Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-01-26

mind that had so long been unknown
to him.
Four men gathered in the club lounge
looked up and nodded greeting when
Dacre Joined them. Lighting a ciga-
rette. he glanced quizzically around the
group.
whats the matter?" he asked.
Deadlock grunted Stevens.
Its Claiming again." complained
Wray. HE declares that the charm
and mysticism of the far east are all
tommyrot. Says he's Travelled the
whole oriental circuit and never en-
countered a superstition that wasn't a
bubble of hot air. Now. Dacre, you
know we like to believe that some
where east of Suez' lies all the glamour
of the Arabian Nights Hang it all, a
mans got to have some decisions left
himi''
Keep away from the east. then"
sneered Claiming.
"Why?" asked Dacre.
Charming stared at his cigar. TOO
many ruined temples, ferocious stone
gods and imaginary dragons snorting
fire and fury. A land glutted with
superstition"
DIR. Wakeman exploded wrathful-
ly. Most of my travelling has been
from one sickroom to another. but
like to believe there's a bit of poetry
and charm in the terrestrial anatomy
that l needn't cut OUT"
They laughed. looking at Dacre. who
had Just returned from China.
what is your opinion. Dacre?' asked
Stevens.
"I've lived in the east for years.
said Dacre slowly. I've seen strong
men quake before the wrath of their
gods-aye. mean gods of wood and
stone-and l know of a tiny image of
Buddha which would speak to a GER
tain man-if the man could be found
Hear! Hear applauded 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 leave a bit of
coral or amber. Mandarins go ashore
to pledge jewels for a safe voyage, and
occasionally foreign tourists stumble
upon the temple and try TO buy curios."
Claiming sat rigidly 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 a man
With a 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.
HSmith-the mans name might have
been Smith-laughed and went away.
He told himself that every man had
his price and that if he 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 a very ordinary one.
HE went direct to the priest and Of
fered to buy the most precious carving
of all. The priest was obdurate.
"'The wrath Of the gods will be upon
me- he declared.
1.-THE richest man in the world
wants to buy wheedled Smith.
1.-THE priest hesitated and his onyx
eyes glittered GENEROUSLY.
1.-The honorable foreigner is the rich
man?' he asked tentatively.
Smith nodded.
land the priceY
Smith named 1t. Enough to buy a
little house and garden on the slopes
of the Yangtze, where the priests
aged sisters could end their days in
peaceful plenty.
ut 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
gods?
SIulCn ugu again. III Jake u
chance on that he said carelessly.
How about it? Is it a bargain?' And
he held out eager hands for the ivory
carving he most coveted.
"Still the priest hesitated. The
wrath of the gods is not to be lightly
spoken Of he reproved. When dumb
gods speak. then shall the heart of the
guilty quake
But Smith was not to be frightened
out of his desire for the ivory Buddha.
He could see in his minds eye the
very niche in his cabinet where the
carving would stand-next to the jade
amulet, the flower Of his collection. He
gritted his teeth and said he would
not be disappointed. Then he smiled
on the priest, dropped a liberal contri-
button in the bronze box at the door
and went away to brood over the ivory
carving.