Part 8 (2/2)

But the theft had been discovered and traced to him. A companion priest informed him in time for Choi-So to make his escape ere the terrible punishment in store overtook him.

Since then he had been a wanderer. He knew that his brother priests had sent one of their number in pursuit of him. His one object now was to recover the image, return it, and suffer the consequences. He could never be happy again until he had done it. He could never attain _Nirvana_ until reparation had been made and the image placed once more in the mystic circle about the Buddha. For three years now he had wandered in search of Mr. Kit-ze, but as the boatman had moved away from his old quarters at Seoul, poor Choi-So, for all his search, had never laid eyes upon him until that day on the river bank at Han-Kang.

This story had been told in a broken way, and as Choi-So had but a small knowledge of English and his youthful listeners far from a full one of Korean, it was only by putting it together piece by piece, one supplying a link here and another one there, that they finally understood him.

”Oh, friends,” he entreated, holding out his hands pathetically to his hearers, at the conclusion of his story, ”pity the sorrows of poor Choi-So. Help him to recover that which is the only thing that can bring peace to him again!”

”The red _miriok_!” exclaimed Clarence, and looked at Helen significantly.

”Yes,” said Helen, ”the red _miriok_. I had already felt that it had something to do with this poor man's following us.”

Then she told them of her impressions on the river bank as she had first noted Choi-So and the manner in which his gaze had been riveted upon Mr.

Kit-ze and the red _miriok_. ”Poor thing,” she continued, her eyes fixed pityingly upon Choi-So, ”it is all very serious to him, and we can see how he has suffered through it.”

”But how can we help him?” asked Dorothy. Her sympathies too were deeply aroused. ”Mr. Kit-ze will never give up the image, I fear,” she continued.

”We might make him do it,” said Clarence quickly, ”or pay him to do it.”

”No,” said Helen emphatically; ”we cannot. Neither will do.”

”What then?” asked Clarence.

”We might win him to the better way,” said Helen softly. ”We might coax him to give up this wretched little image for the sweeter things we could help him to attain.”

”What! Mr. Kit-ze?” cried Clarence incredulously. ”Never! He is too hardened.”

”Clarence, how wrong to say that! Has not G.o.d's love shown its power to reach even those more hardened than Mr. Kit-ze?”

”But what can we do for this poor fellow here?” repeated Dorothy.

Helen turned her eyes upon Choi-So. As she noted the lean and pallid face, the deep-set eyes in which the light of fanaticism burned steadily, courage, hope, both left her. ”Oh, I am sure I don't know!”

she cried in despair.

Just at that moment Mallard was seen hastening down the path toward them. From the manner in which he came they felt sure he was the bearer of a message of some kind. ”I have bad news,” he said as he approached.

”Oh, what is it?” cried Helen, thinking instantly of her father.

”Do not be alarmed, cousin,” he hastened to a.s.sure her. ”It is nothing so dreadful. There has been an accident. Mr. Chefoo slipped at a steep place on the river bank, fell, and has broken his arm.”

CHAPTER IX

A THEFT

Yes, Mr. Chefoo had broken his arm. It was too bad! for aside from the pain and discomfort that it gave him, how were they to get on with the sampan without him? It is true, it was not a very severe fracture, only one of the smaller bones having been broken; but it would be at least two weeks ere he could use it again. In the meantime, what was to be done? Mr. Kit-ze could not manage the sampan alone. Some one must help him pole as well as keep the boat within the proper channel. It would be a very one-sided and unsatisfactory progress if the sampan were propelled from only one end.

Mr. Ko thought of a half-dozen men who were at hand, but none were reliable. It would be better without them than with them, especially as there were rapids to be pa.s.sed. Mr. Ko was very much disturbed over the accident to Mr. Chefoo, because of its having occurred at his place. He was sure a demon had caused it. It was the demon in the well, he finally decided, since Mr. Chefoo had been at the well ere proceeding down the path where the accident occurred. The demon must be appeased, he declared, and forthwith proceeded to throw rice into the well. Now Mr.

Chefoo's arm would rapidly mend, he a.s.serted.

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