To the Editor of the "NowtH-CuiNa DAILY News"
Sir,—I read with great _intereet your account of "A Strange Hunt at Hongkong," in your issue of 3rd natant, but there does not appear to be anything remarkable about it.
have a far more interesting extraordinary experience to rel T cannot do better than to gi you the following, taken: from tt solumng of the "Manchester Guar.
Stance Hun? AT SMANGHAT.
Pytchie Textiles Man Who Discovered Order. "A very Boma able' Feat, "Pardon me, gentlemen, Dia T take long?"
"Exhausted, distraught, but} triumphant, "Professor Wragg Cellar, leaning over Blackfriars Bridge, gazing into the _pellueid depths of the Trwell, glanced at an order sheet held tightly with both] hands, and, in his quaint 'Manchester' brought those within hearing quickly back to earth with the commonplace remark quoted] above, "Even then it was a few moments before anyone found voice, but at last the spell was broken, and he was borne away to the! Arts Club by an enthusiastic crowd, shoulder high, on three cheers, riving there he found his Manchester principals, together! with his Bradford taipan who had made a special journey by acroplane, ready to greet him.
"After he had been given the customary Manchester greetings! fon both cheeks there was a gen eral rush towards him of various textile men, more or less responsible for the overcrowding of the International Settlement Shanghai, The noise was deafening. There were loud cries of 'Tell us ow tha did it, Inds? 'Ah weesh my mon ud wakken up, or summar,' and so on, and the noise made by falling aitches was Vike unto the familiar click of the log iron, piiist, and what not, had taken up 'a challenge to find an order which was hidden away somewhere in the Settlement, Bradford people knew it was there: they had raised their. voices. from time to time and said $0, and Manchester were always' sending out stuff which we know" is entinently suitable for your market.' Therefore the Professor said felt it was really up to him, since Manchester and Bradford had made his researches possible, and] loyally supported him in all" his undertaking, to do or die."
"The task was over. He had fully vindicated his claim, "The actual hunt defies description. The Professor was _obviously in an abnormal state, and, Jduring his account, he seemed to find some difficulty in explaining how it came about that his legs became so shaky during the hunt that he frequently found it neces-ary to rest them on a brass rail.
"At times he strained like bloodhound on the leash, but, in contradistinction to the Hongkong hunt, he went about with the utmost secrecy. Outside the Astor House building he saw an old friend, an old customer, and "Please God,' he muttered to him.
self, 'I will find out if he has the order, even if it costs me the price of a bottle of the best Hongkew.
"He was quickly on the trai At the Club entrance he made the merest pause, after which literally pulled his companion through the portals, passing three China flower-pot pedestals, After strenuous search in the Club bar he uttered a slight ery and dragged his companion back through the portals, passing a did so six China flower-pot destals, He slapped hard on the nearest, quickly twisted it out of the way, and was in the street again before being discovered by the members of the Committee.
"By this time the Professor was like a man demented. tore along the Bund with hi companion held firmly by the wrist, until he reached—Jinkee Road, where the Professor, who by this time had his companion firmly wedged between his teeth, gave him a vigorous shaking, and, lo, the order dropped out.
"During the recital the Professor had held his order sheet firmly with both hands, but, towards the end, his voice seemed to break, to falter, and great excitement prevailed when it was ven that the precious sheet of paper was slipping through his fingers. Presently it fell on the cearpey with a dull thud."
Sir, it was when the order fell out of my hands that I woke up, and found that T had fallen out of bed and broken the stillness of the night.
Oh, Sir, it was all a dream! Why does Professor Max waste his time hunting up fountain pens in hot Hongkong when he can come to salubrious Shanghai and do something really useful am, ete,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.