The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-12-17
CHAPTER x

Jean 6trebor had dived under water, at Al Stegeris warning, Co elude the yellow hands that stretched toward her from the sam- pan. She did not see one of Mar niiaIl Fang's hirelings drive knife between the shoulder blades of the weary Steegers.
 Rex Mundy screamed; but not in kil1ie to save the other who was try ing to fend off the Sarnpan with his rapidly tiring arms. Al Steeger 1ioundered, kept bravely afloat. Mundy struck out furiously toward ftfn.
 The sampan, sculled swiftly with the current by three men at the single oar, was filled with ragged Chinese. They were armed with knives and rifles. Several guns were aimed at Mundy. At the sharp order from a man with a wisp of asrnustache, the weapons were low cred. This one who had caused 50 much trouble for the honorable marshal was to be taken alive.
 Just then pandemonium broke out on shore. Bill O"Toole had brought e machine gun into play. It was fbe same gun that Steeger had cleaned and oiled that afternoon. It's rattling stream of lead moved down the renegade Chinese as they strug- gled and scramebled to get away.
 Help Comes
 OToole did not waste bullets. The mining camps main supply of am- znunition was in the disabled mo- tOrboat, drifting aimlessly down the muddy yellow current. The volleys were grim and deadly.
 The girl came to the surface after swimming under water until her lungs had seemed to be about to burst. She had no idea of what had gone on behind her. She headed for the boathouse, which was diniy silhouetted against the dust filled sky.
 Mundy grasped Steeger. He sup ported him with one hand under the others limp chin and started for the shore. Steeger'S eyes, set too near together in his homely, saddle colored face, were closed. They opened when Mundy, able to find footing at last, lifted him in his strong arms.
 The gusting wind was still choked with fine yellow dust that clouded the full moon, but Al Steeger could make out the others features. What he could not see, he could remem- Der.
 Don't = don't blame her, chief" Al Steeger smiled.
 The sun shone bright and strong the next morning. The North China air was like wine to breathe. The dust storm had passed. Every part of the mining camp, every cor s1er and cranny of it's buildings even to the two-winged dwelling house, wore the yellow mark of China's soil.
 The sunlight that flooded the main room, where Jie Qua had spread a steaming breakfast, was e iemonish hue because of slanting through windows begrimed with, brownish-yellow particles. Only blHCC S1t hI ItiC IhUlC ,COhH OIACbN, Bill 0Ercoie and Royce Gregory. Gregory had a strip of court plas- ter on his chin where Mundy had hit him the night before.
 Another Chinese drifted into camp early this morning" Bill O'Toole, the grizled mine superin- fendent, said, mainly to break the monotony. He says he's one of the men you picked up in Shanghai, Miss Strebor. He's got a couple Of fingers off his left hand. Claims he floated downriver with the wreckage from that streamer and has been beating his way back cross country"
 Gee Ma has two fingers missing from his left hand" she said duly. T believe he did say his name was Gee Ma. Means SOW, don't 1t? His folks probably called him that when he was kid to trick the unseen ones into believing they were just addressing some animal and that there wasn't any man. child around" OToole shrugged. ''Ii wish you'd check up on him after breakfast. We don't want any strangers in camp. They might be Fang's spies"
 The conversation stopped. The equeaking of floorboards in another part of the house could De heard. Occasionally there was a sharper noise, like the scraping of a leather heel. The noise was monotonouB, as monotonous AS the remote gum shots that signified the continued struggle between Marshall Fang and Michael Strebcr.
 All night he's been doing thatT fine girl burst. He illSt walks Up