The Mandarin's Fan

"You've just got five minutes to do it in," cried Burgh jeeringly.

The Chinaman put his fingers to his lips and blew a shrill whistle. In a moment the room was filled with Chinamen, chattering and screaming like so many infuriated parrots. Hwei threw himself on the young men. "Die – Die – " he said thickly.

"Fire – fire," cried Clarence, kicking Hwei back.

For the next few minutes Rupert had no very clear idea of what was happening. He fired into the mass of Chinamen pushing forward, and heard a cry as a man dropped. The others fell over him, and in the struggle upset the shrine. The ugly joss rolled on to the floor and caught fire. There were shrill screams from the Chinese, who began to jab with their knives. Clarence was rolling on the floor in close grips with Hwei, and the draperies of the joss flared away in a brilliant manner. It seemed as though the two rash men would be either burnt or stabbed, and the end was coming rapidly.

All at once the silvery chime of the clock sounded and then came the rapid striking of the hour. The door opened and the boy in red appeared. He said something in a screaming voice, and then, almost as by magic, the room emptied. The rolling mass of Chinamen had extinguished the flaming joss, and Hwei, suddenly disengaging himself from the buccaneer, darted through the door. The boy followed with the rest of the assailants, and when Rupert and Burgh got their breath they found themselves facing the still smoking joss, with Tung-yu blandly smiling at them.

"Ho," said Clarence rising and shaking himself. "I guess the row's over. Hurt Ainsleigh?"

"Got a flesh wound," said Rupert, winding his handkerchief round his left arm, "and you?"

"I'm as right as a pie. So here's Tung-yu. Your hour I guess."

The Chinaman bowed, and picking up the god restored him to his shrine, which was considerably damaged. "It is lucky the red boy cried that Hwei's hour was over," he said coolly, "or you would both have been killed."

"You wouldn't have got the fan though," said Rupert throwing himself down on his seat, "but you don't intend to kill us I suppose."

"No. The god Kwang-ho is merciful now. I make you rich."

"Humph," said Burgh crossly, "I wish I had that fan with me."

"You have, or Mr. Ainsleigh here, has it," said Tung-yu, "I will give you five thousand for the fan."

"I haven't got it."

"Think – ten thousand."

"Great Scot!" cried Clarence avariciously, "wish I could trade."

"Fifteen thousand," said Tung-yu his eyes glittering, "come gentlemen it's better to be rich than dead. For the next twenty-four hours I can give you money. Then comes Hwei's hour and he will kill you."

"Not much," said Burgh, "I'm going to cut."

"You shall be kept here, till you give up the fan."

Rupert shrugged his shoulders. "You won't believe," he said, "why not search us. Then you can see we have not the fan. Do you believe that Major Tidman has it?"

"Yes. He gave it to you. He killed – "

"He did not. Can you swear that he did?"

"No. But I thought – "

"Oh shucks," said Clarence shoving himself forward, "see here Mr. Tung-yu. I'm sick of this business. We haven't got that durned fan. But I can tell you who has."

"Tell then and I give you a thousand pounds."

"Not good enough," said Burgh coolly, "see here, you let us go free and tell us the fan's secret, and I'll tell you."

"Yes, and get the fan, and learn the secret," cried Tung-yu excited, "but you cannot make use of the secret."

"Don't want to. And as to the fan, you can get it from the person I tell you of. Then you can fork out fifteen thousand."

The Chinaman deliberated. "We have been wrong about Major Tidman, I think," said he politely. "It seems someone else has it. I suppose – "

"I didn't kill the old girl myself if that's what you mean."

"Quite so," said Tung-yu, after another pause. "Well, as you can't make any use of the secret I'll tell you of it. Then you can go free, after you have told me who killed Miss Wharf."

"Right oh," said Clarence, and Rupert listened breathlessly.

"The fan," said Tung-yu, "is jade on one side, and enamel on the other. The enamelled side is painted with a picture invisibly. To bring out the picture, this fan has to be waved in certain smoke – "

"What sort of smoke?"

"I won't tell you that," said Tung-yu politely, "I have told enough."

"Well, then," said Rupert, "when the picture is visible what happens?"

"It will show a hiding place which contains certain things we want to get, in order to ruin Lo-Keong with the Empress."

"Oh, I see, a plan of a secret hiding-place."

"Now you know," said Tung-yu to Clarence, "tell me – "

"Not till I know of the smoke."

"I refuse. But I give you fifteen thousand to get that fan. One thousand now if you tell me who killed the woman and who has it."

"Good," said Clarence, "I'll trade. Dr. Forge strangled Miss Wharf."

"Ah," said Tung-yu leaping up, "he has the fan. Thanks Kwang-ho," and he bowed to the half-destroyed image.

CHAPTER XVII

A Disappearance

When Rupert returned to Marport next day, Burgh accompanied him. The young squire of Royabay wished to give information to the police regarding the guilt of Forge. But Clarence persuaded him against doing so. "You'll only get me into a row," said he, in his candid way. "You see I told a lie."

"You tell so many lies," said Rupert sharply, "I don't know but what I ought to give you in charge."

"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."