"Impossible to identify!" murmured Harley. "Yes, you were right,
Inspector; this is a victim of Oriental deviltry. Look here,
too!"
He indicated three small wounds, one situated on the left
shoulder and the others on the forearm of the dead man.
"The divisional surgeon cannot account for them," replied Wessex.
"They are quite superficial, and he thinks they may be due to the
fact that the body got entangled with something in the river."
"They are due to the fact that the man had a birthmark on his
shoulder and something--probably a name or some device--tattooed
on his arm," said Harley quietly. "Some few years ago, I met
with a similar case in the neighbourhood of Stambul. A woman,"
he added, significantly.
Detective-Inspector Wessex listened to my companion with respect,
for apart from his established reputation as a private inquiry-
agent which had made his name familiar in nearly every capital of
the civilized world, Paul Harley's work in Constantinople during
the six months preceding war with Turkey had merited higher
reward than it had ever received. Had his recommendations been
adopted the course of history must have been materially changed.
"You think it's a Chinatown case, then, Mr.
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