Evening star., 1924-07-29
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
THE WALLET OF KAI LUNG. Err
nest Bramah. George H. Doran

THE WALLET OF KAI LUNG. Err
nest Brannah. George H. Doran
Co.
The sun had already slipped down
behind the western mountains when
Kali Lung entered the dark forest on
his way to the city of Knei Yang,
person Of consequence ever made this
journey alone. Kai Lung was GER
tainly alone. and he was as certainly
a person Of consequence. A prince
OF story-tellers, a man Of wisdom and
cunning-a true vagabond besides. A
person of consequence, indeed. Kai
Lung denied fear when admonished
with much wisdom that worthless
garment covered one with a surer
safety than that provided by an army
of bowmen. All the same, once with
in the long, dark reaches Of the wood
kai Lung wished himself either back
In the village from which he had set
out or at his journeys end within the
city OF knei Yang. But, since wish es
are not horses, Kai Lung stepped
briskly out upon his way. Then sud
denly he stopped. The watchful look
upon his face turned to one of COM
plete unconcern-a prudent man of
guile, Kai Lung. From behind the
next tree projected a long, straight
rod, at that distance not unlike a
slender bamboo, in reality the barrel
OF matchbox. One more step by
him and it would come into line with
his breast. And kai Lung spread out
his hands in sign of peaceful intent
He smiled blandly, waiting for the
owner Of the weapon to step forth.
This the unseen did a moment later.
still keeping his gun in an easy and
convenient attitude. revealing a stout
oody ana scared face, which in
conjunction made it plain to KI
Lung that he was in the power of
Lin VI. noted brigand of whom he
had heard much in the village
x X **
20 illustrious person." said Kai
Lung, very earnestly, this is evil
IDENTIFY an unfortunate mistake.
Doubtless you were expecting some
exalted mandarin to come and render
you homage and were preparing to
overwhelm him with gratified confu-
sion by escorting him yourself to
your we'll appointed abode. Indeed,
passed such a one on the road, very
richly appareled, who inquired of me
the way to the mansion of the dig
nified and upright Lin vi. BY this
tune he Is perhaps two or three Ii
toward the east"
"H0Wpvpr diSfino,,irhaI
ne may be, it is fitting. that 1
should first attend to one whose man
nerS ana accomplishments betray him
to be of the royal house" replied
Lin VI, with extreme affability. Pre-
cede me, therefore, to my mean and
uninviting hoveI. while / gain more
honor than l can reasonably bear by
following closely in your elegant
footsteps, and guarding your impe-
rial person with this inadequate but
heavily loaded weapon
X X
unable to escape, Kai Lung in
structed by the brigand, led the
way to the cave of this robber.
who commanded one of his followers
70 bind the hands Of the unfortunate
hai Lung behind his back. A sec
ond later rough hempen rope was
lxed around his neck, the other end
tied to an overhanging tree. "Noy-
we can converse at our ease and
without restraint" Lin vi remarked
pleasantly to Kai Lung. whereupon
the orlgand in elaborate and silken
phrase went on to tell how it came
to pass that he had chosen SO illus
trious career. "It was high
minded and disinterested course to
take agreed kai Lung with deer
conviction. When Lin vi finally
offered apology for his common
place talk" kai Lung came prompt
ly back with, "On the contrary, while
listening to your voice / seemed to
hear the beating of many gongs OF
the finest and most polished brass
l hoated in the middle air, and for
the time I even became unconscious
of the fact that this honorable ap-
pendage, though fashioned, as I per
ceive, out of the most delicate silk
makes it exceedingly difficult for me
i to breathe"
Through these highly orientalized
CASTOR and Alphonse genufiections
of mind and body on the part of the
twain, the situation opens up toward
the point where kai Lung is in immi.
nent danger of losing his life BY
way of a series of refined tortures
which Lin vi spreads out before him
in smooth and flowing words.
X X
By that time the astute Kai Luns
was keen to the fact that any means
of self-succor within his power must
be instantly brought into action. In
an instinct that many years of true
wisdom had served to render depend
able and certain, Kai Lung drew
from his wallet a handful of the
stories with which many a time he
had turned danger into safety, the
| hazardous path into the smiling and
friendly highway. Like the famous
Scheherezade, Kai Lung proved the
bewitchment of the story, pouring out
here, under a series Of changing cir
cumstances, tales of romance and
adventure, all of them embroidered
philosophy founded upon a clear in
looking upon the frailty and folly Of
the human. Wit and humor go hand
in hand here, the one subtle and
swift, the other open with smiles and
| out-breaking laughter. The whole
| the unchanging eastern convention
Amazing in effect-exciting, warm
ing, stimulating.
X x X
What Ernest Bramah set out to d.
| was to produce a general effect O.
| humor. The medium is our owl
speech. But the source of that humol
| is an alien race, reared for thousand.
of years under influences worlds
! apart from those that have affected
| US. Here is a people whose emotions
| all of them, seem from their mode,
| Of expression to be wholly differen
| from ours. Out Of the various emo
tions which the whole human famil,
| possesses in common, Mr.. Bramah ha.
Oolocfod tho sense of humor rlothin