thing more, he glided out and resumed his
snake-like journey toward the door of 316.

This time he did not go far, for suddenly looming from dark doorways
four huge forms sprang at him. Johnny understood it all in a moment. The
note was but a trick. They had not intended to trust him to leave the
diamonds. They did not live at 316 at all. They merely had meant to
draw him to this dark alley, then to "get" him. Well, they would find
him a tough nut to crack!

His right shot out, and a heavy bulk crashed to the pavement. His left
swung and missed. A wild creature sprang at his throat. Johnny's mind
worked like lightning. Four were too many. They would get him. He must
have help. The cat cry of the underworld! He had known that cry two
years before. He had many friends who would answer it. They had
introduced themselves at his boxing bouts. They had liked him because he
played a fair game and "packed a winning wallop." If any of them were
near they would come to his aid.

Drawing a long breath, he let forth a piercing scream that rose and fell
like the wail of a fire siren. At the same time he jabbed fiercely with
his right. The man collapsed, but at that instant a third man struck
Johnny on the head and, all but unconscious, he reeled and fell to the
ground.

Faintly as in a dream, he heard guttural murmurs. He felt the buttons
give as his coat was torn open. Then there came the ringing report of a
shot from the distance.

"Da bolice!" came in a guttural mutter.

* * * * *

The reason Hanada would not meet Johnny on this particular night was
that he had a pressing engagement with other persons. Just at seven
o'clock he might have been seen emerging from an obscure street. He
hailed a taxi-cab and getting in, drove due north across the river and
straight on until, with a sharp turn to the right, he drove two blocks
toward the lake, only to turn again to the right and cross the river
again. He had gone south several blocks when suddenly signaling the
driver to stop, he handed him a five-dollar bill and darted into the
welcoming portals of a vast hotel.

The next moment he was crossing marble floors to enter a heavily
carpeted parlor. This, too, he crossed. Then the walls of the room
seemed to swallow him up.

In a small, dimly lighted anteroom his coat and hat were taken by a
servant. He then stepped into a room where a round table was spread with
spotless linen and rare silver. Th