The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu

nd Chinese ornaments and curios, and upon the mantelpiece stood several framed photographs which showed this to be the sanctum of a wealthy bachelor who was no misogynist. A map of the I

or both windows were

beside the blotting-pad. Sir Crichton had not even troubled to op

r to me. I raised it to my nostrils. It

s it?"

eply, "which I have met with before, though ne

other debris that lay in the grate and on the hearth. I took up a copper vase from the mant

, old man," he

ed, I did as

ing in the room. I

tood by the door of the study, watching him search, methodically, every inch of the r

. "There is nothing here and I

ed to the

be admitted on any pretense whatever until you hear from me." It spoke volumes for the mysterious credentials borne by my friend that the man from Scotland Yard accepted

Wills?" a

s,

kind at the rear of the house abou

Crichton's study, I saw him jump out of his chair. Where he used to sit at his writing,

kind o

g clearly had frightened, seemed p

ast. "I never heard anything like i

wailing cry, impossible to describe. Wills percep

think," he said,

tected a note of triumph in his voice. "But st

night, and the deep blue vault above was jeweled with myriads of starry points. How impossible it seemed to reconcile tha

at wall on your left is the back lane from whi

windows visib

yes,

es the adjo

ouston, sir; but the f

unication between the domestic offices

s,

s known to the Major-General's housek

nt of how he came by the wound in his arm; the scene on our arrival at the house of Sir Crichton Davey; the secretary's story of the dying man's cry, "The red hand!"; the hidden perils of the study; the wail in the lane-al

ate. Keep your eyes open and be on your guard. I thought I had the start, but he i

left me out in the square, with le

chton had died from natural causes. The intense heat having driven most of the residents out of town, practically I had the sq

was that mysterious personage whom Smith so evidently dreaded, who had attempted his life, who, presumably, had murdered Sir Crichton? Sir Crichton Davey, during the

ed me lightly o

child's. This night's work had imposed a

tively lovely nor of so unusual a type. With the skin of a perfect blonde, she had eyes and lashes as black as a Creole's, which, toget

g a slim hand, with jeweled fingers, confidingly upon my arm, "if I st

idea momentarily possessed me that, were the bloom of her red lips due to art and not to nature, their kiss would leave-though not indelibly-just such a mark as I had seen upon the dead man's

d, acting upon the latter supposition, and seeking

he is

odd

ly. Thinking she was about to swoon, I threw my arm round her shoul

ell, thank yo

alk with you until you fee

ul eyes, and looked away in a sort of sorrowful embarrassment, fo

atter, but-I think I have some information-for the po

hurried away. She had gone no more than ten or twelve yards, and I still was standing bew

a distant corner of the square and towards the house of Major-Gen

l,"-she glanced at me with passionate intentness-"when you have given my mess

r (for her words had aroused anew all my worst suspicions) she had disappeared! I heard the whir of a restarted motor at n

ell me what we must do!" And rapidly

grave; then a grim smi

he said; "but he did not kno

ow this girl!

ous. To our great good fortune, she has formed a sudden predilection, characteristically Oriental, for yourself

id

succeeded

and, with a sudden sense of nausea

on's case? Can you doubt any longer? She d

s horrible business and have not pressed for an explanation, but I mu

y safe here. Oh, you need not fear shots or knives. The man whose serva

ast my ear, missed both Smith and me by a miracle, and, passing over the roof of t

s that?"

that I cannot say. Don't let the man hear. He has noticed nothing. Pull up

erk, and I turned and looked back t

another cab. It is fol

y back and laugh

alive from this business I shall

lled out the dilapidated

f a detective. I am here, Petrie-and I bear credentials from the very highest sources-because, quite by accident, I came upon a clew. Following it up, in the ordinary course of routine, I obtained evidence of the existence and malign

nced back towards

rsonality existing in the known world today. He is a linguist who speaks with almost equal facility in any of the civilized languages, and in most of the barbaric. He is an adept in all the arts and sciences whic

aze me!

ve to Russia's growing peril. He alone knew the truth about Mongolia. Why was Sir Crichton Davey murdered? Because, had the work he was engaged upon ever seen the light it would have shown him to be the only living Englishman who understood the importance of the Tibetan frontiers. I say to you solemnly, Pe

dible! What perverted genius cont

with all the cruel cunning of an entire Eastern race, accumulated in one giant intellect, with all the resources of science past and present, with all the resources, if you will, of a wealthy