Rock Island Argus., 1911-08-11

English: and Garland felt a queer little
thrill of relief that the interloper was
not a Chinese.
After some fussing and a final excla-
nation of disgust because he failed to
find another match about his person,
the newcomer flung his candle aside
and seemed to stop and consider the
! situation.
Perhaps he heard Garland's carefully
| controlled breathing. for suddenly he
asked. who's there?"
Garland hesitated and then decided
| not TO answer. Perhaps the stranger
would go away now that he was with
| out a light. In the meantime he would
| 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. and he
| knew that the newcomer was follow
| ing in his wake.
Garland reached an angle of the
| wall, followed il around. turned again
/ and once again into a small square re-
| cess which had a window slanting up
ward to some cunningly contrived
| opening above ground which admitted
| the moonlight to throw silver cloth
over a stone table. On the stone table
was a small shadowy slit perhaps the
width OF a daggers blade.
The two men reached the table to-
! gether and in the moonlight stared
pantingly at each other. The moon
/ lighted them up to their lips. and above
| that their faces were in darkness.
IF you've got a light for heavens
sake turn it onT' growled the newcom-
er impatiently. and Garland, as If IT
was the most natural thing in the
world for him TO have met fellow
white man on this secret errand OF
his, snapped on his lamp and threw
its broad white beam across the face
of-Harpeth-
Garland" said Harpeth stupidity.
And then with fierce suspicion he
went on: You followed me. thought
better OF you than thats old man"
81 was here first" calculated Gar
land. I'm blamed IL l don't believe
you're following me"
"You had an errand hereY' Harpeth
put the question hesitatingly.
Yes, and yours is probably the
same" said Garland, with a trace of
relief in his tones. Il was fearfully
afraid somebody would find out and
get the cinch on me. but somehow it's
so cOnfOundedly spooky down here I'm
glad of company, even if it's rival
for He paused suggestively.
The black dagger| asked Harpeth
quietly.
Garland nodded. 'T guess you've
met with Wah Sung Loo, haven't you?
1 saw him in Portland"
And l in Los Angeles" admitted
Harpeth. Did he sell you informa-
ton concerning the black dagger
which contained one of the biggest EN-
eralds in the world and which was
concealed by one of his thieving an
cestors in this spot? Did he tell you
how you could reach it, and as he was
dying and might never come back to
this country he would sell a map OF
its location for 500? Well. he told
me the same yarn. and | took a chance
on it too. Since 1 started. however,
I've had a thousand misgivings. the
chief one being that the old rascal
didn't believe the story himself l be-
nothing more. and he made money out
of it."
HE stung me. too. and yet-Tm 60
ing to try for that black dagger. Har-
peth- Here's the black dagger he gave
me. l suppose you've got its mate.
I'll just drop it in this slit. Well. by
Jove. it touches something that's Civ
ing wayI Now. what do you think OF
thatY'
The table top swung up and slipped
back into a recess disclosing a small
square stone receptacle in which was
crushed a heap of tattered yellow silk.
which dropped to dust under their fin
gers. In the heap of dust was a dark
object which Harpeth's fingers drew
to the light. 1t was a small dagger
of finely tempered steel, almost black
in color. In the hilt was set the lar
gest emerald the Americans had ever
seen.
It's good thing it's big enough
to divide, so we won't quarrel over
it," said Garland, and the other nodded
approval.
II wonder If Wah Sung Loo knew
this was here?" began Garland specu-
latively as they emerged into the open
air.
Never" interrupted Harpeth. with
a grin. Didn't believe it himself and
thought he'd stung us for fair-hardly
calculated we'd come out after it"
I'm not sorry. though" chuckled
Garland as they went back along the
winding path to the river. where two
sleepy coolies awaited them with sam
pans.