and Yard man, whilst Smith
paused, egg-spoon in hand, and fixed his keen eyes upon the speaker.
"The first is this: the headquarters of the Yellow group is no longer in
the East End."

"How can you be sure of that?"

"For two reasons. In the first place, that district must now be too hot
to hold Dr. Fu-Manchu; in the second place, we have just completed a
house-to-house inquiry which has scarcely overlooked a rathole or a rat.
That place where you say Fu-Manchu was visited by some Chinese mandarin;
where you, Mr. Smith," and--glancing in my direction--"you, Doctor, were
confined for a time--"

"Yes?" snapped Smith, attacking his egg.

"Well," continued the inspector, "it is all deserted, now. There is not
the slightest doubt that the Chinaman has fled to some other abode. I am
certain of it. My second piece of news will interest you very much, I am
sure. You were taken to the establishment of the Chinaman, Shen-Yan, by
a certain ex-officer of New York Police--Burke..."

"Good God!" cried Smith, looking up with a start; "I thought they had
him!"

"So did I," replied Weymouth grimly; "but they haven't! He got away in
the confusion following the raid, and has been hiding ever since with a
cousin, a nurseryman out Upminster way..."

"Hiding?" snapped Smith.

"Exactly--hiding. He has been afraid to stir ever since, and has
scarcely shown his nose outside the door. He says he is watched night
and day."

"Then how..."

"He realized that something must be done," continued the inspector,
"and made a break this morning. He is so convinced of this constant
surveillance that he came away secretly, hidden under the boxes of a
market-wagon. He landed at Covent Garden in the early hours of this
morning and came straight away to the Yard."

"What is he afraid of exactly?"

Inspector Weymouth put down his coffee cup and bent forward slightly.

"He knows something," he said in a low voice, "and they are aware that
he knows it!"

"And what is this he knows?"

Nayland Smith stared eagerly at the detective.

"Every man has his price," replied Weymouth with a smile, "and Burke
seems to think that you are a more likely market than the police
authorities."

"I see," snapped Smith. "He wants to see me?"

"He wants you to go and see him," was the reply. "I think he anticipates
that you may make a capture of the person or persons spying upon him."

"Did he give you any particulars?"

"Several. He spoke of a sort of gip