The Hand Of Fu-Manchu Being a New Phase in the Activities of Fu-Manchu, the Devil Doctor
t. The entrance, as you'll see, is a long, narrow rat-hole of a street running at right angles to the Thames. There's no poin
to set out. I had taken Smith's place in the night's program; for, every possible source of information having been tapped in vain, I now hop
in his make-up as a sort of half-caste sailo
the street and we can slip through and show a light there, to let you know we've arrived. You reply in the same way. If there's any trouble
efore it was adopted, and five minutes later a taxi-cab swung out of the Yard cont
s absent now. I bore with me a gnawing anxiety and sorrow that precluded all conversat
r Ryman, an old acquaintance, awaiting us.
t at the breakwater,"
nd staring
laughed
n't recognize Dr.
d never have known you in a month of Bank holidays! What's afoot,
anchu business
s always a mystery to me; never a word in the papers; and we as much in the da
uth n
appears that Fu-Manchu, for all his genius-and there's no denying he
histled
ead of affairs
against what is k
the inevitable, una
s the S
was not mirthful. Inspect
ith could tell you that
got him
m!" cri
hed! And Fletcher here
ome way connected
ed-impatien
are wasting precious time-and you know what that may mean." I turned t
ed, "and we shall have to walk the rest. Patron
ff," I said, and
d after me, "and don't venture into the
moment later we were both in the cab and off into a
ngings for Southern skies; and when, discharging the cabman, we set out afoot along a muddy and ill-lighted thoroughfare bordered on either side by high bri
d boomed. River sounds there were, too, for we were close beside the Thames, that gray old stream whi
king in upon my reflections. "You'll notice a faint light; it'
of a dilapidated gateway beside whic
slip throug
ad enabled him to force, and found myself looking under a low arch, with the
er. "It's only a few paces
g a box of matche
mp," I said. "It will s
n. "Show a light down here,
river, but through it, as through a dirty gauze curtain, it was possible to discern some of the greater lights on the opposi
aid Fletcher, shivering slightly
the Surrey shore. The tide lapped upon the timbers supporting the wharf and little whispers and gurgling
aking his gaze from the darkness under the distant shore
of the murky darkness into which we were peering, looked a little eye of light-on
er," said Fletcher; "they ar
e had found them. Into the uninviting little alley immediately opposite we plunged, and where the faint ye
f you do, mumble any old jargon in any langua
e than twelve feet square and very low ceiled, smelling strongly of paraffin oil. The few items of furniture which it contained were
ed ideas of the place for which we were bound. I was about to speak when Fletcher nip
hinaman, and judging from what I could see of him, a very old Chinaman, his bent figure attired in a blu
-and, pulling me with him, he
e, the Chinaman lifted the lamp and
turbed me now, as I found myself thus scrutinized by those cunning old eyes lo
harlie?" he squeaked i
lied Fletcher briefly. "Goo
tcher's explanation respecting me, together had proved satisfactory; for the lamp was replaced upon the lid o
aintly as I stumbled downw
facing us stood a duplicate of the lamp upon the box upstairs. Evidently this was designed to indicate the portals of the Joy-Shop, for Fletcher pushed open the
ed with the marks of countless wet glasses, were ranged about the place, café fashion; and many of these tables accommodated groups, of nondescript nationality for the most part. One or two there were in a distant corner w
to attract the slightest attention. Through an opening on the right-hand side of the room, near the top, I looked into a smaller apartment, occupied exclusively by Chines
he whispere
and corner of the principal room. The atmosphere of the latter was sufficiently abominable; indeed, the stench was appalling; but a wave of choking vapor met me as I paused for a
ing around at the sordid scene, filled with a bitter sense of my own impotency to aid my missing friend, when that occurred wh
ou," he whispered. "Be caut
Romance
Romance
Romance
Billionaires
Billionaires
Romance