The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-09-13
CHAPTER XIII.
SOME ARRANGEMENTS AND A PRO-
POSAL

We sat still more erect and eyed the
speaker intently. An unprepossessing
man truly. yellow. dirty. bare armed
and barelegged. but withal a man In ten
thousand for US. He was not Koon-si.
the oooly, who laboriously worked the
. day from end TO end for a soanty pittance.
. but rather the man In whom lay the hope
of our future happiness. In whom we saw
the avenger-vengeance personitied With
this man we might hope TO do much;
. without him ours was likely to prove a
dangerous and an evil plight.
IT will tell you how II shall cease" ~
repeated, for II has been nothing burt
the hope of revenge which has kept me
alive I'm the midst OF this Indebtedness.
But first. confidence for confidence. In
what manner has Kung harmed your
HE has slain those who were nearest
and dearest 20 us.
Enough. And your names7"
Mine" said Jim, and i wondered at
this strange way OF repaying confidence
for confidence. rs Of no Importance.
neither Is his" pointing to me, yet such
as they arc you are welcome to them /
am called George Carter, and this Is my
friend. Frederick Gray"
Good" said the Chinaman. IT know
not the names, but II is enough. And
you come as the avengers Of
Those whom We love-"
Koon-Si bowed. He was wise man
and respected our reticence.
Enough. You are the men for whom I
have waited so long. Kung shall die
He filled his brass bound pipe, drew in
a deep full breath, knocked the ashes out
on the floor, and then. after apparently
swallowing the smoke, elected 1t in u
dense volume from his nose. This he did
again. consuming. amid strange silence,
at least half dozen pipes. Then Jim,
| who was beginning TO get restless. spoke:
You have Information? You know OF
Kung's whereabouts?''
"Ah." replied Koon-Si. rapplng his pipe
on the floor. ito gain intelligence OF such
a man Kung Is, as you may imagine.
feat not easy to achieve. For years /
have vainly hunted. for I have a great
wish TO meet him once again, but IL was
not until few months ago that received
reliable information OF his whereabouts"
| "And he Is now
Where he is now cannot say. for as
] have told YOU Kung is everywhere,
even as his influence Is felt beyond the
big seas but when last l heard OF him
he had set up as n boat builder at Ching
hi"
And where is Ching-hi?"
''In the Yang-tsee- -Kiang, 1t Is a small
island some miles below Hankow I'm the
province OF Hu-Peh"
The information, which was apparently
most precise. still left much TO be de-
sired. or course we had heard OF the
Yang-tse river but through what pro-
i vinces Il ran, what they were like and In
which was situated Hankow, we had not
the faintest conception.
"And we can get theref" asked Jim.
Easily. excelency, by steamer to Han
kow.'
Good When shall we start?"
81 am a poor man, excellency. IL will
cost money"
IL will SEQ TO that. You take US there" 9"
'It shall be you wish"
"And now" said Jin. how had we
''There is no difficuity at all. excenency.
n you have money 1 let my shop or
shut il sSeensp Il "srs From nSsss ssrs 10 hsH nsnsyw
Is nothing. Your excellency has money
We shall procure assistance and kuns'-
"Kune is your excellency's to do with
II sounded simple enough, and Koon-
Snt 10 me there seemed TO be something
wanting in the story, and ] said. address
ing the chinaman. "Kung is a great polt-
s'rl,e greatest, exceliency."
And no doubt the government would
pberally reward those who captured
'Thsy would pay much. excenency
There never was one whom they feared
90 much as Kung."
'"lntn WHY I4ANt lDh btN
hiding place 10 the government II would
relieve YOU OF much responsibility"
7 expected the man 20 show some sort
of confu SION were Il ever so little, at this
direct thrust but instead HE equanimlty
appeared not In the least Disturbed. lie
sniled with apparent complacency. but TO
nv thinking his face looked Infinitely dia-
bDllc.
''~True. excellency. might have done
chinese. and have been personally nv
tilIated Unlike you Christians. We CHI
neae do not forgive our enemies. N would
not nicase me to hard Kung over 10 the
eoyernment IL would not be satisfaction