H. Bedford-Jones

“ Hanecy took one look at the pavilion—and turned with a shudder. He flung down the bloody candlestick.
"Leave it be!" he said. ""Let's get out of here."
"Right-o!"
They left the doorway, and Toptit met them. None of the three turned to look back at the blazing inferno. Hanecy paused to ask no question, never so much as looked at Craven, but, as was his custom, coolly took entire command of things.
"You've tied up Benson?" he snapped.
"We have," said Toptit. "Your stuff is all aboard the boat. We have only to push out and be off. What are you going to do with Benson?" ”

“ Men came running, weapons in hand, oaths outpouring. In the van was Benson, and after him a string of yellow fiends, blood-stained, lusting. The Englishman watched, and speedily came to some understanding of the situation. Benson cursed furiously, yet neither he nor other men might approach that blazing column of fire—wherein, as all thought, Toptit had been consumed. Hanecy was dragged forward into the garden—a wild figure, fast in the net that held him helpless. Benson swore at him in frantic rage, in drunken exultation ”

“ Hanecy said nothing. Benson held up the Image of Earth.
"Here is the deity, Earth, which I took from your late partner. There are only ten in existence outside of China; really quite a find, Hanecy! I've been looking over the stuff in your boat—a most remarkable collection. I must congratulate you! But you were just a bit too greedy. If you'd let the last piece go, you might have been safe. You had to have it all—and now you've lost it all. Tomorrow I'll start for the coast, with your boat. Any message to send?"
Hanecy glared down at him and held his peace. Benson chuckled softly. ”

“ There are your eight angles; just as the Chinese call a rectangular block octagonal—because it has eight corners or angles. The shape is the common symbol of Earth. Look the thing up for yourself and you'll find I'm right."
"Very likely," said Benson, "Very likely."
He stared at the object with reflective eyes, for the moment quite absorbed in it. A shrill scream came suddenly from outside—a scream wrenched from the very soul of a man.
Benson leaped to his feet, thrust the jade into his pocket and was gone.
Toptit, left alone in the room, bowed his head, the cigar in his mouth. ”

“ But——"
"You see," explained Benson calmly, "you're only an incident, but Hanecy is something else, again. He'll bring all the stuff with him that you and he have collected; I'll take the lot, thanks. Then Hanecy will watch while you're wiped out. The process of wiping out will be slow, and that'll hurt him bad—and I mean to hurt him to the soul before I'm done with him."
"You're a hell of a white man," was wrenched from Toptit. Then he forced himself to smile again. "Bet you ten dollars Jim doesn't fall into your trap." ”

“ Craven smiled and swung up his pistol.
"I say, Benson! Take it sportin', now!"
With a furious cry Benson seized one of the projecting ends of rope. Toptit fastened it about his ankles. Hanecy calmly sat on the rail and extended his legs for the other line. Toptit made his fast. It was impossible to tell which line went to the anchor.
"Come on, Benson!" said Hanecy, contempt in his eyes. "If you live, you can swim ashore. You're getting an even break, damn you! Toptit, count three; if he doesn't jump, shoot him." ”

“ The band removed these candles from the bamboo cases, set them up, lighted them; the candlesticks were huge bronze affairs with pricked ends. Now the wine flowed freely.
Another hour. One of the maudlin women brought a flaring candle and set it in a pricket-socket under the swinging captive, so that the smoky flame of it ran up the back of his legs. ”

“ Toptit approached. Under Hanecy's directions he loosened Benson, freed him, left him squatting shivering on the deck. He then cut two ten-foot lengths of line from a coll. One of these he made fast to the jade Image of Earth and the iron plow. He then mixed the two lengths of rope in a confused mass—not tangling them, but leaving them in a heap above the heavy weight. Benson stared in fascinated horror.
"Take your choice of the lines, Benson," said Hanecy coldly. "We each make fast, then jump overboard. One of us goes down with the Image of Earth. ”

“ There are women also. Once it was a very fine resort for mandarins, but now only unworthy persons frequent it."
*⁠*⁠*⁠*
HANECY frowned at this. Neither gambling houses nor women would have drawn Toptit there; somehow it did not look right. But since his partner was there, he ordered the captain to stop at the White Heron Beach. Then, observing a great activity of workmen and teams on the shore, outside the Cheng-tu walls, he asked the reason of it. ”