Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1923-03-28
Copyright by the Century co..

nrospered with their skinny f1ocks.
At Sin-chen, through welter of STAIN
Cd snow, the rear of the caravan, three
narties, turned southwark, heavy with
ricn and salt that grew more precious
at each days end. They were carry
ing on to the province of Origu, seat
of Indebtedness. Now at Sin-chen
another party was waiting for the only
remaining group with Con to join
them. These two outfits. with that of
the white man, continued over a
nOrtherly road, and the mud was a
drag at every camel's foot.
"You take saints?" finally inquired
the Kalka.
He wanted to know whether or not
Lexington was a Christian missionary
to far Shan-sung.
mo" Con shook his head.
Half an hour later, the Kalka re-
sumed: ''You sell-no?"
"Nothing to SELL" answered the
white man.
Here their talk ended for that day.
Late in February the wind changed,
and the SHOWS were ended. The mud
dried and lifted in dust. Con realized
that tomorrow morning his cOmpan-
ions, the two outfits of gun-traders,
would go on northward, to find their
customers in those choking hills, but
that he would not be with them. The
Kalka warned him a last time, being
now quite fluent with "No good"
At daylight it became clear that both
outfits considered him fool. With
his one servant, Con remained behind,
and not an arm was raised in farewell,
not face turned toward the white
mailman. When their dust had blown
away in the west wind and their little
line was reduced by distance to
mere crawling thing along the edge
Of hills, Lexington turned, to find his
driver weeping.
did you want to go along?"
The servant moaned, and hid his
face.
Cold weather made it appear that
the clouds of heaven avoided this part
Of the world. The sky was always
pale. Lexington gambled on his final
instructions. Twenty times his fingers
stole into the bag to touch the torn
edges of his packet, and withdrew
again. Andrew March had trusted
him. He had five pack-animals, and
two saddled. There was grain to last
until Koriku, which was a village III
these yellow hills, trading-point OF
Olden days. Somewhere, at distance
beyond Koriku, westward and to the
north lay Shan-sung.
1t was necessary to be crisp to his
dufflemaster. This Celestial son or
fifty had never dreamed that the world
continued so far west. He was aWed
at the rock underfoot, and the SAND
that swOOped skyward, noting with
ingrOwn fear how the soil thinned ana
turned to yellow chalk as the hours
passed. 1t was the beginning or the
sand desert. unhallowed Sha Mo.
They came to a thin, fast river, ana
followed it's banks, to find solid ford
ing. Unwittingly they reached the enc
of the stream, for it pitched down
ward into the earth, swallowed up
dry with metallic gurgling. The rock
was cold everywhere around. Con
stood at the base of these rushhg
waters, watching them plunge into the
pit at his feet, and a sudden emotloh
fitted over him. 1t was fear-abrupt'
lightly touching. He strove to thlhK
of sane and ordinary things. laughed
it away, while his driver crept Dack
to the beasts. But he was afraid.
In Koriku were two fresh dromeda-
ries, which Lexington purchased, along
with provision for man and BEAST anu
a carbine for better luck. He was
impatient to reach Shan-sung. he was
not sure how long he could hold out
for the condition of his body kept
him from gaining strength. 1t was
Slight matter, he told himself COM
pared to the possibility that Chez Ming
had written into Shan-sung ahead VI
him, and passed on. He felt grave
necessity for an interview with that
Chinese, if only for moment There
would need be q quicker hama imam
his own, if Chez Ming were 10 go VI
without him.
A land that f1attened into emptiness
dun and gray, with vacant SKY, per
mitted the settlement named Shah-
sung to exist upon its dry BOSOM III
a past are an independent state, II
was now a lordless and un"aiieu
hundred of human beings, whose
emaciated progency moved solemnly
in play with tho starving days. Days
were hot, and nights Geld, and the al.
a sucking invisible thing that plotteu
the moisture from ones bones. Lev,
ington was stiff. His camels straggleu
in from their own particular direction'
since there was no street or pain py
which to enter the estate" many
houses had long ago crumbled down
into SO much gray rubbish. but there