to know youse, cull!" he exclaimed. "Wot's de lay?"

Jimmie Dale smiled.

"Nix!" said Jimmie Dale. "I just blew in from Chicago. Used to know de
Wowzer dere. He said dis place was on de level, an' I could always find
him here, dat's all."

"Sure, youse can!" returned the barkeeper heartily. "Only he ain't here
now. He beat it about fifteen minutes ago, him an' Dago Jim. I guess
youse'll find him at Chang's, I heard him an' Dago say dey was goin'
dere. Know de place?"

Jimmie Dale shook his head.

"I ain't much wise to New York," he explained.

"Aw, dat's easy," whispered the barkeeper. "Go down to Chatham Square,
an' den any guy'll show youse Chang Foo's." He winked confidentially. "I
guess youse won't bump yer head none gettin' around inside."

Jimmie Dale nodded, grinned back, emptied his glass, and dug for a coin.

"Forget it!" observed the barkeeper cordially. "Dis is on me. Any friend
of de Wowzer's gets de glad hand here any time."

"T'anks!" said Jimmie Dale gratefully, as he turned away. "So long,
then--see youse later."

Chang Foo's! Jimmie Dale's face set even a little harder than it
had before, as he swung on again down the Bowery. Yes; he knew Chang
Foo's--too well. Underground Chinatown--where a man's life was worth the
price of an opium pill--or less! Mechanically his hand slipped into his
pocket and closed over the automatic that nestled there. Once in--where
he had to go--and the chances were even, just even, that was all, that
he would ever get out. Again he was tempted to return to the Sanctuary
and make the attempt as Larry the Bat. Larry the Bat was well enough
known to enter Chang Foo's unquestioned, and--but again he shook his
head and went on. There was not time. The Wowzer and his pal--it was
Dago Jim it seemed--had evidently been drinking and loitering their way
downtown from the theatre, and he had gained that much on them; but
by now they would be smugly tucked away somewhere in that maze of dens
below the ground, and at that moment probably were gloating over the
biggest night's haul they had ever made in their lives!

And if they were! What then? Once they knew the contents of that
letter--what then? Buy them off for a larger amount than the many
thousands offered for the capture of the Gray Seal? Jimmie Dale gritted
his teeth. That meant blackmail from them all his life, an intolerable
existence, impossible, a hell on earth--the slave, at the beck and call
of two of the worst