d his wrists chained to a stout iron
staple attached to the wall; he was fully conscious and staring intently
at the Chinese doctor. His bare ankles also were manacled, and fixed to
a second chain, which quivered tautly across the green carpet and passed
out through the doorway, being attached to something beyond the curtain,
and invisible to me from where I sat.

Fu-Manchu was now silent. I could hear Smith's heavy breathing and hear
my watch ticking in my pocket. I suddenly realized that although my
body was lashed to the ebony chair, my hands and arms were free. Next,
looking dazedly about me, my attention was drawn to a heavy sword which
stood hilt upward against the wall within reach of my hand. It was a
magnificent piece, of Japanese workmanship; a long, curved Damascened
blade having a double-handed hilt of steel, inlaid with gold, and
resembling fine Kuft work. A host of possibilities swept through my
mind. Then I perceived that the sword was attached to the wall by a thin
steel chain some five feet in length.

"Even if you had the dexterity of a Mexican knife-thrower," came the
guttural voice of Fu-Manchu, "you would be unable to reach me, dear Dr.
Petrie."

The Chinaman had read my thoughts.

Smith turned his eyes upon me momentarily, only to look away again in
the direction of Fu-Manchu. My friend's face was slightly pale beneath
the tan, and his jaw muscles stood out with unusual prominence. By this
fact alone did he reveal his knowledge that he lay at the mercy of
this enemy of the white race, of this inhuman being who himself knew
no mercy, of this man whose very genius was inspired by the cool,
calculated cruelty of his race, of that race which to this day disposes
of hundreds, nay! thousands, of its unwanted girl-children by the simple
measure of throwing them down a well specially dedicated to the purpose.

"The weapon near your hand," continued the Chinaman, imperturbably, "is
a product of the civilization of our near neighbors, the Japanese, a
race to whose courage I prostrate myself in meekness. It is the sword
of a samurai, Dr. Petrie. It is of very great age, and was, until an
unfortunate misunderstanding with myself led to the extinction of the
family, a treasured possession of a noble Japanese house..."

The soft voice, into which an occasional sibilance crept, but which
never rose above a cool monotone, gradually was lashing me into fury,
and I could see the muscles moving in Smith's jaws