Evening star., 1922-01-15

now. All clear! Who's your friend
Benson?"
Little by little. Toptit came to un-
derstand the miracle. When he
learned what Capt. Craven had seen In
the garden. recently, he eroaned. Hanecy
captured! Craven was imperturable.
however. and suggested q cigarette.
Wont do to get the wind up. old
dear! Cheero! What price q helping
hand, eh?'
Toptit gathered by degrees that this
was an offer of alliance.
Jim Hanecy, still in the net that
had enmeshed him and, further
wound about with rope, was slung
to pillar in the main pavilion and
allowed to hang like a quarter Of
beef during most Of the afternoon.
He saw two OF his boats crew
slaughtered there before his eyes,
and 1t did not improve his temper.
Hanecy was something of a fatal
ist He had every reason to sup
pose that Toptit was dead. as Ben
son stated: yet he was by no means
certain. He knew Toptit better than
most people did. So. as he hung in
his net and witnessed the wild orgy
of blood, lust and liquor that went
en- in the pavilion, he was thinking
rather Of himself than Of Toptits
fate.
Toward evening Benson came into
the place. glanced in distaste at the
scene around. and then came to
Hanecy. He looked up at the latter
with a twisted grin.
"Ah. Mr. Hanecy! You see that
II have come out into the open
against you at last. as you have SO
often begged that I would"
Hanecy said nothing. Benson held
up the Image Of Earth.
Here is the deity, Earth, which 1
took from your late partner. There
are only ten in existence outside of
China; really quite a hnd. Hanecy!
I've been looking over the stuff in
your boat-a most remarkable col
lection. I must congratulate you.
But you were just a bit too greedy.
If you'd let the last piece go, you
might have been safe. You had to
have it all-and now you've lost 1t
all. Tomorrow TIL start for the
coast. with your boat. Amy message
to send?"
Hanecy glared down at him and
held his peace. Benson chuckled
softly.
"You can hang over night and
cure" he purred. Tomorrow these
gentlemen will attend to you. I hate
to come down to actual murder.
Hanecy. but 1 don't imagine that I'd
be very safe if you were to live. and
1 believe in looking after number
one and sleeping sound. So long!
See you later. Toptit set fire to his
cage with a cigar l gave him, SO !
shan't offer you a smoke"
Benson departed.
A N hour passed. and another. Dark
1 ness fell. With whoops and bestial
jokes. the pilot Shwang and his crew
brought in a box of candles that
Hanecy had meant to pack to the
coast-fine temple candles from the
famous Ching-yang shrine; great
two-foot candles OF soft wax with
cotton wicks an inch thick. the out
side of each candle painted garfshly
in grease paint The band removed
these candles from the bamboo cases.
set them up, lighted them: the can
dlesticks were huge bronze affairs
with pricked ends. Now the wine
flowed freely.
Another hour. One of the maudlin
women brought a flaring candle and
set it in a pricket-socket under the
swinging captive, SO that the smoky
flame of it ran up the back of his
legs. Grasping the idea. amid howls
of mirth, other candles were brought,
so that Hanecy was presently swing
ing over a dozen of the flaming
things, while about him danced the
band in wild obscene rawlings. mad
dened by the hot wine and the writh-
ing Of their captive. Hanecy spun
slowly in his net, like an OK on a
spit.
Keep it up. you devils out of hell"
he gasped suddenly. feeling a strand
of the net part under his feet. 1.-TWO
YOU"
Take it easy. Jim," said a voice at
his rear-the voice Of Toptit Say
the word when you're ready"
Startled almost out of his senses,
the tortured American looked up.
There, at a carved and gilded em-
brasure beside the pillar to which
he was hung he perceived the face
Of his partner. Toptit was cutting at
the carved work with knife and was
out Of sight from the floor Of the
pavilion. having climbed to his pres
ent perch from outside.
Ready? he gasped. I'm ready
now. confound you! The nets burn
ing!"
"Then 60 ahead" said Toptit
coolly.
Hanecy had been clinging to the
net with his hands, supporting his
weight from the fame-rotted strands
beneath. Now he let himself go,
slumped downward suddenly. The
rope wrapped outside the net was
not tight enough to hold him. The
smoldering net burst from about
his feet, and he dropped like a plum
met With crash and an oath, he
struck the score Of candles below and
scattered them.
A howl Of drunken delight went up
from the crew. Shwang lurched for
ward and threw himself at Hanecy,
who lay among the spluttering can
dies. But Hanecy rose to meet him
rose and met him with one kick
that took the drunken ruffian under
the chin. Shwang pitched sideways