This had happened so swiftly that Merriwell and Starbright could do nothing. When they rushed out of the room the stranger had vanished and the Chinaman was groaning and jabbering with pain.
“What’s the matter?” asked Frank. “What did he do?”
“Puttee out eyles! Yi! yi! Oh, glivee watal quickee! Oh! oh!”
They dragged the Chinaman into the room and Merry soon had some water on his face.
“Red pepper!” cried Frank, as he detected the powder on the clothes of the Chinaman. “That man threw it in his eyes!”
“Yi! yi! yi!” yelled the Celestial. “Oh, eyles burnee likee led-hot fial! Oh, pooal John go to die velly quickee! Hi-yi!”
The yells of the frightened fellow soon brought people to investigate, and Merry explained what had happened.
The Chinaman belonged in the kitchen. How he came to be on that floor was a mystery, and he would not tell. All he seemed able to do was to howl with pain.
When the Celestial had been removed and the excitement was over, Merry flung himself on a chair, laughing outright.
“I fail to see what you are laughing about,” cried Starbright, who was striding up and down the floor.