"The answer is _no_. I am not acquainted with any sect of
scorpion-worshippers, Inspector. But I once met with a curious
experience at Su-Chow in China, which I have never been able to
explain, but which may interest you. It wanted but a few minutes to
sunset, and I was anxious to get back to my quarters before dusk fell.
Therefore I hurried up my boy, who was drawing the rickshaw, telling
him to cross the Canal by the Wu-men Bridge. He ran fleetly in that
direction, and we were actually come to the steep acclivity of the
bridge, when suddenly the boy dropped the shafts and fell down on his
knees, hiding his face in his hands.

"'Shut your eyes tightly, master!' he whispered. 'The Scorpion is
coming!'

"I stared down at him in amazement, as was natural, and not a little
angrily; for his sudden action had almost pitched me on my head. But
there he crouched, immovable, and staring up the slope I say that it
was entirely deserted except for one strange figure at that moment
crossing the crown of the bridge and approaching. It was the figure
of a tall and dignified Chinaman, or of one who wore the dress of a
Chinaman. For the extra-ordinary thing about the stranger's appearance
was this; he also wore a thick green veil!"

"Covering his face?"

"So as to cover his face completely. I was staring at him in wonder,
when the boy, seeming to divine the other's approach, whispered,
'Turn your head away! Turn your head away!"

"He was referring to the man with the veil?"