"I guess not, seeing I saved your life last night." "No. You're right there Burgh. But have you really anything to do with this murder?" "No, 'cept as how I told old Tung-yu last night." "Just repeat what you said. I was so faint with the loss of blood that I didn't gather half you said." Burgh nodded. "You were pretty sick. I'd to help you back to civilisation, same as if you were drunk. If I hadn't, you'd have been robbed and killed down that Bowery gangway." Ainsleigh could not, but acknowledge that Clarence had acted very well. He had saved him from the man who attacked him in the street, and also, it was owing to him that the two had escaped from the gang of Hwei. Finally Burgh had taken Rupert back to the Guelph Hotel in Jermyn Street, when he was rather shaky from the wound. It was much better this morning, but Ainsleigh looked pale, and not at all himself. Still he did not grudge the trifling wound--it was merely a scratch although it had bled freely,--as the knowledge he had acquired, was well worth the trouble. They had left the den in Penter's Alley, some time after midnight, and had returned safely to the West, where Rupert had acted as host to Burgh. That was Clarence all over. Whenever he did anyone a service, he always took it out of him in some way, and but, for the dangerous position in which he found himself would have quartered his carcase on Rupert for an indefinite period. "But there ain't no denying that I'm in a fix," said Burgh, as the train drew near Marport. "That is, if you split Ainsleigh." "No, I won't split on you. But if Forge is guilty he must be arrested," said Rupert decisively. "But I don't know if he strangled the old girl after all." "You said he did, last night." "Well I wanted to know the secret of that fan." Rupert shrugged his shoulders. "You know that the fan when waved in a certain smoke--of which by the way you learned nothing--reveals a hiding place which contains certain things Tung-yu wants--" "To ruin Lo-Keong," said Burgh quickly. "So I guess if I can pick up that fan from old Forge, I'll yank in the dollars." "Aren't you satisfied with what you have." "This thousand. Oh that's all right. I cashed the cheque before I joined you at the station--got it in gold so I can clear out when it suits me. It's always as well to be ready to git." "I suppose," said Ainsleigh dryly, "in your varied career, you have had frequent occasions to 'git' as you call it." "You bet. But git's slang American and good Turkish lingo, so you've no need to sneer old man. 'Say, about Forge. What's to be done?" "I'll communicate with Rodgers and tell him what you say. If the doctor is guilty he must suffer." "My eye," said Clarence reflectively, "won't aunty be mad. Well I guess this will square us: she won't play low down on me again." "Burgh, you're a blackguard." "I am, that's a fact," said the buccaneer in no wise disturbed. "But don't you say that in public or the fur'll fly."