Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-03-13

AAe AtASu hiS ukdSS Uouuu pipe, Or0W
n q deep. full breath, knocked the
ashes out onsthe floor. and then. after
apparently swallowing the smoke,
elected II In dense volume from his
noss. This he did again. consuming,
amid q strange silence. at least half a
dozen pipes. Then Jim. who was besin.
ming to get restless. spoke;
You have; information?. You know
{ - Kings Whereabouts n
eAh,' replied Koon-Si. rapping his
pipe on the floor, ITO gain intelligence
OF such n man as Kung Is, as you may
Imagine, q feat not easy to achieve.
For years l have vainly hunted, for I
have great wish TO meet him once
again. but II was not until few
months 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 MS his influence is felt be-
ryond the big seas, but when last
heard of him he had set up as boat
builder at Ching-hi."
And where is Ching-hiY
In the Yang-tse-Kiang. 1t is small
Island some miles below Hankow in
s 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 1t 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, excellency. by steamer to
\ Hankow."
a.Good. When shall we startT
II am q poor man, excellency. 1t will
cost money
Il VIII see to that. You take us
there
1T shall be as you wish"
"And now" said Jim. show had we
better set to work.
'.There is no difficulty at all. excel
s lency, IL you have money. Let my
shop or shut 1t up. It matters nothing.
Then we go to Shanghai. From there
to Hankow is nothing. Your excellen-
cy has money. We shall procure as
slstance, and Kungs-
Y ssWellY'
"Kung is your excellency's. to do
NTH him what you will"
Il 1t sounded simple enough, and Koon-
81 had arranged an admirable little
plan, but to me there seemed to be
. something wanting in the story, and ]
/ said, addressing the Chlnaman. "Kung
4 is a great political plotterT'
..The greatest, excellency."
And no doubt the government would
literally reward those who captured
him7''
..They would pay much, excellency.
Z There never was one whom they fear
ed 30 much us kung."
Then why have you not betrayed his
hiding place to the government II
would relieve you of much responsible
ity."
l expected the man to show some
sort OF confusion. were 1t ever 80 little
( at this direct thrust, but instead his
! eQuanimity appeared not In the least
disturbed. He smiled with apparent
complacency, but to my thinking his
face locked infinitely diabollc.
.'TriIc, excellency, | might have done
Z as you suggest. But you forget am q
: Chinese. and I have been personally
mutilntcd Unlike you Christians, we
Chinese do not forgive our enemies. II
would not please me to hand Kune
over to the government 1t would moi
be satisfaction enough merely to know
TINT he was punished. / want to see
his punishment. want to punish hin
myself,
confess. knowing something Of the
Chinese character, that there was req
son In this, and my momentary doubts
were satisfied. Koon-Si was not pleas
ant to look upon, but that he was thu
instrument ordained for our use was 81
painfully apparent that there could BIZ
i no question of seyering ourselves from
his guidance.
And SO for another hour we smoked
/. and 49, .As--at ely agreeing upon
Koen-SI. being one O