The Hope pioneer., 1920-04-29

like, perhaps"
Con was relieved. He smiled and
offered his hand again. Il never had
real job Before. like it. Thanks" !"
The old pride came into Andrew
March's eyes. But he merely said. in
the businesslike tohe of United
States Investigator. you're making
good"
1t appeared that March had arrived
in Peking about fourteen hours after
Levington's departure by the Western
gate. Con asked: "How did you find
Chez Ming?"
II saw him in Ten-tsin. at the bag.
gage rooms. am sure he did not no.
tice me, for l beliexe he never had a
| glimpse of ME In America when ! was
slladowing him, hut it's never wise to
be too sure of anything about a
Chinese. kept out of his sight until
we had come as far as the Yang-gun
gate. and there met him openly, like
a stranger. 1t was natural to talk,
after finding that he knew English.
He told me he was wool-merchant.
II never gave you the details. but
my acquaintance with Chez Ming
really began one evening in Dory
street. several weeks before met you
in Cincinnati. You know the Dory
street district in San Francisco.
had found that it was the distributing
point for koresh. managed to con-
meet with Chez Ming the night he re-
ceived his money for all he had brought
in, fresh from somewhere"
II am honored by your confidence" /"
said the younger man. "At one time
my father and I lived. on Dory street.
'"rhen you know koresh."
II can't say that do. was very
young then"
",There are twelve thousand recorded
users of it in the United States. and
that is hut fraction OF those who
enter secretly the bliss and the agony
of it,"
Con felt again the Importance Of his
mission. But he occupied his hands in
attending to the smaller personal lug
gage of his friend.
''lve been staying in that. viii you
come in?'
He indicated hut, and the sight of
the low misshapen structure seemed
to bring back to him the taste and
smell of that tan-colored goats milk
which they had given him there. in
their mistaken idea of nourishment.
Chez Ming and servants spread
their camp just beyond the group of
kennels, and there was no further
communication between them and the
white men.
March made desert veterans final
preparations for journey Of many
weeks. He included with the usual
stores several lunches of dried meat,
hard as bone; also leather sacks to
go over the head when the hail Of
gravel in the wind should cut too keen
ly across their faces. At present he
filed these bags with cheese. Fis wea-
pons were of the finest. and this SEEM
ed odd to Lexington, who knew his
mild ways. Andrew March seemed
changed. older. more stern. in these
preparations. The dart that had drug
ged Lexington on seaboard seemed to
have struck an unhealed spot in
March's soul. This border-land held
bitter memories. His eyes had mar
rowed, as though he felt from a dis
tance the biting dust. He resisted the
emotions that preyed upon him, and
the only sign was an eagerneSs to be
near Lexington. to have Con talk to
him. The old magnetism by which he
held the younger man was unconsci-
ously renewed, a vital current of more
than friendship.
Next morning the two servants Of
Chee Ming were seen to ride eastward
upon Il single camel, taking leave OF
a master who needed them no further.
At noon the Chinese. with pack-beasts
in tow. set forth alone into the west
"He wants us to follow him." said
March, "and if we did, all the maps in
the world wouldn't help. Time enough
for us this evening""
So when the western sky was spat-
tered with flame. and long violet shad-
ows stretched out upon the sands,
Commissioner March and Commission
er Con Lexington laid their course
according to map, and proceeded into
the sunset. The camels had taken
their last long gurgle at the water
hole in the village, trampling the
rnshes and all was WE'LL
The two drivers muttered. or held
silence. with none of the usual talk.
The broken city fell into the distance
behind them, and the shadow Of the
camels extended out through the dust.
The purple shafts were melting into
twilight, and the Sha Mo became an
indefinite number of sandy knobs, still
bright, seeming to rise up from the
desert floor.
Lexington heard the story of the
subtle drug, how it fired and gripped
and soothed its devotees, unlike opium
or hashish or betel, and more difficult
to trace than heroin of the "snow-
BIRDS" sScience had not thus far de.