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

ShAt EN- AAN1.
KUNG.
When consciousness returned to me,
which might have been an hour after
or day q had lost count of timel, |
found myself in complete darkness
and for awhile wondered what had
happened and where l was. But the
numbed feeling of the head which still
puzzed painfully awoke me to a reality
Of my position. and with horror | real.
lied the fact that | was in captivity
Then little by little the past came back
the run down the river the landing
on the island, the march and the blow
from behind which had laid me low.
Who could have done this? Where
was | now? And Jim-what of him?
Had he. too, fallen into the hands of
the enemy? Who was that enemy?
Had Koon-Si betrayed us? All these
questions ran like lightning through
my brain, and to each of them my
fears answered darkly. Had Kung, the
omniscient Kung, secured us at last7
Yet 1t was all so sudden, this SURPRISE:
the blow. too, had surely come from
those whom l had looked upon as
friends. And the pagoda-was it fancy,
or had | really seen one2
All these doubts had a most Injurious
effect upon my throbbing brain, and
with the intention of easing the pres
sllre round tho +H,.cSIcs ! :..c::.:,tcI -
lift my hands to my head. To my ex-
IRENE alarm l found l was unable TO
accomplish this simple movement for
the very good reason that my arms
were securely fastened. This also ws,
the case with my feet, which we,
bound so tightly that 1 scarcely had
any feeling In them. However, by a
little skiIlful maneuvering of my
wounded head L quickly realized the
unpleasant fact that was stretched at
full length upon an earthen floor.
After long and vain endeavor to see
1 abandoned the attempt as one which
had not the remotest chance of success
Then lay listening listening for some
sound Of step or voice, but nothing
came to break the dreadful stiffness of
the chamber, No solitary CLEAN of
light pierced the awful gloom. There
was no more sound than if lay buried
deep down in the earth.
1t seemed to me as though 1 lay for
'ours in the acutest agony, for, to add
10 the pains In my head, l began TO ex-
perience the agonies Of thirst These
/ mutely endured for some considera-
BILE time, and then began to call for
help, for had an idea that perhaps it
was the intention OF my captors to sub
ject me to this horrible form Of death
However, in response to the cry, /
presently heard the creaking of n door,
and man bearing a lamp entered the
apartment. He came and held it over
me, and, though couldEbut indistinct-
~ see his face, | noticed that he was a
half dressed cody.
Water" l gasped. "Give me some
thing to drink
He did not answer, so cannot say IL
he knew English, but without doubt
he understood me, for he Immediately
placed his lamp upon the floor, lifted
me into sitting attitude. my back tc
the wall, and held basin Of water to
my lips.
/ drank deeply, for my throat was
hot and dry, and never until that mo-
ment had 1 known the real pleasure
OF drinking. Thanking the man sin.
cerely, i asked him where was, but
without replying he took up his lamp,
and heard the hinges Of the door
creak as he passed out.
Left alone once more with nv
thoughts 1 stared blankly into the
gloom, which now seemed deeper than
ever and gave way to the bitterness of
defeat.
And as pictured it all in that gloomy
cavern or room / failed to see how
the adventure could have had another
ending, and 1 thought with a curious,
fatalistic resignation Of the manner of
my death. 1t was farewell Cecil, fare
well Jim, If he, dear fellow, had not
gone before. The society had tri.
umphed once again. Well, did l not
always know which side was going to
win? 1t was only question of time
1t might have been an hour after, Il
might have been two-counting by my
apprehension 1T was a veritable eterni-
ty-but suddenly through the gloom
there came once more the creaking of
hinges. and this time two men entered
the apartment, one of whom bore a
lamp, which, upon approaching, he
hSAN ONCS lie OlucT, advancing,
stopped and with a knife severed the
bonds which held my feet Then. each
Selling me under an arm, l was lifted
bodily TO my feet, but IL was some
time before | could use them proper
Iy. However. the circulation came
hack, slowly at first, then with a rush
and curing this process / suffered an
exquisite agony. But my guides, hav
ing but scant sympathy for such a
trifing matter, seized me and some
what roughly hurried me from the
chamber a gloomy passage some Il
or IA PAGES in length was next travers
ed, and then we all three stopped be
fore door upon which one of the men
knocked.
Almost instantly 1t was opened, and
was ushered into chamber not less
dreary than the one had just vacated
all nse u