The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1911-09-13

tnruI of relief that the interlOper was
not q Chinese.
After some fussfng and q HnaI excla-
nation of disgust because he failed to
and another match about his person,
the newcomer flung his candle aside
ana seemed to stop and consider the
situation
Perhaps he heard Garland's carefully
controlled breathing, for suddenly ne
asked, who's thereT
Garland hesItated and then decided
not to answer Perhaps the stranger
would go away now that be was with.
out light In the meantime he Woulo
endeavor to reach his goal BY edging
along the wall against which he was
leaning.
His feet made no sound in the soft
earth, and he had made considerable
progress when he became conscious Of
heavy breathing behind him. ana he
knew that the newcomer was follow
ing In his wake.
Garland reached an angle Of the
wall. followed it around, turned again
and once again into q small square re
cess which had a window slanting up
ward to some cunningly contrived
opening above ground which admitted
the moonlight to throw q silver clotf
over q stone table. On the stone table
was a small shadowy slit perhaps tne
width of a dagger's blade.
The two men reached the table TO
Rether and In the moonlight stared
pantinRly at each other. The moor
lighted them up to their lips. and above
that their faces were In darkness.
"If you've got q light for heavens
sake turn 1t onT' growled the newcom
er impatiently, and Garland. as IL 4
was the most natural thing In tht
world for him to have met q fellow
white man on this secret errand Of
his, snapped on his lamp and threw
it's broad white beam across the fac'
oS-Harpeth. - ..-.
Garland" said Harpeth stupidity
And then with fierce suspicion be
went on: "You followed me. l though
better OF you than that, old man."
"T was here flrst," calculated Gar
land. I'm blamed IL don't believ
you're following mer'
"You had an errand herep Harped
put the question hesitatingly. 8t&
Eyes, and yours Is probably tn
same" said Garland, with q trace o
relief in his tones. 81 was fearful,
| afraid somebody would find out an
get the cinch on me. but somehow IT.
SO confoundedly spooky down here IF
/ glad of company, even II it's riVa
for He paused suggestively.
"The black daggerP asked Harpetl
quietly.
Garland nodded. 81 guess you'v
met with Wah Sung Loo, haven't you
/ saw him in Portland" ....
sand l in Los Angeles" admitte'
Harpeth. did he sell you infOrma
ton concerning the black dagge
which contained one Of the biggest EN-
eralds in the world and which wa
concealed by one Of his thieving an
cestors In this spot2 Did he tell yO1
how you could reach 1t, and as he wa
dying and might never come back t
this country he would sell a map o
its location for $1Oo7 Well, he toll
me the same yarn. and took chanc
on It too. Since started, however
I've had a thousand misg1vings. tn
chief one being that the old rasca
didn't believe the story himself. be
Iieve that to him It was q tradition
nothing more, and he made money on
of It."
"He stung me, too, and yet-Im g
Ing to try for that black dagger, Hal
peth. Here's the black dagger he CAV
me. suppose you've got its mat
I'll Just drop 1t In this slit. Well. b
Jove, It touches something that's gi'
ing way! Now, what do you think
thatT'
The table top swung up and slippe
back into a recess disclosing a sma
square stone receptacle In which We
crushed a heap OF tattered yellow sill
} which dropped to dust under their iii
gers. In the heap Of dust was dar
, object which Harpeth's fingers DIRE
. to the light 1t was q small daggt
Of finely tempered steel, almost blac
In color In the hilt was set the La
gest emerald the Americans had eve
seen.
"It's a good thing It's big enoug
to divide, so we won't quarrel ov'
It." said Garland, and the other nodde
| approval.
, st wonder II Wah Sung Loo kne
this was here2" began Garland spec
latively as they emerged into the ope
air.
, Never" interrupted Harpeth, wit
a grin. Didn't believe it himself an
! thought he'd stung Us for fair-hard
, calculated we'd come out after 1t. !"
) 'T'm not sorry. though" chucklt
: Garland as they went back along Il
winding path to the river, where tv
sleepy coolies awaited them with saT
| mans