The San Francisco call., 1904-04-10


What mastery artince. thought /,
had been displayed in safely guarding
the body OF the Queenl Here, on this
mountain island, a picked body OF men
under the cloak OF religion lay guard
ing their Kings precious secret more
safely than IL could have been watched
In the citadel OF any fortress defended
by an army. The cowl is mightier
than the sword" they say In Quel-
parte. But cowl and sword were here.
our horses were climbing away Wig
orously, and soon we neared the sum-
nit OF the HILL where a picturesque
scene greeted our eyes. A great can
yon split the summit of Lynx Island,
and from one rocky side to the other
a green vale extended, perhaps two
hundred yards wide. A number Of old
trees stood upon the grassy plat, and in
the distance appeared the temple roof,
its gable ornamented with clay mon
keys OF life size. which, the Quelpar-
items believe, VIII preserve any build
ing from evil spirits. AS / saw their
grotesque little figures silhouetted
against the distant sea L wished for
once to believe with old DeJneff in their
power. AS we pushed on more rapidly,
a second building came into view, dis
tant hundred yards from the temple.
This, Colonel Ia had forgotten to ex-
plain, was an auxiliary dormitory for
the twenty-five additional priests
brought to the monastery when II was
made OF first rank. It was merely a
long. straw-thatched native hut. As
we drew near, what had taken to be
the wall OF the temple appeared to be
an outside wall surrounding the temple
itself-an unusual but not unheard Of
method for the protection Of temples
from vandals.
shall never forget my first ride into
this canyon Of Lynx Island. Ny eyes
saw everything. and my ears caught
every sound. Eagles were circling over
the cliffs above us. White caps danced
on the far-off sea, visible through the
vista Of the canyon. A gong was
sounding somewhere, and thin metal
fishes, suspended on the tongues of lit
tie brass bells, hanging on the temple,
fioundered desperately in the wind.
ringing their bells TO keep off evil
spirits.
keeper saw US coming. and took Colo
mel Lis package within. Soon a priest
came hurrying TO meet us. 1t was plain
that We were expected-but I did not
think of this until afterward-yet
everything suggested il, from the clean
swept quadrangle to the spotless attire
Of the attendants. A gong sounded.
and the priests came out from the tenn
pie chanting, some passing out of the
gate to their auxiliary building, the re-
mainder entering huts which were built
against the inner side Of the wall Colo
mel Ii informed me that the ceremony
just concluded was the last but one
to ~ held over the Queens remains, for
on the following day, at this hour. the
final service was TO be performed ac-
cording to the Kings orders just re-
ceived. The high priests. Colonel Ii,
and I now passed within the temple of
Ching-ling.
IN the dim light, the candles on the
altar were first visible, and incense
filled the air. Between heavy curtains
could barely see the image at the
farther end of the room, within the in
ner court, where none but the high
priests might step; and to this spot my
eyes went quickly and remained, for
there, perhaps beneath those very can
dies, lay the embalmed body Of the
Queeni
As peered forward. the three men at
my back spoke to each other swiftly
and IN low tones. Frequently 1 heard
my name mentioned, but all the rest
was meaningless, since they spoke the
native language. / need not more than
refer again to the lurking fears which
beset me whenever suspicious became
uppermost in my mind. 1 remember
thinking, as / stood there blinking into
the darkness toward the dimly lighted
shrine, that if Colonel Oranoff was be-
trayed, no man had ever been duped
by more cunning tricksters; and the
highly comforting speculation followed
that If he had been betrayed my life
was not worth the vapor that rose from
yonder burning candle.
Soon one of the men, who had been
introduced TO me as General Ling, ia
miliarly put his hand on my arm and
led me toward the inner court Turn
ing from the image upon which was
gazing with equal curiosity and ex-
pectancy, the man pulled away a thick
mat from the floor and lifted a trap
door, and, unceremoniously grasping
one Of the sacred candles from the al
tar, he sat down on the edge of the
black square hole; then getting foot
hold on a ladder, he crawled awkwardly
down. / followed. II / had known 1
was going to my grave, could not have
retreated. The ladder was some six
feet in length and stood In a narrow
hallway cut into the limestone rocks.
Numerous dark passages went off in
either direction into inxy blacknesg