Evening star., 1924-12-21

~ Was evening"" he continued
Might was coming on by the time /
had persuaded Maj. billiard to come
with me. l had a good deal of diff
Guilty to get him to come with me
alone, without a guard. Not that he
was afraid. This American officer
was not afraid. You could tell that
by his face. There was no way to
frighten him: but 1T was irregular
and he had practically to go incognito
The viceroy had stipulated with me
that / should bring the American Off
Ger alone. He did not wish the COM
mon soldiers to know what the mon
astery contained. l had some diff
Guilty to convince Maj. billiard; but as
L have said, he had faith in my cloth. -
My word" said the gunman, you
were in luck! Did they send
a yellow chair?"
The placidity of Swank was un-
moved. No" he said. LAS 1t hap
pened, the chairs were red. 1t was
some of the chairs in which the wom-
en- had been brought in. You know
a bride in China IS always sent to
the house of her husband in a red
chair. All the red chairs in the
province had been commandeered to
bring in the young daughters of the
HIES II NIilltSS ItSlutlllS u the pTOtGC-
ton of the viceroy."
Bow Bell interrupted with sort
of Vehemence.
Curses, man, get on. How far was
it to the monastery" But the de-
liberation of Swanks narration was
not to be hurried. His hand moved
the long sharp blade of his knife
slowly along the piece of soft wood,
removing shaving like a ribbon
He went on in his slow drawl:
The monastery was a few miles
west of the advancing column. The
American division had just come up:
behind 1t was a smart regiment from
Berlin, and behind that, farther down.
were the Russians. You see, the
whole expeditionary force in China
had been put under the command
OF Count Won Waldersee. The Ger
man emperor had intrigued for this
supreme command; had, in fact.
openly solicited II from the chancel-
leries of Europe. The German en-
peror thought he would make a great
point in the world if the supreme
command of the allied forces in
China should be put under a German
officer"
Swank paused as from the weari-
ness of effort. Won Waldersee was
a big, purple-faced German. wearing
helmet with a black eagle on the
top OF 1t, and white chin-strap, and
ne always rode a black charger. The
theatrical conceptions of the emperor
must be carried out in detail And
the oHlcious Won Waldersee was over
looking no occasion. An orderly had
Just arrived from the German high
command as l entered to interview
MAJ. billiard, and as it happened
the American general put the mes
sage that this orderly carried into
ms pocket as he came out with me-"
Bow Bell cursed under his breath
I know all that" he said.
** *
I 1ND1STURBED, unmoved and de-
Hberate, Col. Swank continued
with his narrative. I'VE set out in
the red chairs. We Travelled for about
tnree miles west to the monastery.
we passed first under that queer
thlng which is to be found In China
sort of gateway and trirmnhal
arch; but without any supporting
wall about it. This arch had nov
a Dig tarpaulin stretched across It on
"hlch was painted an immense white
cross. Through this arch on a flag
paved road we approached the main
structure or the monastery Before
TIE paved court
was oouble-roofed square tower
with a door on either side.
we got down from the chairs snd
went in. At the door stood the oId
chlhese official who had given me
the Two yellow boys He now handed
me the remaining four, and we on
Iereo the monastery. Within there
an immense image of Buddha.
sovered with gold leaf. A circular
a"ay ',.am mounted around the inner
r,tan H OF the temple, so that one
RnsdLe go up TO the very face OF the
sitting in his eternal calm
About us as we entered tba 80
PIE were crowds of Buddhist nrtas..
.neiF neaos shaven and wearing Iong
: SeiIo~ robes confined to the wsist
Cy sash' and felt-soled slippers, Tbs
Ehlnese - official went on. and We 81
lowed behind him. He passed tbror1h
ooor at the rear of the shrine ond
We were at once in an immense ~,
room. ise low
one was not able to sea ub,.
DECORATIONS the walls had containad
were heaped on all sides 10
lins with bales of silks. furs
anu eHprolderies; and about wara
ei ana boxes, piled in some con-
h as though they had just been
brought in. The whole chamhsr ,1,s
d warehouse, and it was filled to the
celllng, except for a narrow psssage
through the middle This we ira
Versed, and coming to the end Of n
passed through yellow door into
another chamber. We entered hara
d room OF lesser dimensions: but n
was htted up after the usual idea of
Cnlnese luxury-great mirrors around
the walls; rich rugs on the floor:
variety of clocks. all going at a diff
ierent hour; and many screens and
tapestries
In the middle of the room, In a
cnair padded with silk cushions, sat
the Vlceroy. He was an ancient man,
evidently at the end of life. His face
was like wrinkled parchment. The
whlte, struggling beard remained;
but the whole dome of his skull was
bald and yellow with age.
But the most striking thing in the
place was the women. The whole
room was literally crowded with
them-the daughters of the i'm
portant men of the province. Sitting
about on the priceless carpets,
clothed in exquisite silks, they looked
IKE quaint dolls. Their hair was
knotted in the usual Chinese fashion
with gum, and thrust through with
ornaments of jade, and gold pins;
their mouths painted"
The viceroy was too Ill to rise; but
ne made salute with his hand when
MAJOR billiard entered; and he began
at once to address the American
through the Chinese official who ac-
companied US, and whose English
was as good as my own. He asked
Tor protection to the monastry, and a
and extending his hand to the
great storeroom through which we
had passed. he offered the American
anything that he wished in payment
for this protection. Major billiard
endeavored to explain that the allied
armies were not on a quest of loot;