Miss Ella Creed is remarkably calm after being knocked unconscious and losing her jewels to a pack of thieves—the gems were just imitations, after all. But panic sets in when she discovers a card tied around her neck that holds a crude drawing of a feathered serpent. Reporter Peter Dewin soon discovers that a wealthy artist, a boxing promoter, and a nouveau riche stockbroker all share her fear. But why? And just who is behind the feathered serpent crimes?