Guy Boothby

“ Can it be possible that you think so little of me as to dare to pit your wits against mine? You fool! When you get out of my sight go down on your knees and thank Providence that I haven't killed you at once for your presumption. ”

“ I answered truthfully. “I have the most implicit confidence in you.”
“I am glad to hear it,” said Nikola, “for you will want it all. Now let us rest for a while. At five o'clock we must begin to dress; at six I have to see that Edgehill starts off for Tientsin.”
Without more ado therefore we procured blankets and stretched ourselves out upon the floor. In less than five minutes I was asleep, dreaming that I was helping the priest of Hankow to abduct Nikola from the Llamaserai, where he had gone to deposit the stick that Wetherell had given him. ”

“ The avaricious old man swallowed the bait only too readily, and when he had digested the letters which the astute Chung read him from time to time, and which were supposed to have been written by his cousin Quong-Ta, from Tsan-Chu, he was as good as caught.
“'After eight days of continuous travelling the company arrived at the entrance to the canal. Eastover and I had left Tientsin by this time and had travelled post haste down to meet them. Once they were fairly installed at the principal inn Chung Yein came to see me. ”

“ Chung Yein I have rewarded with 2000 dollars, and he is now on his way, as fast as he can travel, to Hong-Kong. He intends, I believe, to make for Singapore, where he will reside till all chance of trouble has blown over. I have taken the precaution to register his address in case we should require his services again. Should you desire to see either Mr. Eastover or myself, we will remain in Tientsin for a fortnight longer. After that Eastover purposes crossing to Japan, while I return to Hong-Kong. ”

“ The bar, as doubtless you are aware, is exceedingly difficult to negotiate.
“'As soon as we had handed over the man to the skipper of the boat we returned to the shore. An hour later the junk set sail, and by the time you receive this letter the high priest of Hankow will in all probability be somewhere among the pirates of Along Bay. As his captors on board the junk have no respect for his creed, and he has no money upon his person to bribe them to set him ashore again, I think he will find it difficult to get back to the mainland. ”

“ I said warmly.
“Not at all,” he answered. “I am under a great obligation to you, and besides, there can be no question of trouble between two men situated as we are. But now let us hasten along as quickly as we can. I have a lot to talk to you about, and we have many preparations to make before to-morrow morning.”
“But where are we going? This is not the way back to the house in which I was taken ill.”
“Of course not,” said Nikola. “We're going to another place—the property of an Englishman of my acquaintance. ”

“ In reply Nikola stooped down and picked up from the floor two small stubs. On examination I discovered that they were the remains of two Chinese cigarettes. When I had examined them he went across the room to a small curtained shelf from which projected the neck of a brandy bottle. Three glasses, all of which had been used, stood by the bottle, which was quite empty. Having pointed out these things to me he went back to his chair and sat down.
“Edgehill,” he explained, “doesn't drink brandy, except when he has company; even then he takes very little. ”