gaze, he slid the katar among the proof sheets on the chess table and leaned
back, folding his hands across his vest. Frescott's laugh was pleasant, but the
elderly professor had a habit of covering his real sentiments with opposite
tones.
"You invited me here to discuss the chest of Chu Chan," declared Frescott
blandly, "so tell me what you already know about it and I shall supply the rest.
We may as well come directly to the point instead of trying to conceal it."
A subtle listener might have suspected that Frescott's final sentence
referred to the Burmese katar rather than the chest of Chu Chan, but Shebley was
not inclined to be subtle. Seating himself, he began to pour the facts that
Frescott wanted.
All the while, the ruby handle of the Burmese katar kept deepening its glow
in the dying sunset, like the watchful eye of some evil monster awaiting the
chance to deliver a fatal thrust!
CHAPTER II
IT was an interesting tale that Jared Shebley told while Giles Frescott
listened with half closed eyes.
The chest of Chu Chan had belonged to a Chinese of the same name who
resided in Hanoi, capital of Tonkin, in the north of French Indo-China. For many
years Chu Chan had lived there undisturbed until the Japanese began to move into
Indo-China, taking whatever they wanted, particularly from Chinese nationals.
Chu Chan had managed, however, to keep a few jumps ahead of the wily Japs,
where his treasures were concerned.
First, Chu Chan's belongings had been shipped southwest across the Mekong
River to Bangkok, the capital of Siam. By the time the Nipponese arrived there,
the shipment was on its way to Singapore, where it cleared again for India
before the Japs controlled the Malayan Straits.
At last the goods had arrived in America, there to be auctioned to raise
funds for the cause of China, in keeping with instructions given by Chu Chan,
when last heard from.
"Dariel Talcott bought the antique chest," concluded Shebley. "You must
know him, professor. He owns the Talcott Antique Galleries."
Frescott nodded as though half asleep.
"A very reliable dealer, Talcott."
"So reliable," assured Shebley, "that he wouldn't guarantee that the chest
of Chu Chan was unique, as he did with the katar of Pagan Min. Talcott said that
I would do well to check its history personally."
"Quite wise of Talcott."
"He has always been more than fair," affirmed Shebley. "For instance, he
wouldn't even think of selling me the Bangkok dancer statue."
Frescott's eyes opened.
"What statue was that?"
"One that came with the chest of Chu Chan," explained Shebley. "It was
inside the chest, so the two were sold as a lot. Only I doubt that it even
belonged to Chu Chan. Probably it was put into the chest to get it away from
Siam before the Japs arrived there."
"A logical theory, but why didn't you want the dancer statue?"
