"Oh, as to that--I said a _curious_ fragment advisedly, because I
cannot imagine any woman wearing such a beastly thing. It is the _tail
of a scorpion._"

"Ah!" cried Dunbar, the tawny eyes glittering with excitement. "The
tail of a scorpion! I thought so! And Sowerby would have it that it
represented the stem of a Cactus or Prickly Pear!"

"Not so bad a guess," replied Stuart. "There _are_ resemblances--not
in the originals but in such a miniature reproduction as this. He was
wrong, however. May I ask where you obtained the fragment?"

"I'm here to tell you, doctor, for now that I know it's a scorpion's
tail I know that I'm out of my depth as well. You've travelled in
the East and lived in the East--two very different things. Now, while
you were out there, in India, China, Burma, and so on, did you ever
come across a religion or a cult that worshipped scorpions?"

Stuart frowned thoughtfully, rubbing his chin with the mouthpiece of
his pipe. Dunbar watched him expectantly.

"Help yourself to whiskey-and-soda, Inspector," said Stuart absently.
"You'll find everything on the side-table yonder. I'm thinking."

Inspector Dunbar nodded, stood up and crossed the room, where he
busied himself with syphon and decanter. Presently he returned,
carrying two full glasses, one of which he set before Stuart. "What's
the answer, doctor?" he asked.