Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1901-06-28
The. Yellow Man \ |! ! 4

to be extremely circumspect. Here it
Is different 1t was good of you to
come, for it relieves me Of great anx-
iety, as shall now be able to devote
myself to the pursuit of peace. Cen
tlemen, give you welcome to China
could only look at him with burn.
Ing, wondering eyes, my brain with a
confused motion hurriedly retracing
the past, but Jim spoke, and despite
the treatment to which he had been
subjected his voice was clear and firm
'.Why do you talkY' he said. I'VE
recognize that the game is up. We
played the fool and must pay for our
folly. We were not afraid to come
pither. We are not afraid to 60 hence"
'Bravely spoken" answered Woo
ching. 1T is inexpressibly pleasing to
know that our guests are men of such
undaunted courage. would had met
you earlier"
1T is not my fault" said Jim. ii
have searched long enough for you, but
your courage was only equal to MUIR
dering women and old men,
Wooching smiled. He was not an
CRY. Why should he be-? He could not
have hoped to succeed so easily.
Il think you wrong me somewhat
and do not rightly consider all the cir
cumstances. Why are you here? You
do not answer. will tell you. To
kill Kung and me. Why? Because,
through our agency, your sister and
her husband met their death. 1t is
very natural. l have no fault to find
But consider my case. My father was
betrayed to death, and l pursued the
betrayer. What IS natural in one in
Stance cannot be unnatural in anoth-
err
The calmness Of this man, the calm
ness Of them ALL was amazing. 1t was
very odd to think that this individual
In the silk robe, who condescended to
"argue so politely with his enemy, was
the man with the strange eyes who
had walked up our garden path that
awful day at Windsor, who had filed
my life with a terror which will al
ways be a part Of me. Wooching, the
implacable yellow man. the subject CT
SO many fears, so many dreams.
- could scarcely realize. though standing
face to face with him, that this polite
little gentleman was the fiend who had
wrought such horror to me and mine
! was like one COMPOUNDED, amazed,
and, strange as it may seem, his dread
kuf presence now awakened in me
feeling more Of curiosity than Of ter
ror, even though l knew that death
out Of his eyes was staring me in the
face.
As Jim did not answer Wooching
turned to Kung with a smile. And
still it was impossible to realize that
these two men, SO quiet, so polite,
welded such awful power. The i'm
passive Kung, with the thin, curling
lips, the meaning smile. Was it posi-
BILE that this could. be the man who
willed crime in China and had it exc
cuted in country town in England?
There was no sign of power, nothing to
impress one, as it were, and yet his
grip was as sure as death itself.
II fear our illustrious guests realize
the force of my argument" said Woo
ching. ''Well, it is an excellent thing
to have a good understanding, and I
hope it will enable them to bear philo-
sophically some Of the surprises which
the society has in store for them
, He went back to his position by the
chair, and then Kung rose slowly and
came to me. For time he stared ME
closely in the face, as though he would
devour every feature. His little black
eyes, at first cold and inscrutable, be-
gan to glow, and presently they gleam-
ed like fire.
1T is long time ago." he said, land
I cannot trace feature. Yet you do
not deny that you are the son Of Cap
tain Kingston?"
II do not deny it."
"You are not wise. A serpent breeds
eerpents and as they are dangerous we
kill them."
His lips writhed, his eyes cleaned.
The memory Of my father stirred all
that was black and wicked in this
<man's nature. He was no longer the
lmpassive yellow man, but seething
ealdron Of wrath which, feared,
would presently bubble over.
49," he continued, "you are the son
Of that dog, that wretched traitor who
betrayed his friends, that miserable
creature who thought he could pit his
FOOLS wits against mine? The dog!
But he persisted, as all perish who
would destroy me. Our friendship is
sacred, our hate is death. For your
fathers crime I swore that would ex-
terminate his brood, and with you will
60 the last dog and son of dogv' and
with his long, yellow fingers he struck
me fercely across the eyes and then
spat in my face.
Fools" be went on, Ito think that
you could grapple with me and hope to
vin-to win where the emperor himself
has failed. Kung, the boat builder, is
In Ching-hi today; tomorrow where?
But wherever he goes the sign rallies
the faithful round him. You have seen
It once, twice maybe? You shall see it
again, and you shall feel it, too, before
you 60 hence" FL. -.
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