Newspaper Page Text
The Flaming
Heart
Quest Tor a Hidden Ruby In
the Hills of China
By JAMES A. RELLICK
The !ittl“ woman in black had I<«*i>t
to herself during tlu* long voyage from
Si'.u Francisco to. Shanghai, and now
with tho china coast lying straight
Ahead, a long. Hat line of yellow merg
log into the muddy, yellow waters of
the broad mouth of the angtzekiang,
she » yed her fellow passengers with a
flt'SH ,s« •rutlny.
Archer Clarkson had noticed her
from the very beginning, perhaps be
cause of her evident though self im
posed loneliness, ns well as the serene
beauty of her face. To her fellow pas J
fceiiger she was Mrs. Pearce, a widow.
To < Mark sou she was an object of in
terest.
lie was surprised on this last day of
the voyage when she approached him
where tie stood near the ship's rail and
spoke.
"Mr. Clarkson.” she said, rather tim
idly. while a faint color flushed her
clear skin, “the captain tells me that
you are a resident of Shanghai and
may be of assistance to me. I am a
perfect stranger here and—l need
help!”
“It will give me the greatest pleas
ure to he of assistance,” assured Clark
son courteously. “Pray command me;
] am entirely at your service.”
"You are more than kind." she said,
with a little tremor in her voice. ”1
need a friend, oh, so badly! I have
b most delicate and dangerous mission
to perform, and 1 need the advice and
help of a friend. May I call you that.
Mr. Clarkson?"
“I shall lie honored, Mrs. Pearce," he
said sincerely.
"Thank you. Now, let me say that,
although my mission is a dnugerou*
one. if It la successfully accomplished
it will make me a very rich woman—
and you a rich man, although, pardon
me, you may he rich ‘beyond the
dreams of avarice' already!” She
smiled charmingly.
”1 am anything but rich.” laughed
Clarkson.
Mrs. Pearce put out an eager little
hand.
"Then you are Just the man to help
me out!" she cried enthusiastically.
Again Clarkson laughed.
“1 begin to see that poverty has its
advantages." lie said, clasping her
band in his for an instant.
"Thank you." she said simply. "I
felt that I could before I approached
you. Let me state the case briefly: I
am the widow of Henry Pearce, who
commanded the big steamer Cntalpa.
plying between Vancouver and the far
eastern ports. My husband had lived
in China many years and had good
friends among the Chinese as well as
the foreigners.
"Four years ago Captain Pearce had
u vacation and when he reached Shang
hai turned the Catalpa over to a com
“ THE FIjAMINO HEART !” EJACULATED
CLARKSON.
latent commander and took a long
desired frip up the Yangtze liver., it
w* up thsPe that he teit upon the
.trail of the Flaming Heart." She
oMinsed and drew a long breath.
’ rThe Flaming Heart?" ejaculated
UfUforkgon. deeply interested.
Mrs. Pearce nodded, and tears filled
her beautiful gray eyes.
"The Flaming Heart cost my hus
band his life. For three years after
ward he suffered from the effects of a
stab wound lie received when lie dis
covered its biding place, and on his
deathbed he told me the story and
made me promise that I would take
measures to interest some honorable
men in the enterprise to recover the
Heart that is ills by right of discovery.
I knew that the men 1 could interest
must be found here on the s|>ot, some
one who knows • lie* Chinese.”
“It sounds good to me.” said Archer
Clarkson solierij. "Tell me the rest
of it, please.”
"it sect.,- o.i a prev ; voyage :
to the Jist iay husband ‘b ode,l a'
manikin:i wno was returning home to
die. T.:is Chinese, who whs \ery
ri. lv tol l tny nu.sband of a eortaiu (
jewel, n ver. valuable ruby. ' ••'I *d the
Flaming Heart This rue;, v.»> s •
noted in oi.e of the niches a rock
temple along the upper gorges of the .
Yangtze river, and iliefe was a hitter
rivalry between Lin Wall, our man j
darin, ami Full Kieuso. who ruled
another province, for the discover.!
end posses-ion of the jewel.
*-Li:i Wall had the ailvant; e‘e over
his enemy because be alone p nes.i-d
the directions U wto tin I tli ■ r 1 ■ hut
it became necessary for Lin Wall to
go to the United States, where he ha 1
relatives, and during his absence lie
left trusted men to guard the rock
temple until he could return and com
plete iiis search for the I laming Heart
"Hut the mandarin was taken ill-und
died before the Caialpa reached Sluing
i hai. and he gave the precious paper t<
my husband and with his dying breath
willed him the Flaming Heart. That
is why Captain Pearce took a vacation
the following year and went up the
Yangtze river.
"When lie * reached the rock temple
1 lie discovered by careful impilry til ill
I.in Wall's guards had been killed at
their posts and that the rock temple
I and its vicinity were swarming with
the men of Full Kionso. who were
; making a frantic search for the gem
| They evidently suspected tny husband's
| interest in the matter, and one day
| they stabbed him, and after searching
j Ills clothing and finding nothing (foi
' he had taken the precaution to commit
the directions to memory) they left
him for dead and run away, abandon
lug for the time the search for the
ruby.
“Captain Pearce was an invalid for
four years, and before he died he learn
ed that the mandarin, Fuh Kienso, was
also dead and therefore tin* way to the
safe discovery of the Flaming Heart
iiiusi be open. If you will go with me
and discover the gem half of it will lie
yours." finished Mrs. l earce.
"That part may lie settled after
wurd.' said Clarkson gravely
A week later Archer Clarkson and
MYs. Pearce were sailing up the Yang
tze river in one of the steamers that
ply the great streurn as far up as Huu
kow. There they hired a boat and
boatmen, and. always uoeompunied by
Clarkson's trusted Chinese “boy.” Van
Ping, they proceeded up the river.
At last they reached a point where
they bade their “trackers” make camp
by the Ivoat, and Mrs Pearson and
Clarkson went on with Van Ping, who
had been born In that province and
knew the country well.
Another day’s Journey by a devious
path thut sometimes skirted the river
or again wound around through the
l>ine clad hilts and at last they emerged
on the top of a mighty rock that frown
od above the river. Standing at the
edge of the precipice. Archer Clarkson
looked down at the river, boiling down
through the rocky gorge below.
Mrs. Pearce uttered a little cry of
alarm, the first symptom of weakness
she had Indulged since they began the
journey.
"What a dreadful place!" she slmd
dered. "Captain Pearce said the open
ing to the rock temple was just below
the summit of the rock, but how can
one reach it?”
“We must rig a sling and lower our
selves down in front of the entrance
Hither Van Ping or I must go first."
"Let Wan Ping go—there might be
danger!" she cried quickly, and tears
filled her eyes.
Clarkson felt a queer throbbing in
the region of his watch pocket. A
great tenderness for the plucky little
woman tilled his heart.
Vau I’itig. who had not fallen in
love with any one. had been studying
the situation from a practical view
point. Now he approached ills master
and. apologizing profusely for the in
trusion. bogged to offer adviee.
"Fire ahead!" was Clarkson's sug
gout ion.
Van Ping declared that as a little lad
he had played about this great rock,
and he remembered that there was a
legend concerning a heart that was
buried in the rook. "But.” said Van
Ping earnestly, "the way to the hiding
place is from the top of the rock and
not by the entrauee that overhangs
the gorge."
"The top of the rock?" Clarkson was
asking when from behind them there
came a shrill cry of triumph, and they
turned to see a dozen rascally looking
Chinese approaching them through the
pine woods.
In an instant Clarkson realized the
great danger that faced them. It
would be an easy matter for the ban
dita to rush them and crowd them
over the' edge of the precipice into the
river, where all traces of them would
be forever lost.
He caught Nita Pearce by the hand,
and. calling to Van Ping to follow,
Clarkson pulled out Ills revolver and
raq to meet the;Chinese. * This tine*
pected move so startled the lattef that
they paused in confusion, thus giviug
the fugitives an ojiportnnity to get !
down from the rock"aba out of the
danger that threatened them.
Van Ping went forward to interview
the attacking party.
Presently he returned to his master, j
“These scoundre's veliy wicked men
—want Flaming Heart—say so king
ago—way hack, their mandarin lie
promise Flaming Heart if they help—
hut no can find, and lie die. Now
they search some more and find you. j
They say you die.”
“Well.” mu soil Clarkson, “suppose!
you tell them to go ahead and search.
We won't interfere with them if they
will let us alone."
After half an hour of parleying N an
Ping returned to say that the Chinese
would search on their own account.
THE COFFEE COIVTV PROGRESS. DOE,LAS. GEORGIA
only they ntipn.ated that the Ameri
ca ns should not follow them to the
rock cave. To this Clurksoa agreed
after talking to Van Ping
And presently the ragged.- filthy crew
were crowded on the rock, chattering
vociferously while they arranged a
sling, and one by one were lowered
to the opening in the face of the rm k
which gave entrance to the'rock teim
pie.
When there remained only one man
on the rode, he who worked the swing
ing seat. Clarkson and Van Ping con
ferred ? >gether, and finally, leaving
Mrs. Pearce to watch the Cbinttuniti.
from a safe position With a revolver
held menacingly in her hand, they
made a careful search around the
base of the rook for the spot which
Van Ping said he bad visited once
when a lad. it was here that lie had
learned of the hidden Flaming Heart.
Many years had passed since then,
but as the other searchers had been
on a false trail it remained for Van
Ping to find at last the little mound
r " - -v' !
V
THE GUARD SCREAMED BHHII.Lt.
of 111 ob* beneath the crooked pine.
Digging the mound away revealed •
little flat stone, and the removal of the
stone showed a round hole faced with
cement that apparently led down into
the rear of the rock temple. It looked
very dark down there, and Clarkson
thrust his long arm down and clutch
ed something hard and round like a
metal box. He brought it up and was
looking down into the cavity when
part of the wall near the bottom fell
away and a yellow hand was thrust
In from the rock temple in a futile
search for the treasure.
"We must get out of this,” said
Clarkson quickly, and lie related the
incident to Van Ping. In a very short
time the searchers below would dis
cover that the treasure had been found
; by the Americans and there would be
i murder and bloodshed at once.
Van Ping earned the undying grati
tude of Ills master that afternoon.
The Chinese on fuard was an opium
! smoker, and his senses were dulled by
the drug. Now he sat drowsily at the
! edge of the precipice, the rope hang
ing loosely in his hand. The end of
the rope had been twisted around tiie
sturdy limb of a tree, affording a pur-
I chase for the manipulation of the
sling.
Van Ping readied up and cut the
rope wound around the tree, it slip
ped hissingly through the weak grasp
of the guard, and before the man re
| aliz.ed what had happened the rope had
dropped from his Augers and the sling
! chair dangling below fell hurtling into
| the river.
The guard screamed shrilly, but bis
cries were instantly stilled by Van
Ping's big blue handkerchief tied about
his mouth.
Then, hand in hand. Clarkson and
Nita Pearce went back along the way
they had come, and Van Ping led the
way.
At last they came up to the camp of
the trackers, and Clarkson offered
them double pay to put off in the boat
at once.
Nita Pearce sat in the stern of the
boat, her hand iu Archer Clarkson's.
There was an unspoken understanding
between these two. who bad met so
casually and who had taken this haz
ardous Journey after the Flaming
Heart.
They spoke of the Chinese bundits
Imprisoned iu the rock temple, and
they spoke of the moment when they
might safely open the little bronze
box that was hidden in Clarkson’s
pocket. They talked about rewarding
Van Ping. They did not talk of them
selves.
At last came the moment when, back
in Shanghai at Sirs. Pearce's hotel,
they opened the bronze box and looked
upon the beautiful ruby which bad
cost many lives and the possession of
which meant tlie beginning of a new
life for Clarkson.
"isn't it wonderful?" whispered Nita
Pearce as she looked down at the
glowing ruby.
"Beautiful." agreed Clarkson, but he
was looking at Nita's fnee.
“The loveliest thing I ever saw."
murmured Nita. lifting her gray eyes
to smile at him
"I have seen lovelier." said Clark
son. looking deep Into her eyes.
Now she understood, and presently
when they stood, their faces close to
gether. looking down at the Flaming
Heart they saw reflected in its glow
ing heart a beautiful future back home
in the States.
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