Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-06-17

L was glad when we were once more
in the Portuguese part of the town.
The streets were deserted, since all the
world had gone to see the celebration.
We crossed the little park in front of
Mercedes house, where we lived. l en-
tered and sat down in my room. care
fully closing the shutters of the win
dow which gave toward the street.
l felt terribly sorry for the loyal Mo-
hammedan Maharaja back there in the
house of Yuan Kee. I would have saved
his life if L could. But that was not
the main part of the game 1 was play
ing: the game in which an individual
life. noble and exalted though it may
be. was only negligible pawn.
| was playing for a bigger stake: one
of the biggest man has ever played for.
1 was playing for the destiny Of my
race. my faith, my civilization. and 1
free from all sentimental, pink and
white fastenings. l could not be mum
ming my strengths and my energies in
the speciosities of weak sympathy. 1
must stick to my real task. and strip it
bare of the bluff. And my real task
was the getting" of Yuan Kee.
Because my brain was sharply TO-
cused on one fact-the fact that Yuan
kee believed MaScasenbas to be the
Babu Upendranath Chucker-jee, his
trusted spy and emissary. Here was
my weapon; my one weapon forged
ready to hand. And I must use it.
must or fall by the swish and sharp
ness and worth of it.
l had the fullest confidence in the half
castles loyalty. He had, it is true,
passed through peculiar stage several
weeks ago. when. the prey to his own
bizarre superstition and the devilish
psychic suggestions of the Manchu. he
had for day and a night believed that
his soul was the soul of Hussain Khan,
my dead enemy, and that his body must
do as the strange soul which it har-
bored was commanding. But he got
over his mad hallucination. Today he
was sane, and. as l said, loyal to the
very core. l had no fear on that ac-
count
"Mascasenhas." I said. looking straight
at him, you are my friend. What
would you do for me?"
He fell at my feet and kissed my
hands He answered me with all the
exaggerated imagery of the east:
Il love you, master of mine. You ask
me what / would do for you, Listen:
If I were warrior ] would sully my
sword for your sake
looked straight at him. Then 1 con-
tinued in "a low, even voice:
You know the house of Yuan kee.
You know that he and his henchmen
believe you to be the Babu upendranath
Chuckerjee Isn't that so?''
Yes. yes" His voice was slightly
falterng.
"All right" I Continued rapidly. with
out giving him time to think. You
can get into that house easily enough.
The Tartars will let you through.
There's no doubt of it. Very well. You
go there. AT once. Immediately"
1 stopped. waiting for his answer. and
it came. in just two words:
"All right" His voice was hollow.
You will tell Yuan Kee that l have
framed up charges against him with
the authorities Of Maco, and that they,
acting under pressure from the British
government have decided to arrest him
tonight Tell him that these charges
have nothing to do with the Doorgha-
Puja, nor with the kidnapping of the
royal raja. On the contrary, they are
as running gambling
house. For if he got it into his head
that VIC were trying to interfere with