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

again. Come"
Iobeyed the word and gesture, and a
very few PAGES brought us through
steep descent on to my old ledge, and
thus once again into the familiar quar-
ters of Moung Kos secret home
My geni of the mine. then. was Moung
Kos son?
"Hark" said he. And a terrified look
came upon his countenance.
listened. but could hear nothing. My
senses were less acute than his
"Yes, yes; it has come, as he said it
would. the boy cried, shifting his breast
And his eyes dilated with fear
"What is your ltrouble?' ! asked
though could already guess.
"Hark, | say. again. he answered in
an agony; 1.-The wailing is louder! There
is fighting below in the valley. Oh. will
they kill him?"
Kill the loved and revered phoonghie.
of whose lapses from orthodoxy there
seemed no current suspicion! thought
it very unlikely Yet the foreboding
words of the seer echoed in my memory
The eventide went in anxious watch
ing and waiting 1t was marvellous how
the one touch of nature made us kin.
But the boy spoke no word of his past.
When the morrow dawned two anx-
ious faces watched from the friendly
veil of the bushwood the bend of the
great valley. A solitary wayfarer came
into view. Relief, ringing into exube-
rant joy. was in my companions accents:
"It is my father. He is safe," the
poor lad said.
Alas the gladness was doomed 70
speedy eclipse. l thought that Moung
Ko crept upwards slowly, and staggered
as he walked. And once within the
mountain fastness it was plain that his
somber forecast had not been SO false as
we would willingly have believed.
Moung Ko looked at me first with con-
sternation and then, was almost sure,
content. l know that, with genuine un-
selfshness, he wished me well. A man
was a man and brother to Moung Ko,
whether he were Burman or Briton. 1t
is the glory of the world-bond that in all
lands there are these hearts loyal to hu-
manity. But the phoonghie reeled and
sank upon the floor. To the boys horror
and my own we saw that his coarse robe
was dyed crimson at the side he gripped
so tightly. Moung Ko was wounded.
1t was my turn to play the surgeon,
aided, as to appliances, by the devoted,
despairing son. But my skill was in
6nitely below Moung Kos 1t was the
patients suggestions that l had to fol-
low.
"And it will be in vain" the old priest
gasped, wearily. "the time is at hand
have known it from the first. 1t is my
fate, and deserve it. Listen. and | will
make the dark thing clear The law
of the pagoda allows neophites to go
back to the world if they like not
the life of the solitary. was sent
on a mission soon after l became
priest; and they lost me. In an
other province l broke my VOWS for
woman's sake. l loved and married
But it was an unhappy match. My wife
deserted me, and l understood that our
babe was dead. Then | returned to
Anapoora as if nothing had happened
1t was my great transgresson. The story
told was true, ts-t only half the truth;
and SO, in another sense. lie. And l
could not rest. | wandered much and
found the mine-and this cave. 1t was
occupied by-woHld you guess it5-my
wifel She was hunting me to my dis
grace. and death had overtaken her
here | could not save her. But we
were reconciled, and she confessed that
our son lived sought the child and l
brought him here. We have been much
together Now go.
There was long breath. and then the
story reached its end
THE hill men rose. as knew from my
visions they would do They came
against the village Many houses have
been burnt-the zyat among them, You
escaped in time. went into the fight
a man of peace. to stay the hand of the
fratricide; and. in the conclusion, the
blow fell 1t was not struck of intent,
and triumphed through the fact. |
pointed to the stream of blood, pleaded
my works for their welfare. Then | got