nt way,
did not suggest the movements of these familiar rodents.

Even as he perceived it, it ceased, leaving him wondering, and
uncomfortably conscious of a sudden dread of his surroundings. He
wondered in what part of this mysterious house Lala resided, and
recognizing that his departure must leave traces, he determined to
prosecute his inquiries as far as possible, since another opportunity
might not arise.

He was baffled but still hopeful. Something there was in the smell of
the place which threatened to unnerve him; or perhaps in its silence,
which remained quite unbroken save when, by acute listening, one
detected the dripping of water.

That unexplained scuffling sound, too, which he had failed to trace
or identify, lingered in his memory insistently, and for some reason
contained the elements of fear.

He crossed the room and began softly to mount the stair. It creaked only
slightly, and the door at the top proved to be ajar. He peeped in, to
find the place empty. It was a typical Chinese apartment, containing
very little furniture, the raised desk being the most noticeable item,
except for a small shrine which faced it on the other side of the room.

He mounted the steps to the desk and inspected a number of loose papers
which lay upon it. Without exception they were written in Chinese.
A sort of large, dull white blotting-pad lay upon the table, but its
surface was smooth and glossy.

Over it was suspended what looked like a lampshade, but on inspection it
proved to contain no lamp, but to communicate, by a sort of funnel, with
the ceiling above.

At this contrivance Durham stared long and curiously, but without coming
to any conclusion respecting its purpose. He might have investigated
further, but he became aware of a dull and regular sound in the room
behind him.

He turned in a flash, staring in the direction of two curtains draped
before what he supposed to be a door.

On tiptoe he crossed and gently drew the curtains aside.

He looked into a small, cell-like room, lighted by one window, where
upon a low bed Huang Chow lay sleeping peacefully!

Durham almost held his breath; then, withdrawing as quietly as he had
approached, he descended the stair. At the foot his attention was again
arrested by the faint scuffling sound. It ceased as suddenly as it
had begun, leaving him wondering and conscious anew of a chill of
apprehension.

He had already made his plans for departure, but knew that t