Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1890-07-05


great an obligation was more and more
marvel and mystery. His life. as
gradually disclosed, seemed full of con
tradictions. 1t was abundantly cleaI
that he was held in extreme reverence by
the brethren of his order as well as by
the villagers But. with innate skepti
cism, ! declined to think that there was
anything in his common fame as seer
Still, ne accepted the homage, and it was
equally hard to believe him an impostor
Your vulgar trickster does not devote
himse'e to the wants of poor and primi
tive people as Moung Ko did Without
fee or reward, he was always at their
service. He was strict-none more SO,
learned-in fulfllment of the ritual of
the pagoda, Yet. by the law, binding
on phoonghies, he could possess no per
sonal property; and | had seen what
had seen. Perhaps fingered in the dis
trict longer than should otherwise have
done because wanted to fit an answer
to my enigma
Tragic circumstances supplied it. The
tribesmen of Upper Anapoora were tur-
of Moung Kos most difficult and delicate
tasks to maintain peace.
"There has always been strife be-
tween mountain and plain. Two races
touch in these hills" he said 1.-The feud
will break out afresh one day in spite of
me. Yes, and soon. | have heard the
sound of the dismal wind-of the war
wind-sighing in the air where no forest
trees are. 1t will come, and then the
vengeance falls and CO."
The sad eyes were gazing through the
veil we all seek to pierce but may not,
Moung Ko was in boding contemplation
of issues that as yet were below the ho-
rizon of his fellows
frowned at myself, for again l was
conscious of a certain eerie impression,
produced in defiance of reason, upon my
mind And, to an outsiders judgment.
the sky had no clouds
Although | was a guest, and not
prisoner, and although Moung Ko had
expressly stated that he trusted me, it
was a notion that grew in strength as
the days went by that | was watched
and that Moung Ko preferred that !
should not wander far afield
Call it ingratitude, or the mere spirit
of contrariness and self assertion, as you
please, the fact remains that, one fine
morning, | secreted my revolver and a
stock of ammunition upon my person
and managed to elude the surveillance
got up once more into the heights. and
in the exhilarating sense of freedom
snapped my fingers at the cautious old
priest.
The day was better chosen than at the
first moment of my revolt l guessed
While | was continuing and extending
the exploration previously interrupted
by my accident the storm broke The
peace had been treacherous after all
Some spark fell on the combustible ma
terial of race passion and tribal Jealousy,
and there was a disastrous outburst of
sanguinary fury But of this at the
time, as say, was in ignorance. The
care that came to me was of different
sort When declining sun warned me
to work my way downward if | did not
wish to camp out, made blunder and
took my bearings so indifferently that !
was lost
Instead of striking the track looked
for, had strayed into desolate gulch
strewn with the debris of mighty rocks
shattered. no doubt, in some remote nat
ural catastrophe. How to escape knew
not, except by the weary expedient of
~, eta A IF do mt
blocked the path in front. Suddenly !
halted. in the cover of huge bowlder
A mysterious figure. which | Instantly
recognized again was at work amongst
the stones little distance ahead appar
emily burying treasure. | saw bundle
after bundle pushed into yawning hol
low With stupeiied gaze | watched
What genius of Desert Mountain was
this? Uncouth. dunrobed, dwartish; |
do not wonder that, for space, l be-
lieve in a being of other lineage than
the human But when the strange
squat figure moved off, was sufficiently
daring or sufficiently magnetized to fol
low.
Pursuit was unexpected, and stealth
ways into yet another place of bewilder
ment. OF Burmese ruby mines knew
a little by report and reading. Now |
was in one On every side were tokens
of the fact, abruptly realized. that caprice
had brought me into one Of natures no,
table treasure houses Astonishment in
ducsd carelessness. My foot overturned
IA stone and my presence was discov-
cred.
1t was an instant of curious crisis.
And fancy my unwilling guide was as
uncertain of result as myself But | was
in light just then, and he was in shadow,
and it gave him the advantage of quick
knowledge He came forward, not even
pausing as he heard the click of my
weapon, drawn against eventualities,
Closer scrutiny revealed deformed
Burlnan boy, with the stamp equally of
intelligence and suffering on his pinched,
t,.r old And IN