Here they ran into a bunch of Chinks just coming out of the main club room.
There were friends of Ah Lung's among them, and a tremendous pow-wow and excitement followed, all in Chinese.
Alice explained that it was partly sympathy, partly indignation against Dr. Garshaski, who was a club member, and partly about the presence of detectives in the House of the Seven Delights.
Ah Lung quieted them, however.
"Leave me now," he said. "I am in the hands of my friends. They will do all for me that can be done. They are not willing that you should enter the club room."
So the detectives were escorted back to earth by the way Old King Brady and Leggett had come down into these lower regions and glad enough they were to find themselves safe on China alley.
Parting from Leggett, they started, reaching it shortly before midnight.
Alice was so exhausted that Old King Brady insisted that she should postpone her story till morning.
"I don't know that it will do any good to tell it now," she said. "But I must give you a hint. There is buried or hidden money at the bottom of all this business."
"Yes, yes, I know," said Old King Brady. "I heard Garshaski call out about it. Do you know where the hiding place is?"