The National tribune., 1904-06-02

pect him. His horse-hair cylinder hat rib
boned under his chin, the oval Korean
features, which are stolid in the face OF
shame or destruction, the small chin COW
cred with black fuzz, made him seem to
the Japs only one of the many farmers
ahead, hurrying blindly for mercy to the
prefect, who had often robbed him too.
Bent under back packs of heavy boots and
scarlet blankets, beating their lean ponies,
they crowded him from the road He had
to slOsh through the snow melting on the
rice-felds.
Thus he crossed the Chung Chun River,
and entered Anju city, awed and tumul-
tuous with soldiers of 1.-The accursed ma
tion," as the Koreans say. He found ma
tive inn. Boiling on a brazier in the court
yard was a fayed dogs head, and two
CANT bullocks carrying pine-brush. Under
the four-sided toy porch squatted fellow
countryman, eating. Kim spoke with him,
complaining of the Jap's marauding, and
a girl child in soiled green silk hooked the
dogs head from the pot to pour him soup.
The strangers accent seemed queer to Kim.
At Wonsan people spoke more softly, and
at Win, they did not clip their final vowels
So Surely the stranger was from the south,
Thought Kim.
At last he asked how many troops had
landed at Chinampo. He asked the names
of their leaders. The stranger answered
willingly in figures and tongue-twistng
japanese names.
lis your home in Fusan?" said Kim.
'NO; but coming here / pass through
Fusan," he smiled. reaching for the oil
cloth purse under his tunic. Il go to Win
tonight, and must pay" The wizened old
innkeeper was standing by them.
Let me pay ALL" bowed Kim, who had
-. cxxI ho nf fho
rubles from his pocket.
The old man made sound in his throat.
The stranger for a time eyed the bullocks,
who had sunk to their knees.
MY home is in Fusan, / should say
at length said the stranger, quickly, and
paused.
80 deska." said Kim (meaning, in
Japan, 'Indeed!"), in earnest OF his Japa.
nese knowledge and sympathies. "And
how near is the new railroad from tusan
now to Seoul!" he asked, wisely.
Not very far" said the stranger, vague
ly. Before, he had been communicative.
Are the troops advancing fast or slow
" toward Anju!" Kim persisted.
by what roads! How many are there
in a body!'
LAS many troops as you please to
Think" said the stranger, amiably, unity
ing the hatband under his chin. Per
under here" and raising a hand to his
head, he removed his topknOt, as you take
the cover from q teabowl-such a large
neat knot. Kim had thought before, look
ing through the transparent hat-crOwn!
Underneath was the clipped, bulletlikt
Jap head.
Jap under excitement, 'but l am nt
traitor to my race.'
He seized Kim by both arms. HI
picked up an OxbOne from the courtyard
| filth, and he beat Kim. Kim seemed IA
| ther to have expected it. But he did no
even whimper. He only cOwed, bent int
an oval white heap. The old man had fec
in the darkness, leaving the rnble.
What Kim said that night when halet
| before Gen. Sasaki / do not know TIL,
General would not tell-probably he think.
! that if printed in America it might CRAFTY
the Cossack Captain. That is the Ori
entail way in this war. But the old inn
keeper tells his story well.
At any rate. two days later Kin
reached Ping-Yang between two Jal
soldiers. He slept that night at head
quarters, which are in the former 10
rean Protects Office near the ruined pal
| ace-there in the compound with the stOn,
fish-pots before it. Toward 10 o'clock tn.
next day you could have heard the bull
1 lock drivers arOuHu the NOrtn gate SayluI
quietly as they met, THE Korean spy viii
| be shot at noon."
Hardly forty lOiterers followed the half
| company Of soldiers, led by a thin litt.,
Jap i'm Majors regimentals, with Kin
| Sachong. his hands chained behind him
but still in white and his cylinder hat, il
| their midst.
They passed through the wooden portaL
of the tiled gate. which have rottet
through their studded covering Of sheet
iron, and halted by the old pine in tn
open, half way to the house OF Mr. Moffat
the missionary. The two soldiers who le,
Kim kept straight on when the compan,
cleared circle about the tree. and deftl,
bound him to it, face outwards, with
long grass rope wound twice across tn,
chest, three times about the legs abov,
| the knees.
A man in mourning-that IL. in yellow
grass cloth, and holding before him n littl
white banner to hide his face-stepped on
into the open space before the tree. Clos
to. blue-rObed Chinaman pushed his wa,
smiling through the sOldiery A tall maj
in foreign clothes jumped off the verand:
or Mr.. Moffats house, and approached til,
execution.
The Korean in mourning stepped on .
little mound to the right perhaps a for
gotten grave, and carefully removing hi
huge basket hat. which he laid on th,
ground before him. began what seemed Il
be passiOnless Grafton for mercy. Th.
Chinaman kept on smiling. Soon he sait
the orator was pointing out how wicked