"On the soft ground under the trees," he said, "I found his tracks right up to the point where—something happened. There were no other fresh tracks for several yards around. He was attacked as he stood close to the trunk of one of the elms. Six or seven feet away I found some other tracks, very much like this."
He marked a series of dots upon the blotting-pad, for this conversation took place during the afternoon.
"Claws!" I cried. "That eerie3 call! like the call of a nighthawk—is it some unknown species of—flying thing?"
"We shall see, shortly; possibly to-night," was his reply. "Since, probably owing to the absence of any moon, a mistake was made"—his jaw4 hardened at the thought of poor Forsyth—"another attempt along the same lines will almost certainly follow—you know Fu-Manchu's system?"
So in the darkness, expectant, we sat watching the group of nine elms. To-night the moon was come, raising her Aladdin's lamp up to the star world and summoning magic shadows into being. By midnight the high-road showed deserted5, the common was a place of mystery; and save for the periodical passage of an electric car, in blazing modernity, this was a fit enough stage for an eerie drama.
[52]
No notice of the tragedy had appeared in print; Nayland Smith was vested with powers to silence the Press. No detectives, no special constables6, were posted. My friend was of opinion that the publicity7 which had been given to the deeds of Dr. Fu-Manchu in the past, together with the sometimes clumsy co-operation of the police, had contributed not a little to the Chinaman's success.
"There is only one thing to fear," he jerked suddenly; "he may not be ready for another attempt to-night."
"Why?"
"Since he has only been in England for a short time, his menagerie of venomous things may be a limited one at present."
Earlier in the evening there had been a brief but violent thunderstorm, with a tropical downpour of rain, and now clouds were scudding8 across the blue of the sky. Through a temporary rift9 in the veiling the crescent of the moon looked down upon us. It had a greenish tint10, and it set me thinking of the filmed, green eyes of Fu-Manchu.
The cloud passed and a lake of silver spread out to the edge of the coppice; where it terminated at a shadow bank.
A lambent light was born in the darkness; it rose slowly, unsteadily, to a great height, and died.
"It's under the trees, Smith!"
But he was already making for the door. Over his shoulder:
"Bring the pistol, Petrie!" he cried; "I have another. Give me at least twenty yards' start or no attempt may be made. But the instant I'm under the trees, join me."
Out of the house we ran, and over on to the common, which latterly had been a pageant-ground for phantom12 warring. The light did not appear again; and as Smith plunged13 off toward the trees, I wondered if he
[53]
knew what uncanny thing was hidden there. I more than suspected that he had solved the mystery.
His instructions to keep well in the rear I understood. Fu-Manchu, or the creature of Fu-Manchu, would attempt nothing in the presence of a witness. But we knew full well that the instrument of death which was hidden in the elm coppice could do its ghastly work and leave no clue, could slay14 and vanish. For had not Forsyth come to a dreadful end while Smith and I were within twenty yards of him?
Not a breeze stirred, as Smith, ahead of me—for I had slowed my pace—came up level with the first tree. The moon sailed clear of the straggling cloud wisps which alone told of the recent storm; and I noted15 that an irregular patch of light lay silvern on the moist ground under the elms where otherwise lay shadow.
He passed on, slowly. I began to run again. Black against the silvern patch, I saw him emerge—and look up.
Uttering a loud cry, he leaped—away from the pool of light.
"Stand back, Petrie!" he screamed. "Back! farther!"
He charged into me, shoulder lowered, and sent me reeling!
Mixed up with his excited cry I had heard a loud splintering and sweeping17 of branches overhead; and now as we staggered into the shadows it seemed that one of the elms was reaching down to touch us! So, at least, the phenomenon presented itself to my mind in that fleeting18 moment while Smith, uttering his warning cry, was hurling19 me back.
Then the truth became apparent.
[54]
The crack of Smith's pistol close beside me completed my confusion of mind.
"Missed!" he yelled. "Shoot it, Petrie! On your left! For God's sake don't miss it!"
I turned. A lithe24 black shape was streaking25 past me. I fired—once—twice. Another frightful26 cry made yet more hideous27 the nocturne.
Nayland Smith was directing the ray of a pocket torch upon the fallen bough.
"Have you killed it, Petrie?" he cried.
"Yes, yes!"
I stood beside him, looking down. From the tangle28 of leaves and twigs29 an evil yellow face looked up at us. The features were contorted with agony, but the malignant30 eyes, wherein light was dying, regarded us with inflexible31 hatred32. The man was pinned beneath the heavy bough; his back was broken; and, as we watched, he expired, frothing slightly at the mouth, and quitted his tenement33 of clay leaving those glassy eyes set hideously34 upon us.
"The pagan gods fight upon our side," said Smith strangely. "Elms have a dangerous habit of shedding boughs35 in still weather—particularly after a storm. Pan, god of the woods, with this one has performed Justice's work of retribution."
"I don't understand. Where was this man—?"
"Up the tree, lying along the bough which fell, Petrie! That is why he left no footmarks. Last night no doubt he made his escape by swinging from bough to bough, ape-fashion, and descending36 to the ground somewhere at the other side of the coppice."
He glanced at me.
"You are wondering, perhaps," he suggested, "what caused the mysterious light? I could have told you this morning, but I fear I was in a bad temper, Petrie. It's very simple; a length of tape soaked in spirit or something of the kind, and shel
[55]
tered from the view of any one watching from your windows, behind the trunk of the tree; then, the end ignited, lowered, still behind the tree, to the ground. The operator swinging it around, the flame ascended37, of course. I found the unburned fragment of the tape used last night, a few yards from here."
I was peering down at Fu-Manchu's servant, the hideous yellow man who lay dead in a bower38 of elm leaves.
"He has some kind of leather bag beside him," I began.
"Exactly!" rapped Smith. "In that he carried his dangerous instrument of death; from that he released it!"
"Released what?"
"What your fascinating friend came to recapture this morning."
"You saw the marks on Forsyth's body, and I told you of those which I had traced upon the ground here. They were caused by claws, Petrie!"
"Claws! I thought so! But what claws?"
"The claws of a poisonous thing. I recaptured the one used last night, killed it—against my will—and buried it on the mound40. I was afraid to throw it in the pond, lest some juvenile41 fisherman should pull it out and sustain a scratch. I don't know how long the claws would remain venomous."
"You are treating me like a child, Smith," I said, slowly. "No doubt I am hopelessly obtuse42, but perhaps you will tell me what this Chinaman carried in a leather bag and released upon Forsyth. It was something which you recaptured, apparently43 with the aid of a plate of cold turbot and a jug44 of milk. It was something, also, which Kâramanèh had been sent to recapture with the aid—"
I stopped.
"Go on," said Nayland Smith, turning the ray
[56]
to the left; "what did she have in the basket?"
"Valerian," I replied mechanically.
The ray rested upon the lithe creature that I had shot down.
It was a black cat!
"A cat will go through fire and water for valerian," said Smith; "but I got first innings this morning with fish and milk! I had recognized the imprints45 under the trees for those of a cat, and I knew that if a cat had been released here it would still be hiding in the neighbourhood, probably in the bushes. I finally located a cat, sure enough, and came for bait! I laid my trap, for the animal was too frightened to be approachable, and then shot it; I had to. That yellow fiend used the light as a decoy. The branch which killed him jutted46 out over the path at a spot where an opening in the foliage47 above allowed some moon rays to penetrate48. Directly the victim stood beneath, the Chinaman uttered his bird-cry; the one below looked up, and the cat, previously49 held silent and helpless in the leather sack, was dropped accurately50 upon his head!"
"But—" I was growing confused.
Smith stooped lower.
"The cat's claws are sheathed51 now," he said; "but if you could examine them you would find that they are coated with a shining black substance. Only Fu-Manchu knows what that substance is, Petrie; but you and I know what it can do!"
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1
confide
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| v.向某人吐露秘密 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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eerie
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| adj.怪诞的；奇异的；可怕的；胆怯的 | |
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4
jaw
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| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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6
constables
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| n.警察( constable的名词复数 ) | |
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7
publicity
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| n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告 | |
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8
scudding
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| n.刮面v.（尤指船、舰或云彩）笔直、高速而平稳地移动( scud的现在分词 ) | |
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rift
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| n.裂口，隙缝，切口；v.裂开，割开，渗入 | |
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10
tint
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| n.淡色，浅色；染发剂；vt.着以淡淡的颜色 | |
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11
hissed
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| 发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对 | |
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12
phantom
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| n.幻影，虚位，幽灵；adj.错觉的，幻影的，幽灵的 | |
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13
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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14
slay
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| v.杀死，宰杀，杀戮 | |
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15
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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17
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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18
fleeting
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| adj.短暂的，飞逝的 | |
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19
hurling
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| n.爱尔兰式曲棍球v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的现在分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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20
appalling
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| adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的 | |
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bough
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| n.大树枝，主枝 | |
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shriek
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| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
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23
groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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24
lithe
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| adj.(指人、身体)柔软的，易弯的 | |
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25
streaking
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| n.裸奔（指在公共场所裸体飞跑）v.快速移动( streak的现在分词 )；使布满条纹 | |
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26
frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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27
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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28
tangle
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| n.纠缠；缠结；混乱；v.(使)缠绕；变乱 | |
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29
twigs
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| 细枝，嫩枝( twig的名词复数 ) | |
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30
malignant
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| adj.恶性的，致命的；恶意的，恶毒的 | |
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31
inflexible
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| adj.不可改变的，不受影响的，不屈服的 | |
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32
hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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33
tenement
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| n.公寓；房屋 | |
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34
hideously
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| adv.可怕地，非常讨厌地 | |
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35
boughs
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| 大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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36
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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37
ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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38
bower
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| n.凉亭，树荫下凉快之处；闺房；v.荫蔽 | |
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39
taunt
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| n.辱骂，嘲弄；v.嘲弄 | |
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40
mound
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| n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫 | |
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41
juvenile
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| n.青少年，少年读物；adj.青少年的，幼稚的 | |
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42
obtuse
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| adj.钝的；愚钝的 | |
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43
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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44
jug
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| n.(有柄，小口，可盛水等的)大壶，罐，盂 | |
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45
imprints
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| n.压印( imprint的名词复数 )；痕迹；持久影响 | |
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46
jutted
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| v.（使）突出( jut的过去式和过去分词 )；伸出；（从…）突出；高出 | |
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47
foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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48
penetrate
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| v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解 | |
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49
previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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50
accurately
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| adv.准确地，精确地 | |
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51
sheathed
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| adj.雕塑像下半身包在鞘中的；覆盖的；铠装的；装鞘了的v.将（刀、剑等）插入鞘( sheathe的过去式和过去分词 )；包，覆盖 | |
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