The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1913-10-13
TheYelloW
Claw
Was 1t the End
of 1t?
BY CLARISSA MACKIE

!:
. BY CLARISSA MAcKIE :
ssssssssssssss
S Perkins. entered his employers pri-
vate Office and laid square paper.
wrapped package at Murray's elbow.
by parcel post. marked Personal"
he murmured alphabetically and went
away as silently as he had come.
John Murray stared at the package
with incredulous eyes. Suddenly his
jaw set firmly and he jumped up and,
locking the door to the outer Office,
went to his safe and took from an in
ner compartment two other packages
Of the same size and shape as the one
Perkins had just brought in.
With the three packages ranged be-
fore him on the desk. John Murray
studied them with knitted brow.
They were exactly alike. He opened
one of the packages.
Within was a square box Of Chinese
red lacquer. with a powdering of gold
on the lid. The box was perhaps ten
inches square and three inches deep.
Murray lifted the lid and gazed long
at the strange contents of the box.
On Il bed Of red silk lay a hand-a
hideous. claw-like hand-with long,
transparent nails. The thing was made
of yellow wax. but SO perfect was the
workmanship and SO faithfully had the
artisan carried out his idea that the
yellow hand seemed like that Of nv-
ing human hand. veined and knotted
hand. with muscled fingers half curl
ed, as if in malignant desire to clutch,
to strangle. to kill.
There was nothing else in the box
save the yellow. claw-like hand.
With set lips Murray opened the Sec
ond box and disclosed facsimile Of
the waxen hand and the third box and
saw still another hand. But this last
hand contaiped in the box just arrived
was closed. as though It held some
thing in death grip.
Murray shuddered little, for he
knew that the throat which the Yellow
Claw longed to grasp was his own.
He knew that the death grip was in
tended for his own strong. brown
throat.
Murray knew that he had received
the three warnings and that if he did
not obey the last one-well, he drew a
sharp breath and walked to the win
dow-well. if he didn't heed the third
warning. why. he would disappear as
mysteriously as Henderson had vanish
ed three months before or as complete
ly as Moore had dropped out Of sight
six months ago.
81 will speak to Swinnerton. He
must advise me-" muttered Murray as
he thrust the boxes back into the safe
and locked the door.
AS he spoke there came rap at the
Office door.
He turned the key and admitted
Perkins. who darted little, snaky
glances around the room as he deliv-
cred his message:
"Mr. Swinnerton to see you, sir"
"Send him in. please" said Murray
shortly and he pushed forward deep
chair for his visitor. who entered al
most Immediately. Tom Swinnerton
was a tall. thin. anxious looking young
man with fair hair tousled over his fine
forehead. He sank down In the chair
and tossed his hat on the desk.
Hope don't bore you, Murray, but
I've heard from Them" he said with
nervous laugh.
John Murray uttered faint echo Of
the laugh.
I'm in the same box. Tom. I've
heard three times"
My God. Murray" gasped the other.
You don't nlean-w why. what are you
going to do about it,
Murray shrugged his shoulders. 1.-The
third call came only half an hour ago"
1--WE heard twice. l came to ask
your advice" shuddered the younger
man. fixing his anxious eyes on Muir
rays strong face.
There's only one thing to do. Tom.
after all'-and Murray turned sudden
~ and sat down close to his visitor.
He spoke in whisper: You know we
four. Moore and Henderson. you and l.
promised to obey the call of the Vel
low Claw ut any time in return for
which they allowed Henderson to go
free after that fiasco Of bis up the
river. Those were rough days for for
eigners in China. and. well. l don't be-
lieve any one of us expected to be
ID yhnt N
Claw demands. Henderson must have
refused and Moore as well. for you
know they have both disappeared"
We'll. what Is the one thing to do,
john" asked Tom after awhile.
Go down into Chinatown. find out
what they want and then decide what
is best to be done"
"When shall we go?"
Tonight Is best. I've had my last
call. The third hand held q garroter's
cord Jove. they're an uncanny set.
these Chinese" Murray arose and
paced the floor.
"Why Chinatown? We don't know
where to Co." objected Tom.
They've come by parcel post. I've
investigated and can tell you the very
station from which they were mailed
And I'm pretty sure that when we get
Into Chinatown there will be some one
looking out for us to take US to the
Yellow Claw"
The two men dined in silence, and
the early twilight was falling
liked slowly up Dupont street.
y0lellE elbows With slanf eyea Asiat-