Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1902-01-28

them"
mo, but you've got use for other
things, haven't you? You can use ru-
bies as big as pigeons eggs, suppose
You've got use for sapphires, the
like of which mortal man never set
eyes on before"
That's certainly So" Hayle replied.
Il But what has this Sengkor-Wat to do
wish it?"
Everything in the world" Kitwa-
ter replied. that's where those ru-
biess are, and, what's more, that's
where we are going to find them"
Are you joking, or is this sober
earnest?"
He looked from Kitwater to Codd.
The little man thus appealed to nodded
his head. He agreed with all his COM
panion said.
TITS quite true" said he, after
pause. "Rubies, sapphires and gold
enough to make US all millionaires
times over.'
Bravo for Sengkor-Wat, then!" said
Hayle. "But how do you know a II this 2"
1--WE told you already that Coddy
found it out" Kitwater replied.
"Looking over his old records he dis
covered something that put him on
the track. Then I happened to re-
member that, years ago, when was in
Hanoi, an old man had told me won
derful story about treasure cham
Der in ruined city in the Burmese
jungle. A Frenchman who visited the
place, and had written book about it,
mentions the fact that there is
legend amongst the natives that vast
treasure is buried in the ruins, but
only one man, so far as we can dis
cover, seems to have taken the trouble
to have looked for it,
"But how big are the ruins?"
Bigger than London, so Coddy
says!"
Coddy nodded his head in confirma-
ton of this fact. But still Hayle
seemed incredulous.
"And you are going to search all
that area? 1t strikes me that you
will be an old man by the time you
find the treasure, Kitwater."
Don't you believe it. We've got
something better to go upon than
that. There was an old Chinese trav-
eler who visited this place in the year
what was the year, Coddy?"
Twelve hundred and fifty-seven,"
Codd replied, without hesitation.
"Well, he describes the glory of the
place, the wealth of the nhabitants,
and then goes on to tell how the king
took him to the great treasure cham
Der, where he saw such riches as NOR
tai man had never looked upon before"
But that doesn't tell you where the
treasure chamber TSP" argued Hayle.
Perhaps not, but there are other
ways of finding out; that is, if man
has his wits about him. You've got to
put two and two together If you want
to get on in this world. Coddy has
translated it all, and this is what it
amounts to: When the king had
shown the traveller his treasure, the
latter declared that his eyes were so
blinded by its magnifcence that he
could scarcely mount the steps to the
spot where his majesty gave audience
to his people. In another place it men
tons that when the king administered
justice he was seated on the throne in
the courtyard of the Three-headed Ele-
plants. Now what we've got to do is
to find that courtyard, and find 1t we
will"
But how do you know that the
treasure hasn't been taken away
years ago? Do you think they were
such fools as to leave it behind when
they went elsewhere2 Not They'll
Though they were well out of ear
shot of the land, and alone upon the
boat, Kitwater looked round him sus-
piciously before he answered. Then
pleasant smile played over his face.
It was as if he were recalling some
happy memory.
''How do know it?" he asked, by
way of preface. eff you'll listen for
a moment, I'll tell you. If you want
more proof, when I've done, you
must be difficult to please. When I
was up at Moulmein six months ago,
came across man hadn't met for
several years. He was Frenchman,
who knew had spent the most of his
life away back in Burmah. He was
very flush of money at the time, and
kept throwing out hints, when we
were alone, of place he knew Of
where there was the biggest fortune
on earth, to be had for the mere pick
ing up and carrying away. He had
. brought away as much of it as he
could, but he hadn't time to get it all,
before he was chased out by the Chi
nese, who, he said, were strong in
the neighborhood."
Kitwater stopped and rubbed his
hands with chuckle. Decidedly the
recollection was pleasant one.
WELL" he continued, "to make a
long story short, took advantage of
my opportunity, and got his secret
out of him by well, never
mind how managed it. It is sufi-
Gent that I got it. And the conse-
quence is, I know all that is to be
known"
That's all very well, but what be-
came Of the Frenchman? How dc you
know that he isn't back there again
filling his pockets?"
II don't think he is" Kitwater re-
piled, slowly. "It put me to lot of
Inconvenience, and came just at the
time when I was most anxious to
leave. Besides, it might have meant
trouble" He paused for moment.
"As matter of fact, they brought it
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