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