Argosy All-Story Weekly, 4 February 1922 — page 107: what you’re looking at

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

FORTUNE UNAWARES. There was talk of a ‘ white’ treasure as well as a ‘red.’ It was the white treasure these men brought up from Macao. Dean may have had a wonderful diamond as well as the ruby. This has been delivered to some agent of T’ang Seng here in Shang- hai, and I imagine Shang Wa would like to get his finger in that pie. He got hold of the men from Macao too late, or he would have relieved them of their delivery. And, having pumped them of all they would or could tell him, he put them out of the way so they could not tell any one else. There are other pirates besides Shang Wa who have an eye for the main chance.” “ Will not this other agent of T’ang Seng, to whom the white treasure was delivered, avenge their death in any way?” I asked. ‘““T imagine Shang Wa would be careful ‘how they were coaxed aboard that junk. He is clever at details like that. Also, they were merely messengers, trusty enough but unknown to T’ang Seng’s agent. Now, what do you want to do in the matter, Ned?” “T should like to clear up the matter ,of what has happened to Dean,” I said. . “I do not think he was one of the men in the boat, though that is only guesswork on my part. I suppose we can communi- cate with Dean’s attorneys back in the States and deliver the ruby to them.” “That is a long way round,” said En Sue, attorneys, Ned, I believe if I had a stone worth a quarter of a million I should prefer personally to deliver it to Dean—or, if he is dead, to his heirs. And we do not know if he is dead. It is not such a long way to Borneo. Let us go over there and clear up the fate of the Zuleika and your coun- trymen. I imagine father can provide the vessel. What do you say?” I didn’t know what to say. Here was En Sue calmly proposing, and Li Yuen acquiescing in the suggestion, to outfit a ship and provide a crew for a visit to the wrecked yacht, merely to further my ex- pressed desire to clear up the mystery of Dean and endeavor to find the legitimate owner of the ruby. Doubtless Dean woultl be willing to re- pay reasonable expenses and provide a re- 7A “ With all respect for your American: 417 ward for his recovery of the Blood of Buddha, but it was a long chance that we should not do anything else on the trip but determine that he was dead. His heirs, when they were found, might not prove so liberal. Li Yuen was rich—richer than Dean; he would audit the cost of this voy- age as a chance for En Sue to repay what the latter considered his debt to me, but it was. a different matter for me to see it in | that light. The expedition presented alto- gether too doubtful an issue, and I said so. Li Yuen read my mind better than I spoke it. “Your affairs and ours are tied up strangely in this affair,” he said. “If you had not found the ruby, we should not have had an opportunity presented to us that we have long looked for. Mr. Kennedy, America and Europe have often wondered why China sleeps so long, why we have allowed Japan to come up and overtake us. The answer to me is simple. “* Japan is an island; we are an empire, with an interior where the old customs pre- vail, and coast provinces closer in touch with new thought. We are a divided peo- ple. I, En Sue, represent the modernists; T’ang Seng belongs to the old régime. He is opposed to progress, to any suggestion of altruism or socialism. Japan needs more land for her increasing population; we have a vast area of our own to exploit. She must expand or perish. She has one race, practically one religion. “We are a mixed people—Tartars, Ti- betans, Burmese, Shans, Manchus, Arabs, Persians and even Japanese have mingled with our indigenous population. The Man- chus are the ruling race. In religion Tao- ism and Buddhism have interchanged their features. “The pure philosophies of Lao- Tsze, of Buddha and Confucius have degen- erated. Among our four hundred million people, how many really worship, how many chose the way. Superstition has blinded faith. We have much to over- come. “Once we were self-sufficient, ahead of the world in science, art and letters, Those who cry ‘China for the Chinese’ would shut off all intercourse with the outside world. Japan has done more wisely. She = Eomicbooks.com | -