“Sure, come on in.”
“And the kite?”
“Yep. Come along, now, kid, and don’t make any noise.”
Hardly able to drag one foot after another, so tired was he, Jimmy followed his captor to the stairs. Up two flights they went, until they came to the third-floor hall, then along that corridor until they reached a door that had a crude drawing of the rising sun painted upon it. The youth gave three raps, paused a second, rapped four times, and then thirteen times in quick succession. A little panel in the door opened, and a voice whispered:
“Who’s there?”
“The Mikado’s messenger,” was the youth’s answer. “Hurry up and let me in; don’t go through all the usual foolishness.”
“What does he bring?” the voice proceeded.
“A watermelon,” was the youth’s reply. “Come on now, Jake, it’s only——”
“Mention no names!” exclaimed the voice, seemingly in anger. “Remember your instructions.”
The next instant the door opened, and the youth, pushing Jimmy in front of him, entered, when the portal was quickly shut. The man who had been at the slide locked and barred the door, and then followed the youth and Jimmy down a passage that led toward a room where a light glowed.