Guy Boothby Dr. N. 1 B

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slipper, taken it in his right hand, leaned over a bit further, and struck the
ascending Celestial a severe blow on the mouth with the heel of it.
There was the noise of a hasty descent and the banging of the street door a
moment later, then all was still again, and the youngster turned to me.
"'That was Ah Chong," he said confidentially. "He's the sixth Chinkie I've
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landed that way since dark.'
"This important piece of information he closed with a doublejointed oath of
remarkable atrocity, and, having done so, would have recommenced the
performance of acrobatic feats had I not stopped him by asking the reason of
his action. He looked at me with a grin, and said, "'I dunno, but all I cares
is that China Pete in there gives me a sprat (sixpence) for every Chinkie what
I keeps out of the 'Ouse. He's a rum one is China Pete; an' can't he cough my
word!'
"I was about to put another question when the door opened and the girl who had
brought me to the house beckoned me into the room. I entered and she left me
alone with the occupant.
"Of all the filthy places I have ever seen and I have had the illluck to
discover a good many in my time that one eclipsed them all. The room was at
most ten feet long by seven wide, had a window at the far end, and the door,
through which I had entered, opposite it. The bedplace was stretched between
the door and the window, and was a horrible exhibition. On it, propped up by
pillows and evidently in the last stage of collapse, was the man called China
Pete, whom I had last seen walking out of the dock at the Supreme Court a
couple of months before. When we were alone together he pointed to a box near
the bed and signified that I
should seat myself. I did so, at the same time taking occasion to express my
sorrow at finding him in this lamentable condition. He made no reply to my
civilities, but after a little pause found strength enough to whisper, 'See if
there's anybody at the door.' I went across, opened the door and looked into
the passage, but save the boy, who was now sitting on the top step of the
stairs at the other end, there was not a soul in sight. I
told him this and having again closed the door, sat down on the box and waited
for him to speak.
"'You did me a good turn, Mr Wetherell, over that trial,' the invalid said at
last, 'and I couldn't make it worth your while.'
"'Oh, you mustn't let that worry you,' I answered soothingly. 'You would have
paid me if you had been able.'
"'Perhaps I should, perhaps I shouldn't, anyhow I didn't, and I want to make
it up to you now. Feel under my pillow and bring out what you find there.'
"I did as he directed me and brought to light a queer little wooden stick
about three and a half inches long, made of some heavy timber and covered all
over with Chinese inscriptions; at one end was a tiny bit of heavy gold cord
much tarnished. I gave it to him and he looked at it fondly.
"'Do you know the value of this little stick?' he asked after a while.
"'I have no possible notion,' I replied.
"'Make a guess,' he said.
A BID FOR FORTUNE OR DR. NIKOLA'S VENDETTA
A BID FOR FORTUNE OR DR. NIKOLA'S VENDETTA
133
"To humour him I guessed five pounds. He laughed with scorn.
"'Five pounds! O ye gods! Why, as a bit of stick it's not worth five pence,
but for what it really is there is not money enough in the world to purchase
it. If I could get about again I would make myself the richest and most
powerful man on earth with it. If you could only guess one particle of the
dangers I've been through to get it you would die of astonishment. And the
sarcasm of it all is that now I've got it I can't make use of it. On six
different occasions the priests of the Llamaserai in Peking have tried to
murder me to get hold of it. I
brought it down from the centre of China disguised as a wandering beggar. That
business connected with the murder of the Chinaman on board the ship, against
which you defended me, was on account of it. And now I
lie here dying like a dog, with the key to over ten millions in my hand.
Nikola has tried for five years to obtain it, without success however. He
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little dreams I've got it after all. If he did I'd be a dead man by this
time.'
"'Who is this Nikola then?' I asked.
"'Dr Nikola? Well, he's Nikola, and that's all I can tell you. If you're a
wise man you'll want to know no more.
Ask the Chinese mothers nursing their almondeyed spawn in Peking who he is;
ask the Japanese, ask the
Malays, the Hindoos, the Burmese, the coal porters in Port Said, the Buddhist
priests of Ceylon; ask the King of Corea, the men up in Thibet, the Spanish
priests in Manilla, or the Sultan of Borneo, the ministers of Siam, or the
French in Saigon they'll all know Dr Nikola and his cat, and, take my word
for it, they fear him.'
"I looked at the little stick in my hand and wondered if the man had gone mad.
"'What do you wish me to do with this?' I asked.
"'Take it away with you,' he answered, 'and guard it like your life, and when
you have occasion, use it. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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