Jack Haydon's Quest

Dent's shop in Rangoon: late on the Thursday afternoon

ve down to the banks of the broad Irrawaddy. Here, at a native rest-house in a riverside village, they set down

man in silken kilt and headgear of flaming scarlet, and their business was put in hand

back with good news. Moung San had been in Mandalay th

e'll give old Moung a look up b

pretty, picturesque little craft with its bow and stern curving upwards, and on its boatman, a strong Shan clad in wide trousers and a great flapping hat, who stood up to his couple of oars and sent the light skiff along at a goo

aced old Burman, whose face broke into

ried Dent. "We've com

," replied the Burman

ook hands with them very heartily. When he heard Jack's name he

, and shook Jack's hand again.

ted cane, built up on the hnau. Moung San invited t

t "You listen to me. You know t

. "Do much trade with th

a man named

rader. "Know him.

he wit

e man they call

umped into notice since I was up here last.

looked uneasily round to see if a

finding good ruby, that man sure to lose it, perhaps lose his head same time. U Saw ha

een on to him, Mou

lls and the jungle, and what goes on there? But we know. The word goes from Kachin

aw sell his rub

road to China from Burmah over the mountains. Sells them t

ng San came out with a piece of

ago, the 'fire-boat' of U Saw

nt. "U Saw possesses a st

mpared it with a river-steamer which now went puffing past, he described it with the grea

the band. I didn't know U Saw had a steam yacht of about three hundred tons, for th

said Dent. He

s hit the mark pretty straight. I'd stake my s

ust be so," he said, but Buck was ag

the 'fire-boat' h

had been a long cruise in the

Dent, in a meaning tone. There was silence while t

had the right time to do it, supposing they came up the river two weeks

here was something he did not understand behind this,

swiftly to Ja

your old patron wished to see you and to give you a

an's mouth was at once filled with thanks instead

hen they were once more in the sampan, and the big Shan was pulling strongly

or he would have said something. So it was just as well to leave him in ignorance, a

know about the Ruby King, but as long as he's in the d