The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-27
THE EYE OF A GOD.
BY w. A.
COPYRIGHT. 1898, BY W. 4. Fraser.

stead, IL was this way:
The gray Burmese night was thick when Hpo
Thit glided like a snake up the steps OF tho po-
lice bungalow and told VALENTINE. the superin.
tendent, that Moung ouray had opium-many
balls Of it-hidden away in his house.
When he spoke of Moung ouray. VALENTINE
started a little, for Ouray was Mi Mra's bf other
and Mi Mira, she was-but this is n story Of Hpo
Thit.
"How do you know Of the opdumi" asked Val.
entyne. did you put the beastly STUFF there
yourself, and then come to cacklc of tho eggs of
your own layingi"
mo. sir. Abdul. who is a dog Of a Mussul-
man, saw Moung ouray take 1t of the 'lroboat'
which goes up tho river
ibid Abdul, who is n Mussulman, see where
Ouray hid the opium
"No. sir, but will not q Burman put his Jewels
in the strong box that no keeps near his bedf'
There was a soft rustic just beyond the plait-
cd bamboo wall, close behind Valentyne's head.
It was the soft rustic of silk as Mi MIRA wrapped
the lemon-colored scarf about her throat and
slipped like a gentle shadow down tho back
steps Of tho bungalow.
valentyne'gav a toss in his chair and
coughed long and Justify. That was diplo.
matte, for jungle men, like Hpo Thit, have sharp
ears.
In and out among the mango trees the girls
| bHBnJ uRuTe Hlbteu, rs buo bpeu bWlIUly InTOuRn
the grove toward Moung ouray's little BAN.
boo house.
'Tho Thakine. who makes Mi MIRA laugh,
asked Hpo Thit II he had laid the eggs In broth.
er's box. Perhaps he did; We shall see-ha, ha,
ha!' and her teeth, which were pink from the
juice Of the supari, CLEANED like coral beads.
VALENTINO pondered for a few moments over
what Hpo Thit had told him. His duty was
straight enough, "but-but-it's a put-up job"
he muttered to himself. ITS the same old ba.
zaar trick of running a man."
And also was not Moung Ouray MI Mra's
brotherf
81 suppose I've got to help this blackguard in
his villniny, though he thought, and, calling his
orderly, told him to bring the sergeant and a
couple of police from the jail.
Together they marched down the metalled
road. between tho peepul trees, and Just where a
sweet-sccnted champac grows opposite the Beda
Pagoda. they stopped. Moung Ouray's bunga-
low lay just beyond.
Not got opium, sar,' said Ouray, in his
knock-kneed English, when the police filed into
his little room, and VALENTINE told him what
was wanted.
When the box was unlocked. on top lay his
handsome silk gown. then one after another tho
jaunty little jackets and divers other things were
laid on the floor.
'"o " Db AoAAAA WV poNs
Whom tho sergeant lifted the lid there were
four balls there-four oval, white balls, as un.
like opium as they could we'll be, for they were
eggs.
Now, Moung Ouray knew that he had not put
the eggs there. He did not make n pantry of
his clothes box. Also had not Hpo Thit left
them. The balls he had slipped into the lacquer
box while Moung Ouray was down at the play
were round and black, not at all like eGgs.
The two Punjabi policemen were Crinning
rom ear to ear. Valent, ne gave a sarcastic lit.
tie laugh. and asked Hpo Thit II that was tho
opium he had seen Moung Ouray carrying Oft
the steamer.
Here is not got aim" said the sergeant. and
asked II he should search further.
Before VALENTINE could answer a fendish up
roar smote upon his cars. 1t was as though the
play and the whole clash of bazaar noises had
been suddenly emptied into tho compound of
the Phoongye Kyoung across the road.
1t was a proper Oriental babel, the cry of
Thief cutting through tho general noise like
q sharp-edged knife.
1.-THE bazaar budmashes~ [blackguardsl arc kill
ing some one" said the sergeant.
We'll have to go and look into that first, -
said the superintendent. "We'n come back
here and finish the search after. You must
come. too. Ouray, so that this devil cannot say
that YOU had a chance to hide anything"
That also was diplomatic; but it was tho little
slip Of losing track Of Hpo Thit that gave the
Nahts Ispiritsl chance to work more mischief.
Somebody is numbering a Phoongye"[pricstl,
he said to the sergeant as they reached the road.
Rushing into the pagoda he found the Phoon.
eyes in the temple clustered about the big
Buddha. the "Beda Buddha," as it was known.
The priests were Frustrated Mt the feet OF tho
great image. raving and lamenting and shrek
ing in despair.
whats the matterl" asked VALENTINE.
"a thief has stolen tho Beda, the eye of the
god, the ruby!"
And they pointed to q great hole in the fore
head OF the Buddha, where the sacred 'Beda
Ruby" had beoa for twelve centuries.
How calm and digniHed the alabaster god
seemed, sitting there with his hand resting in
ais lap! Through twelve centuries of strife and
passion and blood and carnage had 1t looked
with calm serenity upon the struggles of tho
little men who had come and gone.
Twelve hundred years before had King Uz.
zana given it to the Talopins of Pania-Uzzana,
the son OF Mienzaim, and Poaza. tho Chinese
Princess.
The seven great Kyoungs OF Talopins which
Uzznna founded g ,ined him great merit. so that
when he died the "Bcda Buddha' worked mir
acles.
And now for 200 years had the sacred eye,
the "Beda Ruby" done even so.
The mad frenzy Of the priests seemed like tho
petulant temper OF children; their thin brown
bodies, draped with the sacred yellow robe,
swayed and rocked In the weird light of their
Pickering earth-oil lamps, as they called the
curse OF their offended godhead upon the sacri-
legious thief who had stolen the ruby-taken
the sacred Beda,
VALENTINE was horror.struck at the audacity
OF the thief. for the Beda Buddha was the most
sacred image in all Burmah. Pilgrims came
from all over tho Burmese Empire to strike with
the stag's horn the crescent.shaped gong hang
ing there at its side and then plead, with fore
head prone on the cemented floor In front of the
god. for the intercession OF tho Beda with
Buddha Gaudama.
The Phoongyes watched It night and day, and
how any one had managed to steal tho ruby,
VALENTINE could not understand.
In the meantime Hpo Thit had glided silently
back through the crotons and into the bunga.
low once more.
The very air was full Of demoniac noises as