The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1912-12-27

SihSScu VIII the tuic, bupC' osit'o"S
fears OF young girls and old women.
and impossible to well-balanced,
clear-headed man Of twenty-nine. Ii
may be that ! was not well-balanced
and clear-headed. And yet the Sc
quel would tend rather to a contrary
conclusion.
Cameron was still reading the Her.
aid, and | sat with a pair Of binocu-
lars at my eyes sweeping the waters
for the trailing smoke OF liner or
some object OF lesser interest.
Presently the silence was broken
by my companion.
II see" he began. dropping the pa
per to his knees, that China is really
in earnest in her anti-opium cam
paign. Two Picking officials have died
from the effects of too-hasty break
ing OF the habit. Men do not die in
the attempt to obey mere paper re-
forms. The Chinese are a wonderful
old people. Clyde"
lowered my glasses. AL at once in
terested.
you've been I'm China" | asked.
mo, | haven't" was his answer.
I've always meant to so; but when
| was nearest, i'll news drew me home;
and so ! never got closer than Yoke
hama on one side, and Srinagar. In
Kashmir. on the other"
You've seen something OF them in
this country, SUPPOSE"
1 atiann.3d n
ner once al which Ii Hung Chang was
the guest of honor; and I've eaten
chop suey i'm che of those Chinese
eating palaces they have in Chicago.
That's about the extent Of my person
al Chinese experience. But | have
always been interested in the country
and its people. | have read about
everything that has been published
on the subject. BY the way, did they
ever find out who killed that boy of
Murphy's?"
Not yet" | answered. They've
had some of his own kind under sur
vigilance, but no more arrests have
been made"
Murphy was released"
Yes"
He took up his paper again and
once more | applied myself to sea-
gazing.
Far away 10 the northeast | made
out what appeared to me to be a sea-
going tug or pilot boat, steaming,
thought, with rather unusual speed for
vessel of her class 1t was not
much Of discovery. but the waters
had been very barren that morning.
especially for the last two hours, and
insignificant as this object was | felt
in manner rewarded for my vigil.
Half an hour later she had slipped
out of sight and | was busy in an eff
fort to pick her up again, when cry
from the lookout forward directed my
attention to floating speck possibly
two miles or more dead ahead, and
not more than point off our course.
Come" | said to Cameron. lets
go up on the bridge and have look"
And have our trouble for our
palms," he returned, incredulously.
Its probably some bit of wreckage,
box or cask.'
Very WELL" agreed. starting off
alone. Even box or a cask is worth
while as a variation
When on nearer approach the drift
ing object proved to be a fisherman's
dory, with man. either dead or I'M
conscious, plainly discernible in the
bottom, should hardly have been hui
OF satisfaction over Cameron's failure
as a prophet That. however, was the
least abiding OF my sensations. In an
instant 1t had given way to anxiety
concerning the boats occupant and
interest in the business-like manner
in which Macleod, the stocky young
executive officer OF the Sibylla, was
preparing TO pick up our find.
The engine room had been signaled
half-speed ahead. and already a sailor
with a coil Of rope in hand was sta.
| toned at the forward gangway. !
have frequently seen river pilots make
landings that were marvels of clever
calculation, but ] never saw any steer
Ing more accurately gagged than that
by which Macleod, here in the open
sea, with the precarious swell and
surge of ocean to combat, brought the
yacht gliding within q bare three
inches of the rolling dory's bow.
was leaning over the rail as we
came thus upon the castaway. and
saw clearly enough for just moment
the huddled creature in oilskins. silent
and motionless in the stern. with
closed eyes and wet, dark hair mat.
ted upon his forehead. Then a sailor
dropping lightly into the boat. shut
off my view for little. There was
whir of flung line; an exchange. of
qulck-spoken. and to me unintelligible,
words between the sailor in the dory
ar sailor standing beside me on
the yachts deck; and then. the line
was taut and straining. and the dory.
which had sheered of astern, was be-
ing brought up slowly alongside.
Now, realized for the first time
that our engines had stopped and that,
save for the roll. we were almost sta.
tionary.