The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-12-29
'
Transporting a
Treasure
Every Effort to Possess Ii Was
Made by Robbers
By ELMER CRANTBY
. Copyright by American Press Asse-
citation, 1871.
BY ELMER cRANTBY

In the town Of Karakash in western
China dwelt a cobbler called WI Tung. |
He cobbled shoes all day and in tbe |
evening went 10 his Insignificant home, |
and the first thing be did after reach
ing il was TO touch a concealed spring !
in the wall. tiny door few open, and !
IN Il space not two inches square was |
diamond the size Of a hickory nut. The
cobbler took the stone in his hand. ex
amined ii carefully. put II back in its
place and closed the door. The next
morning before going to his shop he
repeated this process. his examinations
being made for the purpose of making
sure that the stone had not been stolen.
Now WI Tung was not a cObbler at
all, but diamond merchant. He had
purchased the diamond from a rajah
In India for "A third of it's real value,
| the rajah being In need of ready cash
and had crossed the border into China
intending 10 take 1t to Picking with u
view to selling il to the emperor. But
he well knew that the transportation
Of such a valuable article across the
whole OF that vast territory would be
well nigh impossible. Both the Indians
and the Chinese are very cunning, and
II it were known that he was travelling
} with so great n treasure he was sure
to lose it by the way.
WI Tung was as subtle as his enc
mics He sent a man out bearing n
chrystal instead Of the diamond with
the stone so carefully concealed that
he thought no one would find ii. If it
was not discovered he would then send
the real stone by another messenger
hidden In the same way. But the day
after the bearer started he returned
without the chrystal He dispatched
another with a different device. but he,
too, was sent back with the same eXpe-
rience. After sending several different
persons TO make these tests he deemed
his own ingenuity inadequate and look
ed about him for some one shrewder
than himself.
Next door TO the cobbler lived a
man, Ching Fang, so poor that he ana
his family were starving. one day
this poor fellow told WI Tung that his
children were dying one by one. and
he considered it better that he should
die that they might live. He had been
offered sum Of money by man con
demned TO be executed to take his
Il place, and he was about to accept the
e offer WI Tung. thinking that man
so desperate would, II any one could
carry his diamond through 10 Picking
= made a conhdant OF him. telling him
that IL he succeeded in doing so h'
would give him quarter of his proht
which would enable him 10 live like
" nabob for the rest Of his life. Tunl
would support his family during his
absence.
Ching Fang said he would try e
think Of some method Of outwittinl
the thugs and, going to his house. lait
the matter before his wife. Wee Sing
Ching Fang was not bright man a
all, but Wee Sing was very ingenious
little woman. Besides, here was
: chance to save her husband from tn
- necessity of being beheaded. Never
theless it took her week TO hit upoi
- a plan that promised success.
As soon as she had proposed 1t ChinI
Fang went TO the cobbler and told hin
~ he would undertake to deliver the dia
~ mond In Picking. but that he woul
80 not be ready to start for severa
months and that meanwhile WI Tun
- must keep his family from starving
:, WI Tung agreed. provided Ching Fan
would commit his plan to him. where
upon the latter placed his lips agains
=. the formers ear and whispered tn
!. secret.
:, "Done." said WI Tung and hande
!: him a hundred taels TO bind the bal
;: gain.
. Three months from that day Chin
Fang. after executing papers tina
- would put his family at WI Tung
49,, mercy in case he proved dishones
%. with nothing but the clothes he wor
-, set out upon his journey. He had bee
-, very secret as to his interviews wit
81, his principal. but knew full well Tn
~ no had been observed He was wal
90, ing on a road not far from his startiI
- noint when a man caught up with hi
1 ana eIItItl lllAU NbhN
,or Fang felt assured that he was aft
MI, the diamond. but chatted with nj
he freely. The man said he had mea
m with which TO sleep at an inn ana ]
nd yited his fellow traveller to share .
mn bed with him. Ching Fang assent
I've with evident thanlSfulness since
m carried no money for his journey al
cot would otherwise have been obliged
sleep in the open air. So the two ste
i'm ned at an inn. and the stranger ord
IAN ed some supper. of which they DO
M partook. then went to bed.
,or Ching Fang slept soundly, and WI
ne awoke the next morning the stra
ods ger had disappeared. Ching FAM
md clothes were scattered about. givi
mn evidence that the man had go
en-. through them.
on Though Ching Fang bore a diamo
ITO worth many thousands of dollars.
,he had not the whercwithal TO buy fo'
,na for money would have been tar
- N,lA