to be occupied. Most of the occupants were
lying motionless, but one or two were noisily sucking at the
opium-pipes. These had not yet attained to the opium-smokers Nirvana.
So much did Gaston Max, a trained observer, gather in one swift glance.
Then Ah-Fang-Fu, leaving the lantern in the shop, descended the four
steps and crossing the room began to arrange two mats with round
head-cushions near to the empty packing-cases. Stuart and Max remained
by the door.

"You see," whispered Max, "he has taken you on trust! And he did not
appear to recognise me. It is as I thought. The place is 'open to the
public' as usual, and Ah-Fang-Fu does a roaring trade, one would
judge. For the benefit of patrons not affiliated to the order we have
to pretend to smoke."

"Yes," replied Stuart with repressed excitement--"until someone called
Fo-Hi is at home, or visible; the word 'got' may mean either of those
things."

"Fo-Hi," whispered Max, "is 'The Scorpion!'

"I believe you are right," said Stuart--who had good reason to know it.
"My God! what a foul den! The reek is suffocating. Look at that yellow
lifeless face yonder, and see that other fellow whose hand hangs
limply down upon the floor. Those bunks might be occupied by corpses
for all the evidence of life that some of them show."

_"Morbleu!_ do not raise your voice; for some of them are occupied by
'Scorpions.' You noted the words of Ah-Fang? _Ssh!"_

The old Chinaman returned with his curious shuffling walk, raising his
hand to beckon to them.

"Number one piece bunk, lo!" he chattered.

"Good enough," growled Stuart.

The two crossed and reclined upon the uncleanly mats.

"Make special loom," explained Ah-Fang-Fu. "Velly special chop!"

He passed from bunk to bunk, and presently came to a comatose Chinaman
from whose limp hand, which hung down upon the floor, the pipe had
dropped. This pipe Ah-Fang-Fu took from the smoker's fingers and
returning to the box upon which the tin lamp was standing began calmly
to load it.

"Good heavens!" muttered Stuart--"he is short of pipes! Pah! how the
place reeks!"

Ah-Fang-Fu busied himself with a tin of opium, the pipe which he had
taken from the sleeper, and another pipe--apparently the last of his
stock--which lay near the lamp. Igniting the two, he crossed and
handed them to Stuart and Max.

"Velly soon-lo!" he said and made a curious sign, touching his brow,
his lips and his breast in a manner resembling that of a Mosle