Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-10-16
The Daily Stoi
UNDER TORTOISE HILL-BY cLARIssA MAcKIE.
Copyrighted ,sIs Bureau
hear the Rriton.s nfhrmative.
Ltel Literary Bureau


Ian Ping. of course. and the bub-
bling of the revolution pot" was Bard
wells disguised reply
"0f course we must get out of this.
You know we can't let them boil us in
oil or anything of that sort" said Roi-
Inns. "You take one side OF this cell
and I'll take the other. BardwelL"
"Wait a bit" said the other eau
tiously IF you've got any plans to
discuss you might exercise your Ger
man. chg
Rollins appeared to think so. too,
for after that they conversed in Ger
man.
First, let me repeat to you an an
cient saying Of the Three Cities"
said Bardwell TO his friend. and there
upon he related the adage that de-
clares whatever evil is plotted in one
city finds effect in the second and is
avenged in the third.
"Our capture was plotted in Han
kow. We are imprisoned in Hanyang.
Our rescue must lie in Wucaang,
across the big river. Let us get out
of this and try to get across to WI
chang. I know a chap in the mission
there-John Hildreth. He will take
care of us
They solemnly shook hands over the
resolution. and then they examined
the cell for means OF exit. There
was none save the wooden door. which
appeared to be fastened from without
by a wooden bolt.
Bardwell brought forth matches and
deliberately proceeded to set fire to
the ancient door where it was latched.
After repeated attempts the worm eat.
en- wood ignited and burned slowly.
giving forth an acrid smoke that soon
filed the little cell. but the wood burn
ed sullenly until there was n charred
spot that Bardwell could break away
with his fist. The rotting bolt went
with it and the door swung open.
In the corridor Rollins stumbled over
their bags Of golf clubs. and with an
exclamation of delight he thrust two
of the iron heeled sticks in Bardwelrs
hands and kept two himself.
Right ahead" was Bardwell's ad-
vice. and so they forced themselves
away from the smoke that bid their
escape. The corridor turned and
twisted. and from rocky walls on either
side their hands encountered earth
that narrowed down to three foot
| hole in the ground Crawling through
this aperture, they found themselves
outside the walls of Hanyang, with
Tortoise hill looming above them.
"Cut around to the right! Follow
| %bo ,ron 60 tho ,irar TTSa vOur
clubsr' were Bardwelrs directions.
And Rollins followed them to the let
ter They met only two Cinnamon.
and both went down into the water
filed ditch under the sharp blows of
the iron clubs.
Painting for breath. they reached
fight Of greasy stone steps. At the
foot of these We're number of sam
pans. In a moment they had entered
one and were putting forth across the
river toward the Wuchang shore.
In the middle of the stream they
paused and looked back at the two
cities. From the direction Of the rail-
way there came the sound of firing,
and the red scourge of fire was licking
the outskirts OF the cities.
Over on the Wuchang shore the river
front was alive with people watching
the flames, and from within the an
} cient capital of Hupeh province there
came a restless murmur, as OF count
less people running to and fro in fear
as the rebels pillaged the city. The fir.
ing of Hankow had been the signal.
! The sampan drifted down the middle
of the stream, plainly visible to the
watchers on shore. But who was in
terested In fishermen tonight when the
world was being made over? Not the
people of the Three Cities.
} 1t was long after midnight when the
watch OF the man-ofwar Dillworth
spied a sampan bobbing along under
the counter of the big vessel. A sharp
hail was satisfactorily answered. A
ladder went over the side. and present
" two much bedraggled. men. clinging
affectionately to several golf clubs. ar
, rived on deck. where they were imme-
. diately escorted to the officers quar-
tiers.
: At dawn as they turned into the
berths provided by the hospltable Brit
, fish officers. bathed. fed and clothed
and in contented frame OF mind
Cecil Rollins remarked TO his American
friend:
: ''By the way. Bardwell. old man,
: thought you quoted a proverb-some
, thing about evil plotted In one city
finds effect in the second and is aveng
ed in the third. Now. where do W.
! come in? How about the third cIty?"
But G. r. Bardwell. unable to ex
plain the fallacious prophecy and en-
] tirely thankful for his rescue from ;
5 Chinese ROB. merely turned over II
9 bed and grunted:
e Its just an American joke. Rollins.
G That's just what l thought" muir
2 INJURED Cecil Rollins. with evident re
lief :"but." he added thoughtfully as b
e looked at his bruised wrists. II fame.
0 the next time kick Chinese caddie-
8 why, won't. don't you know"
n And he had a quiet laugh all to him
$ self.