"
"Very well," continued Max. "It is Chinese. We hope, very shortly, to
identify a house situated somewhere within this red ink circle"--he
placed his finger on a map of London which lay open on the table--"and
which I know to be used as a meeting-place by members of this
mysterious group. That circle, my friends, surrounds what is now known
as 'Chinatown'! For the third time I return to the man of the Wu-Men
Bridge; for the man of the Wu-Men Bridge was, apparently, a
_Chinaman!_ Do I make myself clear?"
"Remarkably so," declared the Assistant Commissioner, taking a fresh
cigarette. "Pray continue, M. Max."
"I will do so. One of my most important investigations, in which I had
the honour and the pleasure to be associated with Inspector Dunbar, led
to the discovery of a dangerous group controlled by a certain
'Mr. King'----"
"Ah!" cried Dunbar, his tawny eyes sparkling with excitement, "I was
waiting for that!"
"I knew you would be waiting for it, Inspector. Your powers of
deductive reasoning more and more are earning my respect. You recall
that singular case? The elaborate network extending from London to
Buenos Ayres, from Peking to Petrograd? Ah! a wonderful system. It was
an opium syndicate, you understand,"--turning again to the Assistant
Commissioner.
"I recall the case," replied the Commissioner, "although I did not
hold my present appointment at the time. I believe there were
unsatisfactory features?"
"There were," agreed Max.
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