Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1903-01-03

quite.
"He strikes twice who strikes first."
The gaunt figure of the carpentcr
slipped from our side and disappeared
In the gloom. and friend as he was. ana
avenger, too. l was glad that he had
gone. But L felt to the full our impo.
tence and the horror of being depend.
ent upon this ghoulish creature. He
was like a bad exhalation of the night
and l almost wished that he would dis
solve into the bosom OF his mother.
AT daybreak of the following morn
ing we arrived at Hankow, and in ac-
cordance with our prearranged plan
followed the worthy carpenter from
the ship, our invaluable All Yon BRING.
ing up the rear with our few worldly
possessions in valise Fortunately
there were not many people about, and
such as We're belonged so obviously to
the cody class that we surveyed them
with little apprehension They merely
honored us with the usual stolid stare
of the oriental, made some remarks un-
Ineligible to us, but in no way evinced
a fattering curiosity.
Koon-Si in the meantime marched
steadily ahead, turning to the right up-
on leaving the landing stage. and after
pursuing mis- way for some distance
through long, stumbling street he
suddenly hrsnched off to the left. and
presently we found ourselves before n
house, upon the door OF which the car
penter knocked somewhat anxiously.
and L saw our guide give two or three
uneasy glances over bis shoulder as
though he feared the neighbors In the
street. Then there was an unbolting of
bars, and presently a yellow, sleepy
face appeared in the aperture caused
by the gradual opening of the door. It
was not pretty face, and it might
easily have been cleaner, but that was
nothing. AS soon as it saw Koon-Si il
welcomed MN with a smile, and while
he spoke 1t opened wide the door.
The carpenter evidently knew his
ground well, for, turning to us with a
smile, he bade US enter and at once led
us through a stuffy, dimly lit passage
to room at the back. Then, bowling
us to seat, he seemed to breathe free
ly for the first time.
SAe' hS oaIu- having GOT SO Iar,
the rest is easy"
1 was sorry 1 could not share his
optimism. 1t seemed to me that our
difficulties were Just about to begin.
Il hope So" said Jim, but / should
like to know how we are going to &C
compiish the 'restP"
"All in good time" replied the car
penter. "You shall see. You are with
In striking distance. This is something
accomplished"
something" Jim admitted.
Good. Now 1 shall speak to my
cousin. he is a shrewd man and has
many ideas" He turned to go, but,
seeing All Yon lingering In one corner,
beckoned to him and said something
In Chinese, something sharp, fancied.
judging from the tone and the look
which accompanied the words. All
Yon turned to my uncle, 1 thought, al
most appealingly, but Koon-Si stepped
between them.
81 will take this fellow with me-" he
said. ''He is shrewd and may be Of
use. I will explain to him and test his
courage"
Then he spoke again In his native
tongue, more sharply still. thought,
and Yon bowed humbly. The carpen-
ter was a man who meant to be obey
ed, and he spoke and moved like one
who had been accustomed to rule men.
Truth to tell. I had long marveled at
the depths to which my father must
have sunk before he had taken as a col
league this degraded looking creature,
but something in that momentary fash
Of authority revealed another Koon-Si,
one who had not always been a sawyer
Of wood. 1t was a strange country we
were in. and the people about us were
worthy to inhahit Ii. 1t might even
have been interesting to know what
Koon-Si originally was.
at all events, despite his evident I'M
Willingness to go, Alb Yon marched of,
Koon-Si promising to be back In q few
minutes. Jim looked at me and ! at
him. and some commonplace remarks
passed between us, neither giving ut
terance to the thought which was up
permost In his mind. An unaccounta.