Hwei gnawed his long finger nails, and then slipped his hands inside his long hanging sleeves. In his dull blue clothes with the clumsy slippers, he looked taller than ever, and quite as unpleasant as at first sight. His pig-tail was coiled round his shaven head. He looked sharply at the two men with his one eye, and appeared to be thinking, "It's my day," said he at length.
Ainsleigh and Burgh jumped up. "Do you intend to murder us?" asked Rupert.
"If you have the fan," rejoined Hwei coldly, "it is the order of the god Kwang-ho," and he bowed reverentially to the ugly image.
"What right's that second hand joss to give orders in a free country, Hwei?" asked Clarence, "and don't you think, we'll give in without laying you out."
Hwei made a clicking noise with his tongue and then smote a small brass gong which hung near the door. The thunder had scarcely died away before the door opened and there appeared four or five villainous looking Chinamen with long knives. Rupert stepped back and stood against the wall, with his revolver levelled. But Clarence simply produced the knife, he had picked up on the pavement. "I guess," he said reflectively, "you tried to knife Ainsleigh outside. The knife here's the same as those things yonder," and he nodded towards the door. "Well, sail in. We're ready for the play."
Hwei started at this speech, and chattered something in Chinese. At once the door closed and the three were again alone. "I never ordered anyone to be knifed outside," he said, with his one eye on Clarence, "that would be foolish. First the fan, then the death."
"I was certainly attacked outside," said Rupert lowering his revolver.
"Who attacked you, sir?"
"I can't say. But perhaps Burgh--"
"That's my business," said the cheerful Clarence who had taken his seat, and did not seem to be at all afraid of the dangerous position in which he found himself, "what we have to do, is to yarn about this fan. I saw you in 'Frisco, Hwei. I reckoned the fan was there."