SOUTHERN OREGON MINER
excuse.
But suddenly she saw a
sight which reassured her . .. made
her hiwtrt sing. Dawson llalg had
followed Len Chow, when the China
man, apparently alnilvsaly, had set
out, and had temporarily lost sight
of him nt a corner. Almost at the
rame moment he hail aeon Eileen—
ha?“ said the doctor good humored alone with Doctor Oestler—acconi
ly. “I do uot wish uiy palm to be panled by th« fortune teller.
And no Eileen, glancing I wick ap
read—no? And I do not wish to
prehenslvely
along
the
narrow
know my future. Is It sot'
“It Is not so, my gentleman," the street, recognized the glitter of “Mr.
soft voice continued. "It Is that I Smith's" smoked glass«-«. Dawson
know where there nro boxes such Haig followed, twenty paces behind!
as this, but ever so much better— Doctor Oestler waa talking to the
palmist guide and could not possibly
and cheaper."
“You know this—ha?" said Doc have noticed her backward glance.
tor Oestler, smiling at Eileen.
On they went Into severul streets.
“You think perhaps I don't know
Dawson llalg waa still only twen
this?"
“1 think—ha?—you may. I say I ty paces behind!
The shop was purely Arab In ap
do not wish to buy even such a
pearance.
They went down two
box.”
“1 make with you a bargain," the steps Into the Interior, and from
man went on earnestly. "I charge a dim corner the proprietor, whom
you nothing—nothing—unless you the guide addressed as Mohammed,
buy from the shop 1 take you to. appeared.
Mohammed bowed low, opened a
This Is my bargain."
Eileen begun to laugh. “My lady door hidden In the dark recess
laughs," said the Armenian earnest from which he had emerge«!, and
ly. “But I will show her." He took stood aside. Eileen glanced back In
her hand, as Doctor Oestler re the direction of the street. . . .
turned and placed the casket on
Dawson Haig was outside.
the counter from which he had
Confidently, now, aim stepped
taken it. The doctor rejoined them. through Into a big room—to pause
“If 1 tell this lady true,” said breathless with astonishment The
the man, still holding Eileen'a-hand, fortune taller had not exaggerated.
"something I cannot know except Thia was. Indeed, a wonder house, a
from the palm, will you come with treasury of beautiful things! And
me to the shop I show you?"
there were other rooms beyond.
Eileen agreed. "But he'll fall
“You see, my lady," said the palm
down on It and expect half a-crown ist softly, “what I tel) you true."
all the same."
It waa indeed true, since thia,
“We shall see—ha? Proceed, my and not the establishment In Htam-
good fellow."
boul, waa the principal warehouse
“You come not to Egypt, but to of that great and mysterious Indue
somewhere farther------ to India, I try controlled by Yu'an Hee See.
think. And in India some one Is Here, to Port Said, came the
waiting for you—some one you love choicest pieces, to be distributed for
and who loves you. No I” He stared sale.
closer. “It Is not so. Yet there is
Eileen experienced n sense of be
some one who waits. There Is some wilderment. It was amazing. In fact,
one I have spoken of—who la now terrifying . . . opening as It did out
on his way to India, or to some of that tawdry little shop—what did
place very near to India. And there It mean? What could It mean? She
he will meet you. . . . Ah. but still looked around that Aladdin's cave,
I am not right I He Is here, this and slowly the realization came to
one—here. In Port Said !"
her that only a Rockefeller could
Eileen betrayed herself by a sud have bld for the contents.
den start
“For him there are many dan
CHAPTER VII
gers . . . and for you, too, lady.
I read it in your palm. But you
AWSON HAIG pulled up before
will be married, and be very happy.
the shop of Mohammed.
There will be—"
Further consideration' ind con
“That's enough," said Eileen,
vince«) him that hla earlier fears
startled by the man's reading.
for Eileen w«*re groundless. Hla own
“Then we must stick to our bar
life hung upon a thread. This he
gain—yes?" said Doctor Oestler.
recognized. And he scrupulously
The man
smiled
triumphantly.
avoided overhanging windows and
"Please follow, my lady, my gentle
watched warily anyone who walked
man,” he said.
"It Is not far.
too closely behind him. But he had
Please follow."
no Intention of leaving Eileen alone
Eileen was conscious of a sud
in the company of Doctor Oestler.
den vague uneasiness.
He entered the shop, and looked
"Perhaps the others would like
about him. The place waa empty.
to come?” she suggested.
Haig clapped hla hands—and a mo
Doctor Oester nodded, returned to
ment later the aged proprietor ap
the shop, and presently came back.
peared. bowing low.
"The ladies are still absorbed with
"What can I do for you. my gen
silk wear," be said, smiling, “silk
tieman?" he croaked.
undies—ha? So I have left Doc
"I came to join my friends, who
tor Heatherley to take care of them,
and I arrange that we shall meet arrived here just ahead of me," Haig
at the Eastern exchange in half an replied.
"Ah 1” Mohammed nodded. “Yes.
hour."
The Armenian led them Into the yea. Walt but one moment"
The door of the treasure house
native quarter. Eileen's brain began
working rapidly. The question re waa opened, and he had a glimpse
peated Itself over and over again: of a long, low room lined with
shelves and cases.
"Should I go? Should I go?"
A blank wall faced the shop, and
Perhaps even at the last moment
she would have conjured up some there were no passers-by. It was a
YU'AN HEE SEE LAUGH
by
S m
Rohm«.
CHAPTER VI—Continued
—»—
When, bewllderingly, come the
»wish of a silken shawl—a patter
of feet—a »oft, terrified cry . . .
and Eileen's sweet arms were about
his neck!
“Billy—Billy dear! Oh. my G—d!
you're covered with blood! What
Is it? What is itr
“My dear!" he said—“It's nothing.
Tm safe—and no one must know—”
She was staring into hla face
eagerly, her own raised in a sort
of agony of apprehension. Haig
began to tremble. Gone was every
resolution he so recently had made
—useless—hopeless.
He held her so close that she
thought, “He will break me In half,"
and exulted. He kissed her until
she was breathless, helpless.
“Oh, my darling," he whispered.
He had so little to offer this won
der girl, locked, happy. In his arms
—so much to tell her—so much to
explain. Yet somehow all he could
say over and over again, was:
“Oh, my darling.*. . ."
•
••••••
A few moments after the Walla
roo dropped her anchor off Port
Said, the British consul came
aboard. There was a conference
in the captain's cabin.
Haig bad deliberately failed to
reveal the fact that there was a
man overboard. The first news was
given by a steward entering the
missing man's room in the morning.
The conclusion was come to that
the morose Chinese passenger had
committed suicide during the night
by jumping overboard. . . .
Now, in the closed cabin of the
commander, Dawson Haig revealed
the truth to Captain Peterson and
the British consul
“I take full responsibility," he
said; “you can see for yourselves
the sort of gang I have to deal with.
First, the Limehouse outrage, and
now this murderous attack on me.
I got off lightly, with a cut scalp
and a torn sleeve!"
The commander scratched his
grizzled head.
"What do you wish me to do, In
spector?" the consul asked.
“In
my opinion, the persons whom you
suspect of being associated with
the missing assassin should be de
tained."
Dawson Haig stood up, grinning
savagely, and shaking bis bead.
“Upon what evidence?” be de
manded. “I assure you that except
for a scrap of paper providentially
discovered by Mlsa Kearney, there’s
nothing to associate Doctor Oestler.
for instance, with any conspiracy
directed against me.
And even
that is far from conclusive. I mean,
be could explain It in all sorts of
ways. He doesn’t appear to be ac
quainted either with Miss Valerie
Ednam or with Mr. Chow; and cer
tainly not with the German, Hartog,
on the lower deck. And what have
I against these three people which
would justify detention? I assure
you”—he shook his head emphat
ically—"absolutely nothing."
“Then what are we to do?" said
the consul. “Of course, I could de
tain them here, for a time—”
“Nb, no.
Nothing official," was
Haig’s reply.
With the coming of daylight, the
babel of the curious port rose to
full blast Sellers of all kinds of
wares—carpets, lace, jewelry, Bir
mingham antiques, and the rest—
set up their shops on deck, turning
the ship Into a miniature bazaar.
Dawson Haig, very reluctantly,
had agreed to allow Eileen to pur
sue her Inquiries In her own way;
but he didn't realize that she had
actually left the ship until she had
been gone some lime.
He was
watching Len Chow, who, having
collected his baggage, was now fol
lowing a porter toward the ladder.
WNU •«rvlem
By SAX ROHMER
Hartog had quietly gone ashore an
hour before.
Just before Mr. Chow reached
the gangway he passed a fortune
teller, au evilly handsome fellow,
wearing shabby Euro|>ean clothes
and a tarbuah—not an Egyptian,
Haig determined, but possibly a
Greek, or an Armenian.
Some words were exchanged rap
idly, although Haig was too far
away to overhear them. The China-
man pointed
shoreward.
llalg
looked and saw a native boat. . . .
In thia boat sat Eileen with two
women passengers, the party be
ing escorted by Doctor Oestler and
the ship's surgeon!
I>awson Haig became acutely un
comfortable. The girl had played
her part admirably, even to the ex
tent of striking up a friendship
with Miss Ednam.
But neither
from the woman nor from the Aus
trian physician had she gleuned
anything In the nature of a clue.
She was convinced, and had assured
Haig of the fact, that they knew
she was watching them.
Hurrying down the ladder, the
dark-eyed fortune teller was pulled
away In a boat which waited. Len
Chow followed In another. There
was nothing to show that the pair
were associated. But why had the
Chinaman pointed out Eileen's
party?
Haig stood there watching, and
trying to make up his mind which
of several courses to adopt Eileen !
At all costs be must keep Eileen In
sight . . .
He was up against a closely and
cleverly organized group, he alone
bolding all available threads In bis
hands.
Eileen had some shopping to do
at Simon Arzt and so to this store
the party made their way.
Doctor
Oestler, it appeared, had purchases
to make also. The ship's surgeon,
Heatherley, went along.
Dawson
Haig, who had been in Port Said
twice previously and, oddly enough,
upon the same business which saw
him there now, having satisfied
himself that this was the destina
tion of the party, became interest
ed in the movements of Mr. Len
Chow.
This gentleman, depositing his
baggage at the Eastern exchange,
had strolled out, like a man with
nothing better to do than kill time.
The fortune teller had entered a
shop nearly opposite.
Dawson Haig, wearing the tinted
glasses of "Mr. Smith,” sat down
at some distance from the door
and ordered a cool drink. He was
doing some hard thinking.
At about this time. Eileen had
completed her purchases. Her com
panions—excluding Doctor Heath
erley—had allowed themselves to
be lured by wonderful shawls,
scarfs, and other pitfalls which
await unwary travelers in Eastern
shops.
Doctor Oestler was Inspecting a
handsome casket of Inlaid wood.
Eileen, covertly, was watching him.
That this man was an associate of
criminals, murderers, she could not
doubt; yet he was a most enter
taining companion, and In spite of
his marked ugliness, possessed the
rare quality of soothing without
boring.
Eileen was enjoying that sense
of martyrdom so dear to woman's
nature.
Her spirit was seeking
Dawson Haig all the time. Where
was he? Was he safe? Did he ap
preciate what she was doing? With
it all, she was so happy that she
was frightened.
Doctor Oestler had stepped to
the open doorway to examine the
casket by daylight; and:
"My gentleman,” said a soft voice.
The doctor stared
through hla
glasses at the speaker. It was the
Armenian fortune teller.
•1 do not wish to buy anything,
queer back» liter, and I lulu won
d«-red what huil Induced Eileen to
visit IL Hr stared again through
tliu open door. Then lie moved for
ward and looked along the room.
I.Ike a (lush of summer lightning
revelation came. . . . Thia was a
brunch—or perhaps the purent es-
tabllahment—of Jo Lung's Lime
house emporium
Caine the sound of shuffling foot-
steps returning. The aged Arab re
appoared.
"My gentleman," he said, “I am
sorry to keep you walling, but your
friends have gone.”
"Gone!"
"By lhe other door."
Hnlg stared through dltnnesa,
seeking for the expression In those
sunken eyes. "They didn’t stay
long!" he snapped.
The old Arab spread hla palms
eloquently. “They buy nothing, sir."
"Hhow me the way to this other
door." Dawson llalg directed. “I
shall overtake them more quickly
by going out that way."
Mohnmmed bowed. “Please fol
low," he Mild.
llalg entered, hla hand upon the
butt of an automatic. Y*-«, the very
arrangement of the place told him
now that this wan the receiving
house. Jo Lung's was merely a
D
Some Words Were Exchanged
Rapidly.
salesroom.
But — Eileen.
“Thia
way, my gentleman." The Arab,
mounting three stops, Indicated a
further room beyond.
Dawson Hnlg followed. A second
Irensure cave stretched before him.
There was a sort of narrow passage
connecting this room with another
beyond. Through this corridor the
aged Arab was hurrying. Hnlg in
creased hla stride, entered the pas
sage almost on the beeis of Mo
hammed—and . . .
The floor collapsed beneath his
feet ... a stifling dnig-llke smell
swept up to meet, to envelop him.
as he fell.
“My G—d!”
Too late he knew ... to what
“other door” this old fiend had led
him . . . the "Bath of Feathers I”
e
•
•
•
•
•
e
Doctor Heatherley, and the two
women passengers from the Walla
THE STORY FROM THE BEGINNING
roo sat at n table outside the East
ern exchnnge, long drinks with
Matt Kearney, young American living In London, says good-by to his
sister Eileen, on board ths Wallaroo. The .ship is conveying <2,000,00* In straws before them. Presently Doc
gold to Australia. On his way home Kearney meats Inspector Dawson tor Heatherley glanced at his watch.
Haig, of Scotland Yard, vary much tn love with Eileen. Haig la on the trail
"Our friends nre Inte," said he
of opium, which he Is convinced Is concealed In Jo Lung’s warehouse
“
They
must have found the Ilya
Called to other duty, Haig delegatee Kearney, with Detective Norwich to
visit the place and find out what he can. While In the warehouse Kearney terj shop. There's supposed to be
picks up and carries away a notebook, which he turns over to Haig. Yu’an a store here conipnred with which
Hee See, leader of a band of International thieves, Is at Jo Lung's. He Klmon Arzt’s Is merely Woolworth's
sends two of his followers after Norwich and Kearney, one of whom he
realises must have picked up the notebook. Hnlg Is puzzled over cryptlo I've never found anybody to lead
notes In the book, referring to the Wallaroo. Soon after leaving Kearney me to tlie Mystery shop, but I be
Norwich Is murdered, but Kearney Is not overtaken. While tlalg Is por lleve there Is such a shop. Doctoi
ing over the book, a monstrous creature enters, seizes It. and escapes
At Cairo Yu’an confers with his lieutenant, Aswaml Pasha, over a mys Oestler may know where It Is."
Even as he spoke, Doctor Oestler
terious coup they are planning. Haig boards the Wallaroo at Marseilles
disguised. From radio messages he decodes, he realizes that members of smiling broadly, bore down up»
Yu'an's gang are on board, and that they have recognized him. A China them.
man tries to throw Haig overboard but goes over himself In a desperate
(TO BE CONTINUED!
struggle.