The Ordway new era., 1909-03-12

Then | am not safe" | smiled.
Yes. YOU are. for hold you in my
arms Shall tell you more about the
Mn When the Kin is about to do to
death man. the Hcth-hounds Gallop
through the night"
What are tho Ycth-hounds
Ysonde?"
The Ycth.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 have worn the yellow
lotus"
The yellow lotus"
yellow Is the symbol OF faith"
Where"
In Yian." she said. family.
After 4 while 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. | felt her hands closing in
mine.
"Ysondc.' asked again. do you be.
lieve in sorccrers?"
Yes, the Kuen-YuIn are sorcerers:
iue-Laou is n sorcerer."
Have you seen sorcery?"
Yes. the reptile satellite of the
Mn"
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 !. shortly. and then re.
mained silent, for n 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 I. aloud. God lives and
sorcery Is but name"
All" murmured Ysonde. drawing
closer to me. they say. in Yian. the
kuen-Yuin live; God is but a name"
They lie" I whispered. fiercely.
Be careful she pleaded: they
have the mark of the dragons claw on
your brow"
What OF it?" 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
cvil-and the evil means death If you
offend him."
DO you believe that" 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,"
Il don't know; he is not like you"
'Have-have you told him anything
about me?"
He knows about you-no / have
told him nothing-ah, what is this
see-it is a cord. cord of silk about
your neck-and about mine,"
Where did that come from?" |
asked, astonishsd.
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" | said, almost roughly,
and seized the silken 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 convulsive shudder
shook me to the feet. Standing on the
shore of the lake, stones throw
away, was a figure, twisted and bent
little old man. blowing sparks from
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 CHASTITY 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, I
thought it was my stepfather and it is
Yue-Yaou, the Maker of Moons-no!
no! 1t is my stepfather-ah, God! they
are the same!"
Frozen with terror I stumbled to my
knees. cropping for my revolver. which
bulged in my coat pocket; but some
thing held me-something which
bound me like web in a thousand
strong silky meshes. struggled and
turned, but the web grew tighter; 1t
was over us-all around us, drawing,