The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1917-01-06

tuNr hDlrils hfluUs an ~
sooner hAvo any body think his
father'd been pirate than TO have
that found out
4 had 20 light ont O. HonEkonE
There's some parts o. China where
I'm Etill remembered as Sam
Milleta but for the most part I'm
Jim STRAINS.
Major Hector Sylvester was a
crony o. your fathers. tho ia mover
got acquainted with him tin the
time o tho Tibet expedition. The
time came. tho. when tho two o
them together had use for me.
1t came about IN this way: For
years. Off an on. IA been hearinE
about Il whale 81 big diamond
that was said 20 be- somewhere NJ
In tho Khan country. I, was Kept
"a sort o fetish tn one O. their
lamaserios. II was rough stone
but worth the plcklnEs Of a prov.
ince.
For a tifne could dig up moth.
ing more definite than the fairy
stories ia already heard was
sim under cover for tho Hongkong
matter. boarding with a friend o
mine named Lucy Chang
"Ons nlght Lucy came 10 my
room 20 tell mo there was n man
In the shop who might tell mo
something about my diamond.
what's tho chaps namer |
asked. Lao Wing f'u.' SAYS Lucy.
~ see. already know Lao as a
pretty shrewd young chap who'd
had some dealings with your father
as well as me.
"Iie told me he'd heard in one
way an another about my interest
In tho stone. an that circumstances
we're such that he might help me
TO tiff I'd help him 10 something
he wanted.
Where IL this amazing dia.
mond?' asked him. It's AZ Tao.
IA. says he. an az far as getting
at Il was concerned. he might as
well'ye said tho North Pole.
'Therc'd been talk OF the English
Government sending an exploring
party into Tibet. Lao said he had
Il straight that II the expedition
ever started. Sylvester would be in
command lie an his wife had big
regulations as explorers. an in the
nature o things they were bound TO
get somewhere close TO Tao-fu.
What is Il you WANT ! by an
by asked Lao.
II f. like this. IllustrIous One.
he SAYS: When tho expedition
starts ! want TO 20 with Il. Your
friendship with Kwan Ferris can
get me n billet as Interpreter. !
know tho dialects
That ought to make II easy.
then | told him. but why you
want to 80 at all. says. IS beyond
me
He sat studying a bit: then his
answer made me sit mp an pay
strict attention Says ne: There
are things in this world greater
than diamonds: tho greatest OF
them lies at the lamasery o. Taofu.
want IT.
Not unless you're a pretty big
gun among the Tao-fus, said. can
you ever hope to succeed In such a
crazy undertaking.
There Is much he says, that
must remain unspoken between me
an you. Taofu is far out o. the
world to DO the source o. spiritual
guidance for the Thrice blessed
ones children. hold a commits.
sion. But this must remain a
secret between US
Enough says. III got word
to Kwan Forris at once
six days later Peter II. Ferris,
Lao Wing Fr an we're sitting
with our heads together In my
room.
We'll. the upshot o. the whole
thing was that when the expedition
started Lao an | went with Il. II
he got the diamond. the four OF us,
includin' Major Sylvester. was to
have equal shares in It,"
Strang's narrative OF tho expedI.
ton into Tibet would fill n vol.
ume, out i am Obliged to confine
myself to those details that arc
necessary TO make everything clear
For centuries the Tao-fu lama
sery had been the shrine OF the
secrs most sacred relic. This was
a ring OF great antiquity. which In
reality was nothing more than an
ingenious instrument for making
assassination safe and easy. II
was venerated in a phrase that sig.
nlfled THE Kiss of the Silent
Death and whenever n victim was
marked for punishment. "A Bearer
Of the Kiss was chosen by lot and
sent forth To carry out the decree
OF the order.
It was this ring, investing its
possessor with leadership. which
Lao Wing Flu had been empowered