'In that case,' Tao Gan put in, 'one would expect some traces of bookshelves along the walls. As it is, this loft rather seems a kind of warehouse for storing goods.'
Ma Joong shook his head. He asked:
'What would a Taoist temple do with a warehouse? Look at these thick mats that cover the floor. I think Chiao Tai will agree with me that this is an armoury, used for practising sword and spear fighting.'
Chiao Tai had been examining the walls. Now he nodded his head and said:
'Look at these pairs of iron hooks here! They must have been used for putting up long spears. I think, Your Honour, that this place was the headquarters of some secret sect. Its members could practise here the martial arts, without any outsider suspecting these goings on. Those blasted monks must have been in it too, they acted as cover!'
'There is much in what you say,' Judge Dee said pensively. 'Apparently those conspirators stayed on after the monks had left, and cleared out only a few days ago. You see that this loft has been thoroughly cleaned quite recently, there is not a speck of dust on the mats.' He tugged at his whiskers, then added angrily: 'They must have left one or two men behind, including the rascal who takes such an interest in our investigation! It's a pity that I didn't consult the city map before coming out here. Heaven knows where that locked iron door below is leading to!'
'We might try to get on to the roof,' Ma Joong remarked, 'and see what is behind this temple.'
Together with Chiao Tai he opened the heavy shutters of the large window, and looked outside. Craning their heads they could see along the eaves above a row of long iron spikes, pointing downwards. The high wall at the back of the compound concealed effectively whatever building was behind the temple, and it had a similar row of spikes along its top.
As he stepped back Chiao Tai said sadly:
'Nothing doing! We'd need at least some scaling ladders for going up there!'
The judge shrugged his shoulders. He said testily:
'In that case there isn't anything more we can do here. We know at least that the back part of this temple is used for some secret purpose. Heaven forbid that the White Lotus is stirring again and that we get here a repetition of our troubles in Han-yuan!* (* See 'The Chinese Lake Murders.') Well, we'll come back here tomorrow in broad daylight with the necessary equipment, a thorough investigation seems indicated!'
He climbed down the ladder, fallowed by his assistants.
Before leaving the courtyard Judge Dee whispered to Tao Gan:
'Paste a slip of paper over the locked door! When we come back tomorrow we'll know at least whether that door was opened again after our departure.'
Tao Gan nodded. He took two narrow strips of thin paper from his sleeve. Having moistened them on his tongue, he pasted them across the crevice between the door and its frame, one high up and the other near the floor.
They walked back to the first courtyard.
Arrived at the gate that led to the corridor of horrors, Judge Dee halted in his steps. Turning round he surveyed the neglected garden. The moonlight shone on the large dome of the bronze bell, setting off the fantastic ornamental designs covering its surface. Suddenly the judge felt acutely conscious of danger. He felt the presence of evil in this seemingly peaceful scene. Slowly stroking his beard he tried to analyse this queer feeling of foreboding.
Noticing the questioning look of the Sergeant, Judge Dee said in a preoccupied way:
'Sometimes one hears fearful stories about such heavy temple bells being used for hiding gruesome crimes. Since we are here, we might as well have a look under that bell, and make sure that nothing is hidden there.'
As they walked back to the raised platform Ma Joong remarked:
'Those bells are cast in bronze several inches thick. In order to tilt it we'll need to apply leverage,'
'If you and Chiao Tai go to the front hall,' Judge Dee said, 'you'll doubtless find there some of those heavy iron spears and tridents the Taoist monks use for exorcising evil spirits. We might use those for tilting the bell.'
While Ma Joong and Chiao Tai ran back, Judge Dee and the two others picked their way through the thick undergrowth till they found the flight of steps leading up to the bell tower platform. As they stood in the narrow space between the circumference of the bell and the edge of the platform, Tao Gan pointed to the roof and observed:
'When the baldpates left, they took away the pulleys used for raising the bell. But we might manage to tilt it with those spears Your Honour spoke of.'
Judge Dee nodded absent-mindedly. He felt increasingly ill at ease.
Ma Joong and Chiao Tai climbed up on the platform. Each carried a long iron spear. They took off their upper robes, then rammed the points of the spears under the rim of the bell. They put their shoulders under the shafts and succeeded in raising the bell the fraction of an inch.
'Push stones underneath!' Ma Joong panted at Tao Gan.
When he had inserted two small stones under the rim, Ma Joong and Chiao Tai could push their spears farther under the bell. Again they applied leverage, aided by the judge and Tao Gan. When the bell had been lifted about three feet, Judge Dee said to Sergeant Hoong:
'Roll that stone barrel seat underneath!'
The Sergeant quickly overturned the stone seat that was standing on the corner of the platform, and rolled it towards the bell. There were still a few inches lacking. Judge Dee let go of the spear and took off his upper robes. Then he again put his shoulder under the shaft.
They made a final effort. The muscles on Ma Joong's and
A WEIRD DISCOVERY UNDER A BELL
Chiao Tai's thick necks swelled. Then the Sergeant could push the stone barrel under the raised rim.
They threw the spears down and wiped the sweat from their faces. At that moment the moon disappeared again behind the clouds. Sergeant Hoong quickly took a candle from his sleeve and lighted it. He peered under the bell. He gasped.
Judge Dee quickly stooped and looked. The space under the bell was covered with dust and dirt. In the middle a human skeleton was stretched out on the floor.
The judge hurriedly took the lantern from Chiao Tai, dropped down on his belly and crawled under the bell. Ma Joong, Chiao Tai and the Sergeant followed his example. When Tao Gan wanted to crawl inside also, Judge Dee barked at him:
'There isn't enough room. You stay outside and watch!'
The four men squatted down by the side of the skeleton. Termites and worms had left nothing but the bare bones. The wrists and ankles had been shackled with a heavy chain that was now a mass of rust.
The judge examined the bones, paying special attention to the skull. But there was no sign of violence. He only noticed that the bone of the left upper arm had been broken at one time, and that the fracture had set badly.
Looking at his assistants Judge Dee said bitterly:
'This unfortunate man was evidently still alive when he was imprisoned here. He was left to die a horrible death of starvation.'
The Sergeant had been stirring the thick layer of dust covering the cervical vertebras. Suddenly he pointed at a glittering round object.
'Look!' he exclaimed, 'that seems a small golden locket!'
Judge Dee carefully picked it up. It was a round medallion, He rubbed it clean with his sleeve, and held it close to the lantern.
Its outside was plain, but inside there was engraved the character 'Lin.'
'So it was that bastard Lin Fan who left this fellow to die here!' Ma Joong exclaimed. 'He must have dropped that locket when he was pushing his victim underneath the bell!'
'Then this man is Liang Ko-fa!' Sergeant Hoong said slowly.
Hearing this astounding news Tao Gan crawled under the bell too. All five of them stood there close together
