Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1900-08-22
THE LLAMA'S CURSE.
A Story of Thibetan Magic.

eign. I pushed the latter over toward
him with. my left hand, and with my
right raised the water bottle to dilute
my whisky.
Your change, Tom. said |.
Yes. of course said Tom, who was
absorbed in the story he was telling me.
He put out his hand as II to pick the
money up, but seemed to remember some
thing, for he drew his hand back sud
denly.
Good heaven said he, ''and I had
forgotten that
He took out his handkerchief. wrapped
it around the forehnger Of his right
hand, and then, with the forehnger SO
covered, gently scraped the money to-
wards him, piece by piece, and earnestly
looked at each coin.
Now, look here, Tom.'' said I. this
is very pretty story that you have been
telling me, but don't try and give it an
air of reality by performance like
that
You can believe it or not. just as you
like said Tom, but [ tell you, Fred.
that piece of money is coming along this
way some day. / have seen it once,
ahd-I left it on the table. You don't
catch me touching any coin while am
certain that one is in circulation. But
let me conclude what / was telling you.
'.Urga is one OF the most peculiar
places you could think Of, and one. of our
first duties was to present ourselves to
the Grand Llama. We had to get Il
palanquin, for it was only meet that
Europeans Of our Importance should 81
in state, aud it was while en- route that
we suddenly came to the praying mill.
This was a sort of roundabout with
huge wooden posts sticking out at the
side, which every Bhuddist passing was
supposed to take hold Of, and push the
mill round at least once.
What caused Phil to do what he did
then [ don't know, but something seemed
to impel him to get out OF the palanqu1n,
make run over to the mill, catch hold
of one of the wooden posts and commence
to push it around at its topmOst pace.
The square where the mill was erected
was pretty we'll filled with people, and
when some of those saw what had been
done they came rushing toward u.s., shout
ing and gesticulating. Phil had undoubt-
fearful for his safety. These fanatical
Mongolians, once their religion is assailed
in any shape or form, would certainly
have no mercy upon the assailant.
Phil came hurriedly back to me.
jumped into the palanquin, and ordered
struck dumb with terror. The mob came
for us, smashed in the doors Of the
palanquin, dragged us out, and for tive
minutes there was the liveliest fight on
and bruised, bleeding and insensible, We're
carted off to prison.
I'VE were taken before the Grand
Llama. and then and there he ordered
us to be sent across the Siberian from
tier with the utmost dispatch. The next
day we were hurried along under an eS-
cort of soldiers, and it was not long be-
fore we arrived at the frontier. the town
of Miamatshin, which really is the Mon
golian portion of Kiakta. We were tax
en- along to the yellow. posts, which
the soldiers of the Llama stopped. We
were removed from the palanquin in
which we had been carried, and were
commanded to sit down a few yards
from the posts. Not twenty feet away
were the black and white posts Of the
Russians, and it was indeed something
to gladden. our eyes to see the brown coat
and the astrachan feZ of the Russian
Cossack who stood there ON sentry.
Our guards spread themselves out
then there came forward a Bhuddis1
priest, who began to talk to us in q
jargon which, of course, we could moi
understand. He finished at length and
produced from his robe a wire on which
were threaded some hundreds Of brass
cash. which the Chinese always carry
He took two of the cash off the wire
and laid them in front Of us on the
ground.
s'Tben the priest began waving his
arms about, and the Mongolians took
out their hand prayer mills and began
turning them for all they were worth
The voice Of the priest then rose on the
air. He said three or four words anC
spat deliberately at each Of the coins
which had been put on the ground be
fore us.
'That was all. The priest departed
the soldier escorted us to the posts, thu
Russian sentry presented his rifle and W.
n 40,
and breathed the comparatively free ali
of Russia. Our first duty when we Were
IN Kiakta was to go straight to the gov
ernor and lay our complaint before him
He was agitated when he heard of thu
ceremony at the frontier, and told us tina
ton two coins which had received thu
sun gods curse, and that these coin:
would circulate throughout the world
harmless to everybody except the tive
they were destined for. The instant pos
session of either of these by the person
cursed would mean immediate destruc
ton.
'.Nor was this all-the coins might no
come to us as brass cash, they Nigh
come to us as a kopeck piece, or as :
rouble; as marks or pfennigs, as franc:
or centimes. as anything, wherever Wi
might be- We should never know wheI
they were coming; we should take then
in the ordinary way; we should handle
them, but only for one moment; the mex
moment we should be dead.
One day Tom sent for me. and it was t,
tell me that he was going to be married
This struck me as something peculiar, fo
/ had thought Tom Morton was one o.
the last men likely TO fall in love. Th'
pleased, and Tom and his bride Wen
away to the south of France. A few
more weeks rolled by and Tom returned
There was to be a reception at thei
London house, and the invitation which
was sent me was one which [ could no
well refuse.
In the evening had the opportunity o.
a chat with Tom. We had gone out OF