The Washburn leader., 1910-06-03
The Seventh !
Gate
A Story Of the Chinese
Forbidden City.
By cLARssA MAcK1R
Copyright. 1910. by American Press.
Association.

Owen Ryder left the train at the ter
minus several miles outside the walls
of Peking and covered the remaining
distance toward the city gate on the
back Of a donkey.
As he approached the seventh gate
he paused for an instant. He had
come on journey Of thousands of
miles to accomplish mission, and now
that the object Of his search was al.
most within his grasp he hesitated.
He was comparatively safe in the dis
guise afforded by his Chinese dress
as safe as any native Chinese who
wished to gain admission to the For
hidden City.
Then, with quick indrawn breath, he
moved into the deeper shadow Of the
gate. AS his hands touched the bronze
doors they swung softly inward and
engulfed him.
A dark shadow loomed at his side
and. without sound, guided him close
against the inner wall in a curving
line They came to an abrupt stop in
a grove of trees whose tops rustled
high over their heads. Before them
were the dim outline and bulky mass
of some huge building.
At last door closed softly behind
them, the hands were removed from
Ryder's lips and arm, and presently a
light twinLled out Of the gloom.
The American turned to look at his
companion. who had withdrawn the
cover from small bronze lantern and
stood revealed in it's dim light.
Ryder stared and stared again at the
tall. spare figure that confronted him.
This was no Chinese-this man with
deep sunken blue eyes and wisps of
fair hair sticking out from under the
cue bound about his forehead. Owen
Ryder's wondering gaze travelled over
the yellowed skin drawn tightly over
the protruding cheek bones, down to
the handsome nose and bitter, curling
lips. down to the common blue cotton
Chinese dress and then up again with
puzzled eyes to study the face with
something Observation-Disclosures?
The man laughed silently as he lift
ed his bony hands to each side Of his
head. You miss these appendages,
my friend. have been cropped. you
see." His voice was low and vibrant
with some suppressed emotion.
Ryder gasped. "Your ears-my God"
He felt within his blouse for the COM
Portable reinsurance of his revolver,
and his fingers curled about the butt
lovingly.
"Your ears next, my friend, and the
ears of all who pass through the. sew
senth gate inward" said the stranger,
with assumed lightness. He turned
and pointed to the wall behind him,
and Ryder gasped again to see line
of dark figures stretched along the
floor.
"Earless freaks" said the tall stran-
ger, with sudden dreariness in his
mocking tone. "Sit down on the floor,
man, and tell your story-nay, let me
preface it for you and for me and the
rest of us-white men!'
fOO duClus SdAu ANyuOA.
"You are an artist of some sort. You
have learned that these people have
recovered their lost art of producing
Kiastin porcelain, that rare painting
of invisible flowers, fishes or other
symbols on the outside of porcelain
vessels, paintings that are only reveal
ed when the vessel is filed with liquor
of some sort The discoverer of this
lost and precious art is confined to his
workshop In the palace here. The re-
tention of the secret means the addi-
ton of large sums Of money to this
country; hence they guard it carefully.
You were put on to the secret, you
have come to spy it out. you have
reached as far as''-
81 had model began Ryder eager
", when the other mans low laugh
cut him short.
"What is your name?
II am Edward Stone. an Englishman.
/ had a model, too, and SO did each
of these Eve other poor earless devils.
1t was the same model. One by one
she sent us here as she sent you. It
/. could have been no one else but Lena
{ Shultz.''
st was Lena Shultz." returned Ry-
der duly.
II knew It. The man who discov-
cred the lost art is not native. To
what country he belongs I do not
know. do know that he made the
discovery and was captured with his
belongings and is confined within three
feet Of where we now are. All day he
works in the underground cell perfect
ing his discovery, for ip spite OF the
most. violent threats he will not Inn
part the secret to another soul or work
in another mans presence"
But why did that woman send US
4 here ON wild goose chaser? mutt
tered Ryder after silence. I.
Yoqder& poor devil is her husband.
1 She hopes with the aid of other white
men to help him escape from here. !
was the first to come. I arrived at y
ii the evening. Now 1t Is my duty TO
y open the gate at 8 every evening IN
the hope Of catching other would De
Y thieves. Set a thief to catch thief.
u u you know! !sy He uttered q hard little y
laugh. u s 95s1 Il n, g
"a suppose that's what we are