h
was being subjected. The dacoit had disappeared, and Fu-Manchu
placidly was watching the four lean and hideous animals in the cage.
As I also turned my eyes in that direction, the rats overcame their
temporary fear, and began....

"You have been good enough to notice," said the Chinaman, his voice
still sunk in that sibilant whisper, "my partiality for dumb allies.
You have met my scorpions, my death-adders, my baboon-man. The uses of
such a playful little animal as a marmoset have never been fully
appreciated before, I think, but to an indiscretion of this last-named
pet of mine I seem to remember that you owed something in the past,
Dr. Petrie...."

Nayland Smith stifled a deep groan. One rapid glance I ventured at his
face. It was a greyish hue now, and dank with perspiration. His gaze
met mine.

The rats had almost ceased squealing.

"Much depends upon yourself, doctor," continued Fu-Manchu, slightly
raising his voice. "I credit Mr. Commissioner Nayland Smith with
courage high enough to sustain the raising of all the gates; but I
estimate the strength of your friendship highly, also, and predict
that you will use the sword of the _samurai_ certainly not later than
the time when I shall raise the third gate...."

A low shuddering sound, which I cannot hope to describe, but alas! can
never forget, broke from the lips of the tortured man.

"In China," resumed Fu-Manchu, "we call this quaint fancy the Six
Gates of Joyful Wisdom. The first gate, by which the rats are
admitted, is called the Gate of Joyous Hope; the second, the Gate of
Mirthful Doubt. The third gate is poetically named the Gate of True
Rapture, and the fourth, the Gate of Gentle Sorrow. I once was
honoured in the friendship of an exalted mandarin who sustained the
course of Joyful Wisdom to the raising of the fifth gate (called the
Gate of Sweet Desires) and the admission of the twentieth rat. I
esteem him almost equally with my ancestors. The sixth, or Gate
Celestial--whereby a man enters into the Joy of Complete
Understanding--I have dispensed with, here, substituting a Japanese
fancy of an antiquity nearly as great and honourable. The introduction
of this element of speculation I count a happy thought, and
accordingly take pride to myself."

"The sword, Petrie!" whispered Smith. I should not have recognized his
voice, but he spoke quite evenly and steadily. "I rely upon you, old
man, to spare me the humiliation of asking mercy from that yel