took a leaf from my notebook and wrote out exactly what I had learned, with full credit to John Li. When I was finishing, Groot knocked at my door and asked if I were up. I reached for my belt—and made the pleasing discovery that my automatic had been carefully unloaded during the night, and my spare cartridges were gone.
“I’ll be out in a minute,” I called, and reached for my lighter weapon.
Both were of the same caliber, and I had a spare clip hidden away. Those were only natural precautions, but it was well that I had taken them. Rosoff, it seemed, did not trust me any too far; or perhaps Wan Shih had taken those cartridges.
When I made my appearance, Groot offered me a razor, but I declined.
“No time for shaving, Alan; besides, I can skip a day without showing it. Where’s Mary? Is she up?”
“Long ago, I imagine.”
I bolted to find her. The boys were setting up breakfast, and I finally came upon Mary outside, robbing the garden of a few flowers for a table vase. Also, I saw Rosoff striding from the upper buildings, all slicked up in fresh clothes and looking like a prince.
“Good morning!” exclaimed Mary brightly, as I joined her.
“Same to you and many of them! May I hold your flowers?”
I took them, and slipped the paper into her hand.
“Get that to the military governor at Cheng-tu, if anything happens to me,” I told her rapidly. “And arrange that boat ride right away—things are worse than I thought.”
She had no opportunity to answer, but her eyes told me enough. Rosoff joined us, with a bow and a graceful salute of the lips on Mary’s fingers. He carried it off like a musical comedy prince, too.
But when his eyes struck me, I knew that something had happened—something bad. Those eyes were fishy. He was extremely affable, yet this first glance left me with the cold certainty that my goose had been cooked since I had parted from him in the garden. He had drawn his pat hand—somehow.
I think that Mary Fisher felt this intuitively, for instead of leaving us together, she sent me inside with the flowers and remained to chat with Rosoff before following. Groot showed up as she brought the baron in, and we all sat down to breakfast in genial mood.
The breakfast was excellent, and I was hungry; but I could not afford to take chances with Rosoff, particularly after what I had read in his eyes. So I watched matters closely, and ate nothing that I did not see served out of a common dish. Mary lost no time in carrying out my instructions.
“It’s going to storm before noon, I’m afraid,” she said brightly, “and I’m going to take advantage of what sunshine we will have. There are some of the most beautiful spots along the river, close by, and I think I’ll ask Wan Shih for a boat right away. I have set my heart on getting some pictures, and if a storm comes on I’ll have plenty of time to develop the films. Uncle, will you ask Wan Shih about the boat? Send a boy please.”
“Very good,” assented Groot at once. He turned to one of the boys and sent him off with the message, for the boats were all controlled by the temple. “I’ll go with you, my dear. I understand that half a mile down the river are the remains of a Chou shrine, which I have never taken the opportunity of examining. Gentlemen, shall we make it a party?”
“Not for mine,” I said carelessly. This little affectation of rudeness was excellently calculated to spur Rosoff in the right place. “I’d like to look around this temple—”
“If you don’t mind,” said Rosoff, although with some reluctance, “I will remain here also and talk with Captain Breck. One or two things have come up—”
“I do mind!” exclaimed Mary firmly, looking from one to the other of us. “Just think, you are the first white people we’ve seen in weeks and weeks—and now when I propose a little trip on the river, you want to spoil the whole thing! This is my party, and I intend that all of us shall go! I didn’t think, Baron Rosoff, that you were so much of a savant as to neglect the wishes—”
“Dear madam, pardon a penitent sinner!” and Rosoff laughed under her bright eyes. “Of course I shall be most happy to accompany you; for the moment, I was oppressed by serious thoughts. Your invitation honors me exceedingly.”
I followed his lead and expressed my desire to be agreeable.
“You are too laggard, Captain Breck,” said Mary, “so I shall punish you by making you wait and help Uncle Allan. He wants to carry along a few books to divert his mind, as usual. Baron Rosoff, shall we go down and pick a comfortable boat, and may I kodak you?”
That tickled the baron to death. It tickled me, too, for I did not want to be alone with him just yet. Mary Fisher was one smart girl!
CHAPTER VI
Off!
It was not until Mary got the flattered baron out of the way that the explanation of the whole sorry business came into my head. Then how I cursed my lack of thought!
The wireless, of course. After talking with me, Rosoff had simply held a conversation with his superiors, and he had discovered that I was either a fraud or must be watched very closely until further advices. In these days, the secret service chap who masquerades under borrowed colors has a mighty small chance of getting away with it.
I joined Groot, who was hastily packing a huge suitcase.
“Nothing to it, Alan,” I said. “If we try to lug off that small trunk they’ll suspect. As it is, we’re on the ragged edge, and only Mary saved us. Take your manuscripts if you have to, but nothing else.”
“My dear boy, are you serious?” Consternation came into his face. “Why, here is a work which has been considered absolutely lost—the Si Ho Kiu Shi of pre-Tang times—”
“Damn your literature!” I exclaimed, exasperated beyond control. “Don’t you realize that we’re taking a desperate chance even to get outside these walls? Don’t you know that we’ve got a fight ahead of us at the very best? Put your gun in your pocket and leave this damned junk until I can get back here with a small army!”
That shocked him into comprehension.
“But, my dear fellow, I have no cartridges for my revolver!” In some agitation, he displayed a huge old-fashioned forty-five that had never been used. “They have disappeared—”
“Wan Shih attended to that, and he tried to attend to mine last night,” I said curtly. “But he slipped up. Get your precious alfalfa fodder and come along. If you had half the sense Mary has, Alan, you’d have been out of here before this. Beat it!”
He tucked his arm around a roll of manuscript and followed me outside.
We started down the path toward the river. The clouds had rolled up black and heavy by this time, covering half the sky, but there would be sunlight for an hour yet—long enough to give Mary a show at the game she was playing.
My one hope was to get out of sight of the temple before the row started. If we could get down this two-mile tributary to the Min river, we would be safe enough; there were police boats on the Min, and we would strike a heavy junk traffic. This quiet little two miles of tributary, however, was a rotten spot. It was just the
