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 buccaneers. 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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