Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-10-19


had to do with that? He's a quarter of
a mile away from the building In the
hrst place and doesn't have anything
TO do with the machinery or gun or
ammunition department. It's perfectly
absurd"
1T may seem SO, sir, but you never
can tell where their suspicious will
land. they're so different from us,
And, l must say they do sometimes
hit 1t very straight when we 60 all
astray. However. I'll just call In Hoo,
my best detective. and ask him IL he
has heard"
Hoo promptly appeared in answer to
the inspectors summons and saiuted
his chief and the visitor in a semi :
military fashion.
HOO. why have the yamen runners
grabbed Lang Choo, DR.. Powelrs
scribe at the arsenal?"
'Chineeman all talkee he have
makee burn fire medicine house, have
spoiiee garden, too muche Robbery.
diagon all same velly angly."
wen. there II is, you see," said the
chiet' turning to his caller, its Just
as supposed They've run him in for
that explosion and now that they've
once got him. they'll probably torture
MIN Into some kind Of a confession
and then finish him up. You see. it's
this dragon superstition that makes
1t so complicated. If the magazine had
been anywhere else, IL wouldn't have
been SO bad, but unfortunately the
beast had 1t right in his left claw.
and so 1t will go mighty hard with
the poor chap because they all be-
heVe that the fire scorched the crea-
lure and made him perfectly furious,
Ihen, again. sir-I am sorry to say it,
but l know it's true. and so do you
they're always apt to be harder on
the man that's in foreign employ. It's
sort OF prejudice that they don't seem
able to shake OFF"
quite true. Mr.. Gubbins, and | can
also understand now why they were
all SO mysteriously quiet about it out
there at the arsenal Probably every
clerk in the department knew 1t and
yet not one of them breathed a word
TO me about it,"
"A strange fear of being drawn into
1t in some way, I suppose. They are
as afraid of letting their opinion he
known as the French were in the old
days of the revolution. eh?"
Just as bad. or even worse. But
can't you possibly think of any way in
which l can help this poor chap. l be-
lieve he is just as innocent as you
and l are. They're only making him a
cats paw. that's all. How can / pos
sibly reach the yame n NEhd the officers
who have the case in charge? am
willing to do anything and to spend a
halfyear's salary IL necessary"
The inspector shook his head as e
rose to bid the doctor good bye. then
stopped for moment and said: You
might try Wang Foo-he's the only
man l know that can get at il for
you" Explanations as to who this
mysterious parsonage was. where he
lived and how he could be reached.
followed In due order and in less than
a week Hongkong's great detector of
crime found himself once more in the
English settlement at Shanghai, list
ening to the reports C. the arsenal
CAFE and thinking and planning his
Investigation.
Tell me about Old Wing. the watch
man." said visitor from Canton to
the soldier. who was showing him
about the Dragon Garden and point
ing out the ruins of the powder house.
HE was a quiet. queer old fellow.
answered the guide: he'd been here
for a good many years and didn't talk
much to anybody. He lived in kind
of a little hut that he built for him.
self just outside the iron door OF the
magazine. There are all sorts of
stories about him: some even say that
he was very rich and hid his money
away in powder kegs there to avoid
suspicion"
And you say not the slightest trace
of him was ever found after the ex-
plosion"
"Not particle. sir
And has the place all been care
fully searched
Eyes. sir, and the very ashes raked
over"
sand YOU say. do you not, that he