Part 10 (2/2)

Inside Alice could see nothing. It appeared to be just across the pa.s.sage.

But before she had time to think twice about it the two Chinamen gave her a sudden push.

The doctor jumped aside and poor Alice went flying through the door of death.

CHAPTER V.

OLD KING BRADY GETS DOWN TO BUSINESS.

Harper's Hotel, on Mission street, both before and since the fire was always a great resort for Secret Service men.

In fact, the proprietor himself was formerly one.

As it happened, this was one of the few buildings in that part of the city which escaped the fire, so the public house at which Old King Brady turned up late that afternoon was the same old Harper's Hotel.

Detective Leggett, disguised as a dock laborer, sat in the cafe playing dominoes with another Secret Service man.

The minute he saw Old King Brady, without waiting to finish the game, he pushed the dominoes aside and made a sign for the old detective to follow, then leading him upstairs.

”I'm living here just now,” he said. ”I don't know as you know it.”

”No; I didn't know,” was the reply. ”Have you caught on to anything?”

”I think so. Volckman's a sly one, but I have had a good chance to watch him. He quit an hour earlier than usual to-night. So did I, and I trailed him to China alley and saw him go into a crib there.”

”Good for you! What kind of a crib?”

”Oh, there is supposed to be about everything that is crooked going on there. Mock Ting's restaurant is on the ground floor of the Dupont street side. There's a fan-tan joint on the third floor. I understand there are underground rooms. I don't actually know any of them to be opium joints, but I have no doubt that some of them are.”

”It's enough that you have tracked Volckman there. What do you propose?”

”It's up to you, Mr. Brady. I have no pull in Chinatown. That is what we want.”

”It surely is. I used to have a lot, but times have changed. I hardly know who to apply to now. I hate to ring in a wardman.”

”I wouldn't,” said Leggett, with a shrug of his shoulders. ”I don't believe it would pay. I'm ready to bust ahead with you and take our chances.”

”I have little faith in that, either. Volckman doesn't look like a man who used opium. He must have had special business to call him there. But let us get down there, anyway.”

This conversation took place in Leggett's room upstairs.

”Better drop this rig, hadn't I?” he asked.

”I think so.”

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