Elbert County tribune and Elbert County banner., 1920-12-17

tides of life were released and set
In motion. He trod across the lobby
for the last time when his sedan was
called.
The order was to the western gate
of the city, and haste. His runners
started. and Lexington sank back. very
numb and sick. In his mind one word
was cleaning like an Instrument of
torture, Shan-sung. And his instruc-
tions remained unread in the black
bag.
Near the western gate were cara
vansary and many travel-stores. Small
houses were pressed together like
driftwood against river bridge.
They ran up on top of one another. or
slid down In an aspect of perennial
ruin. 1t was dark. In the torch-llght
of the alleyways many humans moved
I'm and out. They were chilled. and
had no curiosity. Every roof shelter
ed half shop and half a nursery.
Business hours were without termina-
tlon.
Among the red shadows. one might
purchase hundred horses or q pocket
full of chestnuts. silks from the South
or figured linen from the North, wine
In stone TASKS. grain In leather bags.
salt, hay. camels. drivers themselves.
Con sought out native merchant who
spoke English. His purchases were
swift and simple after that.
In the swarm of traders and idlers
he forgot himself. turned his back
upon everything except his mission.
He knew nothing of camels, but he felt
them over carefully by torch-lIght TO
discover any sores or cracked pads.
The Engllsh-speaking merchant.
well-fed Chinese, watched him soheriy,
and later, with feeble protest. accept
ed a certain reward for his ndvIce.
Near nine In the evening. with a
cold wind pressing in. all was ready,
and Levlngton's private caravan moved
forth from the city, passing under the
ancient bricks of the Western arch.
Perhaps II was Imagination only, hut
the air felt different outside the walls |;
as though the sky had receded TO its
normal distance from earth. leaving
much clear air and breeze In between.
The reason was more truly that the
fog had gone. Winter was down in
earnest.
1t was late the next day when they
reached the inner line of the Great
Wall. where arrangements were made
to join merchant caravan on Its
westward journey. Cons was the
sixth outfit In line. The head driver
of one party had half dozen English
w txshf MI 70
dress to Lexington. The young white
man gave another half-dozen to this
friend, at the same time gaining a
valuable dozen of his own, travel
phrases that could mean the difference
between food and starvation.
This small village on legs followed
the icy river road, and at Kaigan
passed the outer Great Wall. Lew
ington, swathed in padded robes of
leather, viewed the old marvel with
mixed feelings. He was awed by 1t,
and he hated 1t, this patchwork sprawl
of stones. raised to withstand the
Tartar hordes, but only lifting long
shadow across the minds of its
builders.
For number Of days they skirted
the masonry beyond the King lakes,
now crusted with brown Ice Beside
the road. in the cracking marsh. one
trader In firearms lost his fortune
when his camel SHE'D. All his car
tridges were spilled and soaked, and
his long-barreled rifles rusted. He
diminished the caravan. turning back
eastward. The others pushed on
through the stinging cold. Con was
somehow relieved when the trail led
away from the sight of that dragon
barrier. the Wall.
His student of English. q dry and
brown Kalka driver. rode every day
beside him, and Lexington received
assurance that Shan-sung was some
where ahead. but so far Off the trail
that none but madman would wish
to reach 1t. It had never been a point
on the trade routes.
Snow blew down, darkening the air,
and lining the camels' eyes with shin
Ing drops. The foolish lips Of the
beasts were pearled with Ice. Every
length of stay-leather creaked with
cold. Up ahead, the caravan seemed
always moving of into the invisible.
The fields were white. Villages hud-
died under thin lines of smoke, but in
certain districts the swirling snow hid
every curved roof. and all the mud
was turned to stone.