H. Bedford-Jones

“ A murder would have spoiled the whole story.
A real detective yarn, then, must involve one who detects. Let us look at Bixby Thornton; his work in this matter of the brazen serpent is remarkable in the annals of detection. He was a quiet man, with years, of experience in the narcotics squad of the revenue service. He confided in no one except his wife, a mute, inglorious Watson of the hearth who kept no records.
When John Duck appeared upon his horison, Thornton was enjoying his annual vacation, and the police very gladly let him, as a Federal man, work upon the mystery. ”

“ Thornton: Perhaps you remember the brazen serpent affair? I cannot let this go longer without giving an explanation which is due you, my dear friend. The story which I told you and the police officer was incorrect. I myself was the person who stole the brass dragon from the temple in Singapore. Facts will suffice; reasons are immaterial here. I hid myself in New York. At length, Tan Tock ran me down; but by that time I was prepared for him. Thinking me repentant, he called on me to receive the dragon; instead, I killed him and left him in the street outside. ”

“ The captain nodded knowingly. “And he came, and you croaked him, eh?”
John Duck smiled. It was a smile of gentle pity.
“No,” he said briefly. “Not at all.”
“Well, damn it!” ejaculated the officer. “Then who did?”
“Two men. One of them, Hip Sing, is also a priest in the temple. The other, Lui Yen Yuan, is his friend. They were not of our party at all. They murdered Tan Tock to get his money, which he always carried on his person. That is why I am telling you the whole thing. They had heard of the brazen serpent, and they also wanted to get hold of it for the local temple. ”

“ Thornton looked up, frowning.
“Hold on!” he said reflectively. “Let me tell you something. John Duck has a 'brass dragon up-stairs, all right. Further, it's a Taoist emblem, for the Taoists go strong on the forces of nature and all that. But there are two points for you to look at very hard: the spelling of that word 'brazen,' and the name Tan Tock.” ”

“ If Lui Yen Yuan were a murderer, and were also an opium fiend, the chances were that in order to get the drug he would confess very fully. Those who smoke opium cannot eat it, and vice versa. Pellets are very difficult to obtain. One who has been deprived of them for some time will go through hell to get a supply.
The captain of detectives glanced at Thornton, who nodded imperceptibly.
“All right,” said the officer. “Write your note. Thornton, phone for a messenger, will you? I'll watch this guy.”
Thornton departed to his telephone down-stairs, for John Duck had none. ”

“ Rats! Besides, who'd have sent this skin to him? If he wanted it, he'd have taken it up-stairs!”
“Confound you!” exclaimed the captain thoughtfully. “I believe there's something in that! Does he know you're in the service?”
Thornton shook his head. At this moment the front door banged. Thornton made a significant gesture, which the other man understood. John Duck had come home.
It is unfortunate for the police that all detectives do not possess the coordinated mental power of their fictional representatives, which bring out all facts in orderly progress. ”

“ The Chinamen there, you know, have been removed from China for generations; they're almost a distinct race, in fact. I'll wager that this whole matter goes back to something in England or Singapore—the cause of the murder will be found—”
The detective laughed heartily.
“My dear Thornton, what the hell do you suppose I care about all this?” he demanded. “It does you credit, old man, but doesn't affect the case. John Duck killed this Tan Tock; we've got that proved beyond a doubt. The cause of the murder will come out later. Even if it doesn't, what matter? ”

“ Under the watchful eye of the officer, John Duck opened a desk, laid out brushes and ink and paper, and rapidly got off several lines if ideographs. Thornton returned in time to look over the letter, but it was written in Mandarin, of which he knew almost nothing.
“If this story is true,” said Thornton, “then—”
“Then we get the guys who croaked Tan Tock,” added the officer. “That's what I'm interested in! How soon will the man get here?”
“I think he will come immediately,” said John Duck, smiling.
IV.
The message was sent. ”

“ The longest-living author of this work died in 1949, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 74 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works. ”