Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1913-10-11
- = ' ' ' y y y " y v ' y y y y y
Under Tortoise
Hill
A Tale OF the
Three Cities
By CLARISSA MACkIE
BY CLARISSA MACkIE

empties into the great Yangtzckiang
are the Three Cities. each crouching
behind its high wall On the south
| bank Of the Yangtze is Wuchang. on
| the north bank Of the river aud sep
aratcd by the busy little Han are
lIanyang and IIankow. Along the riv-
er front at the lower end of the city Of
Hankow are situated the foreign con.
cessions. with their protecting war
ships In the stream.
/ There IS n saying that whatever evil
is plotted in one city finds effect In the
second and is avenged IN the third OF
the Three Cities
/ II remained for Cecil Rollins. Eng
fish agent ut IIankow. and his Amcrl-
can friend. q. +. Bardwell Of Shang
| hal. 10 discover the truth of this adage.
This story might never have been
written II Rollins had not kicked his
Chinese eaddie one September day out
on the IIankow golf course.
OF course Ian Ping had been often
kicked by various masters. for he
openly invited chastiscment by his
idlencss ana stupidity Today he had
failed to retrieve Rollins ball when
the sphere had sailed out Of bounds.
and only the aforementioned kick had
( aroused him from a squirting stare at
the smoke hanging over the arsenal.
Instantly. rs though the kick had
actually impellcd him in the proper di-
rcctlon. Ian Ping trottcd after the
ball
"ldiotw fumed Rollins impaticntly.
What else can you expect from a
cross eyed Chinese?" yawncd q. l..
Bardwell
Rollins lifted blond eyebrow I'm
not supcrstitious that way he grunted
Fact. combined with what is sim
mering yonder." Bardell nodded to-
ward the city.
"SimmerinG? Well. it's rotten hot
out here. too" calculated the Briton
Il don't mean that sort OF heat
Your caddie is more absorbed In watch
ing for the broth 10 bubble over than
he is In chasing yoir golf balls"
What BROTH
THE revolutionary kind"
bah. DO you believe that rubbish?
! had the notion you had lived in China
long enough TO take these local theat-
ricals at their face value"
81 do That's why I'm here now.
10 you know. Rollins I've more than
a smattcring Of the language. and dur
Ing the week I've been here in Han
kow I've heard things. Man. things
are going 10 happen right now-rlght
here"
"Eh? what? When? Blankety
blank" As these words exploded off
Rollins tongue he slarcd down ut the
| lean and yellow hand that insinuatcd
itself Mt his elbow Tho yellow hand
held the missing golf ball.
Even the self contained Bardwell
looked disturbed when he realized that
Ian Ping might have been standing
there unseen for several minutes. long
enough 70 absorb the meaning of what
the foreigners had said Not that much
| had been said on either side only
! there ARE times when even faint in
torcst IN secret affairs is highly impru-
dent.
This was one of the times. for China
was on the eve Of turning over and
awakening from her long sleep
The smoke hanging over the arsenal
where half naked men worked day and
night might he one indication of the
stirring Of the ancient empire.
The sun was setting aud the gray of
early twilight had cloudcd the golf
course when the two friends gathered
up their clubs and moved toward the
stables
China never will wake up" yawnel
Cecil Rollins as he looked around for
! Chinese 10 fetch his horse. but the sta
bles were deserted. even to the very
horses rs was proved when the two
men looked Inside.
This is q bally fix" growled Rol.
Inns.
"Ian Ping Of course" was Bard
wells comment Come along. Rol-
Inns Wen hive 10 foot Il in"
The two men left the clubhouse ana
went down the road that led 20 the
city. or 90 the northwest where the
railroad turned 20 the north there was
strange confusion Of sounds. They
had yet 10 learn that the first note ~
the revolution Ind been sounded. The
locomotive whose shrek they had
/ heard short while before had found
torn mp tracks and met disaster be.
yond the city walls. Rebels We're re
! IolcIng over the wreck Of the passen-
ger train and the many victims OF the
catastrophe
Darkness had settled over the road
Here and there n lamp swinging from
It's wooden post east feeble radius Of
light
Halfway down the road there crossed
another road nj right angles. This
road. leading 10 Hanyane by devious
ways. was darker than the road 10 the
golf course Just as they reached the
junction Of the two roads something
ha