A series of short stories set in San Francisco's Chinatown, some of which involve crime. In "The Gentleman in the Barrel," wise, old Dr. Wing Shee (with the assistance of American Snubby Taggerty) gets revenge on his greedy landlord by infiltrating his tong and breaking up a counterfeiting operation. In "The Man Who Lost His Head," a poor laundryman plots to murder a wealthy merchant and steal his wives; things do not go as planned. And, in "The Pot of Frightful Doom," Dr. Wing Shee rescues a young man, Sum Chow, who has been kidnapped by the evil Sing Song Tong.