Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1903-01-03
cots Koon- 81 im,nediately iolned rs

AT last excellencies. he said .wc
are or the island of Ching-h hi He who,,
we nave come To find Is here TIN, pt,,,s
nave greatly favored our endravors."
indeed. IL seems So replied l,r
you are wonderful mnn Ko,o =.
thanks TO you. we Saw, accoiap! -. a..
what M one time Sror,pr To IL, an -.
possible journey. think we have NOT
come SO far for nothing
Believe me. excellency. you have not
come for rothing. nor have l. have
waited long for this. have Suffered
much. endured much degradation. bt,t
the gods are wise. and in tEeir hands
is vengeance"
Good And how?"
Now. excellency. with the aid ot
these worthy boatmen. who know of
the habitatiOn of Kung and his manne;
OF living. we will make our way to he
abode. What shall follow we know
not. but this we do know: 1t is aIready
written in the book of destiny"
With that the boat was drawn up ont
or the current, and. looking cautiously
about. though l could distinguish little
In the gloom, | ioosened my revolver.
Then began a whispered consultation
between the carpenter and his associ-
ates, during which All Yon sided I'D TO
me and said in a low voice, "Makee
pistol all H."
"All Ii. Yon," I replied. "You know
all about this expedition?"
"Sabbee plenty. Be welly caleful
Plenty dangelous."
Here Koon-Si, who seemed to have
eyes and ears for everything. interpos
ed and asked what Yon had been saw.
ing.
He merely mentioned the fact that
1t was time to keep our eyes open and
our pistols handy"
Indeed" said the carpenter. "Ah
Yon is a worthy servant He shall be
rewarded"
THAT he shall be-" said Jim heartily.
"Ah Yon is an excellent fellow"
But the subject of these flattering re-
marks had skunk away, his natural
modesty being no proof against such
praise.
Learning from the carpenter that we
had still some distance to walk before
reaching Kung's house, we Immediate
ly set out with All Yon and one OF the
boatmen at our head. Jim followed
next Then came Koon-Si. myself and
the other boatmen.
In this manner we pursued our way
In silence, and If the journey down
the river had seemed to be charged
with the horror of awful uncertainty
this creeping over unknown ground
through the dark night toward a fat,
which no man might foresee contained
for me all the elements of a hideous
nightmare. I confess that my nerves
were strung to an acute pitch, that
my imagination pictured many strange
and incongruous things. The knowI.
edge that one was entirely in the hands
or this. carpenter and his associates
was not conducive to the TRANQUILITY
Of ones mind. To me 1t seemed as
though l wanted to see something
Hitherto we had been cropping In the
dark, and yearned for the light.
Yet l could not do less than admi,
that 10 Koon-Si we had a marvellous
auxiliary and one without whom IL
would have been quite impossible ia
proceed-upon this desperate adventure
Indeed. but for the hint my father gave
Of seeking out the carpenter l now saw
that our visit to China would have
been dangerously abortive. Faithfully
had he fulfilled the hopes which we
had centered in him. and felt that II
was ungrateful In the extreme to with.
hold from him the praise which was SO
justly his due
Presently the leaders OF our little par
~ stopped There was hurried whls
pering among Koon-Si and the boat
men. and then we went on again, bu,
this time more slowly and carefully
lnstinctively / crept closer to Jim ant
felt that my revolver was ready, fol
danger seemed to Turk in the very air.
and my nerves were strung to the high.
est pitch of intensity. However, moth.
Ing came as yet, and still stealing on
ward we presently found ourselves fac.
Ing structure which. seen through
the gloom, resembled a squat pillar or
chimney, but which in reality was the
dilapidated pagoda we had seen from
the river.
Toward this our guides led us. and as
we emerged within Its shadow and
while my eyes were fixed with all In
tensity upon II | received q violent
blow on the back OF the head, which
drove me. face foremost. to the ground
or what followed l have but a vague
recollection.
| saw. as If in fancy. the quick rush
of. figures here and there; heard con
fused murmurs as of many voices; !
felt mans knees on my back and
strong fingers about my throat, and
then l remembered no more.