Show rk I 1 A L STORY THE m aft m am 0 N by 4 ROBERT W CHAMBERS illustrations by J J sheridan sass ss ss copyright G P ms sons SYNOPSIS the story opens in new york roy car laen geif hup liue the storyteller story teller inspecting a queer reptile owned by george godfrey of atif fadyk roy and harris barris and pierpont pont two fript friends ids depart on a hunting trip to cardinal woods a rather obscure local ity barris revealed the fact that lie he had joined obied the secret service for the purpose of running down a gang of gold makers prof ra lagrange Grange on discovering t alie I 1 i e gangs formula ii had been mysteriously killed darris barris rec received elVed a telegram of in he and pierpont pont set out to locate the gold making gang A valet re ported seeing a queer chinaman in the supposedly untenanted woods roy went hunting he fell asleep in a dell on awakening awakening lie beheld a beautiful beautieu fu leirl girl at a benall lake CHAPTER V I 1 sent him oft off to bed saying I 1 should keep beep the dogs with me ine all night and w wl w n ile he was gone I 1 took a good long draught of ale just to shame the devil as pierpont pont said and lit lighted cited a ci cigar gar then I 1 thought t of barr barris I 1 s and pierpont and their cold bed for J knew they would not dare build a fire N and in spite of the hot chimney corner and the crackling blaze I 1 shivered in sympathy til ill tell barris and pierpont pont the 4 whole story and take them to see the 4 carved arved stone and the fountain I 1 thought to myself what a marvelous mai dream it was ysonde lf if it was a dream then I 1 went to the mirror and examined anif fied the faint white mark above my illy eyebrow about ef eight lit next morning as I 1 sat listlessly eyeing my coffee cup cull which howlett was filling gamin and bloch set up ill a howl bowl and in a moment more I 1 heard barris step on the porch hello roy said pierpont pont stamping into the dining room 1 I want my breakfast by jingo INI wheres Theres howlett hewlett none of your cafe au lait for me I 1 e want a chop and some eggs look at that dog hell wag the hinge off his tall tail in a moment 0 pierpont said 1 I this loquacity is astonishing but welcome wheres barris you are soaked from nock to ankle lermont sat down and tore off his stiff muddy leggings barris is telephoning to cardinal springs I 1 believe he wants some of his men down gamin you idiot k howlett hewlett three eggs poached and more toast what was I 1 saying oil oh about barris lies hes struck something or other which he hopes will locate these gold making fellows I 1 had a jolly time hell tell you about it ai billy 1 billy I 1 said in pleased av amazement you are learning to talk dear bear me you load your own shells and you carry your own gun and you fire it yourself liello hello heres barris all over mud you fellows really ought if to change your rig whew what a frightful odor its probably this said barris tossing something onto the hear 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 be roy to tb my disgust I 1 saw it was another of those spidery wormy crablike creatures that godfrey had in atif banys 1 I thought I 1 recognized that acrid odor ador I 1 said for the love of the saints take it away from the breakfast I 1 replied firmly howlett hewlett get a broom and sweep that thing into the road what are you laughing at pierpont howlett hewlett swept the repulsive creature out arid barris and pierpont pont went to change their dew soaked clothes for dryer raiment david came to take tho the dogs for an airing and in a few minutes harris barris reappeared and sat down in ill his place at the head of the table Nl well yell said 1 I is there a story to tell yes not much they are near tile the lake on the other side of the woods 1 I mean these gold makers I 1 shall collar one of them this evening I 1 located the main gang with any certainty shove the toast rack this way will you roy no I 1 am not at all certain but ive nailed one anyway pierpont pont was a great help really and what do you think roy 7 lie ho wants to join the secret service 1 little willy exactly oil oh ill fit dissuade him what sort of a reptile was that I 1 brought in did rowlett sweep it a away wa y he can call sweep it back bach again for all I 1 care I 1 said indifferently ive finished my breakfast no said barris hastily swallow 19 1 I sat listlessly eyeing my coffee ing his coffee its of no importance you can tell me about the beast serves you right if I 1 had it brought in ill on toast 1 I returned pierpont pont came in radiant fresh front from the bath go on with your story roy he said and I 1 told them thein about godfrey and his reptile pet now what in the name of common sense can call godfrey find interesting in that creature I 1 bended ended tossing my cigarette into the fireplace its japanese dont you think said pierpont lont no sat said barris it is not artistically grotesque its vulgar and horrible it looks cheap and unfinished unfinished exactly said 1 I like an all american humorist yes sald said pierpont cheap what about that gold serpent oil oh the metropolitan I 1 museum bought it you must see it its mer barris and pierpont pont had lighted their cigarettes and after a moment wo we all rose and strolled out to the lawn where chairs and hammocks were placed under tinder the maple trees david passed gun guil under arm dogs heeling three guns on oil the meadows at four this afternoon said pierpont roy said barris as david bowed and started on what did you do yesterday ter day this was the question that I 1 had been expecting all night long I 1 had dreamed of ysonde and the glade in ill tha woods where at the bottom of the crystal fountain I 1 saw the reflection of her eyes all the rn morning orning while bathing and dressing I 1 had been persuading myself that the dream was not worth recounting and that a search for the glade and the imaginary stone carving would be ridiculous but now as darris barris asked the question I 1 suddenly decided to tell him the whole story see here you fellows I 1 said ab raptly 1 I am going to tell you something queer you can laugh as much as you please too but first I 1 want to ask barris a question or two you have been in china barris yes said barris looking straight into my eyes would a China chinaman maii be likely to turn lumberman have you seen a chinaman ho he asked in a quiet voice 1 I 1 dont know david and I 1 both imagined we did barris and pierpont pont exchanged glances have you seen one also I 1 demanded aided turning to include pierpont pont no said barris slowly but I 1 know that there is or has been a chinaman in these woods the devil said 1 I yes sat said barris gravely the devil if you like a devil a member 0 of athe the kuen yuin yuhi I 1 drew my chair close to the hammock where pierpont pont lay at full length holding out to me a ball of pure gold well said 1 I examining the engraving on them the surface which represented a mass of twisted creatures dragons I 1 opposed mp mip posed well repeated barris extending his hand to take the golden ball this globe of gold engraved with rep I 1 bios 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 ft by the lake at sunrise this morning it is the symbol of the kuen euln lie he repeated the terrible kuen yuin the sorcerers of china and the most murderously diabolical sect on oil earth we puffed our cig cigarettes arestes in silence until untie barris rose and began to pace back ward and forward among tile the trees twisting his gray mustache the kuen yuin are sorcerers lie he said pausing before the hammock where pierpont Pier lay watching him 1 I mean exactly what I 1 say sorcerers ive seen them ive seen them at their devilish business and I 1 repeat to you solemnly that as there are angels above there is a race of devils on earth and they ahey are sorcerers bah ho he cried talk to me of indian ilia magic to and alii yogis and all that claptrap why roy I 1 tell you that the kuen yuin yuhi have absolute control of people mind and body body and soul do you know what goes on oil in the interior of china does europe know could any human being conceive of the condition of that gigantic liell hell pit 00 you read the papers you hear diplomatic twaddle about li hung chang 0 and tile the emperor you see accounts of battles on sea and land and you linow know that japar japan has haa raised a toy teni tempest pest along the jagged edge of the great unknown but you never before heard of the kuen yuin no nor has any european except a stray missionary or oi two and yet I 1 tell you that when the fires from this pit of liell hell have eaten through the continent to the coast the explosion will inundate half a world and god help the other half ponts cigarette went out ile he lighted another and looked hard at barris but resumed barris quietly sufficient unto the day you know I 1 intend to say as much as I 1 did it would do no good even you and pierpont will forget it it seems so BO impossible and so far away like the burning out of the sun what I 1 want to discuss is the possibility or probability of a chinaman a member of the kuen yuin being bahit here at this moment in the forest if lie he is said pierpont pont possibly f y the gold makers 0 owe we the their r descove discovery A to him 1 I do not doubt it for a second seconda dT said barris earnestly I 1 took the file little golden globe in my hand and examined the characters sn graved upon it harris said pierpont pont 1 I cant believe M in sorcery while I 1 arn am wearing I 1 one of sanfords San fords shooting suits iu in the pocket of which rests an uncut volume S of the duchess neither can call I 1 I 1 said for I 1 read the evening post and I 1 know mr godkin would not allow it hello the matter with this gold ball i what is the matter said barris barrio grimly 4 why why its changing color purple no crimson no its green I 1 mean good heavens these dragons are twisting under tinder my illy fingers impossible muttered pierpont pont leaning over me those are not hot A dragons no I 1 cried excitedly they are pictures of that reptile that barris brought back see see how they crawl and turn y drop it commanded harris barris and I 1 threw the ball on the turf in an instant wo we had all knelt down on tho the grass beside it but tile the globe was i again golden grotesquely vi wrought rought with dragons and strange signs t pierpont pont a little red in the face picked it up and handed it to barris ile ho placed it on oil a chair and sat down 4 beside me whew said 1 I wiping the perspiration from aiom my face how did you 1 r play us that tock barris 4 nu trick said harris barris contemptuously U I 1 looked at pierpont pont and my iny heart I 1 sank it this was not trick what was it pierpont pont returned my glance and colored but all lie he said was its devilish queer and barris answered i N yes devilish then barris asked a nie me again to tell my in story and I 1 did beginning irom froin the time I 1 met david in it the tafe spinney toiling To to the ilig momert I 1 onie li when I 1 sprang apian into the darkening thicket where that yellow mask had bad grinned like it a phantom skull shall we try to find the fountain fountains nr 4 I 1 asked after a pause rf yes and er the lady suggest ed pierpont pont vaguely dont be an as I 1 said a little impatiently you oil need not conic come you yon know oh ill conic come said pierpont pont unless you think I 1 am ain indiscreet shut up ill pierpont pont sald said barris this thing is serious I 1 never heard of such a glade or such a fountain but its true tine that nobody knows this forest thoroughly its worth whole trying for roy can you find your way 1 back to it 4 easily I 1 answered when shall we go it will knock our snipe shooting on oil the head said pierpont but when one has the opportunity of finding a live dream lady I 1 rose deeply offended but pierpont pont was not very penitent and his laughter was irresistible the ladys yours by right light of discovery lie he said ill promise not to infringe on your dreams ill dream about other ladies aa come conic come said 1 I ill have howlett owlett II put you to bed in a minute barris if you are ready we can get back to dinner barris had risen and was ans gazing at rne me earnestly the matter I 1 asked nervously for I 1 saw that his eyes werd wera fixed on my illy forehead and I 1 thought of ysonde and the white crescent scar Is that a birthmark said barris yes why ban barris is nothing an interesting coincidence what for heavens sake the sear scar or rather the birt birthmark limarL it is the print of the dragons claw A A xa the crescent symbol of yue laou TO BE CONTINUED |