Buddha. Piece by piece he
gathered the details of the story, and from frequent conversations
between Major Temple and his daughter, which they carried on without
regard for his presence, he came to know of Ashton's determination to
secure the sacred relic. His religious feelings were outraged by what he
heard, and he promptly communicated the whole matter by letter to a
Buddhist priest in Hong Kong, with the suggestion that he send word to
the followers of Buddha in Ping Yang. This was done, but much time had
elapsed, and, when the word at last reached Ping Yang, Ashton had
already escaped with the jewel. The priest in charge of the shrine, upon
receiving the information as to the stone's destination, set out at once
for London with two of his followers, determined upon the recovery of
the emerald at any cost. They made such speed that they got to Pekin a
considerable time before Ashton arrived there, owing to his wanderings
in the interior after his escape from his pursuers. They set out at once
for England and arrived in London some weeks before Ashton's coming.
They at once communicated not only with Li Min but with their followers
in London, and a plan was worked out which would inevitably have
resulted in the recovery of the jewel, had it been peaceably turned over
to Major Temple as they supposed would be the case. Li Min was to
notify them as soon as Ashton arrived at Major Temple's, and, after
that, both he and the Major's house were to be carefully watched and the
stone recovered at the first opportunity. They naturally supposed that
the bargain between Major Temple and Ashton would be carried out, and
the stone left in Major Temple's possession. It would then be Li Min's
part to admit his confederates to the house and with their assistance
steal the jewel and make away with it. When Li Min, in waiting on the
table that night, first saw the emerald Buddha his impulse was to seize
it at once and remove it from the impious hands of the foreign devils.
This he was of course unable to do. He then planned to go into Exeter
that night and send word to his confederates in London, as arranged,
but, owing to the furious storm, and the impossibility of accomplishing
anything at that late hour of the night, he determined to wait until
early the next morning. He overheard the quarrel between Ashton and
Major Temple after dinner, and the fear that the former might leave the
house the next day, taking the jewel with him, had l