The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1912-07-09
service, ana he felt that going into the

service, and be felt that going into the
interior, where there is constant dan
ger from bandits and river pirates. he
needed some loyal henchman who
might at least report his masters death
In case anything did happen And In
these isolated provinces things were
very likely TO happen" in the most
casual way.
The journey to Marking was IN.
eventful. as was the trip up the river.
They were attacked by river pirates
one dark night, but violent thunder
storm effectually put the rascals to
fight, and the frightened crew of the
mandarin's pleasure craft returned TO
their posts after much persuasion from
the fat captain.
At Sicheng wharf they were met by
sedan chairs, in which they were
promptly whirled away to the manda-
rims palace a few miles beyond the
city.
Suddenly that old Chinese proverb
came to Jim's mind, "a devil you know
Is safer than one you don't know"
'Pm mighty glad / brought Wah Loo
along" he sollloquized. II certainly
know that little yellow devil"
1t was an added comfort to feel the
two loaded automatic revolvers in his
pockets.
All at once they entered a desolate
region where. the road was merely q
rough track. Jim wondered that the
highway that led to the mandarins
palace should be so III kept and appar-
emily little Travelled. If the men had
deliberately chosen this out Of the way
route it was evidence that some mis-
chief was brewing.
1t was not only brewing. but bub-
bling over. for Jim had no sooner
snatched his weapons out than they
were surrounded by a villainous look
ing band Of highway robbers. The
bodyguard gave back instant fight. but
Jim noted at once that 1t was a sham
battle.
s He had been delivered into the hands
of his enemies. There was little doubt
that some one had passed the word
along that Jim Westcott possessed
these precious gems. Wen Hao To
was In sore straits. He needed them.
What more likely to happen than that
the honorable representative Of Fred
ericks & Co., should be attacked by
robbers on bis way to the mandarin's
palace to purchase the silk eoatsf
''Boyr called Jim sharply, glad that
he had brought Wah Loo along.
When he saw that Wah Loo had de-
serted him and was fighting vigorously
to permit the robbers to approach the
chair Of his master Jim understood.
Wah Loo was the traitor who had told
about the gems his master carried
Because they had counted on Wah
Loo's stealing his masters weapons
before the ambush sprang upon them
the robbers were quite unprepared for
the fusillade Of bullets that poured
from the opening In Jim's chair. When
he was all alone there. scattering the
dust in the road after the last flying
heels, Jim realized that the artfuI Sec
Rotary, Ting Tao, had fallen q victim
to his own treachery. The man was
lying. slightly wounded. beside his
chair. deserted by the cowardly SOL
diers who had fed with their allies.
the robbers
Jim did what he could for the secre-
tary with the little emergency medical
case he carried, and he was glad when
a party Of missionaries In bullock carts
came along and volunteered to carry
the secretary and the American back
to Sicheng
30, after all, the gems that Jim car
ried in bis belt were quite untouched.
After that he kept them in safe deposit
at his bank. He found a steamer go
Ing down the river. and the following
day found him back in Shanghai
The first thing be did was to send
for another house boy to take the place
Of the departed Wah Loo.
For that was the devil he really
didn't know