The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1909-02-26

Then l am not safe" 1 smiled.
Eyes, you are, for l hold you in my
arms. Shall tell you more about the
Kin? When the Kin is about to do to
death a man, the Yeth-hounds gallop
through the night"
What are the Yeth-hounds,
Ysonde?"
1.-THE Yeth-hounds are dogs without
heads. They are spirits of murdered
children, which pass through the
woods at night, making wailing
noise"
do you believe this?"
Yes, for l have worn the yellow
lotus"
"The yellow lotus"
yellow is the symbol Of faith"
"Where?"
"In Yian," she said, family.
After while l 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," I asked again, do you be-
lieve in sorcerers?"
Eyes, the Kuen-Yuin are sorcerers;
Yue-Laou is 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 l, shortly, and then re-
manned silent, for a sudden SILVER 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"
"Ah," murmured Ysonde, drawing
closer to me, they say, in Yian, the
Kuen-Yuin live; God is but a 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," l asked, thinking also
of the white mark on Barris' arm.
HAb don,t ,,o,, Iypouv tbaf fbnca ubO
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?" 1 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!"
81 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
sect is a cord, cord of silk about
your neck-and about mine!"
where did that come FROM" l
asked astonished.
ut must belt 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
, a In, hov 10
smoke.
what is all this damnable Jug
glery!" l whispered, angrily, but my
anger vanished as the words we're
spoken, and convulsive shudder
shook me to the feet. Standing on the
shore Of the lake, a stones throw
away, was a figure, twisted and bent
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 CHASTITY Chinese face
on which the light fiickered-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.
thought it was my stepfather and 1t is
Yue-Yaou, the Maker of Moons-nol
no! it is my stepfather-ah, Godl they
are the same!"
Frozen with terror l 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
etropor ciIlrv u1aabpe I STRUGGLED and