llar, and shone the light of an electric torch
fully into his face.

"Hell!" he snapped. "The smart from Spinker's!"

The ray of the torch lighted up the mean, pinched face of Brisley,
blanched now by fright, gleamed upon the sharp, hooked nose and into the
cunning little brown eyes. Brisley licked his lips. In Kerry's muscular
grip he bore quite a remarkable resemblance to a rat in the jaws of a
terrier.

"Ho, ho!" continued the Chief Inspector, showing his teeth savagely. "So
we let Scotland Yard make the pie, and then we steal all the plums, do
we?"

He shook the frightened man until Brisley's broad-brimmed bowler was
shaken off, revealing the receding brow and scanty neutral-colored hair.

"We let Scotland Yard work night and day, and then we present our
rat-faced selves to Mr. Monte Irvin and say we have 'found the lady' do
we?" Another vigorous shake followed. "We track Chief Inspectors of
the Criminal Investigation Department, do we? We do, eh? We are dirty,
skulking mongrels, aren't we? We require to be kicked from Limehouse to
Paradise, don't we?" He suddenly released Brisley. "So we shall be!" he
shouted furiously.

Hot upon the promise came the deed.

Brisley sent up a howl of pain as Kerry's right brogue came into violent
contact with his person. The assault almost lifted him off his feet, and
hatless as he was he set off, running as a man runs whose life depends
upon his speed. The sound of his pattering footsteps was echoed from
wall to wall of the cul-de-sac until finally it was swallowed up in the
fog.

Kerry stood listening for some moments, then, directing a furious kick
upon the bowler which lay at his feet, he snapped off the light of
the torch and pursued his way. The lesser mystery was solved, but the
greater was before him.

He had made a careful study of the geography of the neighborhood, and
although the fog was still dense enough to be confusing, he found his
way without much difficulty to the street for which he was bound.
Some fifteen paces along the narrow thoroughfare he came upon someone
standing by a closed door set in a high brick wall. The street contained
no dwelling houses, and except for the solitary figure by the door was
deserted and silent. Kerry took out his torch and shone a white ring
upon the smiling countenance of Detective-Sergeant Coombes.

"If that smile gets any worse," he said irritably, "they'll have to move
your ears back. Anything to report?"

"Sin Sin