Argosy All-Story Weekly, January 13, 1923 — page 96: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

558 criminals were tried by the official repre- sentatives of the Chinese government. Odette informed her that Chiang frequently occupied the judge’s chair, as befitted the son of the illustrious banker and island mil- lionaire. “Only the natives go to the Yamen,” Odette was cheerful to add when Paula sug- gested a visit. “ The Blakes never go.” Paula laughed lightly. ‘I’m dying to see your little Chiang in the role of a judge. Let’s have a peep at this Chinese show?” Odette demurred, but finally consented to accompany her sister to the pagoda- shaped building in the native quarter of the town. It was known in Songolo that the captain of the notorious junk, Kish Loon, was on trial for the murder of a comprador and crew of a Songolo tramp steamer. The captain of the junk, Feng Ho, by name, had proved a curse to small ship owners and schooner craft. He rarely spared his victims once his gang of howling, chattering cut- throats spilled over their rails. For a long time he had eluded the Chinese water police and gunboats. But Fate, in the guise of a British torpedo destroyer, had shot his smelly junk to pieces, and later brought him to Songolo to be handed over to the authorities. Within an hour after his landing he had managed te escape, but was caught some days afterward, in the hut of a coolie woman who had given him shelter. She also had been arrested. About the gates of the Yamen was gath- ered the scum and raffle of the port, The lynx eyes of a Chinese official singled out the two white ladies on the outskirts of the rabble. Without ado he beat his way for- ward and with many salaams conducted them inside to a seat near the judge’s chair. The place was packed and reeked of sam- shu, vanilla and the sour-skinned natives of the slums. A droning silence filled the Yamen. The judge had not yet arrived. Opposite them was a heavily barred door through which the felons and murderers were sometimes driven like geese. In the center of the Yamen, and surrounded by a curiously wrought metal screen, stood an iron Buddha, ugly, malevolent and leering in the direction of the judge’s seat. Above the idol’s flat brow was suspended from a en ee eg ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. metal bracket in the low ceiling an iron glove, the shape and size of a human hand. Paula noticed that the palm of the iron glove was absent. | A sudden stir among the native officials was the signal of the judge’s entry. He was dressed in the richly embroidered jacket of a mandarin. The coveted stars and but- tons of the third order were visible on his breast. He looked across the Yamen at the sweltering, loose-jawed mob, and then his glancing eyes found Paula and Odette on his right. The Eastern garb had changed the ap- pearance of Chiang. He was no longer the debonair university student; something of the iron Buddha was reflected in his pose and lineaments. The fragrant delicacy of his movements was gone. He had become part of the Asiatic horde in that malodorous atmosphere of crime and punishment. Odette gasped in surprise. Her lips moved, but made no sound. Paula’s face showed no sign of mental perturbation or excitement. An Oriental in flowing rai- ment rose and notified the small group of Officials gathered around the judge’s seat that the proceedings would be conducted in English, and that the sentences would be made known to the prisoners by Mongolian and Cantonese interpreters. The junkman, Feng Ho, was hustled through the gate and into a cage that was used as a dock for murderers and despera- does. Aiter him came a coolie woman car- rying a baby; she was forced into the cage beside Feng Ho. The pirate was naked to his ragged loin-cloth. From his wrists and ankles trailed heavy prison fetters. He was old and toothless; yet, despite his years, he grinned truculently in the face of the judge and officials. The proceedings were swift and without formalities. The affidavit of the destroy- er’s commander was taken and handed to the judge as irrefutable evidence of the fel- low’s guilt. There was no defense, Evi- dence was forthcoming which showed that the coolie woman with the baby had har- bored and abetted him upon previous occa- sions when ships belonging to the port had been looted and burned. Her latest of- fense lay in the fact that she had given him = + EComicbooks i ae Sg ee.