Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-10-16

CAiptlCS Iulo tue great
are the Three Cities, each crouching
behind its high, wall. On the south
hank OF the Yangtze is Wuchang. On
the north bank Of the river and sep
arated by the busy little Han are
Hanyang and Hankow. 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 saying that whatever evil
is plotted in one city finds effect in the
second and is avenged in the third OF
the Three Cities.
1t remained for Cecil Rollins, Eng
fish agent at Hankow. and his Ameri-
can friend, G. P. Bardwell of Shang-
hal, TO discover the truth Of this adage.
This story might never have been
written if Rollins had not kicked his
Chinese caddie one September day out
on the Hankow golf course.
OF course Ian Ping had been often
kicked by various masters. for he
openly invited chastisement by his
idleness and 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. as though the kick had
| actually impelled him in the proper .di-
rection, Ian Ping trotted after the
| ball.
idiot" fumed Rollins impatiently.
"What else can you expect from n
cross eyed Chinese?" yawned G. T.
Bardwell
Rollins lifted blond eyebrow. "I'm
not superstitious 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 to bubble over thar
he is in chasing your golf balls"
What broth?"
1.-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"
Il do. That's why I'm here now
Do you know, Rollins, I've more thai
a smattering of the language. and dur
ing the week I've been here in Han
kow I've heard things. Man. thing
| m hon -icrhf Irl,
here."
"Eh? What? When? Blanket,
blankr' AS these words exploded of
Rollins tongue he glared down at TIL
lean and yellow hand that insinuatet
itself at his elbow. The yellow han,
held the missing golf ball.
Even the self contained Bardwel
looked disturbed when he realized tina
Ian Ping might have been standing
there unseen for several minutes, loni
enough TO absorb the meaning of wha
the foreigners had said. Not that mucI
had been said on either side. onI
there are times when even faint in
terest in secret affairs is highly impru
dent.
This was one of the times, for Chin
} was on the eve Of turning over an
awakening from her long sleep.
} The smoke hanging over the arsena
: where half naked men worked day an
night might be one indication of tn
stirring of the ancient empire.
The sun was setting and the gray O
early twilight had clouded the gol
: course when the two friends gathere
) up their clubs and moved toward tn
stables.
, China never will wake up" yawne
t Chinese to fetch his horse, but the sta
3 bles were deserted. even to the yer
r horses, as was proved when the tw
men looked inside.
''This is a bally fixr' growled Ro
Inns
u Ian Ping, OF course was Bare
wells comment. Come along. Ro
Inns. Well have to foot it in"
y The two men left the clubhouse an
went down the road that led to tn
n city. on to the northwest where III
+ railroad turned to the north there wa
strange confusion Of sounds. The
had yet to learn that the first note {
the revolution had been sounded. Tt
locomotive whose shrek they ha
II heard n short while before had foun
II torn up tracks and met disaster b
q yond the city walls. Rebels were r
jofcing over the wreck OF the passel
=, ger train and the many victims of II
, catastrophe.
h Darkness had settled over the roa
n Here and there lamp swinging fro
A its wooden post cast a feeble radius
light
Halfway Gown the road there crosse
another road at right angles. Tn
road. leading to Hanyang by deviol
3; ways. was darker than the road TO Il
I. golf course. Just as they reached Il
junction OF the two roads somethir
happened.
Dark forms came hurting out Of Il
Hanyang road and enveloped the ~
p foreigners in writhing mass Of arm
and legs and lodging heads. and VIII
the confusion was over Cecil Rollii
was gagged and bound in seds
chair. while G. p. Bardweii, In q
same helpless conlT1on, occupied a