Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1909-03-18

arms. snail | tell you more about the
Kin? When the Kin is about to do to
death man, the Yeth-hounds gallop
through the night"
What are the Yeth-hounds,
Ysonde?"
"The Yeth-hounds are dogs without
heads. They are spirits of murdered
children, which pass through the
woods at night, making a wailing
noise"
do you believe this?"
"Yes, for I have worn the yellow
lotus"
THE yellow lotus"
yellow is the symbol of faith"
"Where?"
'In Yian," she said, family.
After a while 1 said: "Ysonde, you
know there is a God?"
God and Xangi are one"
Have you ever heard of Christi"
NO." she answered, softly.
The wind began again among the
tree tops. l felt her hands closing in
mine.
"Ysonde," asked again, do you be.
lieve in sorcerers?"
"Yes, the KuenYuin are sorcerers;
Yue-Laou is a sorcerer."
Have you seen sorcery?"
Eyes, the reptile satellite of the
Kin"
Anything else?"
My charm-the golden ball, the
symbol of the Kuen-Yuin. Have you
seen it change-have you seen the rep
tiles writhe-?"
Yes" said I, shortly, and then re-
mained silent, for sudden shiver of
apprehension had seized me. Barris
also had spoken gravely, ominously
of the sorcerers, the Kuen-Yuin, and
had seen with my own eyes the craven
reptiles turning and twisting on the
glowing globe.
Still" said l, aloud, God lives and
sorcery is but a name"
"Ah," murmured Ysonde, drawing
closer to me, they say, in Yian, the
Kuen-Yuin live; God is but name"
"They lie," / whispered, fiercely.
''Be careful" she pleaded; they
may hear you. Remember that you
have the mark of the dragons claw on
your brow"
What of it?' I asked, thinking also
of the white mark on Barris' arm.
"Ah, don't you know that those who
are marked with the dragons claw are
followed by Yue-Laou, for good or for
evil-and the evil means death if you
offend him?"
do you believe that?" l asked, i'm
patiently.
Il know it." she sighed.
who told you all this? Your STEP
father? What in heavens name is he,
then-a Chinaman!"
II don't know; he is not like you"
"Have-have you told him anything
about me?"
'He knows about you-no, 1 have
told him nothing-ah, what is this
sect is a cord, a cord of silk about
your neck-and about mine"
Where did that come from?"
asked, astonished.
ut must bet must be Yue-Laou
who binds me to you-it is as my step
father said-he said Yue-Laou would
bind us"
Nonsense" l said almost roughly,
and seized the silllen cord, but to my
amazement it melted in my hands like
smoke.
What is all this damnable Jug
glery!" / whispered, angrily, but my
anger vanished as the words were
spoken, and a convulsive shudder
shook me to the feet. Standing on the
shore of the lake, a stones throw
away, was figure, twisted and bent
a little old man, blowing sparks from
a live coal which he held in his naked
hand. The coal glowed with increas.
ing radiance, lighting up the skull
like face above it, and threw a red
glow over the sands at his feet But
the face!-the ghastly Chinese face
ON which the light flickered-and the
snaky slitted eyes, sparkling as the
coal glowed hotter. Coal! 1t was not
a coal but golden globe staining the
night with crimson flames-it was the
symbol of the Kuen-Yuin.
See! See!" gasped Ysonde, trem-
bling violently, see the moon rising
from between his fingers! Oh, II
thought it was my stepfather and it is
Yue-Yaou, the Maker of Moons-no!
no. it is my stepfather-ah, God! they
are the same!"
Frozen with terror stumbled to my
knees, cropping for my revolver, which
bulged in my coat pocket; but some
thing held me-something which
hound me like a web in n thnnsand