The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1913-06-13

layers, as well as favOrably impress
the magistrate. he would probably be-
come q victim to their superstitious
hatred.
The. savagely grinning faces of his
captors had. warned him of their In
tentions. He knew that the hearing
before the magistrate would be u farce.
His life. would pay the penalty Of his
foolhardiness and his own people
would never know what had become Of
him. They would most likely conjec-
ture that he had persisted in the cruel
rapids of the river. together with the
sunhen motorboat.
Just as he had reached the bottom
rung Of despair he heard a sound at
the door. and instantly he followed the
wall around until he stood beside the
partly opened door. He-felt something
soft and silky thrust toward him, and
he grasped it thankfully. together with
the little hand. whose fingers terminal
ed in long, .shell-like nails.
He held the struggling hand long
enough to slip the diamond ring upon
one finger. and then he let it go, and
as the door closed he heard the same
delightful giggle that assured him that
maidens We're the same the world over,
whether of the east or west.
If any one of Dick Terry's college
mates had seen him that night they
would have found him employed in a
strange task. II Monroe had looked
in upon him he would have discovered
that the careless youth Of five years
ago had departed and that here sat a
stern faced calling upon his coun-
try to save his life.
In the dim light of ain i'll smelling oil
lamp which he had found by diligent
search and lighted with matches from
his pocket Dick examined the offering
Of the Chinese girl and found that she
had indeed exceeded his widest hopes.
There were several lengths Of rich silk
lone of blue. m of red and a third
Of white. Wrapped in the folds were
needles and skeins of sewing silk.
His penknife was sharp. but it did
not entirely take the place of a pair
Of scissors. His fingers were clumsy,
and he had not the least knowledge Of
the mystery of needle and thread, but
he learned by experience. And when
morning dawned gray and cold in the
prison cell he blew out the, lamp and
looked at the product of his hands with
ewes whose lids were stiff with weari-
ness.
He had made a 6ag-the flag of his
country. 1t was a strangely wrought
emblem. The red and white stripes
were curiously zigzag in their mean
behring's and the stitches were beyond
mention. 1t is sufficient to say that
they were strong. On the rich blue
field in the upper corner he had sewed
oddly pointed white stars. jagged from
the silk with his knife. 1t mattered
not that this flag of his bore only the
thirteen stars representing the original
thirteen states of the Union. He made
as many as he could and stopped.
AS he looked at the product of his la
bors and realized what this flag meant
to him now when his life was at stake
he flushed holly in remembrance of his
witless speech to Monroe years before.
What was it he had said with that su-
perior smile Of his youthful. conceited
self?
"Oh. of course. I've got plenty Of re-
spect for the grand old rag, but one
can't throw a fit every time it breaks
to the breeze"
II guess I'll have a story to tell Mon
roe if l yer get out of this alive" he
muttered as he fell to %concealing about
his person all the bits Of silk that were
left from the flag. He had no wish to
implicate the girl in this matter.
A manservant brought his breakfast,
and when the meal was concluded the
American was led to the magistrate's
audience chamber. Beneath his coat
was wrapped the American flag which
he had made during the night.
The hearing was a farce. Not one
presentsunderstood> word of. anything
save Chinese. and none Of them APP
peared to recognize the different native
dialects with which Dick was familiar
and all of which he tried upon them
without success. 1t was plainly evil
dent that they wished to railroad him
through to a speedy execution, and he
had not the slightest doubt that they
could concoct a crime against him as
we'll as prove that he committed it.
The magistrate was a large, sleepy
eyed. Indifferent Individual. who ap-
peared bored by the whole proceeding.
He waved Dick aside when the young
man tried to speak and listened i'm
novably to the complaints Of the half
dozen ra:scally looking men who had
captured him. When they had con-
cluded the magistrate uttered a few
sharp words and waved his hand in
dismissal.
i AS eager yellow hands were out
stretched to, grasp him Dick opened his
coat. flashed out the silk flag and wrap
ped the stars and stripes about his
shoulders.
Touch that If you dare!" he yelled.
and SO eloquent vas his voice and ges-
ture that they understood and shrank
back. looking uneasily at the magis-
trate. AZ as
That individual scowled unpleasant