Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1891-05-05
THE GEM OF THE NINE.


The claimant 20 peculiar re-Tcct on
tie sore u sanciity ~ life varies In va.
tious lands. or. for that matter. IN any
habitat lie may H. hyPDcnie. OF a
fanatic. dec.iSer or dure--a man II gen
uinc wnrth-though. T.tlaps. for rca'
-ons be- would sCuut-OT loafsf win
ming. uu acquaintance, deserved con
tempt shall pat NV Old friend,
N0ung ko. without u seconds hcsita.
tiou. IN an upl-f grade of "holy men.
lie walked Guns ciously on high levels
~ his profession. Not a phooughie IN all
Rurmah vas l-tter ,yr..d IN the lore.
not merely of thc Iaguda, bat - nature
and ~ life ~. fame fot charity was
lust. and ~ least lave never locu aide,
zinc. the occurrence of th. events PRO
I.,s a. relate. o. hold that the Mid hill
men ~ AnaI-sufa ~,fr wholly mistaken
IN calling M0ung ko "a ser az veil A. -
priest shall have tp show that be, too
had fallod where. verify. pops have
failed And II may IT, that tle weird
gif. never Joy 90 L. I.,sscssor, was
linked In hidden dcp,h. With the -
nance - a strange career and tlIo pain
Of long hght fot repentance.
To h. coherent. and even o. comIass
concissn,,s. Il l. g,ncrally Scll a. l"gin
at the beginning Moreover. NY lint
meeting With Nouns ko j. .ah integral
part II my tale 4 hint wa. offcrclc'sn
tl,n which "a. show a. ssif.. bat - hich
later "a. lnthcd Nv revealing light Tho
cNi.tsD.c ~ the cipher must L. ~ incl
i.fotv an Interpretation can l- supplied
hal T-u,tnt,'i a new district AMI
encountered an acrilcnt \ lucklc-.
sIip on lhs .hclyiu. lclgr of q remote
Eurgr had usaflS s'ui nee a. my duum
I r.cal-d through tlr circumstance that
ths ti.ck -rnib ~ thc wilderness stng
sl-l down the ella ,iic a. wherever
thcrr va. a laycf ~ Earth o. support
ycsyiauun for hong hour. remained
~ pf,,'artuus sliuatiuu. lulgvJ. with q
spr.in~i amt D.. amous.t bnmhlcs. aiuyc
m.. fuwuug ushs t-noaih me. the
ah,.. The outlopk was black II !
suu,,l. the oil. wcfc that .hould gb
over tbc brink and l., dashed a. p,oc'-.
II l STAYED vurrc was. must si,r,c
Aeaiu-aui bal plenty of sIacc g.
think thr thing thuush-if | shouted
mysif Inluru.lss'y was lik,ly tocunr.
ani u lhc impmI aiir l,,au.c a flrt. anil
them vasa f,Hisu... had n1 in,ur,nc,
that ail aIi ~ q cruel thrust wugld H.
tIc insult ltwlsail uncertain whether
furtds or ,ufmi.s vsrr in tho nriglbuf
h,-I
~ thc rtr,pcct u se,ms to M that
eos ,nrr. i.. su,dtuls nasF,d AMI that !
pl-.,i into a ,iuIuf of despair suWly
tI, fr was excuse ''ui az thc weary day
uDrron iuy f.ruif.i r..ainr,l their ..r
determined tp haze cast f0r dear life
Nrlmu,hof ,'c nmblsr'. rcckls-sue,.
Ald i,,,rl rn.l aloud 1t Intervals afull
-cur,of times Tie, siIciic- r,inain~l un
bruk,n liui gufrr r1risui I-rplstol
m, mind lum slisp' sas living th"
opf.site hgni uf tl.r .lllrS was distinct
0, in ,ifu. auI tvtr arru~s tho line Of
,,,iun t.ttcl ..rtr-uuc. underikssi
G.trc ~ "a costume certainly not known
10 uo a, fa,oud Uy Any thurman, Shan
ot kapa. male or i,ualc The draper
.ss Werc 1using au.! clark. scarcely dis
unrui .ilallr fum lhe cul.r - thy rucks
I.h,,r,d iu,oluutarly D,dthccrraiurc
t-lrhs tltlr realm of honest. practical
rAi.tsnr,l or Was dclifi0u2 ! pinchcd
mN-i n. ~ ihus.' do " ho cannot L. surv
" they are awake ~ dreaming. Tia"
dvartl,h arplutiun dil MT vanish. II
vent on to ihc head ~ thc lciile and was
finally lot in the shadows ~ the teak
tees Ano;li,r idea, belonging to a state
= wrakuc,s. came % mc. Was ia warn
az that must cXIsct the worst
"Sanly. friend. have courage Move
not. viii help you.
SWc,tef worls ! never heard spoken
In any ycmaculaT than thosc ] thus
translate knew their meaning. for !
bad picked i.p not little % the native
tongue. They were Whispered literally
into my ear. The new conner had ap-
proachci ~ silently that there was dan
ger even In hi. announcement ~ kindly
purpusc.
The sharp surprise made me start !
tired to hook the SPEAKER In the face. and,
In the effort. swaycd towards the prcci'
pice \ sWarthy. sino~y hand gripPcd
me and held me back.
"Did not say softly. fricndy' expos
tulate,l the stranger. with gentle reproach
In his acc.nts
Thanks. answered; "but my ankle
1. twisted How will YOU get me out OF
this
MOung 10 was not a man of unneces-
.ary words For reply lie drew aside,
with hi. arm. bush Immediately to my
right \ natural pccss was disclosed,
and. a. there was light beyond. ] sur
missed the ctisiencc ~ n tunnel or pas
age. IL was doubtless In this way that
be hal reached my ledge. Aud now he
proved the wonderful muscular strength
that resides In the Durman frame.
Stretching himself on the uneven ground
be grasped With one arm butircss OF
RICK. aud. with the other. BE- lent me a
support which was entirely adequate for
my deliveranoe. The pain ~ the injured
limb made me vince at every movement;
bat ! set my teeth together, and, trust
inc Ia tile directions acted rather than
uttered. I was released from my position
oi peril.
Then saw that owed my safety TO q
phoonghie OF priest have ALREADY In
dicated my impression of MOung Kos
character. lVypeat that he was genuine
In spite 81 all In psrson be was short,
stoutly built. and with features ~rinkled,
sallow AMI inscrutshle. lie was old; Tut
fancy dill not count nearly as many
YEAR, a. his looks gave him crcii, for,
AMI az the truculeit tribes with whom he
had settled believed
The question of concern now was
place 81 refuge.
"You must stay with me. Can YOU
walk at all--thus. lcaning on my shoul'
der. using my stafif
And Moung Ko-whose name ] had
asoertained-led me slowly down the
winding passage. Was his monastery
near. I wondered had seen no signs
of such an ediiice as entered the gorge.
But II proved unnecessary 10 put the
question into words There was a cum
ningly hidden opening In the rock wall
We squeezed through. and within was a
vide and airy cave-evidentiy place OF
habitation. Nature had shaped Its walls
and stretched iis roof. but art had trans
formed the rude mountain eyre into .
Taiatiai hall. Evidences Of wealth were