found knowledge of
chemistry, of which I have had evidence in the past, will enable you to
follow with intelligent interest the action of these violet rays upon
this exceptionally fine specimen of Siberian amanita muscaria. At some
future time, possibly when you are my guest in China--which country I am
now making arrangements for you to visit--I shall discuss with you some
lesser-known properties of this species; and I may say that one of your
first tasks when you commence your duties as assistant in my laboratory
in Kiang-su, will be to conduct a series of twelve experiments, which I
have outlined, into other potentialities of this unique fungus."

He walked quietly to a curtained doorway, with his cat-like yet awkward
gait, lifted the drapery, and, with a slight nod in my direction, went
out of the room.

CHAPTER XX. THE CROSS BAR

How long I lay there alone I had no means of computing. My mind was
busy with many matters, but principally concerned with my fate in the
immediate future. That Dr. Fu-Manchu entertained for me a singular
kind of regard, I had had evidence before. He had formed the erroneous
opinion that I was an advanced scientist who could be of use to him
in his experiments and I was aware that he cherished a project of
transporting me to some place in China where his principal laboratory
was situated. Respecting the means which he proposed to employ, I was
unlikely to forget that this man, who had penetrated further along
certain byways of science than seemed humanly possible, undoubtedly was
master of a process for producing artificial catalepsy. It was my lot,
then, to be packed in a chest (to all intents and purposes a dead man
for the time being) and despatched to the interior of China!

What a fool I had been. To think that I had learned nothing from my long
and dreadful experience of the methods of Dr. Fu-Manchu; to think that I
had come alone in quest of him; that, leaving no trace behind me, I had
deliberately penetrated to his secret abode!

I have said that my wrists were manacled behind me, the manacles being
attached to a chain fastened in the wall. I now contrived, with extreme
difficulty, to reverse the position of my hands; that is to say, I
climbed backward through the loop formed by my fettered arms, so that
instead of their being locked behind me, they now were locked in front.

Then I began to examine the fetters, learning, as I had anticipated,
that they fastened with a lo