Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-02-13

| to himself after he had counted it,
"but it ought to be sufficient for the
| business in hand. If / hadn't been
| fool enough to listen to that French
woman on board, l shouldn't have
played cards, and then it would have
| been double. Why the deuce wasn't /
able to get monsieur ashore? In that
case I'd have got it all back, or I'd
have known the reason why"
The idea seemed to afford him some
satisfaction, for he smiled. and then
said to himself as if in terms of APP
| probation: by Jove, l believe you,
my boy!"
When he had counted his money
and had returned it once more to its
hiding place, he buckled the belt
round his person and unstrapped his
valise. taking from it a black Tussa
| coat which he exchanged for that
hanging upon the handle of the door.
Then he lighted a Java cigar and sat
down upon the bed to think Taken
altogether, his was not progresses
| ing countenance. The peculiar at
tributes | have already described were
sufficient to prevent that. At the
same time it was a strong face, that
of man who was little likely to al
| low himself to be beaten, of his own
free will, in anything he might I'M
| dertake. The mouth was firm, the
chin square, the eyes dark and well
set; moreover, he wore a heavy black
mustache, which he kept sharp
| pointed. His hair was of the same
color, though streaked here and
there with gray. His height was an
inch and a half above six feet, but
! by reason of his slim figure, he looked
| somewhat taller. His hands and feet
| were small, but of his strength there
could be no doubt. Taken altogether,
he was not man with whom one
would feel disposed to trifie. Unfor-
| tunately, however, the word adventure
er was written all over him, and, as a
! considerable section of the worlds
| population have good reason to know,
he was as little likely to fail to take
advantage of his opportunities as he
was to forget the man who had
| robbed him, or who had done him an
| ill turn. 1t was said in Hong-Kong
| that he was well connected, and that
he had claims upon a viceroy now
| gone to his account, that, had he per-
severed with them, might have placed
him in very different position. How
much truth there was in this report,
| however, l cannot say; one thing,
however, is quite certain; if it were
true, he had fallen grievously from
his high estate.
| When his medtations had con-
| tinued for something like ten minutes
he rose from the bed, blew cloud of
smoke, stretched himself, strapped
his valise once more, gave himself
what the sailors call hoist, that he
might be sure his money belt was in
its proper position, and then unlocked
the door, passed Out, relocked it after
him, and returned to the bar. There
he called for certain curious liquors,
smelt them suspiciously before using
them, and then proceeded deliberately
to mix himself peculiar drink. The
landlord watched him with an ap-
preciative surprise. He imagined him
self to be familiar with every drink
known to the taste of man, having
had wide experience, but such an one
as this he had never encountered be-
fore.
What do you call it?" he asked,
when the other had finished his prep
arations.
II call it Help to Reformation
the stranger replied. Then, with a
sheer upon his face. he added: "It
should be popular with your custom
ers."
Taking the drink with him into the
veranda outside, he seated himself in
long chair and proceeded to sip it
slowly, as if it were some elixir whose
virtue would be lost by haste. Some
people might have been amused by
the motley crowd that passed along
the street beyond the veranda rails,
but Gideon Hayle, for such was his
name, took no sort of interest in it.
He had seen it too often to find any
variety in it. AS a matter of fact the
mere sight of a pigtail was sufficient
to remind him of certain episode in
his career which he had been for
years endeavoring to forget.
ut doesn't look as if they are go-
ing to put in an appearance tonight"
he said to himself as the liquor in
the glass began to wane. "Can this
letter have been hoax, an attempt
to draw me off the scent? If SO, by
all the gods in Asia, they may rest as
sured I'll be even with them"
He looked as though he meant it!
At last he rose and, having returned
his glass to the bar, donned his topee.
left the hotel and went for stroll.
1t was but a short distance to the
harbor, and he presently found him
self strolling along the several miles
of what have already described as the
most wonderful shipping in the world.
knowing the spot where the British
India boats from Calcutta usually lie.
he made his way to it, and inquire d for
a certain vessel. She had not vet ar
rived, he was informed, and no one
seemed to know when she might be
expected. At last, tired of his occupa-