Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-02-20
:. two BURNER they had brought with

them.
Not a bit of it, Hayle replied.
Il tell you, Kitwater, I am as sure
as 1 am of anything that the man 1
saw was a Chinaman."
Cannon" said Kitwater. "There
isn't Chinaman within so miles of
the ruins. You are unduly excited.
You'll be seeing regiment of Scott
guards presently if you are not care
full"
II don't care what you say, it was
a man | saw" the other answered.
Good Heavens! won't you believe me
when I say that ] saw his pigtail?"
believe you, of course, 1 will" re-
piled Kitwater, good-humoredly.
Its 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
their camp was situated.
What did l tell you?" said Kitwa-
ter, as he looked about the camp and
could discover no traces of their two
native servants. at was one, of our
proving rascals you saw, and when
he comes back I'll teach him to come
spying on us. If l know anything of
the rattan, he won't do 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 a cooking pot,
had set off in the direction of the
stream, whence they drew their supply
OF water. He had not proce eded very
far. however, before he uttered a cry
and came running back to the camp.
There was 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" Coda replied. They're
both lying in the jungle back there
with their threats cut"
"Then I was right after ALL" HayIe
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
to be seen lying one on either side of
the track, both dead and shockingly
mutilated. Kitwater knelt beside
them and examined them more closely.
Chinese" he said, laconically. Then
after e pause he continued: "It's
good thing for us we had the foresight
to take our rifles with us to-day, other
wise we should have lost them for a
certainty. Now We shall have to keep
our eyes open for trouble. 1t won't be,
long in coming, mark my words"
"You don't think they watched us at
work in that courtyard, do your" asked
Hayle, anxiously, as they returned to
the camp. eff that's SO, they'll have
every atom of the remaining treasure,
and we shall be done for"
He spoke as if until that momen.
they had received nothing.
cts just possible they may have
done SO, of course said Kitwater,
"but how are we to know? We could
mt prevent them, for we don't know
how many of them there may be. That
fellow you saw this evening may only
have been placed there to spy upon
our movements. Confound it all, I
wish we were bigger party"
It's no use wishing that" Hayle re-
turned, and then after a pause he
added: Fortunately we hold good
many lives in our hands, and what's
more, we know the value of our own.
The only thing we can do is to watch,
watch, and watch, and, if we are taken
by surprise, we shall have aobody to
thank for it but ourselves. Now if
you'll stand sentry, Coddy and I will
get tea"
They set to work, and the meal was
in due course served and eaten. Aft
erwards Codd went on guard, being
raliava6 Inv Hox Of