Marble Hill press., 1920-06-03


like. perhaps"
Con was relieved, lie smiled and
offered his hand again, Il never had
real Job 5efore, like H. Thanks"
The old pride came into Anufrw
March's eyes, Hut be merely said. In
the businesslike ton. ~ q un'tei
States Investigator. You're making
good
Il appeared that March had arrived
In fekinT about fourteen hours after
Leyington's departure by the Western
gate. Con asked; "ilow did you md
Chez Mlhrr'
u saw him In Tlehtsin. NJ the bag
gage rnoms, am sure he lid not NJ
,ic- ms. for ! believe he never had Q
glimpse ~ m. In America when was
shadowing him. hut ii's never Wise 60
be too sur of anything about .
Chinese. Kept out ~ his slrht until
Ne had come as Tar ~ the Yang gun
gate. and ther, met him openly. like
stranger II VAS natural 90 talk.
after finding that he knew English.
lie told m. he was q wool lmsrrhant
4 never gave you the details hut
my acquaintance With Che- Ming
r'ally began one evening Ia nory
street. several weeks before met you
In Cincinnati. You know the pory
street district In San Francisco,
had found that Il was the distributing
point for korrsh I managed 60 con
ne-t with Ch-r Ming thr night he r.
criN-d his money for all h~ had hrough,
In. fresh FROM somewhere
Il Hm honorrd hy YOUR confidence
said the younger man az one time
nv father and lived on lSoFy street.
Then you know korrsh"
4 can't say that I d.. VAS very
Young then"
'-rh.rr arr twelve thousand rrcori~,i
users ~ IL In the United States. and
that is hut a fraction ~ ,hos- Who
enter secretly the bliss and the agony
81 it
Con felt again the Importance of his
mission Hut he occupied his hands In
attending to the smaller personal lug
eag- 81 his friend.
"Ive been staying in that WIN you
come thy
lie indicated q hut. and the sight %
ihc low riisshapen structure seemed
20 bring back 60 him the taste snd
smell ~ that iAn-colorrd goats milk
witch they had given him there. In
their mistaken iirs ~ nour1shm~ut
Chee Ming and servants spread
their camp Jus; beyond the group ~
kennels and there was no further
communication between them and the
white men.
March made q desert veterans final
preparations for journey " many
weeks lie Included with th. usual
stores several lunches - dried meat.
hard a. bone: also leather sacks 20
~ over the head Whrn the bali -
gravel IN the vini should cut too Keen.
~ across their faces ~ present hs
fillrd these bags with cheese His vra.
pons we're NJ the finest. ani this sem.
81 odd TO Lexington. Uho knew his
mild ways Andrew March SEEMED
changed older morr stern. IN these
preparations Tie dart that hai drug.
gri Lexington on seahosrd seemed 90
have struck an unheBlei spnt In
Narchs ~nul This border land hdi
bitter memories His eyes had mar
rowed. as though he fcIt from Q dts.
tancc the biting dust. lie resisted the
emotions that prrycd upon him, and
the only sign was an ragrrness 20 be
near Lexington. tn have Con talk 60
him The old magnetism by which he
held the younger man vas uncunsci.
ously renewed. = vital current % more
than friendship
Next morning the two servants ot
Chec Ming were seen 20 ride eastward
upon single camel, taking leave ~
a master who needed them no further.
At noon the Chinese. with pack beasts
In tow. set forth alone into the west.
lie wants US TO follow him" said
March. "and II we did. all the maps In
the world wouldn't help. Time enough
for us this evening"
So when the western sky vSs 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
rushes and all was well.
The two drivers muttered. or held
silence. with none II the usual talk.
The broken city fell into the distance
behind them, and the shadow Of the
cameis 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 II fred and gripped
and soothed Its devotees, unlike opium
or hashish or betel. and more difficult
to trace than hcroin Of the SNOW.