There were rows of other horrible machines at which he barely glanced. What drew his attention like a terrible magnet was the prone figure of Red Pennington, still in his valet’s garb, lying on a dark stained plank table. Blood trickling from Red’s broken scalp had smeared the chalklike whiteness of his face. So deathly was his appearance that the two Chinese hatchet men standing guard above him looked like murderers gloating over their kill!
Biting hard on his tongue, Don Winslow held back his rage. Still keeping his outward pose of lazy boredom, he turned to the Scorpion leader.
“Oh, come now, Cho-San!” he protested. “What kind of a silly joke is this? The fellow’s dead as dust! No fun in tormenting a corpse, you know.”
With a feline hiss, Cho-San leaped past him, shouldering aside the nearest hatchet man. Placing his ear to Red’s chest, he listened for the heartbeat. The silence in the great, vaulted room was breathless.
Abruptly the big Oriental straightened up, motioning the guards away.
“The man is not quite dead; we can quickly revive him,” he said. “Come nearer, Count Borg! We shall show you some fun at the expense of your own valet!”
“What’s that?” cried Don sharply, striding across to the table. “Why, you’re right, Cho-San! I didn’t recognize him with all that blood on his face. But see here—you can’t put the screws on my valet, you know! He’s just a harmless chap I picked up to do for me....”
“Ummmmm-hmmmmmm! Of course, of course!” rumbled Cho-San. “Just a harmless chap you—or perhaps someone else—told to follow our car this evening! Well, my dear Count Borg, he succeeded, as you observe!”
The guards had returned with two buckets of water and a wide leather strap. At a gesture from Cho-San, they sloshed the water over Red’s body from head to foot. As soon as both buckets were empty one of the hatchet men began slapping their bound and helpless victim’s face with the heavy strap.
Suddenly Red groaned, rolling partly on his side. The man with the strap stepped away. At the same time, Cho-San pushed Don forward.