The Mandarin's Fan Part 33

"Oh I guess so," said Clarence easily, "neither I nor Ainsleigh has the fan, and you can't kill either of us unless the G.o.d grows angry. You've got to climb down before him."

"That is true," said Hwei dropping the joss-stick, and sat in his chair with a puzzled face. He then pointed to the clock, the long hand of which was drawing to twelve. "When that strikes, my hour is over," he said, "but I may kill you before then."

"You've got ten minutes to do it in," said Burgh cheerfully, "and Ainsleigh and I intend to fight for it. You'll be hanged too."

"No," said Hwei. "I'll be on my way to China with the fan. I have a boat waiting near, to take me to a special steamer. I intended to kill Major Tidman, take the fan and go. Then all the police in the country would not have caught me."

"And your nice little plan has been defeated by the Major not coming up," said Rupert calmly, "just as well he didn't. And I have not got the fan."

"Who has--who has," said Hwei biting his nails, and evidently quite at a loss. "I made sure--" he looked at Clarence.

"Oh it wasn't me," said that gentleman promptly, "but I may know who killed the old woman and has the fan."

Hwei flung himself forward. "Tell--tell--tell," he grasped, and he laid his long fingers on Burgh's throat. The young man threw him over with a great effort and slipped back to the wall, where he stood beside Rupert.

The two had out their revolvers. "You wait," said Clarence in a breathless voice, for the struggle though brief had been violent, "tell me the secret of the fan, and I'll give you the name of the person who has it."

"What," cried Hwei furiously, "betray my master, you foreign devil. I will kill you first."

"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 ma.s.s 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 ma.s.s 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 a.s.sailants, 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 G.o.d 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 G.o.d Kw.a.n.g-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."