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

much given to nonsense, and he said in
equivalent official language that he'd
be damned if he'd see an innocent Eng
lishman deliberately cut up TO recover
any fetish bauble"
But, all the same, the superintendent
would have to be retired on half pay,
for his usefulness was gone. The two
could not be combined: the dual posi-
ton of Burmese god and superintend-
ent of police; for the natives still per-
sisted in reverencing him, though ready
as soon as the word was given to cut
him up.
Just when he thought his troubles
were at an end and he might go home,
they applied for an injunction to pre-
vent him from moving the ruby out of
Burmah. They showed TO the court on
medical authority that there was every
possibility that the stone might work
itself out some day, and so be recov-
cred; but if VALENTINE were allowed to
leave the kingdom. the chances of the
rightful owners ever becoming pos
sessed of it were very slim indeed.
They undertook to pay VALENTINE a
salary of 10000 rupees year so long
as he remained in Rangoon; and all
they asked in return was the privilege
of coming to worship the Beda at GER
tain periods. and that a medical Of
ficer, appointed by them, should have
free access to Valentyne's person, with
a view to keeping track of the peram-
bulations of the ruby; and that when
it made its appearance near the skin
Z anywhere, so that it might be ex-
tracted without danger to him. that
he would relinquish ali claim upon it
and allow the surgeon TO hasten its
appearance.
! Valentyne's counsel. seeing which
way the wind. was blowing agreed to
accept this ruling of the court, only
Lett lott hot L.
surgeon. for the neither stone had suf-
| fered most in the grind, and Corbyn
was out of the service.
One little formality the court de-
manded- That was that the archbishop
and three or four of the chief Phoon-
eyes should go on a bond for Valen-
/ tyne'S personal safety.
| So the superintendent was lodged in
a beautifully furnished bungalow. and
was treated very much like a distin-
| guished state prisoner.
Life went very pleasantly with him,
and it did not seem such bad affair
after all.
Mi Mira was living in Rangoon. too,
as it happened, and Hpo Thit, in con-
sideration of his turning queens evil
dence against himself re the ruby, was
let off with two years in jail, and was
then busily engaged in pushing a con-
servancy cart about town, with a
clanking chain running from his waist
to either ankle by way of ornament.
The Europeans in RangoOn, with orr
entail playfulness, bestowed upon Val
entyne two or three names expressive
of his occupation. He was known down
at the Gym" as the Burmese god,
Beda," and the Jewel Merchant
The fellows were never tired of offer
ing him as security, swearing roundly
that he was worth two lakhs of rupees
dead or alive.
One or two playful attempts on his
/ life relieved the monotony of his ex-
istence, but as these laudable efforts
were usually frowned down, both by the
Phoongyes and the officials, and as one
OF his assailants caught cold-steel in
his right lung, they ceased altogether
after a time, and he was leading a COM
paratively happy life.
lie almost began to wish that the
ruby would stay where it was. We're
fixed for life" he said to Corbyn, IF
this Beda ruby doesn't turn UP. l
must be more careful of myself 1
must stop riding, for the shaking up
may dislodge the Internal thing and
start it working OUT
He had even got accustomed to see
ing the natives plump down in front of
him and fall to praying.
Strangers always took him for the
chief commissioner when they saw this
sort of thing going on, and many were
the mistakes made in consequence.
Once he received an offer from Bar
mum at a salary which made his paltry
ten thousand look like pin money. The
enterprising American guaranteed to
smuggle him out of Burmah also, and
pay all legal claims, too.
After he had been in the business
about two years he began to feel pain
in his back. He confided his fears to
his attendant physician. IFS working
out, I'm sure" he said, sorrowfully
And so it appeared, for a distinct
lump was forming just below the Shout
der blade.
The Phoongyes were notified, and
there was great rejoicing among them.
They came and beat tom-toms all night
long in front of Valentyne's bungalow.
This was to drive the Nahts away. so
that they would not steal the "Beda'
again.
VALENTINE was loaded down with pres
ents and Toasted like a bullock for the
sacrifice.
Il shall be a rich man. he said to
Corbyn. IF the thing holds off for a
time"
But the incessant drumming and song
prayer making about his bungalow was
driving him nearly 'mad for want of
sleep.
Then one day Corbyn made discov-
cry. Ii was only a boil. the result of
mangoe eating.
The Phoongyes were in despair
Just about that time HpO Thit walked
into his bungalow one day, and. bump
ing his forehead on the floor. begged
Valentyne's forgiveness for wounding
him. He had served his time. and was
going away. If he remained in Burma
they would kill him for stealing the
'Beda.' so he was going to some other
country.
And that was the last anybody ever
saw Of HpO Thit in Burma.
Three years more of playing Buddha
at the rate of ten thousand a year
passed and this time there could be no
mistake about it, so Corbyn said. The
ruby was coming right enough this
time 1t was coming not far from the
place where the boil had been; in fact,
it was the irritation of the "Beda" that
had most likely caused the boil.
It was the same old thing over again
-tOmtoms, and poays, and presents.
and much praying. and the working of
charms to keep the Nahts away-only
stronger than before, for they were
sure of it this time.
Corbyn could take his fingers and
push It about under the skin, and the
grim, butternut- colored faces of the
PhoongveS relaxed when they realized