The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-04-03
At the Court of PeIesu.
(Story of the Malay Peninsula In t
parts.)

! Foul sight for the stars TO see,
The deed was done in the dark"
At six o'clock one afternoon Jack Nor
rise awoke from sleep. II was one of the
pleasant customs of Pelesu. about this
time. for one who respected himself-that
| is to say, no raja or other member of the
leisured classes-ever to go to bed before
six or seven in the morning. and as con-
! sequence the hour for rising differed
widely from that which is usual in more
! civilized communities Jacks work lay
among the upper classes in Pelesu.. so he
had been forced to keep their hours If he
wished to see anything of them. and he
was now quite accustomed TO sleep
| through the bright day time. and to wake
when the sunset was becoming faint and
gloomy with the gathering shades OF
evening.
A meal was served at seven and an hour
or two was passed in reading and writ
| ing. Then at about nine O'Clock Norris
sauntered out of his compound and with
one native boy at his heels took his way
up the village street. He halted at a
Chinese shop. and bowling his head TO
pass under the low doorway-over which
was inscribed in Chinese characters. the
strangely inappropriate legend; tie
Dwelling of Divine Repose''-stumbled up
a dark and narrow passage, which was
more like an underground gallery in a
mine than portion of any dwelling house
such as white men are familiar with.
The place was redolent of a thousand
odors peculiar 20 the Chinese, but Norris
had subdued his nose long ere this. and
the smells inseparable from native houses
had almost ceased 10 annoy him. Arriv
I'D Of fha nd of lav Nor &c arrs h
ed aside dingy curtain, cloaking door
way on his right, and entered a small,
dark room, the sanctum Of Su Kim. the
Chinese trader to whom the house be-
longed.
The room was more than half-illed by
a raised platform or opium bench, which
served its owner indifferently as bed,
chair and table. Su Kim was seated
cross-legged upon this bunk. closely fill
ing a long bamboo opium with the drug
he was cooking over a small lamp that
stood by him, ready lighted for the pur-
pose. The faint smell Of roast coffee and
chocolate, the odor of cooking opium,
filled the room, as the drug swelled into
blisters, or suhsided like bubble, as Su
Kim toasted 1t at the end of a metal
skewer. He was an old man, whose
creased and wrinkled body was bare to
the wrist. His legs were cased in a pair
of black silk trousers, very full and loose,
and to the belt which secured them was
attached bead-worked money pouch and
a cluster of the silver hooks and prods
such as the Chinese use for tickling and
picking the insides of their ears.
To the right and left of the room little
octagonal tea-trays or stools were rang
ed against the wall, and a small, brown
handles, stood on a wooden tray on the
bunk.
To the European eye, Su Kim's sanctum
was a sufficiently squalid place. but none
the less it was one of the haunts selected
by the elite of Pelesu in which to meet
and gossip and exchange news. Tonight
Norris found he was the first to reach
this place of general redezvous, and as he
seated himself upon one of the stools, and
took the cup of tea which Su Kim handed
TO him, he began the conversation in the
usual way.
What is the news?"
THE news is good.' replied Su Kim,
mechanically. Hast thou heard of what
befell Che All Ku and Ii Tat on the
night of the kings feast? Thou hast
heard that Ii Tat is dead, and that the
king has ceased all that he possesses,
claiming the same for debt. 1t is even
so, and now that we are alone 1 will tell
thee of Ii Tat's death. We Cinnamon
traders at Pelesu were all hidden TO the
feast Of the king, and we all went. Che
All Ku and Ii Tat were told to eat from
the same tray of food, but Che All Ku.
fearing evil. ate nOught save only the
rice and escaped death. But Ii Tat ate
suspecting nothing, seeing that
from childhood he had served the king
faithfully. but, Tuan, he had waxed rich.
and the king desired his possessions. No
sooner had he returned unto his house
than a great sickness fell upon him. by
reason of the said food, and even before
his eyes had closed in death the kings
treasurer came to his dwelling and seiz-
ed upon all his stores of money, and
qetah; and, as you also had heard, Che
Au Ku is faint with fear, for it is GER
tain that he, too. is doomed and now he
knows not in what way his death will
fall upon him"
Art thou sure of that which thou say
est % asked Norris.
Yes" replied Su Kim-"yes. IL is in
truth as 1 say; but peace. Tuan-someone
comes this way"
Presently the curtain was once more
put aside, and a largely built. imposing
looking man, dressed in gray-colored /
Malay clothes with a short kris in his
belt, and a long dagger. sheathed in wood
in his hand. stepped into the room. On
his head was a handkerchief twisted into
a peak; he had clumsy sandals on his
feet. and the light caught the gloss on
his cotton sarong or waist skirt, 10 which
a shining surface had been impaired by
hard friction with q shell. This man was I
the Wato Bandahara Sri Stiawan, q cOu-
sin Of the king. whom Norris knew wen /
for a truculent bullying fellow, with a
loud voice, a boisterous manner. and the /
heart of a little mouse.
The conversation now turned 10 more /
Indifferent topics, and by and by more ]
chiefs dropped IN and Joined in the talk /
The Cngku Muda- a little loved brother /.
Of the king. and a friend OF Jacks. was /
among the last 10 arrive, and shortly az /,
ter ten O'Clock the whole party. including
Norris. adjourned 20 the Balai. or state 4
hail. This was a large building abutting I
On the Main street. and open 10 the air I
1n all sides II was raised some six feet .
from the ground on piles. and IL vas in +
this place that greater portion of the 4
evening was won't 10 be spent IN gossip T
ug. in eating stckly sweetHeats. and IN /
gambling.
Thad stevens and the Judge
Thad Stevens was once engage N try
ng a case before Judge noted for bis +
- -