The San Francisco call., 1904-04-10

lodged at my own shadow on the walis
Men were Fastening by me, runnins
through the halls and the temple
stumbling on the ladders and dlsap-
pearing through numerous DOORS tns
accident is being reported, thought l.
and the simple-minded and supersu-
tious are disturbed by 1t.
Thus / argued the case within me az
/ ran down the steps into the room
where the sarcophagus stood. Tne
room was quite empty. Above me the
work of removing the floor continued
the workers having started UP sing
song chant such as Quelpartiens IN
dulge in while working. But below
strange silence reigned. Seeing the
torchlight in the further room, 1 hur-
ried thither, flask in hand.
1 shall not describe the sight which
met my eyes in all its frightfulness of
detail. Colonel Ii and General Ling
were standing near the center OF the
room, each looking at the other in
speechless horror. In LIS hand was
his sword, the blade hidden behind his
robe.
On the floor before them lay head
less corpse.
Both men attempted to look at me,
but they could not take their eyes from
each other. Together they turned like
automatons; still staring one another
in the face, speechless.
"A sharp stone,'' I gasped at last,
drawing my revolver.
Then, slowly, Colonel Lis other hand
came up from his side, drawing after
it what seemed to me black cord
And he raised aloft the head of the
corpse at his feet, holding it by the end
Of its finely braided queue.
"The Chinese!" We three spoke the
words simultaneously. Then old Ling
dropped his face into his hands, but
Lii lifted his streaming sword and,
with an awful oath, struck again the
headless body at his feet.
Such was the dramatic announce
ment of our betrayal in the Temple Of
Ching-Iing. Prince Tuen, in order to
secure the Queens body. had corrupted
the priests of the temple. The man
accidentally injured was a Chinaman
who had joined the priests without de-
lection. He was perhaps the leader of
the awful plot. Thus, in a few swift
words, we analyzed the situation.
my flask in the other, 1 replaced the
weapon and drank from the flask.
Then 1 passed it to my companions.
and the liquor restored us. Instructive
Iy drawing our swords, we dashed up
stairs. The building seemed quite de-
serted. Here and there, however, we
found our men talking in frightened
groups, or unconscious of the disturb
ance, working away at their various
tasks. Crowding them together, Colo
mel Ii, the genius among US, looked
them over quickly.
1--WE are betrayed" he said firmly.
There are no priests here who live in
the outer building" To prove his ter
rible suspicious, he called a witless
fellow from his task and sent him to-
summon the priests from the outer
building back to their work; but as the
went out, the gates were
closed securely.
A deep silence settled over the temple
as we waited. But our suspense was
not lasting. A rif1e-crack broke the
deathly stiffness, and its echo ratified
long in the rocky canyon of Lynx
Island.
Colonel Lii was right; we were sur
rounded by armed servants of the Chi
nese Prince commanded by Cinnamon
in disguise. With us was the sarcoph-
agus of the Queen, the preservation of
which determined the destiny of the
dynasty.
And the temple was drenched with
OIL