eady to receive him. But the artist within him demanded that he should
unmask the mystery with his own hands.

Moreover, he doubted that an official visit, even now, would yield any
results. Old Huang Chow was too cunning for that. If he was to learn how
the man Cohen had died, he must follow the same path to the bitter end.
But there were men on duty round the house, and he believed that he had
placed them so secretly as to deceive even this master of cunning with
whom he was dealing.

He repeated his exploit, dropping with a dull thud upon the cushioned
divan. Then, having lain there listening awhile, he pressed the button
of his torch, and, standing up, crept across the room in the direction
of the stairway.

Here he paused awhile, listening intently. The image of Lala Huang arose
before his mind's eye reproachfully, but he crushed the reproach, and
advanced until he stood beside the lacquered coffin.

He remembered where the key was hidden, and, stooping, he fumbled for a
while and then found it. He was acutely conscious of an unnameable fear.
He felt that he was watched, and yet was unwilling to believe it. The
musty and unpleasant smell which he had noticed before became extremely
perceptible.

He quietly sought for the hidden lock, and, presently finding it,
inserted the key, then paused awhile. He rested his torch upon the
cushions of the divan where the light shone directly upon the coffin.
Then, having his automatic in his left hand, he turned the key.

He had expected now to be able to raise the lid as he had seen Huang
Chow do; but the result was far more surprising.

The lid, together with a second framework of fine netting, flew open
with a resounding bang; and from the interior of the coffin uprose a
most abominable stench.

Durham started back a step, and as he did so witnessed a sight which
turned him sick with horror.

Out on to the edge of the coffin leapt the most gigantic spider which
he had ever seen in his life! It had a body as big as a man's fist, jet
black, with hairy legs like the legs of a crab and a span of a foot or
more!

A moment it poised there, while he swayed, sick with horror. Then,
unhesitatingly, it leapt for his face!

He groaned and fired, missed the horror, but diverted its leap, so that
it fell with a sickening thud a yard behind him. He turned, staggering
back towards the stair, and aware that a light had shone out from
somewhere.

A door had been opened only a