hedge and approached the next house. The garden was larger than his own and even more tropical, being a very wilderness of shrubs, vines, ferns and overhanging mango and pear trees, interspersed, after the Hawaiian fashion, with curious blocks of stone of strange and weird shapes. Upon turning in through the hedge, Dick was greeted by a volley of barks from the great police dog which strained and wrenched at his chain in a manner which was somewhat disconcerting, even though the chain was probably dependable. Dick stopped at a safe distance, just as the kitchen door opened and a gaunt Chinaman emerged upon the steps and laid one hand upon the hook of the dog's chain. In the other hand he still held one of the knives with which he had been making his chop-chop, and it certainly was a big one. "What you want?" he called shrilly.
Dick kept his distance, but the greeting had not served to soothe his irate mood. "I want the key to the skylight in the bedroom next door," he demanded brusquely.
"No key," said the Chinaman sullenly. "No go top-side."
"I'll go top-side if I want to," said Dick, belligerently; "Get me the key!"
"No key." repeated the Chinaman stubbornly.
"All right, then I'll come into the house and talk to somebody else. I want that key."
The Chinaman's hand moved upon the hook of the
