from the office to the rear room was always closed. You follow
me?"

"Yes, sir," came in an almost whispered chorus.

"Finally," continued Mr. Trotter, "one customer, more curious
than the others, reported his observations to the police. Today
the Johnny Tinplates made a raid on the place. A most curious
state of affairs came to light. So--but is this tangled tale
clear to you all as far as I have gone?"

"Yes, sir," came the whispered chorus.

"What the police learned," went on Mr. Trotter, in a voice that
now sounded slightly awestruck, "was this: a week ago the three
Chinese partners had a serious row. They quarreled, then fought.
Two of the yellow partners killed the third! And now, a serious
problem confronted the two survivors of that misunderstanding.
What was to be done with the remains of the unsuccessful disputant?"

Midshipman Trotter looked at each of the wondering plebes in turn.
It looked as though he were asking the question of them.

"I don't know, sir," admitted Dan Dalzell, at the left of the line.

"I don't know, sir," admitted the man next to Dan. So it went
down the line, until Dave Darrin, at the further end, had admitted
himself to be as much in the dark as were the others.

"Then, listen," resumed Mr. Trotter impressively. "The Chinese,