The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1916-12-07


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Keep away from the east. then"
sneered Claiming.
"N-hy?" asked Dacre.
Claiming stared at his cigar. TOO
many ruined temples, ferocious stone
gods and imaginary dragons snorting
fire and fury. A land slutted with
superstition
DR.. Wakeman exploded wrathful-
ly. Most Of my travelling has been
from one sickroom to another. but l
like to believe there's q bit of poetry
and charm In the terrestrial anatomy
that needn't cut outl's
They laughed, looking at Dacre, who
had just returned from China.
What Is your opinion. Dacror' asked
Stevens.
i've lived in the east for years."
said Dacre slowly. "I'Ye seen strong
men quake before the wrath Of their
| gods-aye. l mean gods of wood and
stone-and 1 know Of tiny image Of
Buddha which would speak to Ger
tain man-if the man could be found"
Hear! Hear!' appiauded Wray.
Dacre smiled reminiscently.
"Near the Yangtze river there is a
small Buddhist temple dedicated to the
god Of averted calamity Its affairs
are always covered with votive offer
lings. for many pilgrims come there.
Chinese pirates, laden with rich booty.
bring costly trinkets to placate the god.
Honest sailors pause to leafe a bit OF
coral or amber. Mandarins 80 ashore
to pledge Jewels for safe voyage. and
occasionally foreign tourists stumble
upon the temple and trytto buy curlos." :"
Claiming sat rigldly in his chair. He
listened acutely.
"Of course resumed Dacre. "the
| priests swear that the treasures are
not for sale-this is the story Of man
1 with q mania for collecting Jade and
ivory carvings, who wouldn't believe
In the wrath Of the gods. He came to
the temple and saw its riches. He
tried to buy some carvings, but the
aged priest refused to sell
"Smith-the mans name might have
been Smith-laughed and went away.
He told himself that every man had
his price and that If ho could only find
out the priests price why he could
have his choice of the ivory carvings.
So he schemed and schemed and at
last the only plan that he could con-
ceive was very ordinary one
"He went direct to the priest and Of
fered to buy the most precious carving
of all The priest was obdurate.
"aThe wrath of the gods will be upon
me- he declared
""The richest man In the world
wants to buy wheedled Smith.
"The priest hesitated and hts onyx
eyes glittered covetously.
"'The honorable foreigner is the rich
man?' he asked tentatively.
"Smith nodded.
"'And the price?'
Smith named it. Enough to buy @
little house and garden on the slopes
of the Yangtze, where the priests
aged sisters could end their days In
peace1ul plenty.
"It was a bitter temptation. The
priest was very poor and he hesitated
At last he spoke. is not the honorable
FOREIGNER afraid Of the wrath Of the
godsT
"Smith laughed again. TIL take {
chance on that he said carelessly
How about it7 Is it bargainT Ant
he held out eager hands for the ivory
carving he most coveted.
"Still the priest hesltated. The
wrath of the gods Is not to be light!
spoken Of he reproved. When duml
gods speak, then shall the heart Of tht
guilty quake
"But Smith was not to be frightene;
out of his desire for the ivory Buddha
He could see In his minds eye til,
very niche in his cabinet where thu
carving would stand-next to the jad'
amulet, the flower of his collection. HI
gritted his teeth and said he woult
not be disappointed. Then he smilet
on the priest, dropped liberal contri
button in the bronze box at the doc
and went away to brood over the ivor.
carving.
"He was not afraid of the wrath of
dumb ivory god. He laughed at tn
very idea. But what did the man meal
by saying dumb gods could speak
That was all tommyrot. Smith didn'
believe in the occult. He was plair
matter Of fact sort of chap. He col
lecte1 ivories. He had found one tha
+ he wanted. and because he could nc
have 1t he wanted It the more. A fey
days later he went back to the temple
The priest met him gravely.
;, "'About that ivory carving Smit
, said. and the priest nodded an
brought the sandalwood chest tha
held his treasures.
: Smith gloated over them once NOR
, Crystal. amber, coral ivory. sanda
wood. ehony-al held his attention an
d excited his greed. but his fancy stf
> clung to the most precious of them al
, the carving of the god of averted G.
. iamity. It's ting perfection Of detail
q the exquisite delicacy of the work. IL
!acelike structure Of the small iyor
/, god filled him with delight.