Chinese -- England -- Fiction; Detective and mystery stories; Murder -- Investigation -- Fiction
Lo-Keong started back. "That woman," he cried, as startled as Rupert had
been, "pooh, let her die. She deserves her fate. She has been the cause
of the trouble. Go--go, Mr. Ainsleigh--go after Tung-yu."
"But Miss Pewsey!" repeated Rupert, seeing the woman open her eyes, and
recognising that life yet remained.
"I'll see to her. I'll get a doctor." Lo-Keong struck the gong near the
door. "But get me those papers. All my life depends upon them.
Remember--one hundred thousand pounds--go--go. It may be too late. Don't
allow Tung-yu to escape."
Rupert was quite bewildered as the Chinaman pushed him out of the door.
Then, recognising that he could do nothing to help Miss Pewsey, and that
Lo-Keong, for his own sake would do all he could to keep her alive, so
that he might learn how the packet came into her possession, Rupert ran
out of the house, and found the street filled with screaming Chinamen
and chattering Europeans. Some policemen were coming down the alley from
the main thoroughfare, and everyone appeared to be alarmed. The ragged
mob rushed into various doors, at the sight of the officers, but the
Chinamen still continued to cackle and scream. Suddenly Rupert heard a
revolver shot, and wondered if the Major had got into trouble.
Remembering that Burgh, with Tung-yu in pursuit, had gone down the alley
towards the water, he raced in the same direction, and at once, two
policemen, seeing him go, followed. There was no time to undeceive them,
so Rupert ran on, eager to come up with Burgh. He had the papers,
according to Miss Pewsey, and in spite of Lo-Keong's statement,
Ainsleigh suspected that Miss Pewsey was right. Else Tung-yu would not
be in pursuit of the buccaneer. As Rupert tore down the moonlit alley,
he heard the high clear voice of the Mandarin calling on the police to
stop. Then the tumult recommenced.
It mattered little to Ainsleigh. As he raced blindly on, he felt a
thrill of joy in his veins. It seemed to him that he had never lived
before, and that this man-hunt was the climax of life. At the end of the
Alley he came on a dilapidated wharf, which ran out into the turbid
water, and saw a stout figure dancing on this. At once he hurried down
to find Major Tidman, who recognised him at once.
"There was a boat waiting," gasped the Major seizing Rupert's arm.
"Burgh jumped into it and pushed off. Tung-yu came after, and as the
boat was already in mid-stream he plunged into the water."
"Where is Hwei?"
"Rodgers and his men are after him. I fired a shot, and I believe, I hit
Tung-yu, as he was swimming. Who has the papers?"
"Burgh. Keep a look out for him. I'll run along the bank," and before
the Major could expostulate, Ainsleigh dashed up the wharf and ran along
the bank of the river.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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