he sacred peacock!"

Dr. Fu-Manchu bent forward until his face was so close to mine that I
could see the innumerable lines which, an intricate network, covered his
yellow skin.

"Speak!" he hissed. "You lift up my heart from a dark pit!"

"I can restore your white peacock," I said; "I and I alone, know where
it is!"--and I strove not to shrink from the face so close to mine.

Upright shot the tall figure; high above his head Fu-Manchu threw
his arms--and a light of exaltation gleamed in the now widely opened,
catlike eyes.

"O god!" he screamed, frenziedly--"O god of the Golden Age! like a
phoenix I arise from the ashes of myself!" He turned to me. "Quick!
Quick! make your bargain! End my suspense!"

Smith stared at me like a man dazed; but, ignoring him, I went on:

"You will release me, now, immediately. In another ten minutes it will
be too late; my friend will remain. One of your--servants--can accompany
me, and give the signal when I return with the peacock. Mr. Nayland
Smith and yourself, or another, will join me at the corner of the street
where the raid took place last night. We shall then give you ten minutes
grace, after which we shall take whatever steps we choose."

"Agreed!" cried Fu-Manchu. "I ask but one thing from an Englishman; your
word of honor?"

"I give it."

"I, also," said Smith, hoarsely.

* * * * *

Ten minutes later, Nayland Smith and I, standing beside the cab, whose
lights gleamed yellowly through the mist, exchanged a struggling,
frightened bird for our lives--capitulated with the enemy of the white
race.

With characteristic audacity--and characteristic trust in the British
sense of honor--Dr. Fu-Manchu came in person with Nayland Smith, in
response to the wailing signal of the dacoit who had accompanied me. No
word was spoken, save that the cabman suppressed a curse of amazement;
and the Chinaman, his sinister servant at his elbow, bowed low--and left
us, surely to the mocking laughter of the gods!

CHAPTER XIV. THE COUGHING HORROR

I leaped up in bed with a great start.

My sleep was troubled often enough in these days, which immediately
followed our almost miraculous escape, from the den of Fu-Manchu; and
now as I crouched there, nerves aquiver--listening--listening--I could
not be sure if this dank panic which possessed me had its origin in
nightmare or in something else.

Surely a scream, a choking cry for help, had re