and thieve--and are capable of the most
daring theft. I've known them steal a whole lot of furniture out of a
sitting-room, a man's evening clothes out of his dressing-room--not
forgetting his gold watch and chain and even tooth-brush and tumbler.
Once they actually had the cheek to take a pony belonging to the Chief
Inspector of Police and sell him over at Moulmein. The small fry take
taps, pipes, bits of zinc roofing, rope--anything that will bring in a
few annas."

"What about your cousin? Tell me more."

"Not much more to tell. He is in the mortuary and, of course, there
has been the usual inquest; he will be buried this evening, quite late;
FitzGerald and I are going to the funeral."

"I'll come, too, if I may."

"All right, do. Our padre is a brick--he is having a quiet service in
the cemetery at ten o'clock; there is a good moon. If it had been a
public, daylight affair, lots of questions would have to be asked--and
answered."

At ten o'clock the three Englishmen and the chaplain stood round the
grave of a man who, within the last few hours, had arrived at the end
of a wasted life--a victim to the drug that deals misery and
destruction. As the three chums walked away to where their horses
awaited them, Roscoe said:

"My cousin Richard, although he looked any age under eighty, was only
thirty-five--two years younger than myself."

"Look here, Joe," said FitzGerald, "your cousin was murdered for giving
me information. He knew the risk he was running, he knew that there
are eyes and ears all over the place, and the chances were ninety to
one he would be put out of the way--he hinted as much in his letter.
Now then, I'm going to put my back into the business, and if I don't
find out something about this cocaine smuggling, I'll--I'll----" he
reflected for a moment and added abruptly, "never go to another dance!
It's a syndicate who had this crime carried out; they have their hired
assassins like the 'Black Hand' in Sicily. Some of the crew are bound
to be in Rangoon, for Roscoe's sentence and execution took place within
a few hours. Now it is my aim and intention to discover who they
are--and to carry war into the enemy's quarter."

"Well, Fitz," said Roscoe, "I know how you love adventure--and the
smoke of battle, and I feel fairly confident that you will do your best
and, let us hope, storm and shatter the cocaine stronghold."

CHAPTER XXVI

FITZGERALD IMPARTS INFORMATION

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