A moment he hesitated, peering eagerly along the corridor. The man who waited was Chunda Lal. Stuart approached him and silently placed in his hand the gold amulet3.
Chunda Lal took it as one touching4 something holy, and raising it he kissed it with reverence5. His dark eyes were sorrowful. Long and ardently6 he pressed the little trinket to his lips, then concealed7 it under the white robe which he wore and turned to Stuart. His eyes were sorrowful no more, but fierce as the eyes of a tiger.
"Follow!" he said.
He unlocked a door and stepped out into a neglected garden, Stuart close at his heels. The sky was cloudy, and the moon obscured. Never glancing back, Chunda Lal led the way along a path skirting a high wall upon which climbing fruit trees were growing until they came to a second door and this also the Hindu unlocked. He stood aside.
"To the end of this lane," he said, in his soft queerly modulated8 voice, "and along the turning to the left to the river bank. Follow the bank towards the palace and you will meet them."
"I owe you my life," said Stuart.
"Go! you owe me nothing," returned the Hindu fiercely.
Stuart turned and walked rapidly along the lane. Once he glanced back. Chunda Lal was looking after him … and he detected something that gleamed in his hand, gleamed not like gold but like the blade of a knife!
Turning the corner, Stuart began to run. For he was unarmed and still weak, and there had been that in the fierce black eyes of the Hindu when he had scorned Stuart's thanks which had bred suspicion and distrust.
From the position of the moon, Stuart judged the hour to be something after midnight. No living thing stirred about him. The lane in which now he found himself was skirted on one side by a hedge beyond which was open country and on the other by a continuation of the high wall which evidently enclosed the grounds of the house that he had just quitted. A cool breezed fanned his face, and he knew that he was approaching the Thames. Ten more paces and he came to the bank.
In his weak condition the short run had exhausted9 him. His bruised10 throat was throbbing11 painfully, and he experienced some difficulty in breathing. He leaned up against the moss-grown wall, looking back into the darkness of the lane.
No one was in sight. There was no sound save the gently lapping of the water upon the bank.
He would have like to bathe his throat and to quench12 his feverish13 thirst, but a mingled14 hope and despair spurred him and he set off along the narrow path towards where dimly above some trees he could discern in the distance a group of red-roofed buildings. Having proceeded for a considerable distance, he stood still, listening for any sound that might guide him to the search-party—or warn him that he was followed. But he could hear nothing.
Onward15 he pressed, not daring to think of what the future held for him, not daring to dwell upon the memory, the maddening sweetness, of that parting kiss. His eyes grew misty16, he stumbled as he walked, and became oblivious17 of his surrounding. His awakening18 was a rude one.
Suddenly a man, concealed behind a bush, sprang out upon him and bore him irresistibly19 to the ground!
"Not a word!" rapped his assailant, "or I'll knock you out!"
Stuart glared into the red face lowered so threateningly over his own, and:
The grip upon his shoulders relaxed.
"Damn!" cried Sowerby—"if it isn't Dr. Stuart?"
"What is that!" cried another voice from the shelter of the bush. "Pardieu! say it again! … Dr. Stuart!"
And Gaston Max sprang out!
"Max!" murmured Stuart, staggering to his feet—"Max!"
"Nom d'un nom! Two dead men meet!" exclaimed Gaston Max. "But indeed"—he grasped Stuart by both hands and his voice shook with emotion—"I thank God that I see you!"
Stuart was dazed. Words failed him, and he swayed dizzily.
"I thought you were murdered," said Max, still grasping his hand, "and I perceive that you had made the same mistake about me! Do you know what saved me, my friend, from the consequences of that frightful22 blow? It was the bandage of 'Le Balafre'!"
"I believe I have a skull like a baboon24!" returned Max, laughing with joyous25 excitement. "And you, doctor, you must possess a steel wind-pipe; for flesh and blood could never have survived the pressure of that horrible pigtail. You will rejoice to learn that Miguel was arrested on the Dover boat-train this morning and Ah-Fang-Fu at Tilbury Dock some four hours ago. So we are both avenged26! But we waste time!"
"A terrible experience has befallen you," he said. "But tell me—do you know where it is—the lair28 of 'The Scorpion29'?"
"I do!" replied Stuart, having taken a welcome draught30 from the flask. "Where is Dunbar? We must carefully surround the place or he will elude31 us."
"Ah! as he eluded32 us at 'The Pidgin House'!" cried Max. "Do you know what happened? They had a motorboat in the very cellar of that warren. At high tide they could creep out into the cutting, drawing their craft along from pile to pile, and reach the open river at a point fifty yards above the house! In the damnable darkness they escaped. But we have two of them."
"It was all my fault," said Sowerby guiltily. "I missed my spring when I went for the Chinaman who came out first, and he gave one yell. The old fox in the shop heard it and the fat was in the fire."
"You didn't miss your spring at me!" retort Stuart ruefully.
"No," agreed Sowerby. "I didn't mean to miss a second time!"
"What's all this row," came a gruff voice.
Dunbar walked up the path, followed by a number of men. At first he did not observe Stuart, and:
"You'll be waking all the neighborhood," he said. "It's the next big house, Sowerby, the one we thought, surrounded by the brick wall. There's no doubt, I think … Why!"
He had seen Stuart, and he sprang forward with outstretched hand.
"Thank God!" he cried, disregarding his own counsel about creating a disturbance34. "This is fine! Eh, man! but I'm glad to see you!"
"And I am glad to be here!" Stuart assured him.
They shook hands warmly.
"You have read my statement, of course?" asked Stuart.
"I have," replied the Inspector, and gave him a swift glance of the tawny35 eyes. "And considering that you've nearly been strangled, I'll forgive you! But I wish we'd known about this house——"
"Ah! Inspector," interrupted Gaston Max, "but you have never seen
Zara el-Khala! I have seen her—and I forgive him, also!"
Stuart continued rapidly:
"We have little time to waste. There are only three people in the house, so far as I am aware: Miska—known to you, M. Max, as Zara el-Khala—the Hindu, Chunda Lal, and—Fo-Hi——"
"Ah!" cried Max—"'The Scorpion.' Chunda Lal, for some obscure personal reason, not entirely36 unconnected with Miska, enabled me to make my escape in order that I might lead you to the house. Therefore we may look upon Chunda Lal, as well as Miska, in the light of an accomplice——"
"Eh, bien! a spy in the camp! This is where we see how fatal to the success of any enterprise, criminal or otherwise, is the presence of a pretty woman! Proceed, my friend!"
"There are three entrances to the apartment in which Fo-Hi apparently37 spends the greater part of his time. Two of these I know, although I am unaware38 where one of them leads to. But the third, of which he alone holds the key, communicates with a tunnel leading to the river bank, where a motorboat is concealed."
"Ah, that motor-boat!" cried Max. "He travels at night, you understand——"
"Always, I am told."
"Yes, always. Therefore, once he is out on the river, he is moderately secure between the first lock and the Nore! When a police patrol is near he can shut off his engine and lie under the bank. Last night he crept away from us in that fashion. Tonight is not so dark, and the River Police are watching all the way down."
"Furthermore," replied Stuart, "Chunda Lal, who acts as engineer, has it in his power to prevent Fo-Hi's escape by that route! But we must count upon the possibility of his attempting to leave by water. Therefore, in disposing your forces, place a certain number of men along the bank and below the house. Is there a River Police boat near?"
"Not nearer than Putney Bridge," answered Dunbar. "We shall have to try and block that exit."
"There's no time to waste," continued Stuart excitedly—"and I have a very particular request to make: that you will take Fo-Hi alive."
"But of course," said Gaston Max, "if it is humanly possible."
Stuart repressed a groan39; for even so he had little hope of inducing the awful veiled man to give back life to the woman who would have been instrumental in bringing him to the scaffold … and no compromise was possible!
"If you will muster40 your men, Inspector," he said, "I will lead you to the spot. Once we have affected41 an entrance we must proceed with dispatch. He has alarm-bells connected with every possible point of entry."
"Lead on, my friend," cried Gaston Max. "I perceive that time is precious."
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1
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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amulet
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| n.护身符 | |
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touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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reverence
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| n.敬畏，尊敬，尊严；Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称；v.尊敬，敬畏，崇敬 | |
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ardently
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| adv.热心地，热烈地 | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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8
modulated
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| 已调整[制]的，被调的 | |
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9
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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10
bruised
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| [医]青肿的，瘀紫的 | |
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throbbing
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| a. 跳动的,悸动的 | |
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12
quench
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| vt.熄灭，扑灭；压制 | |
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feverish
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| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 | |
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14
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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15
onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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16
misty
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| adj.雾蒙蒙的，有雾的 | |
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oblivious
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| adj.易忘的，遗忘的，忘却的，健忘的 | |
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18
awakening
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| n.觉醒，醒悟 adj.觉醒中的；唤醒的 | |
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irresistibly
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| adv.无法抵抗地，不能自持地；极为诱惑人地 | |
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20
sergeant
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| n.警官，中士 | |
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gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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22
frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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23
skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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24
baboon
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| n.狒狒 | |
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25
joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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avenged
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| v.为…复仇，报…之仇( avenge的过去式和过去分词 )；为…报复 | |
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flask
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| n.瓶，火药筒，砂箱 | |
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28
lair
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| n.野兽的巢穴；躲藏处 | |
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29
scorpion
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| n.蝎子，心黑的人，蝎子鞭 | |
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30
draught
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| n.拉，牵引，拖；一网（饮，吸，阵)；顿服药量，通风；v.起草，设计 | |
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31
elude
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| v.躲避，困惑 | |
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32
eluded
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| v.（尤指机敏地）避开( elude的过去式和过去分词 )；逃避；躲避；使达不到 | |
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33
inspector
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| n.检查员，监察员，视察员 | |
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34
disturbance
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| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
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35
tawny
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| adj.茶色的，黄褐色的；n.黄褐色 | |
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36
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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37
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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38
unaware
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| a.不知道的，未意识到的 | |
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39
groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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40
muster
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| v.集合，收集，鼓起，激起；n.集合，检阅，集合人员，点名册 | |
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41
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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