It was a critical moment.

Just then Long Sin entered.  “One of the five millions waits outside,” he reported simply, with a bow.

Wu understood.  It had been a pleasant fiction of his that although he did not, of course, absolutely control such a stupendous organization he could, by his subtle power, force almost unlimited allegiance from the simple coolies in that district of China from which he came.

Out in the front room, just a moment before, a knock at the door had disturbed Long Sin, and a Chinese servant had announced a visitor.  Long Sin had waved to the servant to usher him in and a poorly clad coolie had entered.

He bowed as Long Sin faced him.  “Where is the master?” he had asked.

Long Sin had not deigned to speak.  With a mere wave of his hand, he indicated that he would be the bearer of the message, and had followed Wu through the door of the back room.

So, almost by chance, Wu was interrupted in the brutal vengeance which had first come to his mind.  He sheathed the knife and, still without a word, went back into the main room, giving a nod to Weepy Mary to guard Elaine closely.

Wu eyed the coolie until the newcomer could almost feel the master’s penetrating gaze, although his head was bowed in awe.  Quickly the coolie thrust his hand under his blouse and drew forth a package.  With another bow, he advanced.

“For your enemies, oh master,” he said, handing the package over to Wu.

For the first time since the loss of the treasure, Wu Fang seemed to take an interest in something besides revenge.  The coolie started to open the package, removed the paper wrapper, and then a silk wrapping inside.  Finally he came to a box, from which he drew a leather pouch, each operation conducted with greater care as it became evident that the contents were especially precious in some way.  Then he took from the pouch a small vial.

“What is it?” demanded Wu Fang, as the coolie displayed it.

The coolie drew forth now a magnifying glass and a glass slide.  Opening the vial with great care he shook something out on the slide, then placed it under the lens.

“Look!” he said simply.

Wu bent over and looked.  Under the lens what had formerly seemed to be merely a black speck of dirt became now one of the most weird and uncanny little creatures to be found in all the realm of nature.  It seemed to be all legs and feelers moving at once.  A normal person would have looked at the creature only with the greatest repugnance.  Wu regarded it with a sort of unholy fascination.

“And it is?” he queried.

“What the white man calls the African tick which carries the recurrent fever,” answered the coolie deferentially.

A flash of intense exultation seemed to darken Wu Fang’s sinister face.  Several times he paced up and down the room, as he contemplated the sight which he had just seen.  Then he came to a sudden determination.