THE GOLDEN SCORPION

Part I

THE COWLED MAN

I The Shadow of a Cowl
II The Pilbroch of the M'Gregors
III The Scorpion's Tail
IV Mademoiselle Dorian
V The Sealed Envelope
VI The Assistant Commissioner
VII Contents of the Sealed Envelope
VIII The Assistant Commissioner's Theory
IX The Chinese Coin
X "Close Your Shutters at Night"
XI The Blue Ray


Part II

STATEMENT OF M. GASTON MAX

I. THE DANCER OF MONTMARTRE

I Zara el-Khala
II Concerning the Grand Duke
III A Strange Question
IV The Fight in the Cafe

II. "LE BALAFRE"

I I Become Charles Malet
II Baiting the Trap
III Disappearance of Charles Malet
IV I Meet an Old Acquaintance
V Conclusion of Statement


Part III

AT THE HOUSE OF AH-FANG-FU

I The Brain Thieves
II The Red Circle
III Miska's Story
IV Miska's Story (concluded)
V The Heart of Chunda Lal
VI The Man with the Scar
VII In the Opium Den
VIII The Green-Eyed Joss


Part IV

THE LAIR OF THE SCORPION

I The Sublime Order
II The Living Death
III The Fifth Secret of Rache Churan
IV The Guile of the East
V What Happened to Stuart
VI "Jey Bhowani!"
VII The Way of the Scorpion





Part I

THE COWLED MAN



CHAPTER I

THE SHADOW OF A COWL


Keppel Stuart, M.D., F. R. S., awoke with a start and discovered
himself to be bathed in cold perspiration. The moonlight shone in at
his window, but did not touch the bed, therefore his awakening could
not be due to this cause. He lay for some time listening for any
unfamiliar noise which might account for the sudden disturbance of
his usually sound slumbers. In the house below nothing stirred. His
windows were widely open and he could detect that vague drumming
which is characteristic of midnight London; sometimes, too, the
clashing of buffers upon some siding of the Brighton railway where
shunting was in progress and occasional siren notes from the Thames.
Otherwise--nothing.

He glanced at the luminous disk of his watch. The hour was half-past
two. Dawn was not far off. The night seemed to have become almost
intolerably hot, and to this heat Stuart felt disposed to ascribe
both his awakening and also a feeling of uncomfortable tension of
which he now became aware. He continued to listen, and, listening
and hearing nothing, recognized with anger that he was frightened.
A sense of some presence oppressed him. Someone or something evil
was near him--perhaps in the room, veiled by the shadows. This
uncanny sensation grew more and more marked.