She looked away at the golden moon. Her eyes followed the path it painted across the water.
“Yes,” she said, “I’ll tell you. It was like this. We bought that chest full of your treasures at an auction sale, bought it for I—I’m ashamed to tell you how little. And now—now it’s gone; all gone but the chest.”
“Gone?”
“He got it, that long-eared one.”
“Tell me about it.” Erik leaned forward eagerly.
She told him all there was to tell, described the knife, the bell and all the banners as best she could.
“Gone!” he murmured. “All gone. You have missed much, and the little ones of China have missed more. There was a reward for the return of that chest, five hundred dollars.
“Five hun—”
“Five hundred in gold. With that you could have visited this land that seems to you so mysterious. With care you could have stayed a long time in China, delved into all manner of Oriental mysteries.”
“I’ll do it yet!” He saw her stout figure stiffen with resolve. “I’ll get that long-eared one yet! You wait! You shall have all those treasures back, every one!”