Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1903-01-03
CHAPTER XIV.
HE STRIKES TWICE WHO STRIKES FIJI

BE STRIKES TWICE WHO STRIKES FIRST,
Upon our return to the hotel we made
a Few. necessary inquiries concerning
MT. 1on more as sop to our con-
sciences than aught else, for so that he
proved not an absolute scamp we cared
little for his reputation. For the work
we had In hand intelligence and nerve
were OF more Importance than a good
character. That he had the one we did
hot doubt, that he possessed the other
time alone would show. At all events
we were not long in deciding to take
him with us. This journey we contem.
plated was a strange one, and out of it
much might come.
The following morning he presented
himself at the hotel and was duly en-
gagged, and later on in the day we went
OF together to join the Foochow Yon,
who held the proud position of our boy,
took advantage of that privilege and
carried our things below and otherwise
displayed a conspicuous ability to
please. Then there followed the shrek
OF the whistle, warning to imprudent
sampans, the shouting and the hustle,
and presently the Foochow stood I'D
for Ly-ee Moon pass, the straits
through which we had entered not a
week before.
OF the voyage to Shanghai have lit
tie to relate. We found All Yon q per-
feet jewel Of servant, bright, iptelli-
gent and always willing, and on more
than one occasion we gave him good
proof of our appreciation. He was a
strange creature, and he had funny
Chinese eyes, which was nothing unu-
sual in Chinaman, but he always
seemed grateful for a kind act or a
kinn word, perhaps the first that had
ever come his way.
Before the ship cleared the Ly-ee
Moon pass we caught a glimpse of
hoon-Si among the cody passengers
Feeling a trile curious and Just a lit
tie suspicious Of having shown too
much confidence in the carpenter, we
strolled forward, and there, leaning
against the winch, was our esteemed
friend Of the slit nostril Though he
looked a little cleaner than when we
last saw him, he was still dressed as a
cody, barelegged and barefooted, and
Dot Zoe his nose, at which one had to
iooL closely before discovering the slit,
offered no contrast to the surrounding
ugliness of his compatriots.
We passed on the other side of the
hatchway and within a few yards of
him, but beyond fixing us with the
stolid stare which we ordinarily receiv-
ed from his countrymen he gave no
sign OF recognition. This, however.
mattered nothing. We had seen him,
no n
kept below for the rest of the journey
was something that concerned him on
ly. We were quite satisfied that our
confidence had not been misplaced
The journey northward proved en-
tirely barren CT incident, and in due
course OF time we arrived at Shanghai.
Here, that very night, All Yon brought
my uncle letter, which, he said, had
been left at the hotel by messenger
and which upon opening we found was
communication from Koon-Si 1t
was very short and very untidy, but 1t
conveyed the information that the
steamer Chungking would leave early
on the following morning for Hankow,
and 1t advised a passage by the same,
adding: 1T is my intention to go by
this ship, Tor not moment should be
lost in the pursuit of our mission. He
strikes twice who strikes first"
That II vas excellent advice and
backed up by an excellent maxim and
one for which l duly notched a point in
favor of Mr.. Koon-Si, may be at once
admitted, and 1 could discover no rea-
son why such excellent advice should
not be followed up Nor could my I'M
Gle, when put to the test, though he
needed no spur to his endeavor His
one object in life was to stand face to
face with Kung and that at the earliest
opportunity.
Well, the next morning we were up
betimes and away, and once more
KoonSi lived a man apart along with
the coolies. We knew he was aboard
and that was all. 1t would have puz-
zled the keenest spy OF the society to
discover any connection between us
and the slit nosed rascal forward.
Koon-Si evidently knew how - meet
cunning with cunning, and / felt glad
that we were in the hands of such a