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The Return of Dr. Fu-Manchu | Sax Rohmer | |
The Fiery Hand |
Page 5 of 6 |
But already I had perceived that to which Smith would draw my attention, and the mystery of the "astral bells" was a mystery no longer. Bound to the little creature's tail, close to the root, with fine soft wire such as is used for making up bouquets, were three tiny silver bells. I looked across at my companion in speechless surprise. "Almost childish, is it not?" he said; "yet by means of this simple device the Gables has been emptied of occupant after occupant. There was small chance of the trick being detected, for, as I have said, there was absolutely no aperture from roof to basement by means of which one of them could have escaped into the building." "Then . . ." "They were admitted into the wall cavities and the rafters, from some cellar underneath, Petrie, to which, after a brief scamper under the floors and over the ceilings, they instinctively returned for the food they were accustomed to receive, and for which, even had it been possible (which it was not) they had no occasion to forage." I, too, stood up; for excitement was growing within me. I took up the piece of silk from the table. "Where did you find this?" I asked, my eyes upon Smith's keen face. "In a sort of wine cellar, Petrie," he replied, "under the stair. There is no cellar proper to the Gables--at least no such cellar appears in the plans." "But . . ." |
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The Return of Dr. Fu-Manchu Sax Rohmer |
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