Show f t l' l 4 t ri ril r r i S l f t l r a ag g f f YUA lt f H HEE sEt SEE BY SAX LAUGhS w RO-IM RO ER COPYRIGHT B by SAX ROHMER SERVICe SYNOPSIS Matt Kearney young oung American t living In London aa says by Rood to his his hI slater Eileen on board the Wal Wal- laroo The ship Is la convoying conveying 2000 1 00 In gold sold to Australia On his way a home Kearney Kc meets Inspector Daw- Daw c r n JIa Hale Haig I S of ot Scotland Yard vel very much In love with Eileen Is Isn Ison Ison on n tho the trail of ot opium which he Is convinced Is concealed In Jo Lung Lungs warehouse Called to other duty delegates Kearney Ke-arney with DoI Do- Do I Norwich Nor to visit the place And nd find out ut what he can While In Inthe Inthe j the warehouse Kearney picks up and carries carrie awa away a notebook which he turns over to Hal Halg Haig Yuan lice Heo Sc See loader leader of ot a band of ot International al nl thieves thle Is la at Jo Lungs Discovering ering the loss of or his notebook he Bends two taro of ot his followers after atter Norwich and Kearney one ono of ot whom be lie realize must have picked It up i Is puzzled over cryptic notes In the book referring to the Wal- Wal Maroo laroo Soon after aCter leaving Kearney Norwich la Is murdered CHAPTER III Ill Continued Continued 4 Ills His throat thront was mangled as thou though h he had met a n wild animal the Jugular had been 4 4 pen pen- P. P traced That was what Leman Street had reported Automatically his hand touched the little leather- leather bound memo In leaving the establishment of ot Jo Lung Lunge Matt Iatt Kearney had picked up something which meant life Ufe or death to someone Hall Haig believed he knew that someone's someone's someone's some some- ones one's name began to believe that what he be had bad failed Called to find at Singapore Singapore Singa Singa- pore might lie He here under his fingers fin fin- gers The Jugular penetrated ne ile no longer doubted that poor pool Norwich had been followed by agents of that someone And for this thIs thIs-this this very ery book upon the table 1 I Yes I here lay the clue If t only he could unravel It Here on In the table lay Iny something which meant the hangman's rope for the Big Chief I IA A S Good G G-d G dl I It was maddening I Ine He ne tent bent again over the pages of ot the diary And now suddenly he found himself listening listening for tor what lie He bled to death Dawson Halg Haig thou thought ht of ot those words and at the same moment S thought bought he detected n a faint sound In tn the bedroom behind him I Ilie lie sat sut rl rigidly still stilt Definitely something was moving In n the bed bed- bedroom room loom gently gently lI lightly turned very quietly In his chair and looked towards the half- half 1 L open pen door leading Into Kearney's bedroom silhouetted against It 11 he be saw n a crouching figure The fact tact flashed through his mind that he was unarmed Gently Gently Gently Gen Gen- but unmistakably he could hear the the door opening behind him With assumed Indifference he walked towards towards to to- wards the lobby and went out In five seconds he be had bad snatched from the wall a Japanese sword the lI lights In the sitting room had been switched off unsheathed It- It turned And as he be turned turned turned-he he saw It As a a man he could not re regard this visitant who fabulously had gained admission to these chambers But Buthe Buthe he saw the Thing which he could not doubt had 1 killed poor Norwich 1 It was bending tending over the writing table table-a a small thickset fl figure ure enormously enormously enor enor- deformed humped grotesque long arms and J large hands But the head I Ithe the tho h head ad glimpsed for Cor a moment the lobby light I 1 Nausea swept over him at sight of ot that small malignant head that nearly hairless head like liko the skull of f an nn Infant The brow was no more than an Inch and a half halt high and the nose upon a small dark face tace was Vas represented by two distended nostrils The chin retreated Into the neck but the tho upper lip below belo those flattened nostrils protruded Inhumanly j The creature turned Its little sunken sunk sunk- en eyes upon him He De saw two enormous enormous enormous enor enor- teeth exaggerated canines curved downward do over the lower lip Up white white and gleaming lo For or one Instant a sort of or su su- supernatural supernatural dread held him spell spell- bound Then sword In band he be leaped But nut quickly as ns he be leaped the 1 ThIng 2 was quicker Like a shadow the the fanged white horror sprang through the bedroom door Halg Ilah lun lunged ed wildly The blade of or orthe the Japanese sword passed completely completely completely com com- through the lower panel as the abnormally active fugitive 1 I crashed crushed the door fast ast behind him fial Halg Haig threw himself against It it and andas ns as It swung open he crashed forward forward for tor- ward face ace downward upon the tho bedroom bed bed- room carpet He lie was up In to an Instant and sprang to the tho light switch The YOOm was empty I l The window was j 1 a 0 J more widely open and racing across he be craned OU out t looking down the face Cace of ot the building Into the shadowy court below Something that looked like Uke a big cat was moving twenty feet teet under under- neath Even as he looked it had bad gone gone faded faded had disappeared He lie Ie would have been prepared to stake all nil he possessed ed upon the ImpossIbility impossibility Impossibility Im Im- im- im possibility of ot any human being climbing down the face of ot the buildIng build build- Ing log at that point Yet he had seen It accomplished 1 Running back to Kearney's writIng writ- writ In lag Ing table he pulled up fists clenched The memo book had disappeared I IS S s s Absolute silence prevailed In the theoffice theoffice theoffice office of ot Jo Lung The woman smoked cl cigarettes ceaselessly one after alter another Yuan paced the carpet carpet carpet car car- pet with his heavy like cat tread Suddenly We shall be trapped the woman said Why are we waiting All Allor Ali AU- or the Adder may Adder may be caught as they return Came the muffled note of ot a phone bell Yuan stepped quickly to the table table ta ta- ta ble and took up the receiver Yes he said Something is afoot atoot afoot re re- ported Shan announces that the party which set out from Leman Street Is now leaving lea LImehouse Limehouse- bound In this direction What are your orders As already arranged the high piping voice replied I am now going going go go- ing to Join loin Jo Lung There will beno be beno beno no sea tonight so soVe we Ve shall shan cross crossIn crossIn crossin In the cruiser Where do you wish me to Join you At Trieste on Thursday morning the the usual place Yuan replaced the receiver The police pollee I I knew It I cried the woman springing up He faced her With you he said softly In Ch Chinese In ege the police are like an evil dream One would think Orange Blossom that you Cear feared them This Is not flattering to me HIs Ills voice rose very high on the thelast thelast thelast last note The woman called Orange Orange Or Or- ange Blossom summoned all an her natural natural nat nat- urn ural arrogance to confront him but that cloak of ot high disdain which she wore so gracefully somehow had slipped from Crom her As the portly Chinaman moved slowly In her direction she shrank back nearer to the door With a curling curlin smile of arched red lips he turned turnell aside slipped ort oft his blue bluehouse bluehouse bluehouse house garment which he be hung In a cupboard and resumed his heavy overcoat taking up the broad broad- brimmed black hat from the table Then Come he said we are going Jo Lung waits for Cor us I Inspector Eddy of ot Leman Leraan Street had lad placed his men with care It td wAy m i. i I i. i L f t it b. b r 1 I r I Silhouetted Against It t He Saw a a. Crouching Figure would have e been difficult for tor a rat ratto ratto ratto to enter the premises of ot Jo Lung without attracting the tho attention of ot otone one ono of ot them Ills HIs dispositions effected effected ef et- That ought to do do ho he said to the detective e ser sergeant who accompanied accompanied him Scotland Yard artI seems to think that the murderer will make for tor here tonight If It he does hell he'll fall faU Into the net In a mean house near the corner of ot a 11 mean street outside the cordon cordon cordon cor cor- don drawn by tho the police pollee around the suspected premises a light shone 4 2 behind a blue shade of or an upper window On the opposite side of ot a 3 second wider thoroughfare a furtive fur tur- tire tive figure crept along close to the dingy shops It paused turned and seemed to sink Into the shadows again It next appeared this slinking shape at a spot east cast of ot the treasure treasure treas tress ure house of or Jo Lung At the end endot of ot a little courtyard upon which several mean residences opened a shaded blue-shaded light fanlight bt was dimly Il U- U The lurking figure became merged In shadows once more then Immediately opposite a narrow alley aile alley al al- le ley It stood watching At the far end a dim yellow light was visible The Indeterminate shape darted across then swIm swiftly slipped sUpped aside and exercising a n strange affinity with darkness became became be be- came magically lost again except except except ex ex- that reddish eyes like eyes like the Ule eyes of a watching leopard leopard- gleamed In n the dusk Some one was fiR coming out some out some someone one who had stopped dead at nt the moment that that elusive thing darted across his path There was a moment of silence a soft whistle whistle two two minor notes It was answered from the lee of a high walL Thereupon a reed like voice spoke rapidly In Chinese Chinese Chi Chi- nese All Ali Is here Follow swift swift- ly Do not show yourself Yuan came out Into the street Beside him was a n small figure so muffled that beyond the fact tact that she was a woman no one could have Identified her They set out In the direction of or the river Ten paces they had gone one when a figure appeared from the alleyway and glided In the same direction Close behind him stooping apelike apelike apelike ape ape- like came another And this singular singular lar procession headed toward the Thames A wicket gate was opened and a deserted yard crossed Out onto a wharf Yuan led and down dOWD slippery slippery slippery slip slip- slip slip- pery wooden woollen steps to where riding the sluggish tide a boat was moored Jo Lung assisted his passengers passengers pas pas- on board The following shades one swift behind the other leaped on board also As Aa Jo Lung cas cast t the painter loose and took to his oars Quick I Yuan spoke the word wordIn In tn Chinese upon a note high with excitement Which of you has It A lar large e like claw hand was stretched back to him and In It was the green bound memo book I How many he asked One Whereupon Yuan began to lau laugh h that high uncanny laughter which seemed to harmonize with the creaking of or Jo Lungs Lung's oars Jo Lung rested on his oars and Police patrol he said Shall ShallI I pull for the bank my lord 7 Fool I They would hear the oars The tide Is carrying down to those bar barges es Stand by my friend with the hook and when we reach the first of them cling tightly Cut outside those barges Mason Mason Mason Ma Ma- son said the officer In n charge of the river police launch I 1 want to get a n closer look at that smart motor motor motor mo mo- mo- mo tor cruiser lying In the Reach neach It belongs to Mr air Van Steyn the American sportsman It has been under repair In Bulker's yard I suppose the repairs have been completed completed com com- com I and they meant to go down thIs Ibis evening but were held up by bythe bythe bythe the fog Is rs that so Well edge In close dead slow and lets let's have a good look The river police pollee drifted alongside the spruce looking craft craft craft-a a forty- forty foot toot motor cruiser Her lIer paint work was ver very new but of ot a queer battleship battleship bat- bat gray unusual In pleasure boats There was nothing to show that there was anybody aboard But when half halt an hour later Jo Lungs Lung's party drew v alongside two very active e appeared above the bows of the motor cruiser HavIng Having Hav- Hav Ing ng assisted Yuan and the woman aboard they rapidly hauled up and disposed of a great number of ot small packing cases stowed In the stern of ot the boat These contained the opium destined destined des- des tined for tor Australia whIch AustralIa which Dawson Haig had bad been covering It had been removed that night under the very noses of ot the police and was now safe sate from their curi curl curIosIty curiosity 1 In la the luxuriously appointed little lit Ut- tie tic cabin of ot the cruiser Yuan drew from the pocket of ot his lined fur coat cont coata conta a n string of ot blazing fire Ore opals roughly rough rough- ly threaded on waxed IlU silk He lIe threw them around the long slender throat of ot his companion Tonight I can afford to be generous generous generous gen gen- erous he said They suit you Orange Blossom who are all aU fire and I Ice Dawson Halg Haig pressed Irritably a again aln and again upon the bell beside beside besIde be be- side the tile wicket gate of ot Jo Lungs Lung's warehouse door His ills light blue blueeyes blueeyes blueeyes eyes sparkled dangerously Believing BelievInG Believing ing that the elusive Big DIg Chief havIng having having hav hav- ing caused murder to be committed upon the person of or a Scotland Yard officer was about to elude him I again he was prepared to stick sUck at nothing I Then the wicket gate opened and anda I Ia Ia a neatly groomed and Imperturbable Levantine stood before them starIn starIng starIng star- star In Ing with apparent surprise past Dawson Halg Haig and the detective sergeant to where a n group roup of at plainclothes plain plain- clothes officers and two uniformed I Imen men might be seen In the narrow I street Good Wod evening he be said smiling In apparent confusion contusIon Im afraid you rou have alarmed me mo I I Indeed said Halg Haig Im sorry I am a police officer and I 1 hold a warrant to search these premises Really 1 1 the Greek exclaimed But Dut on what grounds rounds have you obtained obtaIned obtained ob ob- this warrant Harboring a n man wanted for murder I was the grim reply Come on Halg Haig turned to a 3 group of ot men who had followed him In In and Along the yard he ordered Bear the left lett and find to you'll a n adoor door Through It and Into the ware ware- house There are five fi small cases there consigned Iron fron Birmingham per R R. M. M I. I S. S Wallaroo to Sydney Sydne When you ou find them them let let me know One moment I was the speaker Well Hal Halg Haig turned to him as two men set orT oft What Is It t Only this the Greek Greel continued smoothly Your suspect cannot very well be hidden In one of ot the small cases you speak of or 1 And the thedoor thedoor thedoor door In question Is permanently locked The warehouse beyond Is leased by King Are you sur sure Inspector that your warrant extends to their premises Dawson Hal Halg Haig stared at the speak speak- er That official red tape which trammels the movements of ot an officer om of the Criminal Investigation department danced before his eyes visibly and he stifled language unsuitable unsuitable unsuitable un un- suitable to the occasion as II Tl II 1 Inspector I came a hall from the far end of the yard Theres a door here but Its It's locked Are we to smash It No Nol 1 Halg Haig shouted Come Comeback Comeback Comeback back It doesn't matter anyway They'll Thell have had the stuff out by now In due course the search party reached that like business office upstairs upstairs up up- stairs and You see said smiling and pointing to a number of ot books j x r |