Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-10-21

from Of me and said, where are you
going?' T the headquarters of the
foreign general in Charge said l..
There is. no foreign general in Charge
said he; go out!' Here is my card I
said, report me to my consul through
the foreign office will you?" "All
right" said he, "but go out first but
if l go out you'll have nothing to report,
don't you savey?" This staggered him
for a little, and l walked on. Then l
heard him when he had collected his
senses, order the soldiers to follow at
once, arrest me, and put me out. One
came after at the double quick and ac-
tually took me by the arm, but 1 return
ed him an expression as much like that
of the god of war as | could muster, and
he beat a nervous retreat. | left him and
his officer to fight and swear 1t out be-
tween them. and passed on through gate
and quadrangle TO the quarters of the
foreigner who was formally in charge.
The general was an American of many
years experience. He had served in
Egypt and elsewhere, and the failure to
save the queen and keep out the rebels
had been through no fault of his. The
chronic incapacity of the Korean govern
ment explained it. The queen was dead,
carved up, n cooked. The king was all
but driven insane, from craven fear and
weakness. The crown prince. a fool
by birth, under circumstances such as
these, was doubly idiotic. The kings
elder brother who lives and fourishes
still, had been chosen by the rebels as
read of the household department. Fat,
and round. and jolly over cremating his
sister-in-laW, he was IN q state OF eXhll-
aration when I first saw him, smoking a
cheap foreign cigar. Our presence was OF
| course most distasteful to him, but 1t had
to be borne with as an evil that could not
be avoided. He had his plans matured,
however, of gradually getting rid of all
! foreign influence, and was simply bid
ing his time.
Just then, on hands and knees, by "un-
foreground railway and through the
back window, came a message from his
majesty to the general in charge: They
are talking of removing me to the other
side of the palace grounds, a mile from
here, in order to get me away from for
eigners. Come at once, and in public au-
dience make request that you go with me,
but do not say ! told you. Be sure to
make urgent request" Some time later
l accompanied the general into the august
presence of the little frightened monarch,
| who stood behind the bar. He was dress
ed in plain white silk, wore a look of
most inexpressible woe, and yet he
frightened somewhat at our coming. he
shook hands, n said in parrot-like
English:
"How do you do"
1t was a study, indeed, to watch
his feet shutting from side to side.
He spoke in low effen,inite accents
/ and looked with the most appealing eye
that dumb creature ever rolled toward it's
master-in all. the most fearsome sight
that l have ever seen. A poor, elpless
incapable, at the mercy of the sayages
| who held him prisoner!
On his left hand the crown prince, a
head taller than his father, a coarse, bru-
tai monster. He, too. shook hands, and
then, with one paw over his mouth, speW-
| ed and split with laughter. The FUNNIEST
| experience of all his funny life! Two days
previous his mother had been butchered,
and since then his father had been half
crazed from fear n weakness. while
he. the lunatic, in the midst of the ira
gedy exploded with laughter.
On the right Of the king stood his older
brother, red with the blood of his own kin,
but his face resembling that of the crown
prince, huge and frog-like, was placid.
He had played the winning card and was
happy-he and his pal. the Tai Won-kun.
As minister of the household, of course
he was on hand during the audience.
The old general, visibly trembling with
emotion, said: Il have been eight years
in attendance on your majesty, and your
majesty has been good to me; and now
that a change is contemplated to the 9TH
er side of the palace, l humbly and earn
testify make request that l be permitted to
accompany your majesty al heretofore
The request was Interpreters and under-
stood. The king. twitching meanwhile,
whispered a word or two to his brother
about the petition being granted. but the
big brother frowned and SAID: mo! or
Then the king. in the accents of a fright
ened schoolgirl. said: The general need
not go with me: remain here in the libra
ry where you are: that is near enough
Il repeat my request" said the general.