The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-17
SECOND EPISODE
THE Mutilated Hand
CHAPTER v.
"AIi Singh Strikes"

H was not until long afterward that
Manning understood the true in
n wardness of All Singh's astound-
ing appearance in New York. If
ever man was dead and drowned at
sea surely this eastern adventurer had
been thoroughly disposed of. Yet here
he was, not only alive, but actually es-
tablished In the United States in such
presumably secure position as to
launch threats against a financial lu-
nlinary Like Mr. Bronson
The explanation of this seeming
contradiction, however, was simple
enough. The arch plotter had provid-
ed himself with double. At work in
the stokehold OF the Moyitia was a
Lascar Of unusually tall stature. This
man changed places with Ali Singh at
the required time. wore his princely
garments and conducted himself with
the same dignifed reticcnce which his
master had shown throughout the voy-
age. Moreover. he committed suicide
cheerfully at All Singh's beHest.
Indeed, the gravest difficulty encoun-
tered by the authorities in Their fght
against the new anarchy was found in
the readiness with which its disciples
sacrificed their lives in order to save
Its arch priest.
1t was an easy matter for Ali Singh
himself, taking his turn with the other
begrimed nondescripss feeding Goals to
the furnace, 10 cau1a the FIRE which
led to the scene described by the de
tective.
Manning ascertaincd, too, that Malta
left VassGr hurr.edly III compliance
with an urgent summons from her I'M
Gle. Some OF her fellow students no.
ticed that she had been miserable and
Ill at ease during ma2y days, but she
confded in no one, and her secret de
parture came as a surprise. Obvious
Is the training Of an American uni
versity and the close intimacy of life
with American girls OF her own age
formed the worst possible prelude to
an active share in Ali Singhs nefari-
Gus designs.
Possibly the unhappy girl suspected
the worst, but the claims OF kinship
were strong and gratitude, too. played
Its part. since Ali Singh had met with
no niggard hand the necessary ex-
renses OF her college career. 1t might
be assumed. of course. that she had
rot the slightest knowledge OF the real
nature Of the campaign which the man
had undertaken.
Yet her heart must have quailed
when first she entered the rendezvous
named in his letters. All elbows Cpl
nm Joint was pre-eminent among the
unsavory dens which crmber the east
side water front OF New York. The
squat, tumbledown building seemed
only TO contain wretched store, whose
dusty and fly bitten junk could not be
worth more than a few dollars, al
told. The apartment entered from the
street was dark and for5iGding and
evil smelling enough. but these I'M
pleasant features seemed only to be
accumulated by further progress. The
place was frequented by the lowest
type Of Chinaman and set Of white
wastrels whose sole aim in life was
to stupefy their senses by drugs.
1t was through such a doletul and
Affrighting environment that the sir
was led when she made herself known
to All Chow. But a genuine surprise
awaited her. At the back Of the ten
ement and overlooking the East river
was a suit Of apartments SO spacious
well lighted and lururiouslJ furnished
that the transition from the interior
snncked rather Of necrosnsRcy than OF
everyday existence in stsid New YORK
Here, too, the girl found men OF
eastern mien and garb, gathered to dc
homage to her uncle and apparently
anxious to treat her with the respect
and grave courtesy due to her lineage
The one jarring note In a company
which might have come straight ou
OF the pages OF the Arabian Nights
was struck by Hong Kong Harry, the
half caste whom Police Captain KernI
had summed up very accurately as s
dope 1end.
This degenerate possessed that I'm
usual combination of personal attri
hutes, an unsound mind IN sount
body. Although his brain was afro
ph!ed by stimulants and narcotics, hi
e...yhs bat perfect physique had no
yet given way to the poison. In hap
pr~ circumstances he might have be
come an athlete OF international fame
He. of course, affected to despise th
men of eastern races and greeted Najli
with an assumption Of quality whicl
was no less CALLING than the fulsom
admiration he tried to convey