The Hope pioneer., 1920-04-29

and sold It, lr Is to be traced. and
your findings reported SO that our
chief can make arrangements to check
this evil at its source. He can do very
little until you have something definite
20 report, its actual starting point, etc,
and that means the starting-point of
Chez Ming. Upon your success will
rest the honor of Kidding the world of
deep gray curse. l wish you Cod
speed. "a. NJ"
Lexington knew that his hands We're
trembling. He read this final instluc-
tion again and again, until every
phrase was unfOrgetable. Much of his
friend came to him from the page. the
worldwide significance of his errand
In this treacherous land. Con was
humble before the trust of Great
America. He burned to do we'll. The
matter of koresh. the deep gray curse,
was not at all clear to him. He had
an uncomfortable suspicion that he
knew the stuff
Afternoon was frightful with dust
and sun-glare. Night came cold, vet
not in the nature of Il relief. Con
drank bowl of brownish goats milk,
and cracked like a chip between his
teeth native biscuit. He brushed
the ashes from his lips. and found
himself staring at nothing, while the
meaning Of his mission grew larger
within him. Something had come at
last to steady him. The underworld
had always trusted him-Something
not granted to many--but now he was
honored by the government. Authori-
ty believed in him. tested him, and
sent him to unravel poisonous web.
He recalled certain things he had
told Andrew March, almost amounting
to confessions. Now that he knew
his friend to be a federal officer, he
wondered what March must have
thought of those recountingS. 1t made
Con smile. EIe was more keenly
aware now Of the intimate ways in
which the elder man had studied him
before trying him in the present task.
He planned to wait a week, if:need
be, in the hope that Chez Ming would
come. He specuate1 that the Chinese
had probably returned to Tien-tsin to
regain his troublesome trunks. so ac-
counting for delay in reaching Shan
sung. If the week passed and brought
no traveller. Lexington meant to enter
the Cobb without a map.
Having given orders that his servant
should have the day to himself. he
turned over and mapped again. For
the remainder of the day there were
pleasant matter. to think over, until
he discovered that his "boy" had gone,
taking the two fresh beasts. Doubt
less with the aid of the villagers. the
OH devil had fled back eastward. away
from the devils of the unknown.
The fact that the village was against
him did not depresS Lexington, as it
must formerly have done. Now he
had to sustain him the assurance of
his own country that he had been
chosen. that men Of power trusted
him. The second day he found himself
quite generally ignored in the stony
ghost of city. although the old woman
and her two sons continued to accept
his silver for food and Il roof
Late in the afternoon of the third
day, when his patience was waning,
camel outfit appeared to eastward.
1t could not he his prodigaI driver
Con went forth to show himself. He
was done with subterfuge, and the
village offered no concealment, had he
wished to hide. There were half a
dozen men in the approaching party,
or, on a closer look. two men and
their servants. all bobbing nearer on
camels.
Chez Ming was heading the outfit.
He sat under Tapping sunshade.
His dry face was unchanged. al
though his soul became curse
against the western youth who had
persisted He hated the steadiness of
Levingtons eyes and the half-slnile,
remembering the brutality Of his mus
cular equipment, but most of all he
longed to blight the power and pene-
tration of Cons brain. Yet, so far ps
the countenance Indicated. when he
regarded his white enemy below him.
Chez Ming might have been in the
act of serving coffee at Cecil Wedger's
elbow, instead OF riding shaggy
beast in these outlands of Mongolia.
But the master of the other outfit
was white man. Beneath A sloping
Chinese straw hat. the face was gray
and strong and touched with Sadness
Con answered the greeting Of Andrew
March,
CHAPTER v