The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1910-09-02

hccd Its mu2Zlc,
The doctor lighted II paper lantern
for the Canton man, mud this. augment
cd by the white triangular rny from
his electric pocket lamp. lighted their
way through the garden 10 II gate In
the south wall TINT gave into II tangled
field
on the farther side Of the field the
walnut grove doomed blackly
Under the trees the doctor aud his
guide picked their way among the
crumbling columns nud scattered
stones of the fallen temple
Suddenly the Chinese paused and
swung his lantern about with II swift
circunr movement. lighting up heaps
Of broken rocks and columns. rough
ind fnrbidding. Just ~ they Ind fallen
He brckunrd 10 Osmnnd. aud the lat.
ter bent his back aud followed his
guide through mn opening among the
debris that grew larger ~ they nd
ynnccd The ground stopped suddenly.
nnd he 'clt several stone steps beneath
his feet lie paused while the Chinese
lifted n slnb Of stone and then another
and motioncd him forward
m the grcnt lord will 90 ON nhcnd
his servant win arrange the opening
that we mny have mir"
Nothing lunlh bSmoud moved down
three shallow steps aud found himself
IN II small chamber clIukcd with debris
Before he could look around there was
the duh clnng Of falling stonr. nnd h,
rushed up the steps only Ia knock his
bend against the sinn" TINT covered
;ac entrance.
II did not need the drrisivc cries
OF the Canton man to reveal 10 Dr
Dsmond that h" had been the victim
NJ very illmsy plot. Ilis threats mud
commands only brought forth Insults
from the lips Of the Chinese.
"Ah foreign devil dnciur-you Gust
the evil eye upon my father, and he
died this morning! lie " dcnd. and
the black medicine killed him. Al nj
nj" screamed the furious man through
the crack between the stones
Osmond placed the muz2lc Of his 70.
volvcr to the crack aud snid. "Iift
this stone or viii XIII you!" And
when there was no reply save II Wild
sobhlng hugh tho Engllshmnn pulled
the trigger.
Above the noise of the explosion the
doctor heard Shrek Of pain TINT
diminished ng the Canton mnn fled
from the scene, leaving him nione In
the underground prison house with
little chance Of escape.
After II vnIn rndcn,pr To lift the
stones that walled him In he rrirnccd
his way down the steps and turned the
rays of his lamp about the chamber.
The Imngu uf the Goddess Of Mercy,
nllIng two thirds Of the Spnc", whs
propprd slnntlngiy against On" wall.
revealing furnished splrndnrs Of paint
and gIlding the staring. supcrciliOuH
eyes were of painted porcelain. but
nowhere wns there u trace Of the
precious gems with which tradition
had luadcd the Image
There was II movement Oh the out
stretched hand of the Goddess Of
Mercy. and Osmond started violently,
n small vcnOnuus snake lnchcd It's
way mp the arm aud disappeared over
the shoulder, lie turned the light
rapidly here and there, aud then lr'
understood the fun sweetness Of ia"
Canton mans revenge while the skin
about his temples seemed 10 shrink
with terror.
The rays Of the lamp fell on count
less writhIng forms of scrpcnis,
The fnshing of III" Hight seemed Ia
rouse the reptiles 10 grrntcr anger.
they Missed loudly until he snapped II
out, but the horror Of total darkness
Ovrrcamc this other fear. aud h"
turned II on again. the Tense liX"d on
the fallen Image"
II he got out alive he would hnV"
rich mntrrial for his book This under
ground chamber could tell him many
things once rid of lls occupants liui
he would never get ont alive. M II
would be Of no use Ia him. lie lnugh"d
bitterly, mud III" sound echoed wclrdly
among the rocks There was u quick
rusrIing aud the acrpcnts had dlsnp
pcnrcd
II he could keep them AWAY by
shouting hc would do 80 aud nj til"
snmc time II" might he heard But that
wna absurd, for all his native servants
were nrrnnt towards. mud there was
no foreigner nearer than the town. All
at once he remembered that two oil
GERS from Tia" British cruiser IN the
hnrbor were to spend TIA" evening with
him Might they wonder nj hl1 hb
srncc aud took for him. lie. who was
never u prnyiu. man called upon God
to send his friends that way. Then
he lifcd hIt vote" aud shouted their
names u@i!n and again
Iy aud hy Whu Il" was tired vi
lcncr r"tpn"d IN ~" clnhrr, one by
one the snakes r:tiIr back aud stared
Mt him with lIdlrs4 watching eyes. lie
gnZrd ~ til" porcelain orha ~ the
Goddess Df Mercy aud thui'.li how III
tie mercy there was IN hen Disciple, tho
Canton man.
Tho scrpcnts were becoming oh
noxl0us again, md this time he pulled
out his revolver aud aimed Mt the tiny
viper In the Outstrctchcd hand. There
was the sharp tInklc 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
t..I.i IN