Show sra rr 1 AL L bastory STORY ORY texts sl THE OF MOONS 1 4 TV by ROBERT W W CHAMBERS t illustrations by J J sh sheridan ridin J i i W I 1 vav copyright copl right 0 11 I 1 borm SYNOPSIS J JHB s tore avons in now new york aitay itay car delhue the storyteller story teller toller luspo ting a queer lucar reptile owned by jeorge godfrey of banys bitoy arid darrid and Iler alf pont two tuo friends lenila fr depart on oil a trip to cardinal boods a rather obscure locality varris rove love lovealee aled ed alio fact that lie tied had jo joined I 1 nod t tho h 0 secret service for the purpose ol of run runn i liiK down a gang of gold bold prof on an discovering ali the gangs formula for muli lad had boon mysteriously killed danis ami Is received a left grain of instructions ile I 1 la arid and set bet out to boente the rold gold making KOW gang KO W A valet reported seeing a queer chinaman in the up untenanted woods bitoy ilo ant hunting lie jio foil fell asleep lit n it tell doll on lie behold beheld a beautiful girl gill at a laicu CHAPTER V I 1 sent him oft to bod bed saying baying I 1 should deop the dogs with tile 1110 all night and when lie was gone I 1 took a rood good long draught of alo just to shame shaine tile the devil ua as pierpont pont said and lighted a algin then I 1 thought glit of is and and their cold boil bod for I 1 knew they would not dare belld a tire fire arid and in spite of tho the liot hot chimney corner coiner and tho the crackling blazo blaze I 1 shivered in 8 ill IH toll tell barris and pierpont pont the whole story and tak ethem ethein to see the carved stone and the ho fountain I 1 thought to myself what a marvelous marv olous dream it was ysonde if it was a dream then the I 1 went to the mirror and ex aminee tho the faint white mark above my illy eyebrow ey about eight next morning as I 1 sat listlessly eyeing my coffee cut cup which howlett hewlett was waa filling gamin and cloche set eel up a howl and in a nio moment it more I 1 hemd heard hauls step on oil ill the porch tJ Hollo roy said pierpont pont stamping into the dining room 1 I want my illy breakfast by jingo where a Ilow II owlett lete none of your cafe au all aalt for me I 1 want a chop randsome and bonia some eggs look itt at that dog hell ball wag tho the hinge his tall in a moment pierpont pont hald I 1 this loquacity la Is astonishing but welcome whores Wh ferea harris barris you aro are soaked from neck to article pierpont pont sat doati do wh and tore oft off his stiff mu muddy addy leggings barris la is telephoning to cardinal springs I 1 believe lie wants some of its his men down gamin you idiot How howcott Ho wiott ilott three eggs poached and thore more toast what was I 1 saying oh about harris barris lies hes struck something or other which he hopes will locate these gold making follows fellows I 1 had a jolly time hell he 11 tell you about it billy billy dally I 1 said lit in pleased amazement you tire are learning to talk dear mol me you load your own shells and you carry your own gun and you lire fire it your hello heres barris nil all over mud you fellows really ought to change your rig whew what a frightful odor its probably this said darras tossing something onto the hearth where it shuddered for a moment and then began to writhe 1 I found it in the woods by the lake do you know what it can bo be roy to my disgust I 1 saw it was another of those there spidery wormy crablike creatures that godfrey had in alf banys 1 I thought I 1 recognized that acrid odor I 1 sald said for the lovo love of the saints take it away front from the breakfast I 1 replied firmly howlett hewlett get a broom and sweep that thing into the road what are you laughin gat pont howlett hewlett swept the repulsive crea firo out and harris barris and pierpont pont went to change their dew soaked clothes for dryer raiment david came to take the dogs for an ail airing and in a tow few minutes harris barris reappeared and sat oat down lu ill his place at the head of the table able well said 1 I Is there a story to tell yes not much they are near the lako jake on oil the other side of tho the woods I 1 mean those god go d makers I 1 shall ell ollar one of them this evening I 1 lir went located the main gang with any certainty the toast rack tbs abs way will you roy no 1 I am not at all certain but ive nailed one anyway IV a jr pierpont pont was a great help really and what do you think roy lie wants to join the secret service little willy I 1 exactly oh ob ill dissuade him what sort of a reptile was that I 1 brought in did rowlett hewlett sweep it amity he ele can sweep it back again tor for all I 1 care I 1 said indifferently ive finished my mr breakfast no said barris hastily swallowing tog his coffee its of no fm you can tell me about the haast servos serves you right it if I 1 had it li ought brought in n on toast I 1 returned pierpont pont cuino came in ili radiant fresh from thu the bath go on with your story atory roy hoy he sald said and I 1 told thoin about godfrey and lila ills reptile irot iret now what in tile name of common sense senho can find interest intel eating frig in ili that crea creature I 1 ended tossing in my cigarette into the fireplace r its dont you think ald pierpont pont I 1 wild raid harris barris it Is not artistically grotesque its vulgar and borri 1 ble e it looks cheap and unfinished exactly said 1 I like an american humorist yes yea said sat pierpont pont cheap cli cap what about that gold serpent sor oil oh tho the metropolitan museum hought bought it you sou must soo it its mer voloris vo vel loiis harris barris and pierpont pont had lighted their cigarettes arid and after a moment wp WE all rose lose and strolled stio llod out to tho the lawn where chalia chairs and hammocks were placed under the diplo caplo trees divald passed gun gim under tinder arm dogs heeling three co runs guns on oil the inea meadora dows at four tills this afternoon bald Fler pont hoy said barris as david bowed anti and started on oil what did you do yesterday ter day T this was the question that I 1 had been expecting all night long I 1 had dreamed ot of ysonde and tile tho glado glade in tire tho woods where at the bottom of tile the crystal rotin fountain tain I 1 saw the reflection of lier her eyes cies all tho the morning while bathing and dressing I 1 had been persuading myself that the dream was not worth recounting and that thal a search toi col tile the glade and the imaginary stone carving would bo be ridiculous but now as harris barris asked the question I 1 suddenly decided to tell him the whole story see here you follows I 1 said ah ab 1 I am aill going to tell you something queer you can call laugh as aa much as you ou please too but farst I 1 want to ask barris a question or two you have been in china barris Barr ls yes said harris looking straight into my eyes would a chinaman he be likely to turn lumberman T havo have you seen a chinaman lie ho naked asked lit in a quiet voice 1 I dont know david dald and I 1 both imagined we did hanla barris arid and pierpont pont exchanged V 1 glances have you seen one cne also I 1 demanded turning to pierpont pont 0 no o said barria slowly but I 1 U pj 1 I sat listlessly eyeing my coffee know that there Is or has been a chinaman in these woods tile the devil said 1 I yes said barris gravely the devil if you like a devil a member of the kuen euln I 1 drew my chair close to the hammock whore where pierpont pont lay at full length holding out to me a ball ot of pure gold well said 1 examining tile ho engraving on tile the surface which represented a mass of twisted creatures dragons I 1 supposed well repeated barris extending his hand to take tho the golden ball this globe of gold engraved with reptiles and chinese Is the symbol of the kuen yuin where did you get it I 1 asked feeling that something startling was impending pierpont pont found it by the lake at sunrise this morning it Is the symbol of the kuen euln lie he repeated the terrible kuen euln the sorcerers of china and tho the most murderously diabolical sect on earth we ve puffed our cigarettes in silence until harris barris rose and began to pace backward and forward among the trees twisting hla his gray mustache the kuen euln are sorcerers be said pausing before the hammock ba where pierpont pont lay watching him 1 I mem mean exactly what I 1 say sorcerers ive seen them ive seen them at their devilish business and I 1 repeat to you solemnly riDly that as there are angels above there Is a raca of devils on earth and they are sorcerers buh he cried talk to roe me of indian magic and yogis and all that claptrap why roy I 1 tell you that the kuen euln have absolute 0 cont control r ol 01 of people mind and body body and son soul do you know what goes on in the interior of china does europe know could any human being conceive of tho the condition of that gigantic hell pit you read the papers you hear diplomatic twaddle about LI hung chang and the emperor you see accounts of battles on sea and land and you know that japan has haa raised a toy tempest along the lagged jagged edge of the great unknown but you nver before heard of the kuen kilen euln no nor has any europea except a stray missionary or two a yet I 1 tell you that when the alres fro this pit of hell have eaten the continent to the coast tho the will inundate halt a world and god helo hell the other halt ponts cigarette went outa out he lighted light ed another and looked hid at harria bt resumed reBii med harris barris quietly clebit gri otha day alay you known know I 1 III tit intend to say bay SUB as much as aa I 1 tild did it would to do no good even you i and pierpont pont will forget it it seems so impossible and so fo far away lik like tile burning wit out of the sun aun what I 1 want to discuss is the possibility or probability of a ChIna chinaman litan a member of tile the kuon yuin being here at this moment ino ment in the forest it if lie he Is said bald pierpont pont possibly tile the gold makers owe their discovery to litin him 1 I do not doubt it for a second said harris barris earnestly I 1 tool took tile the little golden globe in my liand hand and examined the characters engraved upon it harris ll arris said 1 I cant believe in n sorcery while I 1 am wearing one of sanfords San fords shooting suits stilts in the pocket of which rests an uncut volume of the duchess neither can L I 1 I 1 said for I 1 road read tile lie livening post and I 1 know mr godkin would not allow it the matter wath this gold ball what is the matter said barris grittily grimly Why why its changing color purple no calmson no its green I 1 itlean mo angood good heavens heaven sl these dragons dragona tire aie twisting under tinder my fingel 8 impossible muttered pierpont pont leaning over me those are not dragons no I 1 cried excitedly they are pictures of that reptile that barris brought back see see how they crawl and turn drop it commanded harris barris and I 1 throw the ball on tile the turf in an instant wo we had all knelt down on the grass beside it but the globe was waa again golden grotesquely wrought with dragons and strange signs pierpont pont a little red in the face picked it up and handed it to harris barris ho placed it on a chair and sat down beside me ine whew said 1 I wiping the perspiration from my face how did you play us that trick harris barris trick said harris barris contemptuously I 1 looked at pierpont pont and my heart sank it 11 this was pot trick what was it pierpont pont returned my glance and colored but all lie he said was its ita devilish queer and harris barris answered yes yea devilish then harris barris asked me again to toll tell my story and I 1 did bid beginning from the time I 1 met david in the spinney to the moment when I 1 sprang into the darkening thicket where that yellow mask had grinned like a phantom antom skull shall we try to find the fountain I 1 asked after a pause yes and er the lady suggested pierpont pont vaguely dont be an as I 1 said a little impatiently you need not come you know oh ill corny conio said pierpont pont unless le a Y you oil think I 1 am indiscreet shut ul up pierpont pont said harris darri s this thin thing la Is ser serious lons I 1 neer heard of such a glade or such a fo fountain but its true title that nobody knows this ilits forest thoroughly its worth whole trying aug fug eor or roy hoy cabi can you du fand your jo r way back to it easily I 1 answered when shall we go it will knock our snipe shooting on tile the head said pierpont Fler pont but when one has the opportunity of finding a live dream lady 1 I rose deeply offended but pierpont pont was not very penitent and his laughter was irresistible the ladys yours by right of discovery ho he said ill promise not to tc infringe on your dreams ill dream about other ladles come como come said 1 I ill have rowlett hewlett put you to bed in a minute hants barris it if you are ready we can get back to dinner harris barris had risen and was gazing at nie me earnestly the matter I 1 asked nervously for I 1 saw that his eyes were fixed on my iny foi forehead foie head chead and I 1 thought of ysonde and the white crescent scar Is that a birthmark said barris yes why harris barris an interesting coincidence what for heavens sakel the sear scar or rather the birthmark it Is the print ot of the dragons davy claw the crescent symbol of yuo laou TO BE CONTINUED |