Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1902-04-10
My Strangest Case
BY GUY BOOTHBY.
Author of cdr. KikoIa, - "The Beautiful
White Devil" Pharos, The
Egyptian" Etc.
copyrighted, 1901, by Ward, Lock & Col
PART IV.-CoNTINUED

PART IV.-CoNTINUED.
"There's more in the case than meets
the eye" he said, piciously; land |
fancy, if only we could see the bot
tom Of it, we should discover that your
two proteges are as fine pair of ras-
Gals Is could be found on the continent
of Asia"
81 don't know anything about that"
Grantham replied. II only know that
they were a miserable couple, and
that / did the best | could for them.
You wouldn't have had me leave them
IN the jungle, surely?"
- am not aware l have said So" the
other answered, stiflly. The only
thing l object to is your treating them
as if they were martyrs, when in all
probability they deserve all the pun
dshment they received"
Grantham was too wise to carry the
argument any further. He knew that
when Handiman was in his present
aumor the best thing TO do was to
&eave him alone in it. He accordingly
returned to the hut where the two
men were domiciled, and attended to
their comfort, as far as lay in his pow
er. His heart had been touched by
their misery. He did not give as a rea-
son for the trouble he took the fact
that the face of the elder man remind
red him of his own venerable father,
the worthy old Somersetshire vicar;
at was a fact, nevertheless. For a
week the unfortunate couple were
dCmiciled at the ford, and during that
time Grantham attended to their
wants with the assiduity of a
blood relation. Meanwhile Handiman
scoffed and bade him take heed for the
valuables, lest his new-found friends
should appropriate them. He did not
believe in honest gratitude, he de-
cIared, particularly where homeless
wanderers in the Burmese jungle were
concerned. At last, however, they
were so far recovered as to be able TO
proceed on their way once more.
We have to thank you for our lives,
sir" said Kitwater to Grantham,
when the time came for them to say
aood-by to the ford. Had it not been
FOR you we would probably be dead
men now. l don't know whether we
shall ever be able to repay your kind
ness, that is with Allah, but if the op-
portunity should ever arise you may
be sure we will not neglect it. What
ever we may be now, you may take it
that we were gentlemen once. There's
just one favor l should like to ask Of
you, sir, before we part!"
4'What is it?' Grantham inquired.
Il want you, sir, to give me letter
of introduction to the gentleman in
your regiment who looked after the
stranger you told me of, when he came
here out of China. I've got sort of
notion in my head that even if he is
not our friend, that is to say the man
we are searching for, he may happen
TO know something of him."
81 will give you the letter with pleas
are" Grantham replied. 81 am sure
Gregory will be only too pleased to
.aelp you as far as lies in his power"
The letter was accordingly written
and handed to Kitwater, who slowed it
away in his pocket as if it were price
less possession. Then, when they had
bade their protector farewell, they in
their turn set off along the track that
Hayle had followed two months be-
fore, and in due course arrived at
Bhamo. Here they presented the let
ter they had obtained to Capt. Charles
Pauncefort Gregory, who, as may be
supposed, received it with manifest
astonishment.
''Well," said he, "of all the stories ]
have heard since | have been in the
east, this is the most extraordinary
] thought that other chap was about
as unfortunate a beggar as could wei
be, but you beat him hollow at every
turn, Now, look here, before | go any
further, | must have my friend with
me. lie is the man who discovered the
other chap, and I'm sure he would like
TO hear your story"
Dempsey was accordingly sum.
-znoned, and his wonderment was as
great as his friends had been.
"Now," said Gregory, when Demp
sey had been made familiar with the
Others story, "what is it you want tC
know about the man we picked up,
Ask your questions, and Wen do the
lbest we can to answer them"
In reply to Kitwater's questions
Gregory and Dempsey described, a,
E2E as .AeI wsIe aL.c, tAe appearaAcS