The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-10-12
By Sax Rohmer


moving his gaze from mine ~
IT'S Fu-ManehuH' cried Smith. over my shoulder
N voice that almost scream ITS Fu-Manchui
Cover him! Shoot him dead II
Ihe conclusion of that sentence I never heard
Dr. Fu-Manchu reached down beside the tab,e-and
'he moor slipped from under mel
one last glimpse had of the fixed green eyes ana
$50. scream ] was unable to repress I dropped
watch closed my head!
Nagueiy' had seen spur, of name-had heard an
olnef ery ioaowsng upon booming sound ttns
Hap)-fhe nat note OF police whistle But when rosa
10 the surface. inpenetrabe darkness enveIoped me
was splitting hlthy oily liquid my mouth and nrht.
Ing down the black terror me by the throat,
terror OF the darkness about Of the unknown dephs
Beneath me- Of the pit into which l amid
3'inins stenehes and the tapping of tidal water.
SMITH cried Help. Helpr'
My voice seemed to beat back upon me vat I VA.
aooat 10 cry out again when mastering all
Of mind and all my falling courage recognized that
had better employment for my energies. and began to
swim straight ahead desperately determined face Ill
the h-rrors OF this pace-to die hard II die must
drop OF liquid fire fell through the darkness anA
Kissed into the water beside mel
felt that despite my resolution. going mad.
Another hery drop-and another!
touched rotting wooden post ana Shiny timbef&
I had reached bound Of my watery prison. Moro
fire fell from above and the of hystera auvsrsd
unuttered. in my throat
Keeping myself afoat Increasing difncuIty In my
heavy garments. threw my head back and raised my
No drops fell and drops would fail:
but it was merely question of time for the floor to
collapse For 1t beginning to a dull. red glow.
The above in famesl
1t drops Of burning oil from the lamp. nndins
passage through the crazy flooring which
had fallen about mefor the death trap reclosed.
suppose mechanically
My saturated garments dragging me down.
and / could hear the flames hungrly eating into
the ancient rotenness overhead Shortly cAidron
would be loosed upon my head The glow Of the flames
grew brighter and showed the haif-rottsn
ties unfolding building showed me the tidal mark
upon the slime-coated wals-showed that there
escaped
By some subtsrranean duct place was fed
the Thames BY that duct. with the outgoing tias
my body would pass, in the wake OF Mason cadby and
many anothe. victim!
Rusty AFFIXED OF the walls
communicating with trap-but the bottom three
missing
Brighter and brighter grew the swesome nght-ths
light what should be funeral pyre-reddenng the
Oily adding new dread to the Whispering
eammy OF the pit But something 1t showed ma
projecting beam few feet above the water
directly below the iron ladder,
'Merctfu heaven hreathed. Have the strensthr
for laughter claimed me with sudden. ali
but irresistible force / knew what 1t portendsd AMI
fought II down-grfnly, sternly
NY garments weighed me like suit of mali;
my e4'ss tA+@hh!as ia
ing. forced tired muscles to work. and every sroAs
agony approached the beam Nearer swan =
Its shadow fell black the water which
had all the seeming OF pool of blood, con-
fused remote uproar-came my [
nearly spent was in the shadow OF the
beam. II could throw up one =
shrll sounded above
touch the beam For Gods sake don't touch the BEAM
Keep anoat another few seconds get to your
Another seconds was that possiblee
managed turn my throbbing head: and
saw the strangest sight which that night yet had
offered
Maryland Smith stood upon the runs
stood upon the rung above!
II can't reach him.
II as smith Kissed the words despalringly THAT 1
looked up-and the Ch!naman snatch his cooled
ristan and pull 1t of! with /, the waich 1t
attached and the CHASTITY yellow mask deprived Of
Its fastenngs. fell from position
Here! Here BE quick! Oh auck You
lower tnis to him. BE quick! Be quick
cloud OF hair came falling about the aim shoulders
ms the speaker bent this strange lifeline smith;
and think it my wonder al knowing her for shs
girl whom that day had surprised in Cadbys rooms
watch my life.
For only kept aaoat bu, Kept my gaze .upsurned
to that beautiful flushed face, and my nxed upoa
hers-whieh were wild with fear for me!
Smith. by eontorson. the false queue into
grasp and with the strength OF desperation. by
that means seized hold upon the lowest With my
friends arm around me, realized that exhaustion was
than had supposed. My last distinct
ory of the bursting of the floor above and the big
burning jost Kissing Into the pool beneath It's nery
massage strated with light disclosed two sword blades
had sn 70 qs h0s inc Top OF the e4" wheA
The severed fingers" / said. and swooned
How how snh got our s ws s a sp 20 not 81
ME il opened upon. Ny reooslse.
ana l lyman holding s to y p
bsa sAs saa my agosn. a.w
the engines sonns sseansa smith :..s.
snot sll through the trap. that broke Oh
lamp
lis everybody out?"
so far We know.
'ku- Aanehu-'
Smith shrugged his shoulders
mo one has seen him. There was some a. sas
back
think he may
NO. he said tensely. Not unit! him lying
dea before shall believe iti'
Then memory resumed sway. struggled to my
feet.
smith. where is sher'' cried. Where In shsf'
know he answered SHORTLY.
slip, docto-l' said Inspector Way.
fire engine tame swinging round the
INTO Mr. singapore Charlie
and. Ia AFRAID, somebody else We've
All sol awake and some asleep but / suppose
W shall to let Mr. Smith tells
that girl disguised Chinaman. l expect
taats managed to slip away
/ recalled how | had been dragged from the pit BY
the false queue-how strange discovery which had
brought death poo- cadby had brought life ma;
seemed to remember, too tnat smith had dropped
1t he threw his arm about me on the ladder. Her
might have retained. but her wig, tell
had been dropped into the water
playing bisesened shell OF what had been shen
IN OF God alone knows nnany