The Wilmington daily Republican., 1901-02-02
5: @ &: &: e? IS &:
CHAPTER XXI.

hOlS W u anu, tAuS '~s"N'
being one of regular line, we decided
to 60 by her, believing that the sooner
we got under weigh with our task the
better chance we might have OF sue
cessfully accomplishing 1t. The date
Of sailing was extremely close at hand,
some three days off, but 1t gave us am
pie time to make our preparations,
which were not extensive. and to reach
Sydney as well.
The night before our departure we
1ined with Cecil and her mother, and
though the staiwart cousin, JAG. did
his best to enliven the proceedings !
fear it was a somewhat lugubrious af
fair. Like dark cloud or curtain oul
thoughts hung before us, and no ray OF
light seemed capable of piercing 1t. II
admit that was anything but pleased
with the circumstance. Things might
10 easily have been different. Why had
not my lot been cast In the ordinary
groove? Why had I not been permit.
ted to enjoy the peaceful, uneventful
lHt <hhh thSh Aooh'"I
across the table and saw her who had
come to me in the long polar winter OF
my life, and l could have cried with
the Mussulman, God Is great" But
for my flight from death should never
have met her. Therefore fate laid me
under an obligation, and l could not
quarrel with II, for though it had treat.
ed me so cruelty, yet was I recompens'
ed with the love of this woman. 1T was
destiny. God Is great.
When the wrench came, philosophy
proved but broken reed. We wan
dered round and round the garden,
sometimes strangely silent for long in
tervals, at others yoicing with no un.
certain tongue our hopes and fears,
And when | pointed out to her how
absolutely necessary it was for us that
the power of Kung should be curtailed
her wisdom strove hard with her wo'
mans fears, and eventually wrung
from her heartbroken consent.
Sometimes thought this setting out
pn such an expedition was the acme OF
folly. Why not let things SO, why not
Beize on happiness when 1t was within
my grasp and leave the future in the
hands of the gods? l admit 1t was G
great temptation and one that sore be-
BET me, but Jim was by when | warer.
ed, and reason told me that this appar.
emily foolish endeavor was in reality
The only right one.
will pass over the rest Of that scene
md the subsequent train journey to
Sydney, where we caught the steamer
Airle. Nor Is there anything Of impor
lance to relate during our voyage north
ward. We had half dozen agreeable
passengers In the saloon and some Chi
nese coolies forward. and though on
principle we distrusted them, their'be
havior was circumspect IN the ex.
treme. Nevertheless l never neglected
tho least prccaution, eschewng the
deck after nightfall, unless in the COM
pany of Jim or one Of the other pas
Sengers, and avoiding open hatches
and the less frequented parts Of the
vessel And SO one day the peak Of
Hongkong opened up, swiftly we ap.
preached the Ly-ee- Moon pass, slipped
through, and presently we were swing.
Ing at anchor opposite the town.
I The sampans crowded with mnumer.
able yellow folk told US that we were
In China at last, and 1t was not with
out some little apprehension that sur
yeyed the shrleking and gestculating
throng. Here were yellow men with 4
vengeance, and at first l experienced
some slight scruple in trusting myself
to them and their frail sampans, but
realizing that though generally dlshon-
est, all these people could not be in the
employ Of the society, we left the ship
and went ashore.
We had been recommended to 60 to
The Hongkong hotel, 1t being at that
time, whatever It is now, the only first
class house in the place, and thther we
proceeded and were duly installed In n
room on the second floor. Now 1t was
Cinnamon, Cinnamon everywhere, and
we seemed to realize for the first time
what Il task this was which we had set
ourselves to accomplish. And yet In
the multiplicity Of pigtails there was
some assurance of safety. At close
quarters the yellow man was not the
terrible being as pictured in my heated
Imagination.
Imust say that my Uncle Jim shared
hone of my scruples or alarm. The
moment be set foot on Chinese soil he
seemed another man. The lethargy
and Indifference which had character
ized him during the voyage to Austria
liza and the supplementary journey to
Hongkong vanished now as II BY q
stroke of magic. 1t was as though he
had said: "At last l am here! Now to
work" A new energy took POSSESSION
Of him. His wits sharpened them.
selves upon the milestone of his de-
sires. A determination to act and act
quickly was In everything he said and
did. He was as one suddenly gifted
with the powers of born leader Of
men, and seemed to see him as chair
man of q board meeting curbing the re-
fractory members with the mere force
Of will. There was something In that
man which the city and the SCOT could
not subdue, and 1t seemed to me az
though 1t was going to have fair trial
at last.
Naturally our FIRST endeavor was to
discover the man Of whom my father
had spoken, K0on-Sl, the carpenter, but
at the first glance such task appear
ed appalling. AS well, to use a Chi
nese Uroverb. search for a needle at