Evening star., 1921-12-18

track mind was centered wholly upon
Wang, the green cicada and the murder
Thus stood the situation when Ben
son. accompanying the soldier who
had summoned him. came from the
nearby yamen to buy the elnperor's
amulet.
Hanecy's soldier. with the greer
cicada in his hand, stood inside the
city gate and waited patiently. Ht
had Hanecy safe In case Benson re.
fused to give as much as a hundred
proach with Benson In tow he made 6
sign that all was well.
At this instant, crucial instant In
Fate's plan, the poor scholar came
through the gate, driven as q loiterel
by the soldiers.
Benson followed his guide to tht
soldier who awaited them. The lat
ter silently opened his hand ant
showed the green stone. and Benson's
eyes widened.
| How much, excellency? asked the
soldier. "This is true Han yu. az
you can Sec"
Benson took the green cicada, held
1t up. examined 1t closely. Six feet
away the poor scholar came to a dead
halt. gaping at the stone in astounded
| recognition. He was unobserved by
the three, for folk were eddying all
| around him, staring curiously at the
| white man.
~,
tering shout:
Help These are the men who
murdered the bookseller Wang In the
Street Of Ten Thousand Bright Flow
ers! That greensboro insect
Provincial soldiers who vary their
legitimate occupation with a spice OF
banditry on the side are by no means
fools, Benson was no fool either. but
he was caught by surprise. AS he
glanced up at the sudden shout, one
Of tho two men snatched the stone
from his hand; the other checked the
scholars outburet with a knife-thrust
Immediately tho street was f1une
into mad confusion. The poor scholar
| lay gasping out his life, while ABOVE
him trampled wild throng. Murder
and sudden death hovered close. the
onlv persons in the crowd who actu'
ally knew what was going on were
the two soldiers. And when Benson
tried to find them. furious at what mao
happened, they were gone.
~HE soldiers Strengthened out the
| crowd in short order. but there
WAS none to explain. The poor scnoiai
Inv dead. Benson shrugged his shoul-
ders at questions. pretending he oio
mt understand. A good many pre-
c,ous minutes were wasted while the
| officer in charge of the gate wax
.,icitinR from the throng Just wna'
had taken place. Finally 1t was real:
lied that the scholar had been wan
tonly murdered by a soldier. ana IRON
the description the men recognized
their comrade. The officer renectee
a while. then remembered that MI
man were great patrons of the near
by gambling house.
|
to watch the gate" he said. ih'
rest of you seach Ma Jen's gamoilnt
hons. and the nearby dwellings. ih'
,nurderer has fed there for hiding.
Tn this. by chance, the officer wal
quite correct.
sitting in the empty room. Will
only a brick bed and jar ina
smelled Of sam shu to keep MIN com
nanv. lin Hanecy waited for some
thing to happen. He felt so certain
that he had walked into trap O.
Benson's devising that he was anxlou
to get busy. His nerves were on
hair-trigger edge.
Not a sound reached him. ~
guessed that at this time OF da!
Avery one in the gambling joint wa!
as,eep. A slow and insidious doub
that this could be trap graduail!
rose in his mind. That soldier MAJ
lied. of course, but had not told tn
sort of lies Benson would have inst1
gated. Benson was too clever to nam
out that fish-belly stuff
/ A scurry of Fastening feet IN TN
massage. Hanecy's hand slid towar'
his armpit, then paused.
"By the blessing Of the five bats!
said the voice of the soldier who ha'
guided him. Here Is the piace-an'
there ia no time to lose If we are t
carry our heads safe out OF the city
r.ke the money and be satisfied
fool"
I Another voice grumbled something
inaudible. The door was hung open
Hanecy rose as the two soldiers en-
tered and closed the door. They wer
nanting. their eyes showed fierce ex
element, the hand of the one was ret
with hastily wiped blood.
)" Hanecy perceived that much ha'
been going on somewhere, but he wa
too wise to ask any incautious ques
tions.
Here Is my comrade. heaven born,'
: said the first soldier hurriedly. III
has the green stone. Give US tn
money and let us depart"
Hanecy extended the sheaf Of notes
The soldier tucked them away, thel
turned with an angry gesture to hi
J comrade.
i "The green stone, quickly! Civ
him the Han yu!"
First give me my money" scowle
the other. Besides, how do kno1
, the money is good? It Is not sill
ver-"
"Oh, turtles offspring! Can I no