He refused to
believe that Chen Li hadn't gold in considerable quantity somewhere about
--he must, said Parslett, have changed some of those notes since he had
stolen them the previous day. Chen Li protested that he had but some fifty
or sixty pounds in gold available--but he promised to have the rest of the
thousand ready on the following evening. Finally, he handed Parslett fifty
pounds, arranged that he should call the next night--and then invited him
to take a drink. Parslett pocketed the money and accepted the invitation--
and Yada, from his hiding-place, saw Chen Li go to the sideboard, mix
whisky and soda and pour into the mixture a few drops from a phial which
he took from his waistcoat pocket. Parslett drank off the contents of the
glass--and Chen Li went down to the gate with him.
Yada followed to the front door and, through a slight opening, watched.
The garden was fairly well lighted by the moon, which had recently risen.
He saw Chen Li let the man out. He saw him turn from the gate and slowly
come back towards the house. And then he saw something else--the sudden
spring, from behind a big laurel bush, of a man--a short-statured, slight-
figured man, who leapt on Chen Li with the agility of a panther.
Pages:
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368