Evening star., 1925-03-08

his wrist As he walked toward me
[ could see beyond a doubt that i was
that of my trusty Number One.
felt sick
THE others came now. six of them,
carrying the body on a broken
door, the arms and legs bound with
ropes. and it was clear that the poor
fellow had first been tied and gagged
and ~tlien been subjected to dreadful
torture before his end had come.
To say that l was for the moment
overcome is to state the case mildly.
/ knew this man we'll; l could under
stand his thoughts through his own
language: and you cannot share
dangers with a man without feelinf
some pain at his passing-and such
manner of passing. But what an
noyed me most of all was that I could
not get a single man to speak about
the affair. How did it happen-why
did it happen-who had killed the
man, and what was behind it all?
None of these questions would they
answer, and even my Number Two,
ostensibly the bosom friend of the
victim, was dumb and white with
fear. When he was pressed for an
explanation he replied that he knew
nothing. From none of the others
could l secure any information, and
although they were all earning better
money in war than they ever did in
peace, having the opportunity to
pilfer in the regular conduct of
affairs and loot whenever they could.
with comparative security of their
heads, they told me Gin the essential
ly Chinese fashion when anything
goes wrong) that they would resign
en- bloc.
But why can't you say anything"
| asked Indignantly, feeling that some
ugly plan was being silently enacted
before my very eyes. and yet could
ret no trace of what was passing.
Why not speak to me and make your
report and then let us take the Num-
Der One and bury him in grave No.
34?"
1t was clear to me now why they
had changed my figures of the dead
that the graves contaiued-at all
events, this grave No. 34-adding one
more body than we had up to now
actually buried
The coolies would not move. One
by one they began to humble to each
other. Just then | heard another
voice. is IL from some one up the
street. but it was dark and conse-
quently I could not see well. AL
though l had a good working knowl- !
edge of the Chinese language, l could
said. The sound came again, AMI |
then l caught, in the common col |
loquial GO home. home. great |
brethren. go home, or all of ye shall |
be treated in the same way. Go
home. go home" And then, farther
away, Heed my warming, heed my
warning"
Without any hesitation, then, the |
whole gang Strengthened their weary
fa
me with the usual salutation of re-
spect, others with never a word and
only an angry scowl, walked up the
street whence l heard the voice. 1t
was then 1 saw the hybrid again. |
Clearly it was he who had spoken. !
He sat down on the curb and began.
with the dexterity of a banker, to
dole out to the coolies as they went |
to him certain sums of money, and I
could hear the Jingle of dollars
= x x =;
Z from the first had sensed him as |
All watched me striding up that cob |
bly, street, and when within Is feet
of this sly, sleek specimen of human
ity my Number Two came sweeping
down and begged me not to interfere.
Now. in many years of travel in
unfreduented parts of the Chinese
Republic, far out toward Tibet and
Mongolia, often being where it looked
as If death must overtake me in a
dozen different ways, 1 had endeav
ored to face with perfect equanimity
whatever came my way. But that
afternoon, as my Number Two stood
pleadingly before me, / admit that l
felt some dull foreboding of evil. |
And for this I believe the horrid hy- |
brid was responsible.
Have a care, have a care! Do not |
interfere" said Number Two. There |
is trouble ahead. l may suffer my
self for telling you, but-please don't, |
don't interfere. Have a care."
Well, what was the use, anyway? |
There lay the unburied body of my |
faithful native headman. showing me |
how the Chinese do things. In ordi- |
nary circumstances / should have |
done my best not to let this warning !
influence me. But l was spent, phys |
ically and mentally. The sun was |
nearly down and the chill November |
winds were stealing across the earth. |
So l endeavored once more to get my |
men to carry the corpse to grave No. |
"a and cover in the trench as speedily |
as possible. None would listen. how
ever. though l perceived that several |
of them were willing to carry out |
my wishes. but that some influence |
stronger than mine was directed by |
this ill-clad, sinking hybrid.
Go home" said Number Two to |
me. Go home, and 1 will come to |
visit you in the morning"
Thus there was naught for me to |
do but to find my way home, utterly |
dispirited and alone.
My pony was restless on the home |
ward ride, some IL miles over country |
from which the revolutionary army |
had but recently retreated. In places |
could canter in other places 1 was |
temporarily begged in the mud |
trenches, but still l gave my pony his |
head until l came to a place where a |
macadam road of sorts began its |
twisted way on past the native city |
to the foreign concession, where |
lived.
Listening for a moment. I heard |
the gallop of horse behind me, and |
instinctiyely / pulled up to see who |
was on such urgent business at that |
time of night. The other horseman |
refined in also, flashed an electric |
torch in my face, covered me with a |
revolver. and began hurriedly to
speak to me in perfect English.
Now, look here" i heard, the face