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It was the ticking of the clock upon the mantelpiece; and I thought how this sound must have been familiar to Abel Slattin, how it must have formed part and parcel of his life, as it were, and how it went on now tick-tick-tick-tick whilst he, for whom it had ticked, lay unheeding would never heed it more.

Exerting a gigantic effort to regain control of himself, Burke nodded, watching my friend with a childlike eagerness. During the ensuing conversation, I examined Slattin for marks of violence; and of what I found, more anon. "In the first place," said Smith, "you say that you warned him. When did you warn him, and of what?" "I warned him, sir, that it would come to this "

In fact," he turned to Smith, who, grim-faced and haggard, looked thoroughly ill in that gray light "I believe Fu-Manchu's lair is somewhere near the former opium-den of Shen-Yan 'Singapore Charlie." Smith nodded. "We will turn our attention in that direction," he replied, "at a very early date." Inspector Weymouth looked down at the body of Abel Slattin. "How was it done?" he asked softly.

Carter, you can speak to whoever knocks through the letter-box. Petrie, don't move for your life! It may be here, in the hall way!..." Our search of the house of Abel Slattin ceased only with the coming of the dawn and yielded nothing but disappointment.

But I shall not wait until to-morrow." "What!" "I propose to pay a little informal visit to Mr. Abel Slattin to-night." "At his office?" "No; at his private residence. If, as I more than suspect, his object is to draw us into some trap, he will probably report his favourable progress to his employer to-night!" "Then we should have followed him!"

When Smith had tossed the written page to Slattin, and he, having read it with an appearance of carelessness, had folded it neatly and placed it in his pocket, I said: "You have a curio here?" Our visitor, whose dark eyes revealed all the satisfaction which, by his manner, he sought to conceal, nodded and took up the cane in his hand.

Burke, a heavy man with a lowering, bull-dog type of face, collapsed on to his knees beside Slattin, and began softly to laugh in little rising peals.

But I shall not wait until tomorrow." "What!" "I propose to pay a little informal visit to Mr. Abel Slattin, to-night." "At his office?" "No; at his private residence. If, as I more than suspect, his object is to draw us into some trap, he will probably report his favorable progress to his employer to-night!" "Then we should have followed him!"

Detaining me with his hand he crouched there against a quick-set hedge; until, from a spot lower down the hill, we heard the start of the cab, which had been waiting. Twenty seconds elapsed, and from some other distant spot a second cab started. "That's Weymouth!" snapped Smith. "With decent luck, we should know Fu-Manchu's hiding-place before Slattin tells us!" "But "