Free Chronicles of the Secret Service by Alexander Wilson

relinquished his hold on the revolver. He struggled into a sitting position as the Japanese was turning the key.
    ‘It’s no use, Yumasaki,’ he cried. ‘If you don’t come back, I swear I’ll shoot.’
    For answer, the fellow flung the dagger at him. Carter threw himself aside only just in time, and the weapon stuck quivering in the wall beside him. At the same time he fired. Yumasaki screamed with agony; collapsed to the floor with a smashed leg. Carter rose to his feet, shook himself, and hastened across the room. He locked the door again, as excited cries reached his ears from outside.
    ‘You brought this upon yourself,’ he observed severely, looking down at the groaning man, writhing with pain at his feet. ‘If you had behaved yourself, you wouldn’t have been shot.’
    He pocketed the revolver, dragged Yumasaki to the couch, lifted him upon it, and set to work to do what he could to ease his leg. There came a deafening clamour – fists beating upon the door, voices raised in Chinese and other languages, and other noisy sounds expressive of consternation and anger. Apparently it was known by his henchmen that the Japanese did not carry a revolver, and they had rightly conjectured that the man who was to be killed did, and had used it. Carter took little notice of the row. He had torn a strip of material from Yumasaki’s garments and was temporarily bandaging the wound, making a mental resolution at the same time, to learn ju-jutsu. Presently he was surprised to hear the shouts outside change to cries of consternation. The drumming on the door suddenly ceased.Then the handle was turned, followed by a loud, authoritative knock.
    ‘Open this door,’ came a command in English, ‘or we break it down. The game is up, Yumasaki.’
    Carter grinned.
    ‘You hear that, Jap?’ he asked of the groaning man. ‘I guess the police are here.’
    ‘Are you there, Carter?’
    The young man recognised the anxious voice of Sir Leonard Wallace, and grinned more broadly than ever.
    ‘Coming, sir,’ he called.
    The next moment he had unlocked, and thrown open the door. Several police, headed by Sir Leonard and Superintendent Ransome, poured in. Behind them, Carter caught a glimpse of the pale, troubled face of the China Doll. He smiled reassuringly at her, and joined Wallace, who was standing by the couch, regarding Yumasaki with deep satisfaction.
    ‘I’m afraid I had to shoot him, sir,’ he announced regretfully. ‘But he would play about with daggers.’
    ‘Thank God, you’re safe,’ observed Sir Leonard. ‘The little lady almost caused me to believe we’d find you dead, though I must admit, knowing you, I had more confidence in your ability to remain alive. Still, there were anxious moments.’
    ‘Did she fetch the police, sir?’ asked Carter.
    ‘She did, and at a good deal of risk to herself, I should imagine. All right, Ransome, Yumasaki is quite helpless. Carter and I will take care of him. You had better carry on the good work.’
    The Superintendent of Police saluted, and hastened out ofthe room with his men. Sir Leonard proceeded to tell Carter that, directly after their telephone conversation, he had got in touch with the Commissioner of Police, with the result that Superintendent Ransome immediately proceeded to the Canton with a dozen men, and surrounded the place. Sir Leonard had joined him there. The China Doll was seen to emerge and had gone off in a sedan chair, accompanied by a gigantic Chinaman, who appeared to be more of a guard than an attendant. They had been followed. When a quiet spot had been reached, the China Doll had ordered her conveyance to be put down. Then before her custodian could stop her, she had slipped out, and had started running along the road. She was chased, but the police tracking her had cut off her guardian, and had arrested him. She had been conducted to Sir Leonard and Ransome. It had been her intent, it transpired, to run to the Central Police Station, a courageous