The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-02-27

ments over what HpO Thit had told
him. His duty was straight enough,
'but-but-it's a put-up job" he NUT
tered to himself It's the same old
bazaar trick Of running man
And also was not MOung Ouray Mi
Mras brother?
7 suppose I'VE got to help this black
guard in his villainy. 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
metaHed road, between the peepul
trees: Just where a sweet scented cham
pac grows opposite the Beda pagoda
they stopped Moung Ouray's bunga-
low lay just beyond.
Not got opium. sar. said Ouray, III
his knock kneed English, when the po-
lice filed into his little room ana val
entyne told him what was wanted.
When the box was unlocked, on top
Law his handsome silk gown: then, one
after another. the jaunty little jackets
and divers other things were laid on
the floor.
In the bottom was a big round lac
ouer box. When the sergeant lifted
the lid. there were four balls there
four oval white balls, as unlike onium
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 pantry of his clothes box. Also,
had not Hp9 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
grinning from ear to ear. VALENTINE
gave a sarcastic little laugh. and asked
tho priTrT1 he had
seen Moung Ouray carrying off the
Here is not got afm." said the ser
geant. and asked If he should search
further.
Before VALENTINE could answer, a
fiendish uproar smote upon his ears
It was as though the play and the
whole clash of bazaar noises had been
suddenly 'emptied into the compound
of the Phcongye Kyoung across the
road
It was a proper oriental babel, the
cry of Thief cutting through the gem
eral noise IKE a sbarp-edged knife.
THE bazaar budmashes (black-
guards) are killing someone" said the
sergeant
Wen nave to go and look into that
first" said the superintendent. Wen
come back here and finish the search
after You must come, too. Ouray. so
that this devil cannot say that you had
q chance to hide anything"
That also was diplomatic. but it was
the little slip of losing track of Hpo
Thit that gave the Nahts (spirits)
chance to work more mischief
Somebody is numbering a Phoongye"
(pricst) he said to the sergeant, as
they reached the road.
Rushing into the pagoda. he found
the PhOongyes in the temple clustered
about the big Buddha. the ''Beda Budd-
ha." as it was known.
The priests were Frustrated at the
feet of the great image. raving and
Iamenting, and shrieking in despair.
Whats the matter?' asked Valen-
tyne.
a thief has stolen the Beda, the eye
of the god, the ruby"
And they pointed to a great hole in
the forehead Of the Buddha, where the
sacred ''Beda Ruby" had been for u
centuries.
How calm and dignified the alabaster
god seemed, sitting there with his hand
resting in his lap Through u centuries
of strife and passion, and blood and
carnage, had it looked with calm seren-
lily upon the struggles of the little men
who had come and gone.
Twelve hundred years before had
King Uzzana given ii to the TaloD;as
Of Panja-Uzzana, the son of Mienzaim,
and Poaza. the Chinese princess.
King Uzzana given It to the Talopins
which Uzzana founded gained him
great merit. so that when he died the
.Beda Buddha" worked miracles.
And row Cor ZOO years had the
sacred eye, the 'Beda Ruby" done even
so.
The mad frenzy of the priests seemed
like the petulant temper of children:
their thin brown bodies, draped with the
scored yellow robe, swayed and rocked
in the weird light of their fickering
earth-oil lamps. as they called the curse
of their offended godhead upon the
sacrilegious thief who had stolen the
raby--taken the sacred Beda-
VALENTINE was horror-struck at the
aLdacity OF the thief for the Beda
BEddha was the most sacred image in
all Burmah. Pilgrims came from all
over the Burmese empire to strike with
the stag's horn the crescent-shaped
gong hanging at its side, and then
plead. with forehead prone on the ce-
mented floor in front Of the god. for the