Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1914-03-06
The Brother Of the
Moon
. Audacious Hazard of Nikolai independent Agent ..
~ " Related by His Lieutenant, Summers ~
BY H. M. EGBERT
copyright. 1913. by W. c. Chapman
BY H. M. EGBERT

rose" said Soltykoff, stop
I1 a.,,ro q bit of pottery some five
p'l s;gb placed in a lakewood
s'. ~s worth one hundred thou
\ dollars. But if I could find its
o. .' uJ and smash it, this one
rl y +Sep be worth a half million
~ .- chances are, would be SO
'.d of their beauty that ]
D y nIace them side by side in my
sla+i mn and never sell them at all.
., =, neach-blow vase, made dur
1 ho reign of the Ming dynasty.
Y. =. sre only two in existence. This
~ voc stolen from the emperor 6
.monts in the summer palace at
n ,- duripg the looting of that city
!. rssrs ago. The other is owned
I, ~ emperor's uncle, known as the
.hs, of the Moon. His palace is
y y miles away, at Ling Kow-lun. He
:. bIyh official in the board Of cen
: That is all can tell you about
\. that he is said to have
.rrpd the enmity of the dowager
.,,sss recently. Now, do you still
..noss to carry out your undertake
b?
.. watched Nikolai and myself mar
WV Soltykoff was the richest col
VIM in China, and his annual sales
an sensation in London. We were
Stpd In his apartments in Pekin, in
h British concession, and he had
Mn US a proposal. This was, in eff
N that we should steal, or otherwise
srD the companion vase from the
stter Of the Moon, and convey it to
n For this he offered us fifty
inand dollars apiece.
You cannot sell it except through
NJ said Soltykoff. my name alone
rld stamp it as genuine. So-what
Nur decision?"
BOXED at the shimmering, rides
st thing, so carefully placed behind
d glass doors of the cabinet-which
rs in turn, riveted to the roof and
.m, proof against accident. Not
Fa an earthquake could shatter it,
hhe rivets went through the boards
sw and into the foundations. And
urged wires protected it, winding
Twisting in and out of the cabinet
zf
laceept," said Nikolai promptly.
Good" said Soltykoff. "To gain
1rttance to the house Of the prince
III not be difficult. Just now he is
aled over western inventions and
doors are thronged with agents of
1neTcial houses. Take him the
V'St scientific toy-a gyroscope, for
1nple-and he will give you all his
Taltlon and lodge you in his pal
But where he hides the peach
now vase nobody knows"
We set out for Ling Kow-lun that
tenOon. Half the distance was
zoe BY the new railroad; thence we
'Nnred pack-mules and logged along
any rom inn to inn. 1t was a part
VNlna much frequented by Euro
%nS and the populace paid us no un-
I'Sant attentions. Two days after
va We were knocking for admit
cte at the palace of the prince.
Durlng our stay in China, Nikolai
!. mastered enough of the CONNER
~ Olalect to enable us to dispense
w me services of an interpreter.
.N We proposed to have a distinct
''l'ase over the other commercial
S'sVrS whom we expected to find.
lsa our gyroscope model with us:
l'le thing, slung upon my back
az usual, Nikolai assumed to be
tOru and I his servant. I often
=, :. OF the subservience into which
s'ueo to fall naturally when in his
yaly' sometimes, when I judge
!. Ia'Shly, | try to believe that it
uat unnatural Difference which
's''eO him into his act of treachery.
~ Ouf establishment, the court be-
~e entrance hall was empty.
NJ, r' was no sign of anyone but our
l, Inc little Chinese boy who
n opened to us ran away in terror,
Sri mTy%here 1 saw evidences of a
soms Alght, and of footing. Rich
N, - opening out on either side, had
\ stripped of their hangings and
In. e portable articles; costly fur
Sn,. naa been toppled over and
M n, mere and there pell-mell.
bs as'e is one room in a Chinese
~, VI the better class, wherein the
sr,s u the house alone can sit-the
t,sS loOm' Not even his wife, or
sns ~ SaIe enter there until he sum-
j aem, To this room we came at
sco s ~ stood still in amazement
w me thresholds
M. Iere' in the middle Of the rich
Nv SEATED seated cross-legged, surround
/ n I "a a dozen weeping women.
i m.1 brother of the Moon, wearing
ssn mSndarin's cap with it's yellow
Sstr1., His claw-like fingers were
In ~ out in his lap, and between
". ~ something with which he
Va q. slender cord of saffron silk.
/ An ssntered, the women looked up
ssos instant, and then fell to wall
Sobsr ueating their breasts; but the
a !, u the Moon sat impassively
Sopss a . floor. and ran the cord
l slIe1.i his fingers.