* * * *

Chinatown at midnight. Dark and narrow streets; fat, round paper
lanterns here and there above dim doorways; silent forms,
soft-shuffling, warily alert.

"Wait one minee," said Po Lun. "I find 'em door."

Following the Chinaman were Captain Lees, with his half a dozen "plain
clothes men," Benito, Robert and the mail inspector. Presently Po spoke
again. "Jus' alound co'ne'" (corner), he whispered. "Me go ahead. Plitty
soon you come. You hea' me makem noise ... allee same cat."

Lees descried him as he paused before a dimly lighted door. Evidently he
was challenged; gave a countersign. For the door swung back. Po Lun
passed through. Nothing happened for a time. Then a piercing feline wail
stabbed through the night.

"M-i-i-a-o-w-r-r-r!"

Lees sprang forward, pressed his weight against the partly-open portal;
flashed his dark lantern on two figures struggling violently. His hand
fell on the collar of Po Lun's antagonist; a policeman's "billy" cracked
upon his skull. "Tie and gag him," said the captain. "Leave a man on
guard.... The rest of you come on."

Po Lun leading, they went, single file through utter blackness. Now and
then the white disc of Lees' lantern, now in Po Lun's hand, gleamed like
a guiding will-o-wisp upon the tortuous path.

Suddenly Benito felt the presence of new personalities. They seemed to
be in a room with other people. Several dark lamps flashed at Po Lun's
signal. They revealed a room sumptuously furnished. Teakwood chairs,
with red embroidered backs and cushions, stood about the walls. Handsome
gilded grillwork screened a boudoir worthy of a queen. Clad in the
laciest of robes de chambre, a dark-skinned woman sat on the edge of a
canopied bed. She was past her first youth, but still of remarkable
beauty. At the foot of the bed stood McTurpin--pale ghost of his former
self. He looked like a cornered rat ... and quite as dangerous. Two
Chinese were crouched against a lacquered screen.

"What do you want?" asked the woman, her voice shrill with anger.

"Take your hand out from under that pillow!" ordered Lees. "No nonsense,
Smiling Rose."

Reluctantly the ringed and tapered fingers that had clutched apparently
a hidden weapon came into view. "Light the lamps," said Lees, and one of
his men performed this office.

"That's the woman, father," spoke young Robert, unexpectedly.

"Put the bracelets on her," ordered Lees, "and search the place." A man
steppe