Dora, sensing what was passing through her mind, kept up a patter of small talk as she urged Eva forward.

By another entrance than the one that led through the Chinese curio-shop they entered the Joss-house and came to the worshiping-room of the temple.

Eva gazed fearfully about her now at all the fantastic decorations with which she was surrounded.  Her only comfort was the handle of the automatic that the butler had pressed on her as she was leaving home.

“This Madagascan with the antidote,” asked Eva, tremulously, “where is he?”

“Don’t worry, dearie,” quieted Dora.  “Wait a moment here and I will bring him.”

Dora turned on her heel and left the temple by the door leading into the beautiful lounging-room beyond.

Eva stood transfixed by the solemn awfulness of the place and the grim visage of the fire god.  Why had she been brought to such a place?  What new terrors awaited her here?

She seemed alone—­yet was she?

She felt a thousand eyes regarding her, as though a thousand dangers lurked to destroy her just beyond those fearful walls.

She was staring now at the god.  What made his eyes gleam so banefully?

She thought she heard a sound!

Was the wall at the right of the statue moving?  Or was it merely her heightened imagination?

Fascinated, she watched.

Yes, she was sure now.  Slowly, slowly a portion of that wall was actually sliding back.

Now she saw a hand.  Then an arm followed.  With a slow, gliding movement that even to Eva’s strained ears was noiseless, a man, his back toward her, slid into the room.

Eva, shrinking back, wanted to shriek.  But instead she whipped out the automatic and in an instant had the man covered.

The man was still evidently unconscious of her presence.  But suddenly he must have heard Eva move.  For he wheeled around, and instinctively his hands went above his head.

As for Eva, the cry that she had suppressed at his appearance was suppressed no longer, for the man whom she held at her mercy was—­Locke!

“How did you come here?” gasped Eva.

Hurriedly he told her his story—­how he felt that the clue that would lead to the unraveling of this mystery was now to be found in Chinatown, how he had made his way, therefore, to the Chinese quarter, how he had tracked the Madagascan.

Knowing the futility of trying to enter any private place of the Orientals, much less their temple, in Occidental garb, he had waylaid a Chinaman in an alley, had stripped him, and had changed clothes with him.

Disguised thus, Locke had managed to enter, to observe, and was only now on his way to summon assistance.  For he had decided to have the place raided.  Only now he was stricken almost dumb with astonishment at being confronted by Eva.

There was no time for more.  Before Eva could explain her own presence there the door burst open, the panels slid back, and a horde of emissaries and Chinamen swarmed about them.