For the last few moments he had forgotten our appointed guide and
leader. He had been standing by, a stricken witness, but with a common
impulse the captain and I turned on him, and he started from
contemplation of his handiwork as if he had pulled a secret wire.

"You brought us here," roared Raff, accusing.

"I--I didn't think he was as bad as this."

"Bad! He's crazy as a coot. What were you going to do about it?"

The flurry of our passage had begun to draw in behind us in a back-lash
wave. The house seemed to hum under our feet. A door opened on a gust of
muttering voices. Down by the entrance to the gallery a knot of vague
shadows had gathered. It occurred to me, and time enough you might
suppose, that we were very far from possible aid in a region where
visitors are a poor risk. And suddenly, out of space for all I knew,
appeared a little noiseless silken apparition of a Chinese who regarded
us from twin lenses with a phosphorescent gleam.

It was of a piece with the whole mysterious side of the affair that he
should address Sutton a screed in the vernacular and that the mate
should answer. I was long past wonder--anything might happen now--and I
only noted that our companion could be wheedling and plausible in more
than one language. But Raff seemed curiously put out and broke upon
their chatter.

"Friend of yours?" he rumbled.

Sutton span around nervously.

"He--he says we've got to go away quick. He says we've no business
here."

"Tell him sure thing, soon as we get our friend."

"But he says--he says Chris is his lodger, in a private house, and
mustn't be disturbed."

"Oh, he does, hey? Well, we'll give him a chance to explain to the
police in another minute!"

"That's no good either."

"Does he figger we can't get no police?"

"'Tisn't that, sir. The police couldn't help."

"Why not?"

"Why, it seems he's breaking no law. There's no bar to private smoking.
I've been trying to get around him somehow, but there doesn't seem to be
anything we can do. He says the white man has a right to stay here, and
he has a right to keep him."...

"Keep him! Well, by God!"

"I suppose Chris must have a little money banked somewhere," continued
the mate miserably. "Li Chwan'll never let go of him while it lasts."

"And you mean we got to leave him after all--leave the ol' chief to rot
where he lays?"

"Unless he wants to--to come away of his own motion," stammered Sutton.
"I thought he'd come quite