The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1901-02-04
CHAPTER XIII.


SOME ARRANGEMENTS AND A PROPOSAL.
We sat still more erect and eyed the
speaker intently. An unprepossessing
man truly. yellow. dirty, bare armed
and barelegged, but wthal man in
ten thousand for us. He was not Koon-
81, the cody, who lab0riously worked
the day from end to end for scanty
pttance. but rather the man in whom
lay the hope OF our future happiness,
in whom We saw the avenger-veEgs-
ance persOnifed. With this man we
might hope to do much; without him
ours was likely to prove dangerous
and an evil plight.
II will tell you how 1t shall cease"
he repeated, "for 1t has been nothing
but the hope of revenge which has kept
me alive In the midst of this wretched-
ness. But first, confidence for ,cont-
dence. In what manner has Kung
harmed your
Gle has slain those who were nearest
and dearest to U.S."
Enough. And your names?
Mine" said Jim, and wondered at
this strange way of repaying conf
hence for confidence, 'is Of no impor-
lance, neither is his" pointing to me.
"Yet such us they are you are well
come to them. am called George Car
ter, and this Is my friend, Frederick
Gray"
Good said the Chlnaman. II know
not the names, but it is enough. And
you come as the avengers off,
"Those whom we love-"
Koon-Sl bowed. He was wise man
and respected our reticence.
Enough. You are the men for whom
l have waited so long. Kung shall die"
He filled his brass bound pipe, drew
in deep, full breath, knocked the
ashes out on the floor, and then. after
apparently swallowing the smoke,
elected ii in dense volume from his
nose. This he did again, consuming,
amid a strange silence, at least half
dozen pipes. Then Jim. who was begin
ming to get restless. spoke:
"You have information? You know
Of Kung's whereabouts"
"Ah," replied Koon-Si, rapping his
pipe on the floor, "to gain intelligence
of such man as Kung is, as you may
imagine. feat not easy to achieve.
For years l have vainly hunted, for
have a great wish to meet him once
again, but 1t was not until a few
mouths ago that received reliable In.
formation of his whereabouts
"And he is now
"Where he is now cannot say, for
as have told you, Kung is every
where, even as his influence is felt be-
yond the big seas, but when last l
heard of him he had set up as boat
builder at Chlng-hi"
"And where is Ching-hiF'
"In the Yang tse Kiang. It is small
island some miles below Hankow in
the province of Hu-Peh."
The information, which was appar.
emily most precise, still left much to
be desired. OF course we had heard of
the Yang tse river but through what
provinces It ran, what they were like
and in which was situated Hankow,
we had not the faintest conception.
"And we can get there?" asked Jim.
Easily, exccllcncy, by steamer to
Hankow."
Good. When shall we start?'
81 am poor man, excellency. 1t will
cost money
II will see to that. You take US
there
at shall be as you wish"
"And now" said Jim, show had we
better set to work.
"There is no difficulty at all, excel
lcncy, If you have money. l let my
shop or shut it up. 1t matters nothing
Then we 60 to Shanghai. From there
to Hankow Is nothing. Your excellen-
CIV has money. We shall procure as
sistance, and Kung'-
"Well|
)TO BE CONTINUED