The Bradys After a Chinese Princess Part 24

"She declared that her grandfather's letter did not state.

"She then went on to tell me that it was hidden under the headstone of an old house near the North Beach, the location of which she described so carefully that I am sure I can find it. It appears that her grandfather, although he lived in Chinatown, carried on business in this house selling cigars, soda water and so on, probably doing a little opium smuggling on the sly."

"Let's see!" exclaimed Old King Brady. "What was the old fellow's name again? I heard Garshaski speak it, but I forget."

"His name was Gong Schow," Alice replied.

"Why, I knew him!" cried the old detective. "Of course, he smuggled opium. The cigar and soda water business was only a blind. I can locate that house if you can't Alice. But do you suppose it is still standing?"

"The princess thinks so at all events. That is all I know about it."

"Very likely it is then. We must go down there at once. On the way we will look in at Lung & Lung's and learn how it fares with Garshaski's unfortunate victim."

"Go on with your story," said Harry.

"There is little more to tell," replied Alice. "Garshaski must have had his ear at some listening hole, for he now burst in on us and, gagging me carried Skeep Hup off, declaring that he had heard all."

And this ended what Alice had to say.

They started away right after breakfast.

Meanwhile Old King Brady called up Mr. Narraway on the telephone and suggested--for he was in no position to order it--the immediate arrest of Volckman.

"That has already been attended to," replied the Secret Service commissioner over the wire, "Leggett was at my house early this morning and told me what happened last night."

At Lung & Lung's they ran into Wun Lung.

"Ah was still at his club," he said. "He had seen him that morning. Dr.

Gim Suey thought he would recover." That was all he could say.

The Bradys and Alice now went to the North Beach.

Here they met with disappointment.

They pa.s.sed on to a point at some distance from the bathing houses to a place where there had once been quite a little grouping of little shacks where various kinds of small business had once been carried on.

But these, owing to certain changes, had all been abandoned since the fire. Many of them had been pulled down and carried away for firewood.

The few which still remained were all unoccupied and fast going to ruin.

Skeep Hup's description of the place would have fitted either one of those remaining.

Even Old King Brady was at fault, sure as he had been that he could easily identify the house.

They returned to the North Beach proper and started to inquire.

They could not find any one who remembered old Gong Schow, strange as it seemed, for the man had been there for several years.

"It looks as though we should have to give it up altogether," remarked Harry when this stage of the game was reached.

"It does," replied Old King Brady, "and it don't give us the Chinese Princess either. There is but one way to solve the mystery that I can think that is to get hold of some old c.h.i.n.k who knew and had business with Gong Schow."

"But it is doubtful if such a person can be made to tell."

"Very."

"Do you know such a man?"

"I think I do."

"Who is he?"

"Now, Harry, I feel under obligations not to tell you. He is a Chinaman who was at one time largely engaged in opium smuggling. I knew it, but I was never called upon to proceed against him, so as he once did me an important service I made no move. I found out that he was in the hop business by the merest accident and I swore to him that I would never tell."

And Harry knew that this was final.

So they gave it up and went back to town, leaving Old King Brady to look up his man.

Alice was still suffering from the effects of what she had been through in those underground rooms, so she remained at the hotel while Harry started out to see what he could do towards locating Dr. Garshaski.

He called first at the Stockton street house and entered the Doctor's room with a skeleton key.

It was a case of no doctor, but there was evidence that he had recently been there.

Hardly knowing what to do or where to go, Harry bent his steps towards the North Beach again.

When he got there the water looked good to him, so he went in swimming.

The day was cool and there were few bathers.

One old white-haired man, a splendid swimmer, particularly attracted Young King Brady's attention and he fell into conversation with him.

He learned that the old fellow suffered terribly from insomnia.

"Why I often come down here and go in alone at midnight," he said, "and sometimes in the early morning hours. I was here this morning at a quarter to one."

"Is the place deserted then?" Harry asked.

"I don't believe the North Beach baths are ever deserted," replied the old man. "There are always a few old cranks like myself paddling about; sometimes we see strange sights."

"I suppose so. Suicides for instance?"

"Yes, I have seen more than I like to think of. I have personally prevented three. Last night I saw something which interested me, but, of course, I didn't b.u.t.t in. I never do. I learned long ago to mind my own business in my nightly wanderings."

"What was that?" inquired Harry carelessly, for he was not paying very close attention to the old man's talk.

"See those old shacks away down there where the pavilion used to be,"

pointing to the very place which interested Young King Brady most.

"Why, yes. What about them?"