Evening Star Newspaper, February 26, 1898, Page 18

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1898-24 PAGES. THE EVENING STAR, PQs (Copyright, 1898, isekse) sekses se) 2) When the strons arm of the law reached ou Thit instead, it was this way: Th ray Burmese night was thick when Hpo Thit glided like a snak> up the steps of ihe police bungalow, and told Valen- tyre, ntendent, that Moung Ou- ray h 1-many balis of it—hidden is house. - spoke of Moung Ouray, Valen- little, for Ouray was Mi brother, and Mi Mra she was—but is a story of Hpo Thit. “How do you know of the opium?” ask- the beastly awa dia ed Valentyn “Did you put stuff there yourself, and then come to cackl: of the eggs of your own laying?” “No, sir, Abdul, who is a dog of a Mus- gulman, saw Moung Ouray take it off the ‘fireboat’ which goes up the riv2r.” Abdul, who is a Mussulman, see Juray had the opium?” o, sir; but will not a Burman put his jewels im the strong box that he kee] Rear his Led?” ‘There was a soft rustle just beyond the platted bamboo wall, close behind Vaien- tyne’s head. It was the soft rustle of silk as Mi Mra wrapped the lemon-covored scarf about her throat and slipped like a gentl> shadow down the back steps of the bunga- low Vv lentyne gave a toss in his chair and hed long and lustily. That was diplo- matic, for jungle men, like Hpo Thit, have sharp ears. In and out among the mangoe tres the girl's slight figure flitted, as she sped swift- ly through the grove toward Moung Ou- s little bamboo house. ray he Thakine, who makes Mi Mra laugh, asked Hpo Thit if he had laid the eggs in brother's box. Pzrhaps he did; we shall re-—ha, ha, ha!” and her teeth, which were pink from the juice of the supari, gleamed like coral beads. Vaiertyne pondered for a f>w moments ever what Hpo Thit bad told him. His euty was straight enough, “but—but—‘it's ut-up job!” he muttered to himself. “It's ame old bazaar trick of ruining a was not Moung Ouray Mi Mra‘s I've got to help this black- in his villainy, though,” he thought; ealiing his crderly, told him to bring ant and a couple of police from the metaled just waere and Valentyne told ox was unlocked, on top lay ik gown: than one after little jackets and divers id on the flo knew that he had not he did not make a Iso, had not he had siliy while Moun Y were roun there grin- ; e gave a 1 asked Hpo Thit seen Moung reh further. + Valentyne could answer a fiendish mote upon his ears. It was as the play and the w clash of had been suddenty emptied compound of the Phoongye Ky- ross the read. proper oriental babel: the ery of utting threugh the general noise harp-«d knife. zaar bud hes (blackguards) are me one,” said the sergeant. have to go and look into that id the superintendent: and finish the s so that this devil ty that you had a chance to hide as diplomatic: but it was the losing track of Hpo Thit that thts (spirits) chance to work murdering a Phoongye” i to the sergeant as they 2 the pagoda, he found the the temple clustered about idha, the “Beda Buddha,” as it ng into yes in S were prostrated at the feet i aving and lamenting, ‘asked Valentyne. olen the Beda, th of . the ruby!” @ great hole in the addha, where th * had been fe alm and dign 1, sitting th lap! 3 1 and blood and carnage d with ¢ gles of the little gone. Twelve hundred years before had King ‘szana given it to the Talopins of Panja— . the son of Mienzaim, and Poaza, hines= princess. © Seven great Kyoungs of Talopins h Uzzara founded gained him great so that when he died the “Beda uddha” worked miracles. And now for 1,200 years had the sacred ye, the “Beda ruby,” done even so. mal frenzy of th> priests seemed he petulant temper of children; their thin brown bodies, draped with the sacred Im serenity upon the men who had com= “Kaocked the Ruby Out.” robe, swayed and rocked in the of their flickering earth-oil 'y c&lled upon the sacrilegious hat stolen the ruby—taken the da was horror-struck at the au- of the thief, for the Beda Buddha > most sacred image in all Burmah. 1s came from all over the Burmese to strike with the stag’s horn the at-shaped gong hanging there at its und then plead, with forehead prone > cemented floor in front of the . for the intercession of the Beda with idha Gaudama. yes watched it night and day, one had managz2d to steal the alentyne could not understand. the meantime Hpo Thit had glided *tlenUly beck through the crotons, and into the bungalow once more. The very air was full of demoniac noises es Hpo Thit slipped into the hous>, for the ows, arpused by the Phoongyes’ uproar, reaming and shrieking in a big tomarind that towered high above the champac. Within all was quiet, and Hpo = lost no time in making his way to ¢ box they had so lately searchad for the opium. ‘The little lamp was still burning, sb Ase heek sea: LSULS UDSULRTUNS THE EYE WRITTEN FOR THE EVENING TAR BY W. A. FRASER. gee NACA PVR ON LOE INA yr Moung Ouray and gathered in Hpo | opposite Moung j veyond. id Ouray, in his m the police tiled OF A GOD, by W. A. Fraser.) DUS LILLISURISUPA DDS he couid see just where to put the small round packet he took from the roll in his cloth just at his waist. He put it down in a corner of th2 teak- wood box; then, actuated by a sudden re- solve, he picked it up, unrolled the little piece of yellow cloth in which it was wrapped, and took a long, loving look at it. As ne rolled it in his hand near th> flickering cotton dip the little room seem- ed bathed in a flood of warm, blood-red light. Greaat ruby tinted rays shot hither and thither, until the dazzling brightness lighted up the uncertain gloom, and it was as though red wine had been thrown high in the bright, noonday sunshine. It was the stolen ruby; and night was being made hideous with the din across j; the road in the Phoongye Kyoung. There was so much of t2rror, so mucn of menace, in the hoarse roar of the Phoongyes, and the crowd of Buddhists who had been attracted by their cries, that his heart failed him—he dropped it again in the box, and pass2d silently, swiftly out into the Burmese night. As he disappeared a small figure glided out from behind a Penang mat which served as curtain to a doorway, and, kneel- ing over the box, searched for that which Hpo Thit had put thore. it was Mi Mra. “Ho, ho, Hpo Thit: be- cause Moung Ouray told Mi Mra that you are always smoking at the opium, and because of that Mi Mra would have noth- ing to do with you, you would have Valen- tyne Thakine make a thief of Moung Ouray. Then she disappeared behind the cur- tain again, and the oll dip flickered low- er and lower, and only the outside clamor crept into the house—it was so still. Soon there was the steady tramp, tramp “SEEING THE NATIVES PLUMP of-men that are accustomed to march- ing, and once more the superintendent. and the sergeant, and th the steps; and also wei and Hpo Thit, others there. “We shall find the was saying, “or else Moung Ouray given it some one, to some of the opiw eaters to steal the ruby for nim—the great reby which was in the forehead of the God Beda. If the opium is gone, we shail find the ruby. If the ruby is not iiere, we shall find the opium. I do not know all things like the Thakine, but that is the way of our people.” “I think that this is no end of a fool's game,” said Valentyne to the sergeant; but we might as well finish our search while we are at it. Where shall we look first?” “In the box, Thakine,” eagerly interposed Hpo Thit. “If the opium is not there, and he has the ruby, there shall we find it.” So once more the sergeant continued his interrupted search of the box. There was nothing beyond a pair ef Chinese patent leather shoes, a palm leaf Buddhist Bible and Moung Ouray’s silken head dress» many of them packed away in the bot- tom. “There is nothing here, Hpo Tait,” said the superintendent, brusquely. “What I j really ought to do is arrest you, Hpo Thit, for a dangerous lunatic; but I'll see to that | tcmorrow. In the meantime, sergeant, just beat up the surrounding country budmash that has taken the ruby. That the ruby was gone was a facer to Hpo Thit; first, the balls of opium had dis- appeared, but that he had attributed to Moung Ouray; now the ruby had vanisued, and Moung Ouray had been with the po- lice all the time. = Then he saw something whieh gave him a clue. It was an innocent looking circlet of jessamine flowers lying in front of the box. It was such “u™circlet «s che girls wore on their hair, and it hadn't been pee there when they searched the box be- ‘ore. “Of a certainty Mi Mra has taken the ruby,” murmured Hpo Thii, “and has gone to the house of San Shwe, who is her If San Shwe will keep it, there will it rest; but if his heart fail him, then will he tell her to take it to the police Thakine.”” There was no time to be lost, for it would be discovered that he had stolen it, and he would 2!so lose the ruby. His opportunity to steal the jewel had come to him just as he was leaving Moung Ouray’s house, after having put the opium in the box. For some unknown reason, probably owing to the poay, he had found the temple deserted for a few minutes, and had knocked the ruby out of the alabaster with his sword. Then the sudden fear, and the chance to implicate Moung Ouray as the thief, his other scheme having failed, led him to put it in the box. Now he knew that Mi Mra must have seen him put it there, and he would be accused of steal- ne it anyway, he meant to get the ruby ack. Slipping away from the others as they came out of Moung Ouray’s house, he quickly sped to San Shwe’s bungalow. As he approached cautiously he could see Mi Mra and her mother and father, sitting on the bamboo floor, earnestly discussing something. ‘They will decide; I will wait,” he muttered, squatting on his heels at the side of the road. Then Mi Mra came out, and starfed off across the dried maidan toward the super- intendent's bungalow. That was Hpo Thit's chance. “If you tell about it,” he said as he left her, “I will swear that you and Moung Ovray stole it and gave it tome. Then the judge Thatkine will ask how you should know that I had it, if you had not given it to me.’ Mi Mra went back to her father’s house; she wanted to think; wanted to do that which was the least trouble. In the morning she told Valentyne about it, and in an hour he and the sergeant and a file of police were chasing Hpo Thit. But Hpo Thit had gone. One more dacoit had been created. His brother, the Thuggie’s, gun had gone with him. The Thuggie didn’t know that, for Hpo Thit had stolen it. It was an old-fashioned muazle-loading musket. It is difficult to run down a Burma the jungle, and it was the next day they came up with their quarry. He had a couple of shots at them in a blundering sort of way with the old mus- ket without hitting anybody; but just as Valentyne charged in on him at the head of his police Hpo Thit fired again quarters, ard the superintendent went Only for the sergeant, Hpo Thit would have been carved up into regulation slices; | for only for the sergeant and Valen! too, he bellowed out: “Don’t kill him! Take the beast alive!" “Bring .him here and search him at orce,” said Valentyne, who was sitting. up police cam: Moung Oura and the Phooagy and opium,” Hpo ‘hit as in fore DOWN IN FRONT OF now, though feeling deuced groggy. And while the sergeant bound up his wound they stripped Hpo Thit clean as a whistle. But there was Lows ta pe and but much ttooing discovered. ‘what, have you done with the red stone,” asked the superintendent; but Hpo Thit wouldn't answer. Then they got back to Thayetmyo as quickly as they could, carrying Valentyne on an improvised dhooly, in the shape of a charpoy, which they got from the woon of @ neighboring village, by the gentle art of mpulsion. “When Hpo Thit was brought back by the police, he was met by a reception commit- tee composed of orthodox Buddhists who were gathered together with the avowed object of honoring him with the crucifixion. To guard against his attaining Nirvana by a fluke, as it were, he was to be cruci- fied head downward. Valentyne, who was very weak by this time, had great difficulty in explaining to them that the government could not allow such a thing to take place. “Have patience, good friends,” he sald. “We must be merciful.” And he talked cheerfully of the life-long years of living hell Hpo Thit would surely get on the An- daman Islands for his part in the little cir- cus. In a general sort of way the sergeant ex- plained to them that they, who knew little about such things, could only make Hpo Thit wish he had not done this thing for a very few minutes at the outside. But the Thakine, who was the government, could couse Hpo Thit to revile the day he was projected into the world by a thief of a jackal, for years and years. So Valentyne was taken to the hospital, and Hpo Thit was put in a cage behind iron bars, just like the mangy tiger they had seen down at Rangoon. a “I'll have the bullet out of you in a jiffy,’ said the civil surgeon to Valentyne, as he rolled up his sleeves and opened his case of shining instruments. = “D—4 if I can understand it, though,’ he said as he probed away, for the jiffy time had gone by and he hadn't even touched the bullet yet. “It must be one of those infernal skewgee slugs of theirs that he has pumped into you. It seems to have struck you under the arm as you were flourishing that sword of yours, and then traveled on down along your ribs. God knows where it is now, for I can’t find it. You've lost enough blood over it for just now, anyway; but if there seems to be any complication setting in, I'll have another try for it.”” The surgeon saw it was about time to de- sist, for Valentyne was looking pretty well used up. Then Hpo Thit was brought up before the HIM AND PRAY.” sioner for a committal hear- , as it were, charged with stealing the ered ruby, and with attempting murder of the superintendent, But the priests were clamorous for the ruby eye of their Buddha; for the matter of Valentyne dying or not they did not bother their heads—even they would let Hpo Thit 80 tree, so be it they could come by the sacred gem again. The Burmese arch- bishop, the Thathanabaing, had come down from Ava to see about the recovery of the stone. They begged the deputy commisstoner to give Hpo Thit promise of pardon if he would only disclose where he had hidden the “Beda.” “I can't do that,” he said, “for the wounded sahib may die; the doctor has fished for the bullet and ‘can’t Bet it, 2 it looks bad for the superintende If he dies, Hpo Thit will have to s: ing.” But if the Beda might be recovered they would pay to Valentyne’s family his full value in good English sovereigns. The deputy commissioner was as anxious to recover the jewel as they wer Promised Hpo Thit that if he would tell where it was, it would help him much when the time of his sentence came. “I will tell,” said Hpo Thit, “because it will be easy for the Thakine to get it; and then the Thakine will remember at the time of the sentence.” The priests cianed their thin shaven buzzard-like heads eagerly forward; even the deputy commissioner was intensely ex- cited, for if he should recover this sacred Beda it would be well; if not,ffi the Papers all through India would have their ting at it, and his life would™be made mi: able answering inquiries from the gov: ment. The court was as silent as the graven image of Buddha itself, as they waiied for Hpo Thit to speak. Putting the palms of his hands together in front of his face in the form of sSuppli- cation, Hpo Thit said: “The red stone which I took from the Kyoung, even from the forehead of Buddha, is in the police Thakine's body. I fired it from my gun the last time, because I had not bullets, and because if it could work a miracle it would stop the police that I might get away.” This statement took away the breath of the court. The silence was unbroken for a full minute; then the Chief Phoongye gaid: ““Hpo Thit is telling lies; he has hid it. We must swear iim.” “Yes,” said the deputy commissioner, “he must make oath to that, for things were better done judicially.” He ordered the clerk to swear him on the palm-leaf Burmese Bible. “No, Thakine,” said the priest, inter- rupting, “he is not a disciple of Buddha. He is a jungle man, and we .aust swear him on a branch of the leppan.” But after the oath it was the same—the red stone was in the police Thakine’s body. “I think it is the truth,” said the deputy commissioner. “It is true,” said the priests; “and the bolice Thakine must give up the Beda.” “Well, we'll see what can be done in the matter,” answered the deputy commisston- ; and Hpo Thit was remanded to await lopments. “By Jove!” said the surgeon, when he heard about it, “that accounts for the in- fernal thing taking that corkecrew course.” “You'll have to get it out of him some y,” said the deputy commissioner, it's worth about two lakhs of rupees; and, besid2s, it won’t be healthy for Valen- tyne to live in Burmuh with the eye of a Buddhist god in him.” “Look here, Grey,” said the surgeon; “1 am jiggered if I aig for the cursed thi: again. I nearly let Valentyna’s life autiok him the other day for fear of poisonous consequences, for I thought it was a slug. But if it’s a good, clear-cut ruby it will probably never hurt him, and I’m not going to take any chances.” The deputy commissioner was in despair. The Phoongy>s, headed by their arch- bishop, haunted his office and his bungalow night and day, clamoring for the ruby, for their sacred “Beda,” for the eye of their Buddhist god. E But the surgeon was obdurate, “‘Valentyne is a friend of mine," he sald, ‘n- “for SSEEEPDEDST ES ane 3 3 2 J “and I'm not Poh mer him y joongy: Wouldn't do it “even it he were an ene 2 Ot cane tee te ey oomaaalacscids: - course ~daput col qomegeet it to the commissioner, and he to the chief ‘. : mous ruby, from tho forehead of the'l 3 hit’ Thit had een: copie the war nga the Pe ‘That it from Thits that: he fired it from a musket the. ag me body: but whethe: Thit's evidence could cepted, the superintsndent held to. j 7 innocent possession of the stolen goods or | he ag he began to feel e@ pain in his not, or whether oe be arrested as a receiver of the stole goods, h3 was not prepared to say. That must rest with the higher authorities to decide. He suggested that it might be better to refer it to the judicial commissiciler. 7 : Valentyne in the meantime had to be guarded at the hospital, for Mi Mra dis- covered that the Phoongyes had set a scheme on foot to_kidnap him, and, inci- dsntally, carve him up to find the sacred stone. There were mafiy reasons why they should recover it ss soon as possible. Their Buddha had lost ali prestige since his mal- treatment, and no pilgrims came now to Jay their ‘gen2rou, rings at his great square feet. The pagoda had ceased to do a paying business, for Uzzana’s ruby had been a drawing card.fit had been a good investment that fer twelve centuries “had gon2 on making money for the priesis. Valentyne applied for, and obtained, sick leave, handicapped with an order that he must not take the ruby out of the jurisdic- tion of the Burmese courts. it was a splendid bit of judicial ruling that, and the deputy commissioner smilsd grimly when it passed through his hands. The surgeon swore like a trooper when he heard about it, for he had ordered Val- entyne off to Darjecling for a change. “You can’t stop here,” he said, “because if you don’t die of fever, they’! murder you, sure. By Jove! Your body will be worth some- thing for dissecting purposes, though, if they don’t get the first slash at you.” But _Valentyne steadily improved. The wound was healing up nicely, the ruby seemingly giving him no trouble whatever. As soon as he was able to sit up and move about he discovered a new source of annoyance. Devout Burmans were. con- stantly coming and prostrating themselves at his feet, touching their foreheads to the ground and muttering their prayers. “What does it mean?” he asked Moung Ouray. “Sar, they are worshiping the ‘Beda,’ which you, by the grace of God and that wicked Hpo Thit, hav. ag “This is intolerable,” thought Valentyne. “I am a ruby mine, and a Burmese god, and a receiver of stolen goods, all in one.” As he got better the beauty of his new life was further enhanced by the deluge of official correspondence that commenced to pour in upon him. = By order of the chief commissioner he was asked to explain how he meant to take good to the pagoda the value of the ruby he was still retaining on his person. It was cheerfully pointed out that if half his salary was escheated for this purpose it would take at least forty years to make up the value of the jewel. A delay of this sort would hardly be fair to the Phoongyes; besides, in that uncer- tain climate, his salary might cease at any moment. At any rate, under the fifty-five years’ service rule, he could not retain his position in the service for that length of time, and his pension would be barely enough to live upon. The civil surgeon was raked over the coals for not acting upon the deputy com- missioner's suggestion and probing the matter to the bottom as it were—for not making another effort to recover the jewel. It was in vain that he wrote in answer intendent’s life would have gered by another operation. His answer only brought another literay wigging, in which he was curtly reminded that the British government expected its officials to do their duty, irrespective of personal feeling or considerations of per- sonal safety. “Hang them for ine,” surgeon’s name: “they mean to have that ruby out of Valentyne, even if it costs his life.” . Then the Phoongyes got up a mor petition, signed by all the Buddch ing? and dead. in the whole Burt pire. It was cleverly worded, haying been drawn up by a young Burman barrister, who was the gold’ medalist of his year in England. The petition lot exclaimed Corbyn, for that was the a of bloodthirsty s to he forwarded to the é viceroy thro mmissioner, and prayed that the stiperintendent of po: Valentine, should he delivered over to might regain the most 1 the Bu empire. were willing to pay an indemnity to . but the ruby they must have. For a time it looked rather blue for Val- entyne, for the viceroy was a man who had great ideas about, the rights ofthe natives; in fact, he went in for it very much as a baboo plays lawn tennis, with- out much science in the geme, but h his whole soul and ponderous body dead on the ball. The papers at home took it up; and a nice gentleman one evening at Exeter Hall pointed out to the B. P. that evidently it Was another case of oppression of the pogr native. One of their temples had been desecrated; one of their most sacred idolg violated; a jewel, to which they attributed aculous powers, stolen, and the jewel s now in the poss fon of one of the government superintendents of police. There s a cock-and-bull story, he said, about it having been shot into his body, but even if it were so, they could not set a whole nation of Buddhists by the ears, for the sake of one man. In common hon- esty they must give the jewel up; and if this m: couldn’t part with it, wny he would ve to go with it, that was all. The viceroy seemed inclined to look at it in this light too, and it really seemed awkward for Valentyne. In the meantime a civil suit to recover the value of the ruby had been instituted in the courts in general, and Valentyne in particular. Luckily for Valentyne, the secretary of state was a hard-headed man, not much given to nonsense, and he said in equiva- lent official language “that he'd be d—d if he'd see an innocent Englishman de- liberately cut up to recover any fetish bauble.” But all the same the superintendent would have to be retired on half pay, for his usefulness was gone. The ‘two could not be combined; the dual position of Burmese God and superintendent of po- lice; for the natives still persisted in rever- encing him, though ready as soon as tha word was given, to cut him up. Just when he thought his troubles were at an end, and he might go home, they ap- plied for’ an injunction to prevent. him from moving the ruby out of Burmah. They showed to the court on medical au- thority that there was every possibility that the stone might work itself out some day, and so be recovered; but if Valen- tyne were allowed to leave the kingdom the chances of the rightful owners ever becoming possessed of it were very slim indeed. ‘They undertook to pay Valentyne a salary of ten thousand rupees a year so long as he remained in Rangoon; and all they asked in return was the privilege of coming to worship the Beda at certain periods and that a medical officer, appointed by them, should have free access to Valentyne's per- son, with a view to keeping track of the perambulations of the ruby; and that when it made its appearance near the skin any- where, so that it might be extracted with- out danger to him, that: he would relin- quish ail claim upon it and allow the sur- geon to hasten its appearance. Valentyne’s counstl, seeing which way the wind was blowing, agreed to accept this ruling of the court, only stipulating that Corbyn be appointed surgeon, for the nether stone had suffered most in the grind, and Corbyn was out of the service. One little formality the court demanded; that was that the archbishop and three or four of the chief Phoongyes should go on a bond for Valentyne’s personal safety. So the superintendef{t was lodged in a beautifully furnished Sungalow, and was treated very muth ‘like a distinguished state prisoner. Life went very #leasdntly with him, and it did not seem si a Wad affair after all. Mi Mra. was livifig in“Rangoon, too, as it happened; and Hj it, in consideration of his turning een"s evidence against himeelf re the ruby, whs let off with two years in jail, and was then busily engaged in pushing @ conservancy cart about town, with a clanking ‘chai’ running from his Waist to either ankle by way of ornament. ‘The European: playfulness, best or three names tion. He wa: as the “Bu “Jewel Merchant. The fellows wer him, as security. ‘was worth two lakws 0! roundly that ipees,dead or alive. One or two playful attempts on his life relieved the monotony of his but as these laudable efforts were frowned down, both by th the officials; and as fence, usually He confided his fears to his attend- ant physician. “It’s working out, sure,” he said, sorrowfully. And so it appeared, for a distinct lump was forming just below the shoulder blade. The Phoongyes were notified, and there was great rejoicing among them. They came and beat tom-toms all night long in front of Valentyne’s bungalow. This was to drive the Nahts away, so that they would not steal the “Beda” again. Valentyne was loaded down with pres- ne and feasted like a bullock for the sac- ice. “I shall be a rich man,” he said to Cor- byn, “if the thing holds off for a time.” But the incessant drumming and song prayer making about his bungalow was Griving him nearly mad for want of sleep. Then one day Corbyn made a discovery. It was only a boil, the result of mangoe eating. ‘The Phoongyes were in despair. Just about that time Hpo Thit walked into his bungalow one day, and, bumping his forehead on the floor, pegged Valen- tyne’s forgiveness for wounding him. He had served his time, and was going away. If he remained in Burmah they would kill him for stealing the “Beda,” so he was go- ing to some cther country. And that was the last anybody ever saw of Hpo Thit in Burma. ~ Three years more of playing Buddha at the rate of ten thousand a year passed, ard this time there could be no mistake about it, so Corbyn said. The ruby was ecming right enough this time. It was ccming not far from the place where the boil had been; in fact, it was the irritation oz the “Beda” that had most likely ca’ the boil. it was the same old thirg over again— tom-toms, and poays, ard presents, and much praying, and the working of charms to keep the Nahts away—only stronger pan before, for they were sure of it this e. Corbyn could take his fingers and push it about under the skin, and the grim, butternut-colored faces of the Phoongyes relaxed when thsy realized how close they were to getting the heaven-sent relic. Even the offictals were pleased—pleased with Valentyne, pleased with themselves and with the way they had managed the affair. The Phoongyes would have their ruby back again, and Valentyne would have done well out of the deal; in fact, he might be remstated in th service, if this spirit of Buddha were cast out of him. ‘ne chief commissioner graciously ex- tended his patronage to the extracting of the stone. Apart from this it had a great surgical interest. All the medical fraternity in Rangoon ask2d Valentyne’s permission to be present; if he had chosen to charge an admission of ten rupees a head he might have had his compound filled at that price, the day Corbyn summoned the Phoongyes to be present to take delivery of the ruby. Everything was in readiness. The arch- bishop had brought a sacred dish that wes supposed to have at one time belonged to ica Gaudama, to receive the “Beda” in. Valentyne’s back was bared; Corbyn made an incision with his scalpel, pressed sently with the forefinger of his right hand downward, and in a second it lay in his left hand. He gave it a little rinse in a bowl of warm water he had ready, and held it up to the expectant gaze of the many craning heads, It was a piece of oblong lead—a slug. Hpo Thit nad lizd, that was all, and had the ruby away with him—at least, it was never found. RUSH FOR THE KLONDIKE rm A Hundred Thousand Waiting for the Signal to Start. West Supplies the Greatest Nam- ber—Many Women: Going— Room for All. Written for The Evening Star. Mr. C. B. Goodell has headquarters in New York as the representative of the chamber of commerce of the city of Port- iand, Ore. His business is to see that Klon- uike-bound people are kept informed of the merits of the route via Portland. He in- forms the writer that since the beginning of January he has had inquiries from 25,000 perscns te the best means of getting to the Klondike. These 25,000 have all de- clared their intention of going to the uew tidorado this season. Many vf them will probably back out as they ieari more of the «imicuiules of the expedition, but a majority of them, according to Mr. Goodell, have aiready conipleted their arrangements tor making the trip. These figures become more remarkable when one considers that this is only the number that have come to the attention of one man, and that they are ail from New England, New York and New Jersey. Fever in the West. “According to the reports of the Portland representatives in Chicago and other west- ern cities,” seid Mr. Goodell, “the Klondike fever increases in strength the further west one goes. There are more people going to the new gold fields from that part of the country than from the east. I nk that at a conservative estimate not less. than 100,000 people will go to Alaska this sum- mer. An astonishing number are going just to see the country, although, of course, the great majority of those who are planning to make the trip are after gold. “There are people of all classes and posi- tions among those who have inade irquiries ofme. Some are men of weaith and cthers, to judge from their appearance, must have had difficulty in raising the money to pay their passage. Almost every tittle New England town is sending one or two repre- sentatives. In a good many of these places associations have been formed, and are sending two or three men out on the ‘share and share alike’ plan. Many Women Are Going. “Another surprising thing is the number of womén who are going. 1 have heard of at least 500, and there are quite a number of women who are organizing parties. One from Metuchen, N. J., called on me the other day. She has a party of fifty pledged, and says that applications are coming in so last that there will be a hundred by the time they are ready to start. She was a hustler, too, and will get the best rates that are to be had for her party.” “What is the lowest amount on which the trip can practically be made?” “Well, one can go from New York, in- cluding the cost of an outfit and a year's previsions, for $500. Of course there are many who will spend more, and many others who will take a less supply of pro- visions, and so will spend less. The rail- and steamship fares is about $100 from New York ito Dyea. There are persist- ent rumors to the effect that a cut in rates is coming, and if that takes place it will doubtless increase the rush.’ “If 100,000 people go to Alaska this sum- mer, does it not mean that the country will be entirely overrun, and that most of them will have only their pains for the journey?” This quesiion was put to Mr. C. W. Mur- ray, who has spent ten years in Alaska, traveling over the greater part of it, and who is now returning to the Klondike with & party of twelve prospectors, Room for All. “Impossible,” was the reply.. “Of course, if they all go to Dawson City, that particu- lar section will be overcrowded, but that is only a small part, though the richest yet ‘| of lime in proper proportion, and the water PURIFYING RIVERS Methods That Have Met With Suc- cess in Europe. TREATING THE STREAM CHEMICALLY aS The System of Infiltration in Oper- ation*at Rheims. EMINENTLY SATISFACTORY Written for The Evening Star by Thomas Wilson. During my residence in and visits to Eu- rope I became interested in the question of the protection of water courses against pol- lution by manufacturing or industrial es- tablistments, especially the intricacy of the question when applied to rivers flowing from one country into or threvgh another. The importance of this questicn may not have been appreciated in the United States, owing to the conditions, but we are becom- ing aroused in the city of Washington in view of the late or present charges of pol- lution of the waters of the Potomac in the state of Maryland above us, especially at Cumberland and its netghborhcod. Probably the most notable case of this kind was the demand of the kingdom of Belgium against the republic of France to prevent the defilement and pollution of the waters of the stream I'Espierre, which crossed the frontier at the great industrial center of Roubaix-Tourcoing; and the re- public of France ordained the erection of public works atgthese towns for the puri- fication of the waters of this stream. This decree was assed February, 1887. The government contributed to the installation to the extent of 300,000 francs and provided a subvention appropriation toward the ex- pense of management of 25,000 francs per annum for four years. The rest of the ea- pense raust be borne by the local authori- ties. Thus Belgium is secured in the right of pure water in the rivers flowing across her border from France. The articles, materials, establishments and methods by which waters were defiled with matter supposed to be deleterious or detrimental were classified thus: (1) The in- cumbering residue, like ashes, cinders, which had nothing particularly deleterious in them, but which incumbered d filled up the bed of the stream; (2) malodorous and coloring matter; these from gas works, distilleries, various essences, woolen mills and dyeing establishments; @) acids from chemical works and the fabrication of vari- ous metals; (4) toxic residue; these were principally arsenical, though many came from manufactories of lead, phosphorus, mercury and mineral works; (5) putrid ob- jects, and, (6) infectious residues. Con- siderable discussion has been had and mu learning has been displayed over the ques- tion whether the pathogenic germs, mi- crobes, spores, &c., perhaps laden with dis- ease, washed out of the material employed in the manufacture, like wool, tags, &c., might not contaminate water, and so com- municate infectious maladies. On the River Exspierre. The technical processes for the protection of the water against deleterious substances arrested my attention. The city of Lille in France is an extensive manufacturing cen- ter, located on the river Espierre, one o1 the sluggish streams of that low country which flows into Belgium, joining the Lys at Ghent, and so on to Antwerp and the sca. The location of Lille in its relation to Ghent corresponds to that of Cumberlana in its relation to Washington. Dr. Arnould of Lille, a member of the committee of hygiene, described the tech- nical processes for the protection of water ccurses. He divided them into seven heads, though they all fall within two grand cate- gories—one to prohibit the use of water in such way as to pollute it, the other is to purify it before it is returned into the stream. His seven processes were as fol- lows: (1) Substitution of inoffensive agents for those dangerous ones now used in in- dustrial operations; (2) to prevent the of- fensive matter from entering the water, and use it in its due form in industry or commerce; to bury the noxious mate rial; (4) to utilize it before its return to the water; ) decantation; (6) to purify the water by a combination of chemical agents: (i) and, lastly, purification by infiltration through the soil. The two latter processes are of sufficient interest and importance to describe. First, purification by chemical and mechanical means. The chemical agents operate upon the water by way of neutralization of the deieterious matter. The mechanical por- tion of the process is“by settling and de- cantation. The chemical settling agent must be a precipitant and should be a dis- infectant. These chemical agents are many, and different ones have been tried in different localities, but that which has pre- vailed over all others is lime. It operates by precipitation and clarification. It must be properly prepared and rightly used in order to be successful. The proportions may be different in different waters, ac- cording to the quantity of impurities in it. If too much lime be used the chemical ac. ton will be to dissolve the impurities rath- er than to precipitate them, and thus they are retained in the water instead of being thrown to the bottom. The impurities in different waters differ much. Those oi VEspierre at Roubaix-Tourcoing are quite as great as those of the Lys at Ghent. For the former it is agreed that there should be employed two kilograms of quicklime for purification of a cubic meter of water. The milk of lime is prepared by a mixture of 100 kilograms of lime to 600 liters (approx- imately quarts) of water, and this is used in the proportion indicated, which can be known only by experiment and analysis. The more perfect and exact proportion of the milk of lime employed with the water the more rapid and perfect will be the pre- cipitation. This is the system employed a Roubaix-Tourcoing for the purification of the waters of I'Espierre. A short descrip- tion of it may not be uninteresting. Chemical Purification, The plant or factory for the purification of water is sitvated, of course, on the French territory, but as near the Belgium frentier as possible and only a few hundred yards distant. It is thus placed that it may take all the water of the stream, and having purified it, discharge it without danger of enother defilement. The estab- lishment is no small affair, and one can appreciate its importance and extent better after one is told that theré was purchased for its use sixteen acres, that the first_es- tablishment cost 660,000 francs, and that its annual running expeases are calculated to be 285,000 francs. A canal was built, by which the waters are diverted through the establishment and controlled by flood gates. The necessary buildings have been erected for the housing of the machinery and em- plcyes. There are eighteen basins laid side by side. They are twenty metres long, eight metres wide and one metre in depth. (One metre is thirty-nine inches.) They are of brick laid in cement; the water is brought in from the canal, and as it is discharge: into these basins it is mixed with the milk is allowed to flow until all of these basins are fuil. The acticn of the lime is such that in from seventeen to twenty minutes all impurities have been precipitated to the bottom of the basin, and four-fifths of the water from its surface downwards is pure and may then be drawn off to have the operation repeated, and ft is said that it can be and faciliate its transportation and Geposit to the proper locality. This system of purification is probably older and more in use than that of the purification by the soil. This system is employed in many cities in Exgland—Leeds, Bradford, Birmingham, in Germany—Frank- fort-on-the-Main, Essen, Weisbaden, Halle. By Infiltration, The system of purification through the soil is more simple, more eastly understood, and, if not a newer invention, is certainly newer in extensive practice. I was invited to witness the operation and workings of two such ‘establishments. @ne was at Rheims and the other at Genviiliers, near Paris. This process is by irrigation and filtration through the soll. The polluted “ater is carried by pipes to certain portions of the chosen field, and there, by means of small rivulets, is distributed over the sur- face. It thus serves to irrigate the land and manures the ground and gr: ring crops. At proper distances far away are deep trenches, dug into the clay of chaik sub- ich gather the water as it filters through. One of the deputies of France, Monsieur Bourneville, made a report to the chamber in February, 188%, which con- tained a resume of the works performed by the municipality of Rheims. A company was formed after the fashion of our gas companies, to furnish water to the city of Rheims as gas is furnished to cur citizens. A contract was made with the company, by which it agreed to purify 36,- (00 cubic meters per day of the water which came from the sewers and now was dis- charged into the Vasle, a little stream run- ning through the city. The company pu chased 800 acres of land within a mile, the city gave the use of 300 acres more @ joining. It should be explained that by the system of the city of Rheims neither garb- age nor fecal matter is discharged into the Sewers. It is only the polluted water from the houses, manufactories, Streets, hotels, stables, butcheries, etc., that is discharged, and this only was to be purified. The sew- ers were diverted from the river, into which they had before discharged, and were con- ducted by aqueduct to the field of opera- tion. I followed these aqueducts to the es- tablishment. Fertilizes the Soil. The only requirement of the machinery was to elevate the water so that it could run over the adjacent fields. The pipes in which it was thus conducted were from 30 to 80 centin eters in diameter, depending upon the qaurtity of water and the distance it was to be conducted. By means of @ ccrtrivance similar to the fire plugs of our cities the water could be turned on and allowed to flow in rivulets for distribution over the field, as in irrigation. We saw about 30° acres under cultivation irrigated in this manner. It was poor clay soil, which would raise nothing, and had been almost a dessert. It was now planted in that almost untversal product of that country, beet rect, used for making sugar. The beets Icoked well, re growing finely and had the appearance of success. On either side of the field were the deep canals, cut, I suppose, throvgh the clay ten to fifteen or twenty feet deep. The water which had been discharged on the surface and had served to the enrichment of the soil perco- lated through the earth and»by gravity found its way into these canals. As we y their si saw it flowing clear a practicel restoration of the purling brook and prre running stream. ear ¢ Eagle Emblem. Origin of mn the Chistian Advoc We use tt agile as al emblem because the first battl revolution began in the early mor ing eagles were awaken morning, flew from t over the combatants, dom,” the Americ d the sleep- 1 in the ly ir nests, and circled hrieking for free- jared. re those martyrs they sunk to While o'er thei Wraps the pr his nest.” ai ses An Intermezzo, the starry fold flying agie they roused from “I thank you, my beautiful little tune—” good fcllows, for that