The Ordway new era., 1913-02-14

Thoughts tuey must beeu " oho "he
reads Of them; worthy only to be
clnssed with the idle. superstitious
fears Of young girls and old women,
and impossible to a well.balanced.
clear-headed man Of twenty-nine. 1t
may be that was not well-balanced
and clear-headed. And yet the Sc
quel would tend rather to contrary
conclusion.
Cameron was still reading the Her
aid. and sat with 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 toohasty 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" 20
lowered my glasses, all at once in
terested.
You've been in China" asked.
mo. l haven't" was his answer.
I've always meant to go; but when
I was nearest. Ill news drew me home;
and so never got closer than Yoko-
hama on one side. and Srinagar, In
Kashmir, on the other"
You've seen something Of them in
this country. l suppose?"
In n dtn-
ner once at which Ii Hung Chang was
the guest of honor: and I've eaten
chop suey in ono 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. l 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?"
MOT yet" I answered. They've
had some Of his own kind under sur
veillance, but no more arrests have
been made"
Murphy was released"
yes"
He took up his paper again and
once more I applied myself to sea
gazing.
Far away to the northeast I made
out what appeared to me to be 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 l felt
In manner rewarded for my vigil.
Half an hour later she had slipped
out of sight and was busy in an ef-
fort to pick her up again. when cry
from the lookout forward directed my
attention to a floating speck possibly
two miles or more dead ahead, and
not more than a point OF our course.
Come" said to Cameron. lets
go up on the bridge and have look!"
And have our trouble for our
pains?" he returned, incredulously.
Its probably some bit of wreckage,
box or cask."
Very WELL" I agreed. starting of
alone. Even box or cask is worth
while as variation"
When on nearer approach the drift
ing object proved to be a fisherman's
dory, with a man, either dead or un-
conscious, plainly discernible in the
bottom, I should hardly have been hui
man had l not experienced a degree
of satisfaction over Cameron's failure
as a prophet. That, however. was the
least abiding Of my sensations. In an
instant it 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 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 a bare three
inches of the rolling dory's bow.
I 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 sailor,
dropping lightly into the boat. shut
off my view for a little. There was
whir of flung line; an exchange OF
quick-spoken. and to me unintelligible
words between the sailor in the dory
and a sailor standing beside me on
,, the yachts deck; and then. the line
was taut and strairing. and the dory
which had sheered off astern. was be.
ing brought, up slowly alongside.
Now, realized for the first time
that orr enRfrlea had atoDped and that