The Press., 1911-10-18

confer with his companions.
 Then the tl.ren Americans were pushed through the doorway to find themselves in large grotto, curtained and carpeted and richly, furnished With bronZes and porcelains, embroid- cries and rare carvings.
 In large high backed chair, carved into the rude semblance of a throne, sat large and very fat Chinese. His little black eyes seemed to sink into the flesh of his face and become mere points of black jet His chin rolled on his satin covered breast, and his huge fat hands were clumsily clasped about his capacious waist. On his big head there was perched black velvet skull cap.
 The Americans were garbed as they had Eeon seized. and their stormcoats covered them from neck to heel. Now their coats were stripped off, and un- der the direction of the leader the prisoners were searched thoroughly. Yellow claws relieved them of watch es, money and jewels and gingerly ap- propriated their weapons. After that
  deayored to make them understand something they were trying to explain.
 Ellis, who was in Shanghai bank ing house. knew some scraps of the language, and. although this southern dialect was strange to him, he man. aged to convey the meaning to his companions that the leader of the band was prepared to offer them a chance for life.
 ! He's got q necklace there. Sec that string of ivory beads? Well. it's all white save one. and that's a ball of pink coral He says the one that can get it off the chain without disturbing the other beads may go free. The oth- ars get-you know!"
 Let's see the chain,'' said Anson, and, Ellis made known the request. which was immediately granted. The leader took from his neck a large chain of polished ivory beads the size Of small pea. The chain was rich creamy yellow save for the one bead Df an exquisite rose tinted coral. It was strung on fine woven copper wire. and the joining of the wire was not discernible
 How about the guns?' whispered Lyman excitedly. "I believe l can split it off first pop!''
 'Then it's your chance" said the others generously, 'for you know we wouldn't stand a show anyway"
 eff it's my chance" said Lyman coolly, ''then I'll figure to get the lot of us of. Ask him if I can have a try with my revolver at solving his problem"
 The leader nodded with an amused smile, and Anson and Ellis held the necklace suspended between them. In the excitement of the moment they did not notice that they were in line with the leader of the pirates, and it was not until Lyman's shot rang echo ing through the rocky caverns, fol- lowed by the Asiatic's hideous yell as he Topped from his chair, that they realized Lyman's bullet had taken ef- feet in the leaders body. For brief instant there was intense silence; then Lyman flashed around on the cowardly crew with uplifted weapon, and 1t only needed one or two deadly shots to send them scattering out Of the chamber.
 "It'S our only chance; let's be off" muttored Ellis, grabbing his own weapon from the floor and rescuin9 their fallen watches where they had been dropped.
 They panted down a long and nar- row passageway that at its greatest width would not have admitted the corpulence of the pirate leader. All at once a rush of cold air smOte their heated faces. They rounded a shoulder of jutting rock and came out upon small natural stone jetty that put forth into the Yellow river. They were quite out of sight of the creek and the junk it concealed.
 There welcome sight met their eyes. Steaming up the stream came the Linda, line of fresh white and red faces against the rall. SUD- pressed cheer went up as the three men were sighted and boat was lowered.
 It was not until the Linda had put down the river and was emerging into the China sea once more that Anson. realized that he wore about his neck the white chain with the single coral bead. He removed the chain and flung 1t around Lyman's neck. The latter looked down at the rosy bead with meditative eyes.
 ''I'm wondering what would have happened if I had not chanced to hit that old chap" he murmured.
 The eyes of Anson and Ellis met across his bent head with strange sig niicance in the glance, and Ellis re- piled to the younger mans remark.
 "You wouldn't be here talking ahou. E," he said grimly.