmingham This
consignment, unopened was recon-
signed to a Chinese firm It Sydney,
per Messrs King, shipping agents,
of Limehouse. It wns pul on the
Wnllnroo. I checked It myself, this
morning.”
“Was that how you managed to
get down to see Eileen?”
“It was." Ilnlg acknowledged,
•'and I blessed the chancel Now.
here’s what I meant when I said
my handa were, tied; neither K. dl
vision nor Scotland Yard have had
power to open those cases of pot
tery. Oh, It’s too d—n silly to talk
about—because I know for a fart
that they are stuffed with ■gtim’l”
“Opium ! But why send drugs from
Chinn to Australia via Blrmlng
ham !”
<TO nt. coMixi n)>
T he
P erilous W orld
O riental C rime
is laid bare by Sax Rohmer, author
of the world * famous Fu Manchi!
stories, in his newest romance,
wYii‘an Hee See Laughs"
in which the heroic love of a boy
and girl is tested to the utmost.
Reading it is like living through
a breath*taking adventure
Follow this remarkable story
through from the first lnstnll«
men! to Its startling conclusion