"I make no statements. What I want is a guarantee." "Assure me upon your honor that you are not mixed up with this gang and you shall have it." "Oh, I do, Mr. Brady; indeed I do. The worst Lung & Lung have ever done is to buy cheap opium without asking questions." "Very well, I accept that. Do what you will. I want to help you out and to help myself out at the same time. Now then, what do you propose?" "Listen here," said Ah Lung, lowering his voice. "You Secret Service men captured a lot of that opium the other night, but you didn't get it all by any means. There was another boat load which ran in ahead of the one you captured." "I can well believe it. The people in that boat fired at me in the fog." "I am told that Young King Brady is very successful in masquerading as a Chinaman." "Who told you that?" demanded Harry. "My cousin at Police Headquarters." "And what about it?" "Can you meet me to-night at eight o'clock at our store on Dupont street so disguised?" "I could, of course. But why?" "I must not tell, but you can guess. I have an appointment. I want you with me." "I'll go, but there is one thing you must understand, I can't speak Chinese. I always play the dummy when I disguise that way." "That will be all right. I was born in San Francisco, and, as it happens, brought up in a part of the city where I associated only with English-speaking children. My own knowledge of the Chinese language is very poor. I never speak it unless I am obliged to. I won't speak it in this interview. You can and shall be a witness to all that is said. I know you play the dummy when in Chinese disguise. I want you to play it to-night." "Settled then," said Harry, "I will be on hand." There was some further talk, but as it developed nothing, it is not worth recording. Soon after Ah Lung left. "A lucky thing this matter came up, governor," observed Harry. "It promises well," replied the old detective. "That's about all we can say for it, but we must work ahead just as though it had not come up." It was a busy day the Bradys put in, but nothing came of it. Towards five o'clock Harry turned up at the hotel, where he found a note from Old King Brady, reading: "DEAR HARRY: I have just had a call over the 'phone from Leggett. He wants to see me at the Harper House, on Mission street, and that's where I am going now. Don't know what for, but I suppose it relates to Volckman. Don't wait for me. Be very careful of yourself to-night. "O. K. B." Was the caution needed? It certainly was. For a detective to mix up with Chinese opium smugglers in Chinatown, San Francisco, is always dangerous. But Young King Brady felt confidence in Ah Lung. Not only had he taken a liking to the man, personally, but having gone to the trouble to look him up in a business way, he found that the standing of the firm in white circles was very high. "Half a million capital invested," one person stated.