Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1902-01-31

entered the outer city in silence.
The place was very dreary at that
hour of the day, and to Codd, who
was of an imaginative turn of mind,
1t seemed as if faces out of the long
| deserted past were watching him
from every house. His companions,
| however, were scarcely so impress
sionable. They were gloating over
the treasure they had won for them
selves, and one, at least, was specu-
lating as to how he should spend his
share. Suddenly Hayle, who was
looking down a side street, uttered
an exclamation of surprise.
did you see that?" he inquired Of
Kitwater. Then, without waiting for
a reply, he dived into the nearest
ruin and disappeared from view.
what on earth is the matter with
him?" inquired Kitwater of Codd.
HAS he gone mad?"
Codd only shook his head. Hayle's
doings were more often than not an
enigma to him. Presently, however,
the runaway made his appearance
before them. His face was flushed
and he breathed heavily. Apparent
ly he had been running, and for some
distance.
Don't you see him?" he inquired
of his companions, in some surprise.
"See who?" asked Kitwater, with
elevated eyebrows. "Who do you
think you SAW"
ga man." Hayle replied. II am
ready to take my oath I saw him
CROSS that narrow street back yonder."
"Was it one of our own men, do you
think?" said Codd, referring to the
two BURNER they had brought with
them.
"Not a bit of it," Hayle replied.
II tell you, Kitwater, 1 am as sure
as I am of anything that the man I
saw was Chinaman."
Cannon" said Kitwater. "There
isn't a Chinaman within SO miles of
the ruins. You are unduly excited.
You'll be seeing a regiment of Scott's
guards presently if you are not care
full
II don't care what you say, it was
a man I saw" the other answered.
Good Heavens! won't you believe me
when I say that I saw his pigtail?"
believe you, of course, I will" re-
Piled Kitwater, good-humoredly.
TITS pity you didn't catch hold of
him by it, however. No, no, Gid, you
take my word for it, there are no
| Cinnamon about here. What do you
think, Codd?"
Mr.. Codd appeared to have no opin-
ion, for he did not reply.
| By this time they had crossed the
last bridge and had left the city behind
them. The jungle was lulling itself to
sleep, and drowsy croonings sounded
on every hand. So certain was Hayle
that he had not been mistaken about
the man he declared he had seen, that
he kept his eyes well open to guard
against a surprise. He did not know
what clump of bamboo might contain
an enemy, and, in consequence, his
right hand was kept continually in his
| pocket in order not to lose the grip
of the revolver therein contained. At
last they reached the top of the hill
and approached the open spot where
tuelr camp was situated.
What did tell you?" said Kitwa-
ter, as he looked about the camp and
could discover no traces of their two
native servants. "It was one of our
proving rascals you saw, and when
he comes back I'll teach him to come
spying on us. If know anything of
| the rattan, he won't d o it again"
Hayle shrugged his shoulders While
the fact that their servants were not
| at the camp to anticipate their return
was certainly suspicious, he was still
as convinced as ever that the man he
had seen slipping through the ruins
was no Burman, but true son of the
| celestial empire.
Worn out by the excitement of the
day, kitwater mathematical the serv
ants for not having been there to pre-
| pare the evening meal, but while he
and Hayle wrangled, MIR. Codd had as
usual taken the matter into his own
hands, and, picking up cooking pot,
had set off in the direction of the
stream, whence they drew their supply
OF water. He had not proceeded very
far, however, before he uttered cry
and came running back to the camp.
There was a scared expression upon
his face as he rejoined his compan-
| ions.
They've not run away" he cried,
pointing in the direction whence he
had come. They're dead!'
"Dead?" cried Kitwater and Hayle
together. Then the latter added:
"What do you mean by that?"
What say" Codd replied They're
both lying in the jungle back there
with their threats cut.p
Then l was right after ALL" Hayle
found time to put in. "Come, Kit, let
US go and see. There's more than we
bargained for at the back of all this"
They hurried with Codd to the spot
where he had discovered the bodies,
to find that his tale was too true.
Their two unfortunate servants were
tp be seen lying one on either side of
the track, both dead and shockingly
mutilated. Kitwater knelt beside
them and examined themmore closely.
Chinese" he said, laconically. Then
after pause he continued: Its
good thing for us we had the foresight
to take our rifles with us to-day, other
wise we should have lost them for
certainty. Now we shall have to keep
our eyes open for trouble. 1t won't be
long in coming, mark my words"
I