Evening star., 1913-11-02
By Sax ROhmer

By Sax ROhmer
tcopyright by The North American Company
There another DANGER" replied Smith. The racs
that the OF the building enhances tina,
DO you recall anything OF the mysterious epidemic
which broke Out In Ransoon In the deaths due to the
Cali Of Siva?'
it in the papers," said Guthrie un-
easily. Suicides. they notT'
mol" snapped Smith. "Murders!"
There was a bries silence
From what recall Of the said Guthrie. that
seems impossible In several instances the victims
themselves from the windows of locked and the
windows We're quite inaccessible
Exactly" replied Smith. the dim light
volver CLEANED ouy he It the small table
beside the bed Except your unlocked.
conditions tonight identical. Silence. please hear
clock striking
It was Big Ben. half hour leaving the
stiffness complete In that high the activity
which yet prevailed below. high above the suppng
crowds in the hotel. high above the starving
the Enoankmen curious chill OF isolation swept about
Again realized how in the every great
metropolis man may be as far from aid in tho
heart Of desert glad that alone In
room marked with the death mark OF Fu-Manchu: Z
certain that Graham Guthrie welcomed unexpsc.sd
company
may have mentioned the fact before: but on this
occasion It became peculiarly evident that
pending danger which invariably preceded . visitor
Fu-Mancnu. Even had not known that attempt
to be made that night should have realized It, strung
herald ahead dreadful Chnaman. proclaim
ing his coming In ones body. 1t like
q breath Of astral incense. announcing Of
the priests OF death
wall. low but singularly pentrating. falling In minor
cadences silence. from somewhere close ss
hand
my God!" Missed Guthrie: what was thatr'
'The Call of siva." whispered Smith, Don't stir. for
your lifer'
Guthrie was breathing hard.
/ knew that three. that the hotel detective
was within hail. that there was teephone in the room:
that the trac the Embankmen moved almost beneath
u.s. bu, knew. and am not ashamed to confess. that
King Fear had icy fingers about my heart It awful
that tense waiting-for-what?
Three taps sounded very distinctly upon the window
Graham Guthrie started to shake the bed. "Its
supernatural! he muttered-a that was Celtic in his
blood recoling from the Nothing human
that window"
from Smith. Don't STIR"
The tapping repeated.
Smith softly crossed the My heart beating
painfully. He threw open the window Further inacton
impossible. Joined him. and looked out into the
empty
Don't come too near. Petrie!' he warned his
shoulder
either Of the open window. we stood
looked down the moving Embankment lights. the
glitter Thames. the shoueted buildings
with shot starting all
Three taps sounded the panes above
all my dealings with Doctor Fu-Msnchu had had
to faco nothing SO uncanny as this What Burmese
ghoul loosed? Was 1t outside in the air7 Was
Don't let 60. PetriA" whispered Smith suddenly.
"Get a tight hold mel"
That the last straw, for I thought that
dreadful was impelling friend to hurl him
self out Wildly threw my about him. and Guthrie
leaped forward to help
Smith leaned from the window looked up.
One choking he gave-smothered inartculate ana
I found him slipping from grip-ssins drawn out oe
the window-drawn his death!
Hold MIN. Guthriel" gasped hoarsely. my God.
he's going! Hold him!"
My friend writhed in grasp. and him stretch
his upward The crack OF his revolver and he
collapsed onto the floor. carrying me with him.
But as fell. heard scream above Smiths revoi-
went hurting through the air. and hard went
black shape flashing past the window into the gulf
OF night
THE light! The ngft!" ! cried.
Guthrie and turned the light
Nayland Smith, eyes starting from his head. his
face swollen lay pucking at siken cord which showsd
tight about his throat
1T a thing!' screamed Guthrie "Get the rope
of! He's choking.
My hand atwitch. seized the stransling cord.
"A knife Quickv' cried Il have lost mine!"
Guthrie ran to the dressing table and passed mo an
open penknife somehow the blade between the
Smiths swollen neck and severed the deadly sksn
thing.
Smith made q choking noise. and feu back. swoonins
in my arms.
thing which had brought where lay. Smith
showed q mark the brow-coss beside the wound
where his bullet had entered.
''The KALI" he said. Tho man Q phan-
sigar-a religious stranger Since Fu-Manchu dacoits
his service might expected that he would have
thugs. Of these dends would seem to have ned
nlo that mysterious epidemic In RAngoOn
really outbreak OF tnuggeeon slightly improved
had suspected something Of the kind. but nat
urally looked thugs Rangoon. My ~.
expected the stranger bunge the ropA
You have how it was fastened about my throaty
unscientihc. The method, praciced by
the operating in Burma. was to throw the hne
and jerk him from the window a
man leaning open window Is nicely poised
requires only slight Jerk to pitch hn forward NO
loop W used a running une which, as the victim
feli remained the OF the murdererf No ciuet
Therefore what commented the system %
Fu-Manchu"
Granam Guthrie pale. stood looking down at the
dead stranger. - .r. -.
Il you my life. Mr. Smith," he SAID II you
had come FIVE minutes later"
He Smiths hand
Guthrie continued mo one thought Of look;
These fellows active monkeys. and where an
ordinary man infaliby break his neck. they
enIirely l might chosen room specially
the quite isolated, and there II Q
ladder to the the end Of the corridor"
lie slipped in late evening" said Smith THE
but these strangers elu-
ave as shadows otherwise. despite their having changed
the scene OF their operations could have
vived."
waddy?" asked.
thinking The Of the awaddy notilia have
Corrugated iron the deck. The thug must
Saue Reen living the Colassie passed tna