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THLMAGib THE GREEN JERKIN.
■ „~ r ' Story f he Three Son. of
G “ the lrlh Kin* Without a
“ T,eir F,st,t for the
Princes*’ Jlnnd -
By Aldls Dunbar.
tor y, is it? An’ the grass a-per
,A , r ' t he want o’ waterin’ this
i!h r v evenin’! Well, have yer way
v [he Masther yerself what was
a " hinderin’ me from me work.)
a T . , s back o’ the years, in the days
the Little People were a power
" ",., nd( an’ there was fightin’ a
U ‘ , v y ah'the Danes an’ their like,
r ' e y cormac without a Kingdom
jived by ‘he Lake o’ the Eagle, with
his three sons.
V these were Dermond o’ the Bow,
N Kiven the Swift,—an’ the young
-111 . ,j t hat was Conarf o’ the Long
s ‘in- some called him Conan the
he had skill in singin’ more
h Vr- man on the shores o’ Moyle,
,n : t ‘he birds came an’ sat on the
t 0 listen when he played on the
U v e Dermond o’ the Bow was
■ . at the huntin’,—an’ could send
?[ ‘i onK arrows across the Lake o’ the
rL' - ' strike the wild ducks that
firim , the reeds. But Cormac, his
-that had lost his kingdom by
reason o’ the Danes,-could sit at the
Mr 0 ’ his cabin an’ bring down the
•narrow-hawk that flew across the fir
{tees. \n' the fir trees grew where
tbs reeds ended.
l , n . Biveen the Swift could run be
yond the deer in the forest, an’ turn
V rn to ard his brother, in the chase;
hu- King Cormac, for all his white
hair was swifter still, an’ could keep
abreast o’ the wind as it blew over
ihe green grass, an sent the little
THEN OUT INTO THE WORLD WE GO
waves to break on the shores o’ the
Lake.
An’ Conan stayed by the cabin, an’
brought in wood for the fire, an' roast
ed the meat when his brothers came
home weary from the hjlls. But when
they were off in the early mornin’—
an King Cormac sleepin’ before the
fire on his bed o’ rushes. —Conan would
sit by the door with his harp, an’ sing
till the fishes poked their heads out o’
the Lake to hear; an’ even the old
King himself could do nothing greater
nor that.
So time went past, an’’King Cormac
gave up livin’ beause of bein' so old,
-an' there was nothin’ for him to leave
to his three sons beyond his blessin’
an’ the shabby old green jerkin that
he wore.
" 'Tis the chiefest treasure I have,”
says he. ‘ The Little People gave it
to me—an’ ’tis your with me blessin’.
Let none scorn it, or ’twill shame him
in the end.” *
An’ with that he died, an’ they buried
him on the shore o’ the Lake, with a
great pile o' stones to mark the spot.
When the night was come, Dermond
an' Eiveen lay by the fire—but Conan
the Singer sat in the moonlight, playin’
an' singin' to break the very hearts o’
those that heard; an’ even his two
brothers were a-sorrowin', for all they
fcere stout an’ fierce. ,
v Then says Dermond o’ the Bow:
Give me the green jerkin—for ’tis I
am the oldest, an’ sho.uld wear it for
a sign o’ mournin’ for King Cormac,
our father.”
An Eiveen the Swift brought it from
the corner where it was hangin’, an’
slipped it on his brother's arms. But
tonan kept on playin’ in the moon
hgiit. an' lookin' down the path o’ the
stars in the waters o’ the Lake.
An as he sat there, there came a
feat noise o’ folks ridin’ down the
mountain side, rattlin’ the stones un
oer th<- feet o’ the horses, an’ jinglin’
tm-ir spurs, an’ calljn’ one to the other.
a | at the head o’ the line rode two to
gether.
" ns a Mttl®, shrivelled old man,
1 h eyes that burned like coals o’
in h s face; an’ his hair was thin
iji K ran ’ while he was no giant
■ e King Cormac,—yet he wore rich
h m< ? r ’ ;m ’ a crown on his head. An’
•‘■l'.e him, on a white horse, came
I thn, . rest gtrl that had been seen in
' J : , ace for many a day. Her dress
8 w i’ * i; lIP *t reen ®Hk, with a mantle o’
p L t s . nan Kin’ from her shoulders; am’
f onl 11r was shinin’ yellow, so that
r M scare see the band o’ red
ftf " . in ’ her a real king’s daugh-
An behind came servants on
I .j.; 1 ” ;,i afoot, dressed in bright cloth,
as ' . : ;noa Wft s shinin’ till 'twas light
1 in' they rode up to where Co
lo,; sln ßln’ an’ sat on their horses
,h, 1 him. His brothers, when
at ... . t ** e noise - came to the door
rted out; but Conan sang on.
tin’ for naught but the pile o’
>’ the shore. /
e , he old man, that was a king,
dermond o’ the Bow.
r here thfit is the dwellin' o’ Cor
‘thout a Kingdom?”
F said Dermond, “it was that
h. I s,^ rclay ' hut this night he lies
tv," th e cairn o’ stones that is on
„ r J le o’ the lake.”
f . n a strong man passed,” an
ti; he old man. “An’ we may
a s we came.”
thr ~m ny you he?” asked Eiveen
~ ; t pushin’ forward.
m , Murdough am I—an’ this is
glv, f ater Maurya, whom I would
m ’he champion who shou.d help
v . „ uaßt the Danes. An’ Cormac
ati t strongest man of his hands in
jv * 'na, though his hair was white.
<la t‘ r wo J al(s I have given him my
1. '■ an ' he should have ruled my
lo| b for me.”
hur ' 1 in cess nodded as he spoke; but
•p. , we ,r e on Conan,
back'' Bald Dermond—throwlrt’
ly hair, to look more close
r, , u- Prlncef ”<-
an , Murdough looked at him,
v o " hat a fine strong fellow he
for ,° h u a servant to bring
’■ J a horse.
t&ir my court for three days,”
ctrt if y° u stand trial o’
s vith giy taen, an' do as you
boast—then shall you be my son, an’
rule for me.”
Then Dermond mounted the horse an’
rode off up the mountain with King
Murdough—an’ the Princess beside
him, with the golden hair that made
light shine in the air as she turned to
look back at Conan, where he sat
playin’ his sorrowin’ for his father.
Now, after Dermond o’ the Bow rode
across the mountains to where King
Murdough held court—he had a fine
room given him, an' all the walls were
covered with silver cloth, an' two serv
in men went after him wherever he
walked, to carry his bow an’ arrows.
An’ the Princess sent him a sword an’
shield.
But the servants o' the Princess stood
aside an’ laughed at his ragged old
shoes, an’ at the faded green jerkin
that was nigh on too small for his
shoulders.
’Tis a scare-crow, an’ no prince,”
said one.
‘‘Put him up on the castle wall, an’
he’ll frighten the Danes as he is,” said
another.
Now Dermond was a proud man of
his birth, an’ he pretended not to hear
them —thinkin' o’ the fine things he
would have when he married the prin
cess. So the first day went over with
out more trouble.
Then on the second day came the
best fighters o’ King Murdough’s men,
an’ Dermond had never been so strong
in fightin’ as he was then. Down went
every man he put hand on, an’ none
could stand up after.
That night there was another feast
—an’ more than before the maids that
served Princess Maurya passed behind
his chair an’ laughed to each other at
his poor dress. An’ sleepin’ that night,
an’ wakin’ in the mornin,’ he was hot
with anger at them. He took his
sword that the princess had given him,
an’ cut a great pifece o’ the silver cloth
from the wall o’ the room, an’ made
himself a cloak of it.
‘‘What’ll it matter to-morrow, when
I’ve married the king’s daughter?” said
he, an’ threw the old green jacket back
o’ the door.
When he came to the field where he
was to show his strength, there was
no man willin’ to match with him.
Then King Murdough sent word to
blow the horn on the castle wall—tell
in’ that here was a great champion,
an’ that who wanted could try to fight
with him.
At last Eocha, a great stout man,
(hat was chief cook for the king’s ta
ble. put his head out o’ the door.
"Fight will I,” said he. "Greasy
apron against silver doublet, an’ see
which wins.”
Deynond looked at him scornful like,
—for he was sure o’ whipin’ him; an’
THE BIRDS CAME TO LISTEN
WHEN HE PLAYED .
he stepped up bravely. An’ before he
knew it, —sure, Dermond o' the Bow
was lyin’ on the stones o’ the court
yard,—beaten fair an’ square, under
the very eyes o’ the princess.
An' then others took courage, an'
faced him; an' Dermond had no heart
to fight more,—an' no thought how
this could be.
“Fine feathers make the peacock,”
laughed the girls. “Where is your
green jerkins now, Dermond the Cham
pion?”
So all sudden like it came to him
what his father had said, —an’ he
rushed oft to his sleepin’ room, lookin’
for the jerkin.. But no sign of it was
to be seen near nor far. An’ in the
door stood the princess, smilin’ at him.
"JVhat has gone amiss?” she asked.
“Lady Maurya,” said Dermond, “my
jerkin is lost, an’ my power with it.
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Let me go from here, for I’m dis
graced.”
“An’ have ye no strength o’ your
own without it?” asked she.
“Ay,” he answered, “but not more
nor other men.”
“Then here is a purse o' gold, Der
mond o’ the Bow, —that you may go
off to some far kingdom an’ win an
other wife. But I am not for you.”
An’ he crept out by the low door at
the back o’ the castle; an’ went off to
far countries to seek his fortune, an’
came back no more.
Now while these things were doin’ at
King Murdough’s castle,—Eiveen the
Swift an’ Conan his brother were livin’
quietly by the Lake o’ the Eagle. Each
mornin’ Conan took his harp to the
edge o' the water an’ played a lament
for Cormac. An’ when the third day
came, —there on the cairn was some
thin' strange. Conan went toward it,
—an’ ’twas no other than the green
jerkin.
He called to Eiveen—an’ he came
‘ runnin’.
What is it?” said he.
“The green jerkin has come back
without Dermond in It,” said Conan.
“More like that he has been here an’
left it for us while we were Bleepin’,”
said Eiveen.
“Then ’twill bring him no luck,” said
Conan. "Did not Cormac our father
say that whoever scorned it would be
shamed by it in the end?”
“I will wear it for thought of him,”
answered Eiveen. “An’ ’tis my mind
to go to the Court an’ visit Dermond
an’ his princess.”.
Off went Eiveen. like the wind. Never
had he run so swiftly, an* without
weariness, though the way was up hill
an ’over rocks. An' when he came to
the court, he gave a great rap at the
gate.
“Who stands there?” asked the
guard.
"Eiveen the Swift—brother to Der
mond o’ the Bow. Let me come in.”
Well, the guard ran to Princess
Maurya, with word that the brother
o Dermond was at the gate, clad in
the same old green jerkin.
“Send him to me,” said the princess;
an’ she watched the door close as she
heard his feet outside. But when she
saw him she leaned back in her chair
to hear what he should saw. An’
Eiveen the Swift looked at her with
cold eyes, an’ thought how well he
should like to be in his brother’s shoes.
“Where is Dermond o’ the Bow?” he
asked.
“Gone to seek his fortune in other
lands,” she answered.
“And have you a champion better
than he?” asked Eiveen.
“Nay, he was thrown to the ground
by Eocha, who is the cook. I will have
no cook for a champion, but a right
King’s son, even though he be poor.”
“Then will I try my fortune,” said
Eiveen.,
An’ with him it went as it had gone
with Dermond.
The first day he threw down each
man that came against him, an’ first
of all was fat Eocha, the cook. But
when the maids saw Eiveen, they
laughed again.
“A pretty set o' champions come for
our Princess—with their old green
coats; when she wears nothin' poorer
nor silk, an’ gold cloth.”
Eiveen said never a word—thlnkin’
how he would turn them away into the
cold when he was married to Princess
Maurya.
But naught held back the girls from
castin’ looks at his old coat, in the
hall, an’ callin’ each other to see how
well King Cormac had done for his
sons.
Then Eiveen grew hot with rage—
an' went off to his bed. An' all night
he tossed about—thlnkin’ o’ the gay
silken an' velvet clothes that the other
men wore as though they were naught
worth speakin' of. An’ when it begun
to grow light, he rose from his bed an’
tore down a piece o’ gold cloth that
hung in the doorway—an’ made a
doublet to wear.”
“Sure,’ thought he, —it’ll all be mine
by to-morrow. ’Tis but borrowin' me
own.”
An' the jerkin he left lyin' by the
window.
Then after a bit, he came runnin'
back for it,—for the fine gold doublet
was all split up,—where he had been
thrown by K*ng Murdough's groom.
But the Jerkin was not where he had
left it.
“An' are you beaten, too?” asked
Princess Maurya.
"That am I; an’ a sore fate befall
Ke.in the groom for trippln' me on
the pavement,” answered Eiveen.
Then it so happened that a second
time Conan the Singer rose in early
mornin’ an’ found the old jerktn lyin'
on the grave o' Cormac.
‘iScorn has come to it again,”
thought he. “Now ’tis my turn to
wear!t for love o’ him who lies by the
shore; an’ it shall go hard with one
who takes it from me.”
Then he took his harp on his arm,
an' went away up the mountain pass,
where the eagle called to its young.
At last he came to the castle, an' sat
down by the gate, an' struck his harp,
—till all the men an' maids ran to see
who was there. An’ even Princess
Maurya stepped down from her great
chair, an' went to the ‘courtyard.
When she saw Conan, her eyes
laughed with joy, an’ she bade him en
ter. —an’ herself led him to King Mur
dough.
“Here is a champion, agin,” she said.
“Nay,” answered Conan. “I came to
search for my brothers.”
“They have gone to far countries,”
said the princess, "to find fortune. Will
you try your own? Have you a mind
for fightin’ to be my father’s cham
pion?”
“That have I—though it has never
come to me to fight with men," said
Conan, an’ he bent down low and kiss
ed her hand.
Then King Murdough gave him lodg
in’ for the night; an’ by order o’ the
princess—'twas a small bare room. An’
in the mornin’ he came into the court
yard an’ looked at all the men who
were waitin’ there to fight with him.
“Did Dermond fight with these?” he
asked o’ the King.
“That he did,” answered King Mur
dough, "an’ won his fight for a day.”
“Then will I do as well as he,” said
Conan.
So Princess Maurya brought out a
sword an’ a shield an’ stood on the
woll to see the fightin’; an’ Conan beat
them all back, like a brave lad.
Then, when King Murdough made the
feast, Conan sat beside the princess
in his old jerkin, that had taken many
a cut that day—an’ after a while he
chanced to look up an' see that the
maids were makin’ jest of him.
“Why are ye laughin’, my girls?” he
asked; an' the princess waited to see
what would come of it this time.
“Because of the ragged coat you
wear,” said Cleena. “Have the sons
of Cormac but one jerken between
them ?”
“Let none scorn it,” said Conan, “or
‘twill shame him in the end. For a
sign o’ mournin do I wear it —an’ I
fegrto meet no man because of it,
though he be dressed in silks and sat
in.”
An’ he turned to Princess Maurya,
an’ thought no more of what had been
said. An’ all night he dreamed of her
golden hair, till the room shone with
the thought of it.
In the mornin’ he was ready for an
other trial—an’ when they brought him
the bow, he bent it bravely an’ sent
his first arrow thrQUgh the open win
dow of a cabin that stood beyond the
ford, an’ clipped out a candle that
burned on the shelf within.
An' for a second shot, he slew two
great hawks that flew above the castle
tower —an’ together they fell into the
river.
So tl>at trial was passed, an’ Conan
went into the great hall, an' sat at the
feet o’ the Princess, an’ played an’ sang
until all the noise o’ the court ceased
for love of his song.
Yet in the evenin’, at the feastin’,
the King's men spoke scornin’ words of
his torn jerkin.
“Will ye go against the Danes in it?”
asked Feargus the Black. “Then may
they see that you are put a poor man’s
son, an’ no Prince.”
“To-morrow- shall you take that word
back.” said Conan o’ the Long Arms.
“For I shall let no man make a jest
o’ Cormac the King, while my arms
have strength.”
An’ all through the night Conan
dreamed o’ the blue eyes o’ Princess
Maurya.
When the mornin’ came, Feargus
stood waitin' in the yard for Conan
to come to him—an’ Princess Maurya
Watched to see what should befall.
Then Conan came from his bed, an’ on
his back was the green jerkin, an’ in
his hand the sword o’ the Princess.
An’ there was no chance at all for
Feargus the Black—though he was the
best man in the court o’ the King. Sure,
his sword went flyin’ through the air,
an’ fell outside the wall.
When they saw- that, there was no
one left to dare fightin’ with Conan—
an’ the King led him into the great
hall with his own hands.
“Will ye have Oona o’ the White
Hands to be yer wife, an’ live here in
my castle, with ten pieces o’ gold for
every day, an’ silk to wear.; or will ye
live in a cabin outside the wall, an’
w-ear yer old jerkin, like a poor kerne?”
"Outside the wall it is, if Princess
Maurya will be there, too,” answered
Conan. “But my jerkin will I wear,
an’ none but her will I wed.”
"Nay, if you take her, together shall
you wander into the world, for I give
no gold with her.”
“Then out into the world we go,” said
•Conan blithely, holdin’ out his hand to
her; an’ she put hers into It gladly.
“An’ call ye that wisdom?" asked
King Murdough. “Would ye rule men
in that fashion?”
"Who should rule men but him that
rules his own?” said Conan. An’ the
Princess said “Ay.”
“Then have ye won yer rule fairly,”
said King Murdough, “an’ shall have
her an’ this kingdom. An’ as for the
jerkin—’tis a robe of honor at this
court—an’ who says ill of it, to him
shame shall come.”
So King Murdough made a great
feast, an’ gave his daughter to Conan,
callin’ him Conan o’ the Kingdom, for
a sign that he was the greatest man
in it.
An’ so great was the fear o’ his
name, that neither Dane nor any other
enemy dared set foot in the land, lest
they might catch sight o’ the green
jerkin which gave power to the long
arms o’ Conan.
(“But why did she put Conan in the
little bare room?”
“Ah, when ye guess why she did that,
ye’ll know all o’ the tale that I’ve left
untold. An’ now be off with yees, till
I water me green grass.’’)
—Nathan Church, a man of scholar
ly attainments and the colleague of
Blaine In the Maine Legislature, is now
working as street cleaner in Minneap
olis at a salary of $1.50 a day.
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Copyright, 1901 b.yWilliam Murray
Graydoii.
CHAPTER V.
A QUEER HIDING PLACE.
Cut off from friends and shelter, com
pletely encircled by foes who would
show no mercy, impelled helplessly on
ward into the very jaws of death—no
more disheartening prospect could well
have faced the two lads. And they
were not blind to their danger; in the
chilling moment of reaction, while they
gained on their pursuers, they under
stood what their daring feat was cer
tain to cost them, unless as by a mir
acle some means of escape should
arise.
“It’s all up with us, old fellow,” Dan
exclaimed hoarsely. "Directly we come
yonder, into tne open ”
"i'es, I know,” Alec interrupted,
“How about the girl?—she is not
dead?"
“Her face is warm and she is breath
ing,” Dan replied as he partly lifted
the covering. "Those scoundrels must
have drugged her to make her uncon
scious. I say, do you think there is
any chance for us?”
"I’ve got two in my mind, but the
odds are a thousand to one against
either of them.”
“What are they?”
Alec did not answer. His teeth were
set hard and his eyes fixed ahead as
he tugged at the guiding lines. The
walls flew by in a dizzy blur. The al
ley suddenly turned to the left, and the
fugitives rounded the corner in safety.
A minute later, after clattering
through a passage on the right—there
was no other way—and crossing a lit
tle bridge spanning a dry ditch, the
cart swung out into a spacious square
and emerged from the closely built
government quarters into the open
heart of the capital.
“Now for it!” he cried. “Guard the
rear, Dan, and stick tight!”
Hard and quick fell the strokes of
the whip. A howling mob was in the
rear, and from right and from left
fresh ones sprang at the tearing vehi
cle. A bugle blared its murderous note
and a couple of firearms were dis
charged. Dan’s rifle spoke shrilly, and
one of the nearest pursuers dropped in
his tracks. A Boxer leaped toward
Alec with drawn sword, and a blind
ing cut from the whip sent him reel
ing back. Two more, who threw them
selves recklessly at the mule’s head.
Just Then the Princess Loo Lao
Stirred and Opened Her Eyes.
were knocked down and crushed be
neath the iron-shod hoofs and wheels.
“Keep low,” cried Alec, “and hold
fast for your life.”
The mule, jerked first to the right
and then to the left, galloped straight
on. Through the lofty archways
plunged the cart, scattered a group
of yelling foes who barred the way at
the outer gate, and Jolting over some
of them as it passed from the Tartar
city to the Chinese town.
Behind swelled the hue and cry, and
in front lay as yet silence and dark
ness. For a quarter of a mile due
south Alec drove at full speed down
the lonely avenue. Then he swerved
eastward into a narrow street, which,
several hundred yards further on,
made a sharp turn. Here the cart
scraped on one wheel and instantly
capsized, throwing its occupants over
a low embankment. The mule, after
dragging the vehicle a short distance,
broke the traces and vanished with a
thudding of hoofs.
The two lads were unhurt, and as
far as they could tell the Princess Loo-
Lao had also escaped injury, though
she remained in an unconscious state.
By the dim light it could be seen that
the fugitives had been hurled into the
bed of a canal which was partly dried
up. In the middle of the ditch a dully
glimmering sheet of water stretched
north and south, reflecting the tall
lines of buildings that .rose darkly on
either side.
“There is no one about.” said Alec.
“Quick, we must find a hiding place.
Where are the rifles?”
Dan found one lying close by, and
the other, which was probably in the
cart, • was abandoned. Without delay
the lads set off to the southward along
the dry, sandy verge of the canal.
Alec carrying the slim figure of a girl
in his arms. They had gone a hundred
yards or more and the clamor of pur
suit was swelling louder in the rear,
when Dan, who was several feet in ad
vance, uttered a low, eager exclama
tion. At the same instant from one
side came an alarming sound.
A snarling dog. with open Jaws and
bristling hair, rushed suddenly out.
Dan reversed his rifle and aimed a
swinging blow, but to his chagrin he
merely grazed the animal's foreshoul
der, and sent it yelping back whence it
came.
At once the lads turned into the
crosscutting, and in the thick darkness
groped their way along a path made
of slabs of stone 18 Inches wide, which,
being fortunately dry, retained no tell
tale marks. High walls rose on either
side, and in the middle lay the strip
of stagnant, foul-smelling water.
For thirty or forty yards the fugi
tives crept on, and then the dog, which
had been retreating before them, and
turning from time to time to utter
a savage growl, suddenly made a leap
at a clump of bushes and vanished.
The mystery was soon explained, for
the bushes, which grew at the base of
the wall, concealed a jagged hole in
the mansory. It was a doubtful and un
certain refuge, but no better was like
ly to be found.
"In with you, quick!” said Alec.
It was a tight squeeze for Dan, and
a tighter one for Alec, who followed
after his companion had drawn the girl
through. On the inner side of the wall
was a floor of earth, and when the lads
tried to stand erect they struck their
heads. All was darkness except a
murky gray patch some distance off,
and this probably accounted for the
disappearance of the dog, who could no
longer be heard.
“I believe we are in a cellar," said
Dan. “I should like to have a. look
round, but. of course, it won’t do to
strike a light.”
“Hush!” Alec whispered. “You don’t
know who may hear us. And listen—
those human bloodhounds are coming
near.”
As he spoke he looked cautiously out,
and his feet struck a* heap of loose
stones which had fallen from the de
cayed wall. A shrewd idea instantly
occurred to him, and with feverish
haste he fitted the stones into the gap,
one by one, until it was half-blocked
up.
The task was finished barely in time.
From the canal, where they had been
checked for a moment, the pursuers
turned unerringly into the side chan
nel. Filling the narrow ditch from wall
to wall, pattering over the flagstones
and splashing through the shallow
water, they swept on with fiendish
cries. The two lads scarcely dared tc
hope, as they crouched in front of the
still unconscious girl. They heard the
blood-thirsty threats of the Boxers, and
saw overhead the lurid, flashing glare
from the passing torches. It seemed
Impossible that they could escape dis
covery and death.
The ordeal lasted fully half an hour.
To and fro, backward and forward,
surged the ravenous pack, examining
every nook and cranny, and lighting
up every inch of the walls. Twice they
pulled aside the bushes and revealed
the hole, but never dreamed that their
prey could have crept through so small
a space. And in the end they reluct
antly departed to seek elsewhere for
the foreign devils, and the hue and cry
HERE THE CART SCRAPED ON ONE WHEEL AND INSTANTLY
CAPSIZED.
faded until it was lost with other dis
tant sounds of the Chinese city.
"Gone at last,” said Dan. "They may
return, but for the present we have a
breathing spell. What will become of
us, I wonder? Of course, they belijve
us dead at the legations.”
“Later on we’ll show them that we
are very much alive,” replied Alec.
“Cheer up. Things might be worne, you
know. As soon as it is daylight we’ll
have a look about, and if it is safe to
stop on here until night comes again,
I’ll try to reach Chow Yen’s house and
bring back a supply of food. And he
will be surp to suggest some good
plan.”
“That sounds all right,” said Dan.
“You put fresh courage into me, old
fellow. I shouldn’t mind if only my
people knew that we had escaped.”
Alec made the cheering suggestion
that Chow Yen might get word to the
Legations, and finally, reassured by
the unbroken silence of their sur
roundings, both lads fell asleep on the
damp floor, beside the little princess
for whose sake they had braved such
frightful perils.
They woke to find the sun shining,
and the light revealed to them what
they suspected—that they were in a
narrow space underneath the floor of
a building. Alec took a cautious peep
up and down the canal artery, and
then crept to the other hole in the ma
sonry, which looked in an opposite di
rection. From it he saw a paved
courtyard hemmed in by blank walls,
and at the far end an exit that turned
sharply to the left.
"I haven’t heard a sound overhead,
so there can’t be any people living
there,” Alec said to his companion.
“From what I know of the neighbor
hood I think it likely that we are un
der some merchant’s warehouse.”
"It would be a fine place to hide, if
wc could get In,” said* Dan.
"That is what we must do, for it
really won’t be safe to stop here. The
dog may return and start a row, and
it's ten to one the Boxers will come
back to search the vicinity by day
light.”
Just then the Princess Loo Lao stir
red and opened her eyes. She had
shaken off the curtain in which Alec
had wrapped her, and from her dress
it was evident that she had been seized
by the kidnappers before" retiring for
the night. She wore a long outer robe,
richly embroidered, and confined at the
waist by a stomacher of gold filagree.
It reached almost to her slippers which
were studded with pearls. With her
fair complexion and regular features
she was very pretty. Judged either by
an Oriental or European standard.
“My father! O, my father!”
Those were her first words, spoken in
English. She was clearly familiar
with that tongue, and Dan, whom she
recognized, told her briefly what had
happened while she was unconscious.
She listened eagerly, with dread and
wonder growing in her dark eyes.
“How brave you were!” she cried.
“My father shall reward you
as you deserve. But alas! he
has been taken from me! It
wgs a false and lying message that
summoned f !m to the palace—he is in
the power ol the wicked Empress Dow
ager, who hates and fears him. I must
go to the Emperor and tell him of my
father’s danger. Take me, I implore
you, to the gates of the Forbidden
City.”
The lads exchanged perplexed
glances.
"You shall see your father again,”
Dan replied, "but first we must all try
to reach the shelter of the legations,
and that can be dqne only by night."
The girl made no answer. Already
she had lapsed Into an indifferent,
dreamy mood, and lay with half-closed
eyes. The effects of the potent drug
had by no means passed off, and her
senses were clouded again.
“That’s a relief,” whispered Dan. “It
will be all the better if she don’t pull
round ih a hurry.”
Alec laughed grimly. “I wonder,” he
said, “if two chaps were ever in such
a fix as we are. A Chinese princess
on our hands —it’s a rum go! But we
must face it. And now to find safer
quarters.”
This was accomplished with less dif
ficulty than was anticipated. A thor
ough tapping of the floor overhead dis
covered a loose board, by means of
which tha lads, after a careful recon
noitering. climbed into a large dimly
lit room. It was a warehouse belonging
to some prosperous tradesman, and
along the walls were piled bales of silk,
satins and brocades, wrapped In paper
and sacking.
“This is what I call luck,” said Dan.
“Yes, it’s as snug a place as we
could wish for,” Alec replied.
Without delay the Princess Loo-Lao
was brought here—lt was not easy to
rouse her —and In a pretty, lisping
voice she thanked her young protec
tors for their thoughtfulness.
The Boxers did not come, though,
as the day wore on—it was the 14th
of June—a distant clamor was heard
at intervals, and several times a dog
barked In the vicinity of the ware
house. The sharp pangs of hunger and
thirst, anxiety on their own account
and for safety of the legations,
made the hours drag slowly by and
kept the lads awake. In the afternoon
they detested a strong smell of some
thing burning, and the sky was ob
scured by volumes of black and yellow
smoke. The conflagration was still rag>
ing when darkness fell.
"I’m off now, old fellow.” Alec th*
said. “And quite time,
"Better take me with you,” urged
Dan.
”No, that won’t do. The girl must
not be left alone, and beside, it will
be easier for one to get through than
for two. Don’t worry. I shan't be gone
long.”
He spoke cheerfully, but his heart
was heavy as, after a few parting
words of advice, he lowered himself to
the floor and thence to the spa’ce un
der the building, which gave him
speedy access to the courtyard. The
task that he was about to undertake
bristled with perils, though fortunately
the distance to be traveled was not
very great, and at this hour the Chi
nese city was comparatively quiet. The
canal by which the fugitives eluded
their pursuers was not the same that
had helped Kin Soon on a previous oc
casion. It lay a qurter of a mile to the
east of the Grand avenue, and that
central thoroughfare had to fee crossed
before Alec could reach Chow Yen’s
house in the Btreet of the Booksellers.
"I must succeed,” he vowed, as he
crept out of the dark court. “If any
thing happens to me what will become
of Dan and the little Princess?”
Equally trying, perhaps, was the lot
that fell to Dan. While the girl slept
peacefully on he crouched among the
bales, waiting with keenest anxiety for
his friend’s return, and deposed by
all sorts of fears. The minutes wore
heavily by, nor was he far wrong when
he guessed that they had grown to
several hours.
But happily the trying vigil was
nearly over. Five minutes later, with
a slight creaking the loose plank in the
floor was forced upward,
“All right!” came Alec’B familiar
voice. There was a gurgling, clinking
noise as he sllmbed over the bales to
his companion’s side. “Luck’s the
word,” he said. “I had to make a de
tour going and returning, or I should
have been here long ago. I’ve got two
bottles- of water, and food to last for
twenty-four hours. And good old Chow
Yen is coming here after dark to-mor
row night. He will bring disguises for
the three of us, so that we can safely
cross the city to the legations. The
Princess must be rigged out as a boy.
And another thing—Chow Yen will try
to get a message through at once to
your father.”
"Hurra, you’ve done splendidly!”
exclaimed Dan. “And what is the
news?”
“Bad enough. The legations have not
been attacked again, but this after
neon the Boxers massacreed thousands
of native Christians and destroyed
acres of houses in the neighborhood of
the South Cathedral; that was the fire
we saw. And the imperial authorities
have put a price on our heads. I mean
on yours and mine; the Princess is to
be taken alive. Both soldiers and Box
ers are searching for us, but fortu
nately they believe that we pushed on
to the end of the ditch and found
shelter in another part of the town.”
“A price on our heads! That sounds
pleasant," muttered Dan. “Can Chow
Yen find his way here?"
"Yes, he knew the place.by my de
scription of it,” Alec replied. “The
warehouse belongs to a wealthy silk
merchant named Sam Wong, and his
shop is Just beyond the court. Chow
Yen tells me that he is a miserly sort
of a chap, so he wouldn’t hesitate to
earn the reward if he got the chance."
“Is he a Boxer?"
“I don’t think so. But I say, I’m for
getting that you and the Princess must
be nearly starved. I’ve had my fill,
and while you are eating I’ll spin you
the tale of my adventures in crossing
the city Waken little Miss Peach
Blossom Dan, and we’ll cheer her up
with the good news.”
tfo be Continued,
21