How I shuddered as I touched his yellow skin! how my very soul rose up in revolt! ...

* * * * * * *

“There is the bullet!—­quick! ...  Steady, Petrie!”

Sir Baldwin Frazer, keen, cool, deft, was metamorphosed, was the enthusiastic, brilliant surgeon whom I knew and revered, and another than the nerveless captive who, but a few minutes ago, had stared, panic-stricken, at Dr. Fu-Manchu.

Although I had met him once or twice professionally, I had never hitherto seen him operate; and his method was little short of miraculous.  It was stimulating, inspiring.  With unerring touch he whittled madness, death, from the very throne of reason, of life.

Now was the crucial moment of his task ... and, with its coming, every light in the room suddenly failed—­went out!

“My God!” whispered Frazer, in the darkness, “quick! quick! lights! a match!—­a candle!—­something, anything!”

There came a faint click, and a beam of white light was directed, steadily, upon the patient’s skull.  Li-King-Su—­unmoved—­held an electric torch in his hand!

Frazer and I set to work, in a fierce battle to fend off Death, who already outstretched his pinions over the insensible man—­to fend off Death from the arch-murderer, the enemy of the white races, who lay there at our mercy! ...

* * * * * * *

“It seems you want a pick-me-up!” said Zarmi.  Sir Baldwin Frazer collapsed into the cane arm-chair.  Only a matting curtain separated us from the room wherein he had successfully performed perhaps the most wonderful operation of his career.

“I could not have lasted out another thirty seconds, Petrie!” he whispered.  “The events which led up to it had exhausted my nerves and I had no reserve to call upon.  If that last ...”

He broke off, the sentence uncompleted, and eagerly seized the tumbler containing brandy and soda, which the beautiful, wicked-eyed Eurasian passed to him.  She turned, and prepared a drink for me, with the insolent insouciance which had never deserted her.

I emptied the tumbler at a draught.

Even as I set the glass down I realized, too late, that it was the first drink I had ever permitted to pass my lips within an abode of Dr. Fu-Manchu....

I started to my feet.

“Frazer!” I muttered—­“we’ve been drugged! we ...”

“You sit down,” came Zarmi’s husky voice, and I felt her hands upon my breast, pushing me back into my seat.  “You very tired ... you go to sleep....”

* * * * * * *

“Petrie!  Dr. Petrie!”

The words broke in through the curtain of unconsciousness.  I strove to arouse myself.  I felt cold and wet.  I opened my eyes—­and the world seemed to be swimming dizzily about me.  Then a hand grasped my arm, roughly.