shall ask you to have a party ready on
Tuesday night in Limehouse Causeway--suitably concealed, of course;
and as I am almost sure that the haunt of Mr. King is actually upon the
riverside (I heard one little river sound as I was coming away) a launch
party might cooperate with you in affecting the raid."

"The raid!" said Dunbar, turning from a point by the window, and looking
back at the Frenchman. "Do you seriously tell me that we are going to
raid Mr. King's on Tuesday night?"

"Most certainly," was the confident reply. "I had hoped to form one
of the raiding party; but nom d'un nom!"--he shrugged, in his graceful
fashion--"I must be one of the rescued!"

"Of the rescued!"

"You see I visited that establishment as a smoker of opium"...

"You took that risk?"

"It was no greater risk than is run by quite a number of people socially
well known in London, my dear Inspector Dunbar! I was introduced by an
habitue and a member of the best society; and since nobody knows that
Gaston Max is in London--that Gaston Max has any business in hand likely
to bring him to London--pardieu, what danger did I incur? But, excepting
the lobby--the cave of the dragon (a stranger apartment even than that
in the Rue St. Claude) and the Chinese cubiculum where I spent the
night--mon dieu! what a night!--I saw nothing of the establishment"...

"But you must know where it is!" cried Dunbar.

"I was driven there in a closed limousine, and driven away in the same
vehicle"...

"You got the number?"

"It was impossible. These are clever people! But it must be a simple
matter, Inspector, to trace a fine car like that which regularly appears
in those east-end streets?"

"Every constable in the division must be acquainted with it," replied
Dunbar, confidently. "I'll know all about that car inside the next
hour!"

"If on Tuesday night you could arrange to have it followed," continued
M. Max, "it would simplify matters. What I have done is this: I have
bought the man, Soames--up to a point. But so deadly is his fear of
the mysterious Mr. King that although he has agreed to assist me in my
plans, he will not consent to divulge an atom of information until the
raid is successfully performed."

"Then for heaven's sake what IS he going to do?"

"Visitors to the establishment (it is managed by a certain Mr. Ho-Pin;
make a note of him, that Ho-Pin) having received the necessary dose of
opium are locked in for the night. On Tuesday, Soames