"Such things don't enter into my sphere, Mr. Smith," he replied, "but no doubt the proper department at the Yard have seen it."
"I know they have seen it!" snapped Smith; "but they have also been unable to read it!"
Weymouth looked up in surprise.
"Indeed," he said. "You are interested in this, then?"
"Very! Have you any suggestion to offer respecting it?"
Moving from my seat I, also, bent over the paper and read, in growing astonishment, the following:—
ZAGAZIG-Z,-a-g-a;-z:-I-g,a,-a,ag-a,z;-
I;-g:z-a-g-A-z;i-:g;-Z,,-a;-gg-_-z-i;-
G;-z-,a-g-:a-Z__I_;-g:-z-a-g;-a-:Z-,i-g:
z,a-g,-a:z,i-g.
"This is utterly incomprehensible! It can be nothing but some foolish practical joke! It consists merely of the word 'Zagazig' repeated six or seven times—which can have no possible significance!"
"Can't it!" snapped Smith.
"Well," I said, "what has Zagazig to do with Fu-Manchu, or to do with us?"