“Did the officer see this person?”
“No; he only heard him. It was some one who endeavored to enter by the bathroom window, which, I am told, may be reached fairly easily by an agile climber.”
“The attempt did not succeed?”
“No; the constable interrupted, but failed to make a capture or even to secure a glimpse of the man.”
We were both silent for some moments; then:
“What do you propose to do?” I asked.
“We must not let Fu-Manchu’s servants know,” replied Smith, “but to-night I shall conceal myself in Slattin’s house and remain there for a week or a day—it matters not how long—until that attempt is repeated. Quite obviously, Petrie, we have overlooked something which implicates the murderer with the murder! In short, either by accident, by reason of our superior vigilance, or by the clumsiness of his plans, Fu-Manchu for once in an otherwise blameless career, has left a clue!”
CHAPTER X. THE CLIMBER RETURNS
In utter darkness we groped our way through into the hallway of Slattin’s house, having entered, stealthily, from the rear; for Smith had selected the study as a suitable base of operations. We reached it without mishap, and presently I found myself seated in the very chair which Karamaneh had occupied; my companion took up a post just within the widely opened door.