ou, Freddy," he replied; "I've had my eye on you!"

"Oh, have you?" murmured the other. "But tell me what you mean!"

Beneath his suave manner lay a threat, and, indeed, Freddy Cohen, known
to his associates as "Diamond Fred," was in many ways a formidable
personality. He had brought to his chosen profession of crook a
first-rate American training, together with all that mental agility and
cleverness which belong to his race, and was at once an object of envy
and admiration amongst the fraternity which keeps Scotland Yard busy.

Jim Poland, physically a more dangerous character, was not in the same
class with him; but he was not without brains of a sort, and Cohen,
although smiling agreeably, waited with some anxiety for his reply.

"I mean," growled Poland, "that you're not wasting your time with Lala
Huang for nothing."

"Perhaps not," returned Cohen lightly. "She's a pretty girl; but what
business is it of yours?"

"None at all. I ain't interested in 'er good looks; neither are you."

Cohen shrugged and raised his glass again.

"Come on," growled Poland, leaning across the table. "I know, and I'm in
on it. D'ye hear me? I'm in on it. These are hard times, and we've got
to stick together."

"Oh," said Cohen, "that's the game, is it?"

"That's the game right enough. You won't go wrong if you bring me in,
even at fifty-fifty, because maybe I know things about old Huang that
you don't know."

The Jew's expression changed subtly, and beneath his drooping lids he
glanced aside at the speaker. Then:

"It's no promise," he said, "but what do you know?"

Poland bent farther over the table.

"Chinatown's being watched again. I heard this morning that Red Kerry
was down here."

Cohen laughed.

"Red Kerry!" he echoed. "Red Kerry means nothing in my young life, Jim."

"Don't 'e?" returned Jim, snarling viciously. "The way he cleaned up
that dope crowd awhile back seemed to show he was no jug, didn't it?"

The Jew made a facial gesture as if to dismiss the subject.

"All right," continued Poland. "Think that way if you like. But the
patrols have been doubled. I suppose you know that? And it's a cert
there are special men on duty, ever since the death of that Chink."

Cohen shifted uneasily, glancing about him in a furtive fashion.

"See what I mean?" continued the other. "Chinatown ain't healthy just
now."

He finished his whisky at a draught, and, standing up, lurched heavily
across to the counter. He r