登陆注册
5189800000051

第51章

"Forget it!" observed the barkeeper cordially."Dis is on me.Any friend of de Wowzer's gets de glad hand here any time.""T'anks!" said Jimmie Dale gratefully, as he turned away."So long, then--see youse later."Chang Foo's! Jimmie Dale's face set even a little harder than it had before, as he swung on again down the Bowery.Yes; he knew Chang Foo's--too well.Underground Chinatown--where a man's life was worth the price of an opium pill--or less! Mechanically his hand slipped into his pocket and closed over the automatic that nestled there.Once in--where he had to go--and the chances were even, just even, that was all, that he would ever get out.Again he was tempted to return to the Sanctuary and make the attempt as Larry the Bat.Larry the Bat was well enough known to enter Chang Foo's unquestioned, and--but again he shook his head and went on.There was not time.The Wowzer and his pal--it was Dago Jim it seemed--had evidently been drinking and loitering their way downtown from the theatre, and he had gained that much on them; but by now they would be smugly tucked away somewhere in that maze of dens below the ground, and at that moment probably were gloating over the biggest night's haul they had ever made in their lives!

And if they were! What then? Once they knew the contents of that letter--what then? Buy them off for a larger amount than the many thousands offered for the capture of the Gray Seal? Jimmie Dale gritted his teeth.That meant blackmail from them all his life, an intolerable existence, impossible, a hell on earth--the slave, at the beck and call of two of the worst criminals in New York! The moisture oozed again to Jimmie Dale's forehead.God, if he could get that letter before it was opened--before they KNEW! If he could only get the chance to fight for it--against ANY odds! Life! Life was a pitiful consideration against the alternative that faced him now!

From the Blue Dragon to Chang Foo's was not far; and Jimmie Dale covered the distance in well under five minutes.Chang Foo's was just a tea merchant's shop, innocuous and innocent enough in its appearance, blandly so indeed, and that was all--outwardly; but Jimmie Dale, as he reached his destination, experienced the first sensation of uplift he had known that night, and this from what, apparently, did not in the least seem like a contributing cause.

"Luck! The blessed luck of it!" he muttered grimly, as he surveyed the sight-seeing car drawn up at the curb, and watched the passengers crowding out of it to the ground."It wouldn't have been as easy to fool old Chang as it was that fellow back at the Dragon--and, besides, if I can work it, there's a better chance this way of getting out alive."The guide was marshalling his "gapers"--some two dozen in all, men and women.Jimmie Dale unostentatiously fell in at the rear; and, the guide leading, the little crowd passed into the tea merchant's shop.Chang Foo, a wizened, wrinkled-faced little Celestial, oily, suave, greeted them with profuse bows, chattering the while volubly in Chinese.

The guide made the introduction with an all-embracing sweep of his hand.

"Chang Foo--ladies and gentlemen," he announced; then held up his hand for silence."Ladies and gentlemen," he said impressively, "this is one of the most notorious, if not THE most notorious dive in Chinatown, and it is only through special arrangement with the authorities and at great expense that the company is able exclusively to gain an entree here for its patrons.You will see here the real life of the Chinese, and in half an hour you will get what few would get in a lifetime spent in China itself.You will see the Chinese children dance and perform; the Chinese women at their household tasks; the joss, the shrine of his hallowed ancestors, at which Chang Foo here worships; and you will enter the most famous opium den in the United States.Now, if you will all keep close together, we will make a start."In spite of his desperate situation, Jimmie Dale smiled a little whimsically.Yes; they would see it all--UPSTAIRS! The same old bunk dished out night after night at so much a head--and the nervous little schoolma'am of uncertain age, who fidgeted now beside him, would go back somewhere down in Maine and shiver while she related her "wider experiences" in tremulous whispers into the shocked ears of envious other maiden ladies of equally uncertain age.The same old bunk--and a profitable one for Chang Foo for more reasons than one.It was dust in the eyes of the police.The police smiled knowingly at mention of Chang Foo.Who should know, if they didn't, that it was all harmless fake, all bunk! And so it was--UPSTAIRS!

They were passing out of the shop now, bowed out through a side door by the obsequious and oily Chang Foo.And now they massed again in a sort of little hallway--and Chang Foo, closing the door upon Jimmie Dale, who was the last in the line, shuffled back behind the counter in his shop to resume his guard duty over customers of quite another ilk.With the door closed, it was dark, pitch dark.And this, too, like everything else connected with Chang Foo's establishment, for more reasons than one--for effect--and for security.Nervous little twitters began to emanate from the women--the guide's voice rose reassuringly:

同类推荐
  • 康雍乾间文字之狱

    康雍乾间文字之狱

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 甲申战事记

    甲申战事记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 宿吉祥寺寄庐山隐者

    宿吉祥寺寄庐山隐者

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 太上灵宝芝草品

    太上灵宝芝草品

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 焦氏喉科枕秘

    焦氏喉科枕秘

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 两汉纪字句异同考

    两汉纪字句异同考

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 学仕遗规补编

    学仕遗规补编

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 当代学者视野中的马克思主义哲学:俄罗斯学者卷

    当代学者视野中的马克思主义哲学:俄罗斯学者卷

    本书所选材料中的立场、观点和方法并不一致,它们之间的差别有时非常大甚至可能是对立的,但也正因为如此,这些研究材料的作用和意义就会是多重的,其中所包含的一致、差别和对立能够为马克思主义哲学中国化提供不同的参考维度,提供较大的思考空间。
  • 2017中国年度短篇小说

    2017中国年度短篇小说

    由中国作协《小说选刊》选编的2017年度短篇小说,是从全国当年发表的短篇小说中精选出来的,旨在检阅该年度短篇小说的创作实绩,公正、客观地推选出思想性、艺术性俱佳,有代表性、有影响力的年度短篇小说。
  • 六霜于师

    六霜于师

    玉面狐,性乖戾破霄伞,锁星链凡过处,无生机
  • 明媚

    明媚

    匪我思存出道5年首部散文集,收录其多个专栏的数十篇美文。爱情小说作者笔下的狗血八卦,文字洋洋洒洒,讲波澜壮阔的帝王秘史、品龙井月饼的小巧精致,将寻常生活中许多感触与记忆用唯美的文字描绘出来,与读者分享。
  • 经典音乐故事

    经典音乐故事

    西方古典音乐博大、灿烂,源出于古希腊和希伯莱文化,肇端于文艺复兴时期,繁盛在十七世纪到二十世纪初。西方音乐生长在西方文化的土壤里,具有浑厚的文化内涵,在西方的宗教精神、科学思想、民主意识滋养下,更透射出人类文明之光。然而,在一切艺术形式中,音乐里蕴含的捉摸不定的因素最多,这本小册子从西方音乐作品的时代文化背景入手,指明风格,析清流派,点评艺术价值,试图帮助音乐爱好者深入理解音乐的艺术内涵。音乐欣赏既能愉悦身心,又能提高修养。谈音乐、欣赏音乐,就不可避免地涉及一些音乐知识、专业名词一般性判断原则,这本小书里尽量避开复杂的专业术语,而那些浅显的知识一点就通,无须作更多的解释。
  • 猩猩的悲剧

    猩猩的悲剧

    悬疑之父,大师之中的大师,只可模仿,不可超越的巅峰,直逼理性与疯狂、压制与抗争的心理极限,你永远都猜不到故事的结局,你也无法预想故事情节的发展!精品、经典、精装、超值价蕾遇生与死、罪与罚的灵魂拷问。
  • 打赌故事

    打赌故事

    无数事实、经验和理性已经证明:好故事可以影响人的一生。而以我们之见,所谓好故事,在内容上讲述的应是做人与处世的道理,在形式上也应听得进、记得住、讲得出、传得开,而且不会因时代的变迁而失去她的本质特征和艺术光彩。为了让更多的读者走进好故事,阅读好故事,欣赏好故事,珍藏好故事,传播好故事,我们特编选了一套“故事会5元精品系列”以飨之。其选择标准主要有以下三点:一、在《故事会》杂志上发表的作品。二、有过目不忘的艺术感染力。三、有恒久的趣味,对今天的读者仍有启迪作用。愿好故事伴随你的一生!
  • 妃上云宵

    妃上云宵

    她的一生是一个传奇。出生时是不详人,一道圣旨却令她麻雀变凤凰成为和亲公主。又因着她的绝世容貌,被太后钦册为美人,成为对付受宠昭仪的棋子。她生性单纯率真,如何能圆滑的在宫中生存?她一点也不想侍伴君侧,可谁来救她出苦海?俊逸太子斗胆向老爹请呈:父皇,赏她给儿臣做太子妃。倾刻间,她从他的女儿变成他的女人,又变成他的儿媳。可为何,高贵的天子,在见到她的那一刻心肝惊痛一下......以为能躲过尔虞我诈的宫斗,却不料皆是命中注定宠绝后宫。一步步血腥谨慎,她能否到达荣极的云宵?