The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1908-04-10

Just then the cries from behind be-
came clearer.
Thief Steal err Red-haired devil
the green eyes! There he is Yahai!n
He looked back. A terrifying sight
met his eyes
Around the corner behind him
swung a Chinese mob. with faces dis
torted, bowling as they ran, and point
Ing at him.
"Yahai Give us the green beetle.
Stealer!" At sight of his face the
cries broke out afresh.
''Stealer. Kill him!"
He sank back, weak and sick. These
men were accusing him of some imagi-
nary theft that they might mob him
and steal what money they could find
in his clothes. Arguing with them
were worse than useless. The desire
to kill had made beasts of them.
Most of them did not even know what
they were running for
If they searched him they would find
that vast sum he had in his purse, and
which he could never repay to Lu
Luang.
No. He must make the steamer.
The Chair was swaying back and forth,
striking the shop signs on either side,
and sending them spinning. He
looked ahead. The steamer lay at the
dock, not two blocks, away. Suddenly
there came binding crash, and he
was thrown forward on his face. The
chair was motionless.
He leaped out. His coolies were
running down the street They nal
deserted him. Behind came the mob.
A huge man holding a knife was al
most upon him.
"Stealer KILL"
Turning, he ran down the street.
Behind him he heard his parsuers,
as their wooden shoes clattered on
the rough cobbles. He heard their in
sane bowling "Kill. Yahai! KILL"
He shuddered and ran faster. his
head down and his arms swinging.
Crashing suddenly into some one ap-
preaching, he fell to the ground. He
struggled to his feet and ran on down
the narrow street, past open shops,
stumbling over the cobble stones.
Still the cries behind grew nearer
and nearer. He looked up. There lay
the steamer, beyond the next corner,
1t had not gone yet. He must make it!
xiii" Something struck him in
the arm and glanced off. He stopped,
picked up the knife, and plunged on
again A#
His breath was coming in gasps His
limbs felt dull and heavy. AS he
passed the last corner, he staggered
across the square to the line of chairs
and rickshas If only these men did
not stop him he would be safe.
But the cries from behind had pre-
coded him. A couple Of ricksha men
spTang at him. He lodged them only
to meet a third. Striking out right
and left with his knife, he ran on.
The steamer rail was lined with
anxious faces. ''Be quick, man! For
Gods sake, be quick" He reeled
across the wharf and stretched out his
arms They dragged him on board
and the steamer put out into the
stream.
Just in time, A rain of missiles
caused the passengers to flee in terror
to the other side of the boat.
The infuriaed mob, reaching the yes
sci a second too late, sprang into the
Households. Leaping from one to the
other, they attempted to scale the sides
of he steamer Failing of this, they
aimed knives a the windows, and the
crashing Of glass, mingled with their
cries and curses, We're the last sounds
to be heard as the little steamer pur-
sued its way up the river.
After John Hartman had been taken
to his cabin and made comfortable,
the messengers left him to rest. He
tossed back and forth restlessly, too
tired to sleep.
MY But that was close shave!
That COMPOUNDED bug has caused more
trouble than nest of spiders. won
der what time it is?'
He reached over to where his clothes
lay piled on a chair by the berth and
drew out his watch with it's dangling
charms
Il say confound the thing He
dropped the watch on the bed with a
cry Of dismay. Am losing my senses
over it?"
He sat up again, his eyes starting
from his head. For there, stucn tight
to a toy magnet suspended from his
chain, and blinking at him with it's
round, beady eyes, was a tiny green
beetle.