From the prolific H. Bedford-Jones (1887-1949), we have another adventure tale set in Asia, this time the six-part serial, The Jewels of Ling Ti. It first appeared in Telling Tales from February to July 1921, then was reprinted in Danger Trail from July to December 1926.
There are two options to read this serial. One is getting the volume from Steeger Books as part of their H. Bedford-Jones Library. It includes another story, “Little Tomtit,” also from Telling Tales. The other is obtaining High Adventure #121. In addition to the serial, there are three more Bedford-Jones stories of Asian adventure.
Both reprint the cover from Danger Trail for January 1927, which actually depicts another Bedford-Jones serial, The Gate of Jade, so wonder what will be used when that serial is reprinted? High Adventure appears to reprint the works from Danger Trail, yet Steeger Books has the same interior artwork. So I don’t know where the artwork came from. Did it appear in both magazines?
The first story, “The Tenth Tablet,” starts things off. We meet Jim Hanecy, who is a dealer in antiques, heading to the interior of China when he hears of rumors of a discovery in Cheng-tu (Chengdu). He’s not sure what it is, but he knows of four other rivals also heading there: Toptit, Benson, Gramerfeld, and Carson. We learn a little about them. He respects Toptit, but hasn’t worked with him. Carson is another honest one. But Gramerfeld is crooked, and Benson is worse.
Once in Cheng-tu and trying to find out what is going on, Hanecy learns that his rivals have left other than Benson. It appears that someone found something of Ling Ti (Emperor Zhi of Han), a long-dead Chinese emperor, but it’s been sold off already. But in learning more, Hanecy is attacked, and he feels there is more to this. Heading to a Buddhist temple, he encounters Toptit who had been attacked and is recuperating there.
The two men know each other by reputation, but have never met. They decide to partner up, with an even split of the proceeds. Their opponent will be Benson. Toptit soon informs him of the details. Someone found treasure belonging to Ling Ti, and had sold off six pieces, the “six jewels,” but was killed before the rest were sold, and that is now lost. Benson knows where the items are, as does Toptit. Benson can’t get them so long as Toptit is about. In each of the six stories, another item will be obtained.
In this first story, the “tenth tablet” is an inscribed jade tablet, the tenth of a set forming a book. It is held by a relative of the finder who is not selling it until it is six months after the death of that relative. But as Hancey is heading back to Toptit after speaking with him, a man approaches him and gives him the tablet! But when approaching a city gate, a group of the local mandarin’s men are searching people. A murder has been committed, and the murderer took a jade tablet and four tins of opium. So that’s how the tablet came to Hancey. It was a trap. But he gets through the search as he doesn’t have the tablet, much less the opium. How did he do it? And after he is through, he is able to expose the murderer: the man who gave him the tablet who still has the tins of opium on him.
One jewel is found. Now in each of the next stories, Hancey and Toptit go after the others, overcoming much danger as Benson will go to any end to stop them. Next up will be the “emperor’s amulet” and then other objects. It’s an interesting set of stories. As I know Bedford-Jones was a collector of such objects, I wonder if any specific items he had inspired this series of adventures.
So what about the additional stories? As noted, the Steeger Books volume includes “Little Tomtit,” which appeared in Telling Tales in August 1920. It features Toptit in his own adventure, and serves as a good introduction to the character. So the story is not part of Jewels properly, but is related.
High Adventure #121 was subtitled “Stories of Asian Mystery” and contains three more stories by Bedford-Jones set in Asia. First up is “Chinese Loot” from Triple-X from June 1927. This story is set on a cargo ship in the China Sea that must be wary of pirates — not helped by a traitor on board. Can they make it to port with the ship and cargo intact?
“Three Gates Pagoda” is from Short Stories from March 10, 1926. A British lawyer shows up looking for Billy Shaw in regards to a small inheritance. But he was heading into the interior to visit a pagoda, the Three Gates Pagoda of the title. Once there, he and his companions are hemmed in by hill men. The lawyer says Shaw is the last of a family, and inherited a small amount of land that someone wants to buy for $15,000. But the girl with Shaw seems to recall the lawyer being someone else in China. What is really going on? Is there more to this inheritance?
Finally, there is “After Twenty Years” from Short Stories from June 10, 1926. American John Nelson, who usually traps exotic animals for zoos, is engaged by merchant Huang Tock Sheng in Singapore. Huang has engaged Captain James Knott to take on a schooner and bring it and its cargo to him. Instead Captain Knott has taken both and tried to sell it himself, saying he would only return it for a large reward. He has headed to a Dutch outpost run by an associate to sell the cargo. Huang wants Nelson to retrieve the ship and cargo. Nelson brings his right hand man, the Malay Hussein. This will be a difficult task as Nelson is waylaid and there will most likely be a fight ahead for him.
As always, these are great adventure tales from Bedford-Jones, no matter which collection you get. The Steeger Books has the advantage as “Little Tomtit” has never been reprinted and I doubt will be. But the additional stories in High Adventure has not yet been reprinted elsewhere either. Though as Steeger Books puts out more Bedford-Jones works, hopefully they will be, maybe in a larger collection of Asian adventure tales.
