If. Yes. Once again, you are welcome guests of the most thrilling organization in America, the World Adventurer's Club. Here we find men from all corners of the globe. Men who have braved every experience from the polar seas to the sweltering tropics. Among all the members of the World Adventurer's Club, there is no man more interesting than Lieutenant Jack Palmer. You may have met Secret Service men before, but we'll wager you've never met a man who was a member of the Secret Service of the Chinese Republic. A white man gambling his wits against death in a yellow man's country. At this moment, we find Lieutenant Palmer surrounded by several club members, and they've persuaded him to tell one of his adventures in the land of the Golden Dragon. And the club invites you to pull up your chair and hear this story of modern China. Your shore shall fail Give a man a girlling and love As I, oh my love, love thee And his heart is great with a pulse of fate That all one lands on sea Give a man a girlling and love As I, oh my love, love thee And his heart is great with a pulse of fate That all one lands on sea I say, Jack O' Man, they tell me you've been having a lot of fun over in China. Yes, I was there for three years. I was the only white man who belonged to the Chinese diplomatic corps. I learned a great deal about the Oriental mine. What was your business? Cheaply spying? I believe I could say that. Spy and diplomat and soldier, propagandist and quartermaster and field general and a little bit of everything else. China has been in a frightful turmoil. Someday she's coming out of it. If she can ever become unified, that is, become nationally conscious, she's liable to be one of the greatest powers that the world has ever seen. Look out for the old dragon when that day arrives. You must have had some wild adventures in the three years of Chinese political and military strife. I suppose at least a half a dozen times. You beat death by a nose. Just about. One of the narrowest escapes I ever had was the time I had to get the Manchurian limited from Peking to Muktin with a load of gunpowder and dynamite. Great Scott. And what made it really a tough job was the fact that an army of rebels was waiting for that train. Oh, they knew it carried high explosives and that one desire was to blow it to atoms and me with it. I had to see to it that this train load of dynamite, enough to blow up all China, was taken safely through a hostile territory. Yeah? I didn't know what minute the rebel artillery would plant a shell right in the middle of my carload of TNT, or I didn't know that what they had wrecked the train. And if we crashed with a load like that, well, you'd have heard the roar in New York City. Yeah, it was a sweet job. It's a wonder you ever went through with it. Well, orders were orders. Yeah. You see, the rebels were winning victories in Manchuria. They were closing in on Muktin. Now, if the government troops lost Muktin, they lost the key city of the whole province of Manchuria. We had to save that garrison at Muktin. And to save it, we had to resupply their ammunition. It was my job to see that the train got there. I can tell you I used everything from prayers to psychology. Well, I've had some rough assignment, but that's the limit. What did you do about it, Jack? Well, frankly, I didn't think I had a chance in the world. But I told Dick Fawcett the trouble I was in. You know Dick, don't you? Yes. He's on the North China News. Yeah, that's the boy. Yes. He's an assistant editor now. Uh-huh. The paper prints both English and Chinese. Yeah. He handles the diplomatic news in English. Well, tell me, Jack, did that fellow Fawcett have an idea that he could really outwit the rebels? Yes, he had an idea. We sat up all night discussing it. I didn't think it was practical, but when I was willing to try anything. My train was ready, and I planned to leave with it from Pekin at midnight. But that day I met Dick Fawcett again. This time at the Pekin Railroad Station. We had our last conference before my departure, and we had with him a young girl. Jack, let me present Miss Lily Singh. Miss Singh, Lieutenant Jack Palmer of New York, China, and Kingdom Come. How do you do, Lieutenant? I am very happy, Miss Singh. We have no time to waste with introductions. Just remember this. Miss Lily Singh is the daughter of Lee Sen Singh, who planned to blow up the Manchurian Limited at Qingchow. Her father is one of the big men of China, but unfortunately he's on the opposite side of the military fence from you, Jack. So I understand. Now Lee Sen Singh has sent his daughter to an American university. He wants her to learn the inside stuff about our civilization. And Miss Singh has returned to China unbeknown to Papa. Isn't that the case, Lily? I have been to America, and just a few days ago I landed in China. My father doesn't know I have returned. I go to join him in Manchuria. And she leaves on the Manchurian Limited at midnight. Isn't that very, very brilliant of me? Well, this girl can't go on that train. We may be blown to bits. Ah, that's where we outguess old Lee Sen Singh. With his own daughter on the Manchurian Limited, he won't dare blow it up. We've got him, Jack. Lily Singh is your safe passport to Muckton, Dynamite, and what have you. Why, Dan, it ought to work. I think it will work, gentlemen. At least I am willing to try. Very good, Miss Singh. That train will leave at midnight. We shall arrive in... Phew! My! But that was checkmating, Lee Sen Singh. But tell me this. How did you know his daughter was on the train? Oh, uh, faucets spread a scare head across the North China News. He wrote a big story about Lee Sen Singh's daughter returning from America. He made a front page story. Then he sent those papers up to Muckton by aeroplane. He knew that Lee Sen Singh was coming back from America. And that he would read about his daughter leaving on the Manchurian Limited. We figured we had him. And did you? Not quite. The scheme was great, only it didn't work. It started out perfectly. We left Peking an hour early. There was only one passenger car. The other six cars were loaded with TNT, shells, gunpowder, and dynamite. Besides the train crew, there were eight Chinese soldiers, Lilly Singh and myself. In spite of our hopes for a successful trip to Muckton, I was mighty nervous. Somehow I didn't trust Boss's idea any too much. All went well until three in the morning. Of course, sleep was impossible. So I sat up and talked with Lilly Singh. I must have smoked 50 cigarettes as we sat and listened to the blast of the whistle and the hum of the train. I must have smoked 50 cigarettes as we sat and listened to the blast of the whistle and the hum of the train. Do you like America, Miss Singh? I think I would, Lieutenant. Someday I shall go there. Go there? Why, I thought you just came back. Oh, no. That was Mr. Fawcett's idea. I am not really Lilly Singh. What? You're not really Lilly Singh? Not at all. The real Lilly Singh is in America. But if we can make Lee Sen Singh think his daughter is here on this train, then we get saved to Muckton. Jesus Ghost, why? Why didn't you tell me that before? Because Mr. Fawcett and I were afraid you might not wish to go on. I thought you were really Lilly Singh. Lee Sen Singh won't swallow this lie. Why, he'll know we're trying to bluff him. He'll never fall for it. He may. It is a gamble. If we don't work, we die. I too, Lieutenant, am a member of the Chinese Secret Service. We are bidding our cunning against Lee Sen Singh. One side must win. Perhaps it will be us. Perhaps not. I would never have left you risked if I had known the truth. What's that? I heard shots. The rebels! Go away! They're firing on the train! Get your force men! Get your force! The plan hasn't worked. The rebels are firing on the train. Keep low, Miss Singh. Fire back men! Give them plenty! Stand by your places! Here goes all or nothing! Great Scott, what an experience. And so we went through the thick of it. It seems that Lee Sen Singh had swallowed the bait that Dick Fawcett prepared. Yes? For several hours he believed his daughter was on the Manchurian Limited. Then the ruse dawned upon him. He had given orders to his army to left the country and to go to the West. And he was right. He was right. He was right. He was right. He was right. He was right. He was right. He was right. He was right. He was right. He had given orders to his army to let that train proceed to Buckton. Then he countermanded them. And offered a reward to the battalion that stopped and destroyed our train. Oh. But his orders were just a little too late. We had passed through most of the rebel country before they took a crack at us. And you got to Buckton safely? We did. Oh. I turned that load of gunpowder over to the ammunition depot at Buckton and never lost a grain. With some close call, the cars were marred with bullets. Almost every window in our coach was broken. I lost four soldiers. But we made it. What became of Lily Singh? Oh, she's still in the diplomatic service in China. Oh. You'll hear of her someday. She's just about as cool a character as I've ever met. A kind of Chinese matahari. But I had to get out of China. After that exploit, I was known to the rebels and so I was of no more use to the government. But I'm going back someday. I want to see Dick Fossett. Do you ever hear of him? Oh, yes. Yes, I have a cable right here. Oh. He says, China is a great country. Come on back. We all like it. 50 million Chinaman can't be wrong. Someday, Dick Fossett will return from China. And when he does, I insist that we make him a member of this club. Yes. I second it. I am. I am. And so am I. He'll tell us a story or two that'll leave us gasping. When he tells one, I want to be here. You'd better be here the next meeting. We're going to make Anderson tell one of his experiences. Oh, that's right. I forgot. We're counting on you. We expect a knockout. Far to the deep and rumbling roar. Shaking the earth with shots they pour. From out the mouth of a cage he's born. Seeing the thundering guns, guns, guns. Seems the chains of heaven thread. Felsing a flame of wizarding lead. Blazing a trail through the countless. Then, seeing the thundering guns, guns, guns. And now we say goodbye to the World Adventurers Club. And we invite you to be with us again. And hear one of their members tell of his strange adventures in strange land. The End
