The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-02-01

NNT DON'T care what 1t costs. want
" it and I propose to have it,
Why, 1t would be the greatest
curio in all my collection. Just think
OF it-a real Chinese ghost shut up In
his own little cabinet and ready to
came and go whenever I open the door,
like a squirrel in his cage. Isn't it
great? 1t will make those Indian
Buddhas and those Burmese idols look
like nothing at all. and just think.
Tony, what spiritualistic sceance we
can give when we get back to SYRIA
cuse. eh?"
We'll, old man. I suppose If you set
your heart On it, you'll eventually get 1t,
somehow. I don't believe I ever knew
you really to want a thing-that is.
thing that money could buy that you
didn't sooner or later put your hand
on It, but it looks as if you were going
to have a mighty hard task before you
this time. The Captain says-and the
old skipper has been out here a great
many years, you know-that no Euro
pean has ever gotten his hand on a
real genuine one vet. and there have
been lots Of travellers hunting curious
out here before US"
The above remarks were part Of a
conversation between Mr.. Reginald
Wells. a wealthy young American
tourist. from Central New York, and
his college chum at Cornell. Mr.. Theo-
dore Trowbridge (known on the cam
pus as "Tony'D as they sat in the
smoking room OF the steamer Nam
Ching ,en route from Hong Kong to
moy. They were real globe trotters
of the traditional American type. They
had started out on a trip around the
world, and, incidentally on a good
time, and at this present moment they
were having their share of both They
had done India, the Straits, Java and
Borneo, and now they were on their
way north from Hong Kong to Annoy
to fill full their huntsmen's cup of JOY
with a genuine old fashioned tiger
hunt. They had heard incidentally of
this sport in the south, but Colonel
Johnson, the American Consul at Hong
Kong, had whetted their appetite for it
to the keenest edge by showing them
in his office the skin of magnificent
man eater. More than twelve feet
long, gentlemen. from tip to tail. Had
killed three children the week before
shot hin-grandest sport in the world,
I can tell YOU
That was enough. Nothing would do
but tiger-shoot. The Consul made
every preparation for them and the
crack steamer of the Southern Navi-
cation Company was now bearing them
rapidly towards the lair. of the beast,
armed not only with guns and ammu-
milton, but with something equally i'm
portant, namely: letters of introdUc-
ton 70 the leading English firm of the
port. Messrs. Waring & @. had beer
notified by wire of their coming and
they were instructed from their bank
ers not only to entertain the travellers
aJyr hut to ha
coolies ready for the hunt
Just at the moment that We are in
troduced to these gentlemen in the
smoking room of the steamer. how
ever, the interest in the tiger had sud-
denly waned and the aI1-absorbing
tapic was the rarity and value of the
curios which they had collected in the
Orient. After listening patiently to
their descriptions of the unique and
only genuine" articles which they had
induced reluctant natives to part with
at fabulous prices, Captain Jones
chimed in at last with:
We'll, you may have Buddhas and
idols and josses galore. but there's one
thing You haven't got-and it's one
thing money can't buy. either-and
that's a genuine ancestral cabinet with
the original ghost inside. I've seen
lots of tourists offer for them-and
mighty high prices. too-but nary a
one did they ever get, for the China
man would rather die than sell his an
cestor's ghost; and that's what they
believe is really in the little tablet in
the lacquer box"
"Regy," said Tony from the opposite
side Of the room, we've got more of
these miserable curious now than we
know what to do with. Why, you
could stack the whole museum at Cor
nell almost full with what we've ship
ped home already and even if you do
induce some disloya1 Confusionist to
sell his ancestors ghost it would cost
you a small fortune to buy it-so
what's the use?"
Six bells rang out from the wheel
house Just at this moment and the ap
pearance Of the saloon boy with.
"Velly solly. gentlemen but catchee
lebben clock must putchee out lights"
ended the conversation for the eve
ming.
The good ship Nam Ching dropped
anchor in Annoy harbor on schedule
time in the morning and the steam
launch flying Waring & Co.'S house
flag, with the head of the firm himself
on board. came out to meet the trav-
elers and give them a cordial welcome
the hong" as such business estab-
ishments are called in tho China seas.