The Chinaman's arm flashed out and struck me on the chest, so that I was forced to relinquish my grasp of the handle.

I reeled back, preserving my balance only by a desperate effort.

Before I could start in pursuit, the car had turned into the more crowded thoroughfare, and when I reached the spot where it had disappeared a few seconds later, it was lost amongst the stream of vehicles.
I went back to the restaurant.

It was like a hundred others of its class--stuffy, smelly, reminiscent of the poorer business quarters of a foreign city.

A waiter in a greasy dress-suit flicked some crumbs from a vacant table and motioned me to sit down.