Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-11-26

Presently lantern diffused soft
light around the dusty room. which
was lined with inches. in each one Of
which was a rather battered idol.
Except for a straw pallet on the floor.
a jug OF water and bowl Of rice the
room was empty.
What. are you doing here?" asked
Dick.
Had tip from Chinese friend
that our houses were 70 he looted and
burned today | sent you word. and
I've taken refuge here after making
an observation from the pinnacle and
seeing the hrigands coming from one
direction and the soldiers from an
other. Between the two forces our
bones would be picked quite clean
after they pass We can get away?
asked Dick thouShtfully.
Maybe" smiled Smith. provided
they don't take il into their heads 10
level the tower to the ground"
wish we could give them n sti1
scare. You know they are rather sus-
picious of this place.
Il know it. Give me time to think"
For Il long time Smith sat on the
iptA I'M Hl~ hNh'A III AAA~ h'ihhTN- -
last he arose and uttered triumphant
whoop.
He darted to carved chest thrust
in one corner and from IT dragged stin
robes of yellow brocade, soiled and
dusty and almost falling to pieces
with great age.
''If they linCer along till dusk think
/ can scare them stiff with this priest
" garb." he chuckled. You know
one of the traditions connected with
this place concerns an old priest ot
Buddha who starved himself To death
in the tower in order to attain coles
tial rewards The superstitious say
that sometimes the spirit Of this old
priest comes back TO the tower. hungry
and forlorn. and cries for food AMI
drink I shall he that old priest for
awhile Watch me-
When Smiths tall. Caunt frame was
wrapped in the yellow robe and
black satin cap was stuck on his dark
hair Dick confessed himself amazed ut
the resemblance to a Buddhist priest
painted on one OF the porcelain panels
of the stairway. The disguise was per-
feet
The two men sat and talked beside
tiny window that gave Il view of the
road to the city.
"If they only wait until dusk we can
scare EN- Off. and then we can get
away" Smith repeated over and over
again.
The day wore on, and. although they
caught occasional glimpses Of ap-
preaching soldiers. they did not make
much progress, for there We're much
hating and disputing. 1t was almost
twilight when II company of ragged
soldiers stirred the thick white dust
of the road near the porcelain tower.
They're going TO halt there, just as
/ thought. They're taking pot shots Mt
the tower. See the ancient cannon
they are dragging along"
Dick looked out and saw all the
things Smith described. He saw more,
for he noticed that they were prepar-
ing to load the cannon and gunners
were pointing it toward the porcelain
tower.
Deuce take it, we're in for it now"
muttered Smith.
"Get into your robes. Scare EN- off,
man. You can do it. l know the Chi
nese like book They'll streak II If
they see that Old yellow back on the
balcony of the tower" Thus Dick
encouraged his friend while he helped
Smith into the yellow robe,
While the gunners were loading the
cannon there came the sound of fierce
cries from the south, and band OF
uttered brigands came racing through
the dust OF the road.
At the same instant Smith stepped
a door that led TO n small bal
rony that encircled the tower and
lifting his arms In their flowing
sleeves. shrilled down at them n mix
iure of American slang and bad Chi
nese that hushed the riotous crowd be-
low.
How long he stood there he never
knew, but his arms grew stin and
Useless and his neck cramped with its
-lgid attitude.
The long silence OF the crowd below
was broken at last by n shrill screech
IF terror from a briSand. That vs.
he signal for panic. In ten minutes
he long dusty road was empty and
,ull moon smiled waniy over the place
where superstition still held sway.
Ten years from now this could not
said Smith as he entered the
'ity that night with Dick beside him.
The last remnants OF superstition and
ignorance are flying nOrthward this
cry moment dashed by their own
ears. China has awakened, yawned
md nodded off again for another forty
yinks After that-well, wen all
ave TO keep pretty wide awake to
eep up with her"
Dick Evans, who saw a very profit
bic business going to the dogs. nod
ed ruefully. There's just one con
olation in the whole affair" he muir
1ured, land that Is that IL forms an
xcellent excuse for getting back into
dds countEy again. and I'm going"