The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-08-09
CHAPTER NI.
CRICKMORE HAS A PLAN.

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The following day Mr.. Avery was 9
welcome visitor. He came early to
breakfast. In fact, he brought the
breakfast with him. The woman he
had given Miss Arnold as companion
attended solely to her wants. Another
woman of the Jumars, sad-faced and
silent, waited upon the missionary and
myself. The coffee was still hot, show
ing that Mr.. Avery's stove, from which
it came, could not be very far away.
care all the women here as sad
looking as these two?" I asked.
"Yes-all. The story of these
women is but the story of nearly all.
It is true, many have their husbands
left to them, while the brave husbands
of these fell fighting for their homes.
Twenty years ago, when the Mant-
choos invaded this island, these
women were happy wives and mothers.
Each had two children-a boy and
girl. In the bloody, battle
that was destined to be the last fight
Of the Jumars or the Kaleks, their
husbands were cut down by the ruth
less hand of the Chinese conqueror.
Then the children fell under the eye
of the tyrant, and he took them away.
The boy of one, she who is now with
you, struggled to remain with his
mother, and so enraged his captor
that he was killed before his mothers
eyes. The girls have never been
heard of since, and, doubtless, are
dead. But the other boy, little Cor
gret, son of my serving-woman,
Hankannan, was taken into the palace
of Quiental as a slave. Once, long
ago, we heard from him, and since
then his mother has not had one joy
full moment. At times she breaks out
in lamentations, and at others she is
as you see her now, silent, stern and
sad. She pictures her darling boy as
suffering torture at the hands of his
cruel masters, and sometimes is fran
tic in her grief. I am very fearful
that the Chinese soldiers will hear
her and understand the curses she
calls down on the head of Governor
Hen-Ko-Hi. Death would be her
punishment.
"How terrible" said Miss Arnold.
"This is indeed sad country"
'It is indeed" replied Mr.. Avery.
"There are sad hearts in Galneor and
in Bromporrah. One story of wrong
is but type of thousand others.
The place is scourged."
"Where are our friends Oso-Bark
and Garu-Saak?" I asked.
"They are at their daily labor.
Oso-Bark is a farmer. His place is
not far from here. That milk you put
into your coffee was from his COW.
TO obtaiI for me such luxuries as
these, he is compelled to resort to
stealth-to steal his own products, in
fact. The tax-gatherer of Hen-Ko-Hi
is always at hand, and Oso-Bark is
one of number Of farmers who must
furnish the table at the governors
palace. And Garu-Saak is at the
mines. He lives on the other side of
Galneor, near the road to Brompor-
rah. His prodigious strength makes
him very valuable to his masters, and
for that reason he escapes torture
that would weaken his splendid
frame"
"Hen-Ko-Hi has the grace to leave
you at least out Of the list Of task
doers," I ventured.
Not he. I, too, was laborer at
the mines, but I was too feeble to
! please my taskmasters, and 1 was
punished. Now am helpless. My
arm was burned until it became
shrunken, useless stick. All, the
cruelties of the Mongols!'
He opened the bosom of his shirt
and showed us sunken breast,
SCARED with frightful gashes and
! burns.