Page:Henry rideout--The siamese cat.djvu/146

 not these changes that had made him start: some other stir—

He reached up cautiously. The knob of the switch clicked down. In the sudden glare, a kneeling man leapt upright: Ho Kong's slant eyes blinked at the black muzzle of the Webley. Then both men sprang for the door. Just in time, Scarlett hammered the butt on the shaven forehead, knocked up the brass hook, slammed the door. He had forgotten that to Chinamen a gun is no threat. With a straight punch he sent the thief whimpering to the floor: then from the forgotten bundle of sticks, drew Borkman's sword and held the point pricking the naked saffron chest.

"I should have remembered the cold steel pidgin first off," he said. "Now, Mr. Ho Kong, speak up. What thing you wantchee? What thing you catch inside here?"

An anxious twitch wrinkled the baby mask,