Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-11-13


"There's more in the case than meets
the eye" he said, uspiciously; land l
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 as could be found on the con tinent
of Asia"
81 don't know anything about that"
Grantham replied. 81 only know that
they were a miserable couple, and
that I did the best l could for them.
You wouldn't have had me leave them
in the jungle, surely|
81 am not aware have said So" the
other answered, stifiy. "The only
thing object to is your treating them
as if they were martyrs, when in all
proba biity they deserve oil the pun
ishment they received"
Grantham was too wise to carry the
argument any further. He knew that
when Handiman was in his present
humor the best thing to do was to
leave him alone in it. He accordingly
returned to the hut where the two
men were domiciled, and attended to
their comfort, as far S lay in his pow
er. His heart had been touched by
their misery. He did not give as rea-
son for the trouble he took the fact
that the face of the elder man remind
ed him Of his own venerable father,
the worthy old Somersetshire vicar;
it was fact, nevertheless. For q
| week the unfortunate couple were
domiciled at the ford, and during that
| time Grantham attended to their
wants with the assiduity OF
blood rela ton. Meanwhile Handiman
valuables, lest his new-found friends
should appropriate them. He did not
believe in honest gratitude, he de-
clared, particularly where homeless
wanderers in the Burmese jungle were
concerned At last, however. they
were so far recovered as to be abb. to
| proceed on their way once more.
1--WE have to thank you for our lives.
sir" said Kitwater to Grantbam,
when the time came for them to say
good-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 OPP
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 IKE to ask of
you, sir, before we part!"
"What is it?" Grantham inquired.
81 want you, sir, to give me a 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 10 say the man
we are searching for. he may happen
to know some thing of him.
81 will give you the letter with pie as
ure," Grantham replied. Il am sure
Gregory will be only too pleased to
help 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
establishment.
well" said he, "of all the stories
-, I la
east, this is the most extraordinary
l thought that other chap was about
as unfortunate a becgar a could well
be, but you beat him hollow at every
turn. Now. look here, before | go any
further, l must have my friend with
me. He is the man who discovered the
other chap, and I'm sure he would like
to hear your story
Dempsey was accordingly sum-
moned, 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 to
know about the man we picked up
Ask your questions, and we'll do the
best we can to answer them"
In reply TO Kitwater's questions
Gregory and Dempsey described, a'
far as they were able, the appe arance
of the man whom they had helped
The schedule was in great measure
satisfactory. but not altoge her. There
were many English in Burmah who
. were tall, and who had dark eyes anC
} broad shoulders. Little Good lean
towards his companion, and, taking
his hand, made some signs upon it.
: That's so, my little man. sale
Kirtwater, nOdding his head, approx
ingly. "You've hit the nail on thu
head" Then, turning to Gregory, HI
l continues: "Perhaps, sir, you don
happen to RENE mbcr whether he haC
5 any particular mark upon either of hi
, wrsts?"
Gregory replied that he had not n o
, ticed anything extraordinary, blu
. Dempsey was by no means SO forget
full.
"Of course he had" he answered. Z"
3 remember noticing it for the first tim
when l pulled him out of the ford sn'
I afterwards when he was in bed. Al
v inch or so above his left wrist he hat
e a tattooed snake swallowing his owl
4 tail. Ii was done in blue and red ink
and was as nice piece of work aseve