The Monroe journal., 1910-09-06

yolyer to the crack and said. Lift
this stone or l viii XII you. Aud
when there was no reply save Wild
sobbing laugh the Englishman pulled
the trigger.
Above the noise Of the explosion the
doctor heard a shrek Of pain thai
diminished as the Caution man fed
from the scene, leaving him alone ID
the underground prison house with
little chance Of escape.
After a vain endeavor TO LIT the
stones that walled him In lie retraced
his way down ;he steps and turned the
rays Of his lamp about the chamber.
The image Of the Goddess Of Mercy.
filling two-thirls Of the space. was
propped slantincly against one wall,
revealing furnished spleudors of paint
and gliding. the staring. supercilious
ewes were Of painted porcelain. but
nowhere was there trace OF the
precious gems with which tradition
had loaded the image.
There was movement en- the out
stretched hand Of the Goddess or
Mercy. and osmond started violently;
a small venomous snake inched its
way up the arm and disappeared over
the shoulder. He turned the light
rapidly here aud there, and then he
understood the full sweetness Of the
Canton mans revenge, while the SKIN
about his temples seemed 10 shrink
with terror.
The rays Of the lamp fell on count
less writing forms Of serpents.
The flashing Of the light seemed To
rouse the reptiles 10 greater anger;
they Kissed loudly until he snapped II
out. but the horror Of total darkness
oyercame this other fear, and he
turned 1t on again, the tense fixed on
the fallen image.
II 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 II
would be OF no use TO him. He laughed
bitterly, and the sound echoed weirdiy
among the rocks. There was quick
rustling-and the serpents had disap-
peared!
IL be could keep them away by
shouting he would do so, 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 oiii'
GERS from the British cruiser in the
harbor were to spend the evening with
him. Might they wonder at his al
sence and look for him? 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 again and again.
BY and 10y when he was tired ST.
lence reigncd in the chamber; one by
one the snakes came back and stared
at him with lidless watching eyes. He
gazed at the porcelain orbs Of the
Goddess Of Mercy and thought how lit
tie mercy there was in her disciple, the
Canton man.
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 lampight. The emperor had beer
no fool who had placed his Offering
within the hand Of the Goddess OF
Mercy! The doctor stretched forth
hand and. with unbelievinC eyes
touched the sparkling green stone; i
fell into his palm and nestled there
while he gloated over IT, Reaction
came when he remembered that h
was prisoner until death!
He shouted again and again. III
lifted his weapon and shot the porce
lain eyes from the staring image. HI
shot at the other hand and saw that !
was wood lie shot at the hissin!
serpents and drove them away from
the stone steps. and then he mounte'
the steps and tried TO throw fash o
light through the crack Of the flag
stones.
At last there was a distant shout
an English sholt-and he shouted Il
return: he reloaded his weapon an,
fred recklessly through the crack
and he flashed his light repeatedly
The shouts grew nearer, and he recoe
nized the voices of the naval visitor
he had expected.
When they found him his own cage
hands helped to lift the stones of hi
prison. Briefly they told of their visi
to the bungalow and their wonder a
his absence. their natural suspicio
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