Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1910-10-21

diminished as the Canton man fed
from the scene, leaving him alone In
tho underground prison house with
little chance OF escape,
After vain endeavor to lift the
stones that walled him in he retraced
his way down the steps and turned the
rays of his lamp about the chamber.
The image Of the Goddess of Mercy,
filling fwo-thirds Of the space, was
propped tptipgly against one wall,
revealing tarnished epiendors OF paint
and gliding; the staring, supercilious
eyes were of painted porcelain, but
nowhere was there a trace of the
precious gems with which tradition
had loaded the image.
There was movement on the out
stretched hand Of the Goddess of
Mercy, and osmond started violently;
small venomous snake nched Its
way up the arm and disappeared over
the shoulder. He turned the light
rapidly here and there, and then ho
understood the full sweetness of the
Canton mans revenge. while the skin
about his temples seemed to shrink
with terror,
The rays Of the lamp fell on count.
less writhing forms of serpents.
The flashing Of the light seemed to
rouse the reptiles to greater anger;
they Kissed loudly until no snapped It
out but the horror Of total darkness
overcame this other fear, and he
turned 1t on again, the tense fixed on
the fallen image.
If he got out alive he would have
rich material for his book. This under
ground chamber could tell him many
things once rid of its occupants But
he would never get out alive. so 1t
would be Of no use to himl He laughed
bitterly, and the sound echoed weirdly
among the rocks There was quick
rustling--nnd the serpents had disnp-
peared
If he could keep them away by
shouting he would do 30. and at the
same time he might be heard. But that
was absurd, for all his native servants
were arrant towards, and there was
no foreigner nearer than the town. All
at once he remembered that two OIL
GERS from the British cruiser in the
harbor were to spend the evening with
him. Might they wonder at his alb
sence and look for him1 He, who was
never a praying man, called upon God
to send his friends that way. Then
he lifted his voice and shouted their
names agaip and again.
BY and by when he was tired 81
lence reiened In the chamber; one by
one the snakes came back and stared
at him with lldless watching eyes. lie
gazed at the porcelain orbs Of the
Goddess of Mercy and thought how lit
tie mercy there was in her disciple. the
Canton mani
The serpents were becoming OBJ
noxious again, and this time he pulled
out his revolver and aimed at the tiny
viper in the outstretched hand. There
was the sharp tinkle Of shattered
porcelain and when the smoke settled
down to the floor the Goddess Of Mercy
still thrust forth an arm, but the hand
was broken on the floor among the
crushed fingers lay the straight slim
body of the dead viper
Osmond leaned forward and peered
at the half palm extended toward him.
His eyes distended and his breath
came sharply. The hand was hollow,
and poised on the broken edge was
something that CLEANED strangely In
the lamplightl The emperor had been
no fool who had placed his offering
within the hand Of the Goddess Of
Mercy The doctor stretched forth Il
hand and, with unbelleving eyes,
touched the sparkling green stone; 1t
fell into his palm and nestled there,
while he goated over It. Reaction
came when he remembered that he
was prisoner until death!
He shouted again and again. He
lifted his weapon and shot the porce-
lain eyes from the staring image. He
shot at the other hand and saw that 1t
was wood He shot at the kissing
serpents and drove them away from
the stone steps, and then he mounted
the steps and tried TO throw n fash Of
light through the crack Of the flag
stones.
At last there was a distant shout
an English shout-and he shouted In
return; he reloaded his weapon and
fred recklessly through the cracks
and he flashed his light repeatedly.
The shouts grew nearer, and he recog
nized tho voices of the naval visitors
he had expected.
When they found him his own eager
hands helped to lift the stones of his
prison. Briefly they told Of their visit
to the bungalow and their wonder at
his absence, their natural suspicion
and their search for him. In turn no
told his story, and they did not believe
he had found the emerald until he dis.
played It to their wondering eyes.
Back In the bungalow 0smond asked
for the time ut must be near morn.
Ing" he said.
"Ten o'clock" remarked Lieutenant
Breer, with glance at the white hair
that sprlnkled Osmond's head--it had
been jet black the day beforei
"And It was about when left
the bungalow" said osmond briefly.
After that DR.. Osmond went back
TO Hongkong and plunged into his
neglected practice. II came back TO
get rested he explained, but he lost
interest In the ruins Of Chinese tenn
pies. and whenever he was asked why
he merely looked at a cleaning emer.
ad on his little finger and answered
vaguely. "Bocauscr'