Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1903-01-10

not speak, and | had nothing tn say
save such as would cause Kung in
finite satisfaction. But we understood
each other, Jim AMI 1. We Were still
alive.
He was quickly triced up TO his old
position against tie wall. and then al.
most Immediately after there entered
through the same door man bearin
a burning brazier. This he deposited
between Kung and me and turned the
irons with malicious movement
stared at the glowing coals spellbouni
Mortified. Was the wretch going TO
torture us? L looked at him. and he
smiled. Without a doubt he read my
thoughts.
Then long and painful silence fol-
lowed. broken only by an occasional.
low crac6le of the fire. As have said
the horror of these men was intensified
by the extraordinary silence they in
yaTially maintained and by the Sc
crecy Of tier movements. But pres
emily Kung spoke.
Il presume you have seen the writ
ing of Kung?" he said.
Seen it. Heaven, but it had come
between me and my sleep for many
years! Now L was to feel it upon my
forehead.
1T is written in many ways" he
continued suavely,- Though we always
use the one design-that of our illus
trious society, of which l am the I'M
worthy chief If You have not seen it.
you shall-and feel it too 1t is
mark we sometimes place upon the dis
obedient, but oftener upon the enemy.
1t is very interesting operation.
promise that you shall take part in it,"
He smiled again; he always smiled
with an easiness which in some in
definable way proclaimed power. The
man knew what he could do and seem
ed content
Neither Jim nor 1 answered, and at
our obstinacy he smiled more darkly
still, while at the same time the cor,
hers of his mouth curled with unmis
taxable scorn
Mr.. Carter and Mr.. Gray" he said,
''your names are strange to me. but
your movements are not. You arrived
from Australia by the steamship Air
lie and took up your residence at the
Hongkong hotel. From there you
sought to find one Koon-Si, a worthy
carpenter who crossed our path and Is
no more. But being unable to discover
his whereabouts, which might puzzl
much wiser men, you called in the aid
OF one All Yon, who quickly unearthed
the illustrious Koon-Si Strange, is Il
not? And yet not strange. All Yon
like koon-Si, is a member of this so
ciety, and you rendered it comparative
ly easy for the one to play into tn,
hands of the other. When you set out
to match yourselves against me, you
were not thoroughly equipped for the
encounter"
For the first time was almost con-
sumed with rage as l thought how cas-
lily we had been trapped. OF course
All Yon was worthy TO rank with the
rest of his detestabie race, but we had
liked him and had treated him with
the utmost kindness and consideration.
Indeed l had almost grown TO fancy
that he in turn had conceived some
thing more than passing interest in
us. Oh, these yellow men, they were
horrible beyond all imagining.
"Ah Yon," continued Kung, "has
been an invaluable aid to our organiza-
ton, but unfortunately he has feelings.
Those feelings have at last brought
him under my displeasure. Weakness
es Of this description must be check
ed"
He nodded, and some one ran to the
door and called, ana presently Yon en-
tered between two guards, a prisoner
like ourselves. His arms were bound,
his dress disarranged, and his face, es-
pecially when he saw the brazier in
the middle of the floor, took unto itself
look of the most abject terror.
This man." said Kung, worked
well to begin with, but he was not
proof against kindness, and 1t is our
intention to eradicate such q contempt
ible weakness. Gratitude is a COM
mendable quality and one with which
we are much in sympathy. but we hold
that loyalty to the cause is the first
principle of existence. This man has
not been loyal, and so he must be pun
ished."
"In what has he offended?" asked
Jim.
1--WE believe it is through no fault of
his that you have been enabled to
make our acquaintance under these
most suspicious circumstances. 1t is /
through no fault of his that the illustri-
Gus Koon-Si was enabled to carry out
our wishes. 1t is believed that on
more than one occasion he sought to
warn you. That is a crime for which
he must be punished. We do not usu-
ally view with Indifference the pres
ence Of traitor in the camp"
Then he spoke to All Yon in Chinese.
His face changed from suave amiabil-
ity to that of intense malevolence, and
he harangued the unhappy Yon with a
vehemence which was quite terrific
Yon replied in quavering, pitiful tone,
denying his guilt, but the judge wasI
as implacable as death and turned al
deaf ear - the appeals for mercy
With sign he beckoned to the twol
men who had escorted Yon into the