The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1916-06-09

| day Wheh Ahputh men IoDDeu tht
shrine.
Those men who nod yesterday
| across the line. and who found refuge
| with thee have the stone. They took
It in fair fight from the rebels, who
/ we're moving toward El Paso with Il
IN the hope OF selling It for gold with
which to purchase arms and ammuni
| tion for their cause.
And they in turn have lost the
stone TO thee; for a passing cowboy
told me that these men had surren
dered TO the Americanos and guided
me the greater part of the way to thy
camp,
Il am no rebel, senior. am q
/ chUrchman, not soldier. Butt seek
the stone-I. now that my brother ia
dead; /, the Blind Priest of Trecante,
am the lawful guardian of tho shrine
Just then the deep voice OF the SER
geant broke in.
Sir, If the lieutenant is ready I'll
bring up the packs an the lieutenant
can go through en-"
Kynaston, called back to earth,
looked up and nodded,
Bring 'em all up in front Of my
tent, sergeant"
The three pack nules, tired and UNI
| groomed, were led up and their packs
decanted in front of the tent where
Dorothy and Mrs. Fame sat in inter
! ested observation.
There ought to be guns an re-
vovers an ammunition commented
| Kynaston "Button Button! Who's
got the button? | wonder what they've
got packed away in those aparejos." p"
He soon found out. for under the
quiet orders Of the sergeant the guards
slipped the packs and opened them
in front of the wondering eyes of the
little group.
Il thought at least we would find
that the arms manufacturers of the
country had shipped rifles and pistols
to them across the border" comment
ed Kynaston. And | find nothing;
absolutely nothing. A petate-sleep
ing mat--and a lot of dried red pep.
pers, together with package of beans
-frijoles- Wait a bit! What's that
under your hand, Miss Upton?"
Miss Upton, startled, looked curi
ously at the package under her hand
which she had been resting upon the
pack. She gave 1t a twitch, and bun1
die wrapped in a rough, red blanket
rolled out on the ground. Kynaston
promptly picked it UP.
Him! Three rifles that have no
! business here and a hundred rounds
of ammunition. Wait bit! Sergeant,
look at the arsenal mark on those
rifles and see where they were made"
The sergeant scrutinized them care
fully in the early light.
Sir, there's some mark on EN- that
can't make out. It looks like some
sort of flower as well as l can see."
Kynaston took the gun. AS far
as its appearance was concerned
it resembled every other military
rifle that he had ever seen, but when
he turned the under side to the light
he saw stamped in the dark wooden
forehand of the piece the full-blown
chrysanthemum that was the emblem
of only one nation.
Hin! An Arisaka rife! Now
how the deuce did that come here? It
was made as far east as one can get
without tumbling over to the westward
again. How the deuce did a Japanese
rifle come into Mexican hands?"
He had no opportunity to solve the
problem. for even as he spoke Dorothy
gave an exclamation and stepped back
a pace as the covering Of a package
broke and a flood of silver pesos ran
out at her feet.
There's no proof of stealing in
these" commented Kynaston. Even
If there were the stealing was done
in Mexico, and the thief was not with
in our jurisdiction. What is this?"
1t was a plain, dirty canvas sack
perhaps foot in depth and it bore
the marks of rough handling. He
picked it up and juggled it from hand
to hand. The officer of the Carranza
forces was obviously uneasy at the
scrutiny.
That, senor," he said, "is the great
est prize of all. It was stolen by
these rebels across the line and was
to be used by them to purchase arms"
Without waiting for any explana-
ton as to what the contents of the
sack might be, Kynaston cut the string
and poured the contents out upon the
saddle blanket which the sergeant had
spread upon the ground. Certainly
there was nothing in the roll of rags
that rolled out to presage great value.
But on turning over the mass with
his foot a glow of green caught his
eyes. There tumbled out at his feet
a great crystal bell the color Of tho
richest blue grass that grows in Ken
lucky!
Dorothy picked it up.
THE padre was right" she said.
III it is indeed emerald it is worth
kings ransom. What will you do
with it?"
oOoOOOsOOOoOOOsOOOOOOSssOo
And this wonderful emerald
bell plays a big part--if you .
were writing this story, what 3
part would you have the jewel .
: play in the tangled web of war :
. plottlng7 Its history might be
one of bIoodv intridue and ita
future may make 1t pawn for .
. mans life. 3
(TO BE CONTINUED)