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 pened along and ordered me to bed. He was robbing me of those last precious moments in port, and I resented it, but I dared not disobey. I went to his cabin and climbed to the upper berth, which was mine. In about half an hour the Edna May got under way. My wonderful journey was entering its final stage”

“Please,” broke in Detective Barnes, glancing at his watch.

“I know,” said Mark Drew, smiling. “I’ll hurry on. Pretty soon my father came to the cabin, sat down at his table and began to look over some papers. I dozed off—and woke up with a start. A lean, solemn Chinaman was standing just inside the cabin door. It was my first sight of the man whose birthday my father was celebrating here to-night.

You are Chang See,’ said my father, ‘and the Nile sailed without you.’

“The Chinaman bowed, and something resembling a smile flitted across his impassive face. Rh