Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-06-10

It was a shastly, pitiful caricature Of
Mascasenhas. He was thin, emaciated,
and there were half-healed streaks and
eloquently Of savage beatings with a
heavy whip His lips were blue and
agonixed. as II they had cried too much.
He was securely tied to stout, wood
en- post, and alf-chewed leather gag
was protruding from his mouth. cut
the ropes which held him, and with
drew the gag from between his stark
laws. He Tell into my arms nearly un-
conscious.
Gently famed his face. Then I
thought of the little supply of opium
balls which I carried In fold of my
waistband. in keeping with the charac-
ter and customs of the travelling Arab
shaykh whom l was impersonating. !!
forced 1t between the half-caste's lips
and down his throat. A second later,
opening his eyes wide, he recognized
me. and, sinking to HIS knees, kissed
my hands again and again.
.'Masterl Oh. my master" he sobbed
with broken. rasping voice.
Then asked the question which was
trembling on my lips.
What happened? thought they had
His answer came hollowly and IN
steadily.
'"They-dragged me down here. I
shouted-1 called-but you did not
He had been a prisoner down there.
he told me. since the day of the feast,
and had been given to understand that
he was being reserved as the chief hui
Pu1a festival. which would be given at
the Hindoo temple in Macao.
He had been told. with savage beat
ings and insults and indignities, that he
had been traitor to the God Of the In
vincibly Strong Arms whom once he
had served. and that his sacrifice would
be slight atonement. The men who
had told him that, the men who had
beaten him. had not been Chinese. but
prs. but s0@ nj Ct Ct them them had been been
marked with the hateful crimson caste
mark.
THE caste-markw he repeated over
Doorsha!"
A tremor ran through him. and he
crossed himself. His hand felt for the
amulet which contained the splinter Of
the real cross that had been torn from
him in his struggle with the Tartars,
and which had surreptitiously picked
Ever since had carried 1t in the folds
of my waistband. Now l gave II to
him, and the effect was instantaneous
He held 1t to his lips. and visib1y, as
through the strength Of faith. he be-
came the old Mascasenhas. speaking at
once coherently. sensibly.
understood suddenly the enigmatic
words Of Yuan Kee which I had over
heard.
I'VE must pander to the superstitions
Of the Hindoos."
This pandering to Hindoo supersti-
lions meant the blood sacrifice OF Mas
casenhas at the Doorgha -Puja festl-
val in Macao.
told the half-caste about the i'm
poster who was at the house of Man
uel Mercado. We returned to the house
by back streets and alleys. and going
directly to the room OF the impostor,
we tied ana gagged him.
do not care to write down In detail
what happened afterward. Suffice 1t to
say that, with the savage and gleeful
help of Manuel Mercado and the old
servant, the Goanese skillfuliy trans
formed the impostor into an exact rep
resentation OF himself / kept my hands
to my ears while the Transformation
was going on in the next room. But
every once in a while could hear the
heavy swish Of the whip as 1t kissed
the naked skin. and the terrible. hol-
low muffied signs which forced them
selves through tho gag.
At the end Of an hour Mascasenhas
came to my room. He bowed deeply.
deferentially. But in his eyes was a
In . dark forest.
'srhe servant has gone to the stable
for the carriage. He will drive. Manuel
and I will take that-that thing NEXT
door to the spirits house. We shall