The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-10-03
me. but in that he failed sig

"You wanchee go Pedda waaf, sa
he said at last, and, on my replying in
the affirmative, he added, "All light (;
can 90 belly soon, sa |" Then he jab-
bered something which appeared to
highly amuse the crew, for they laughed
heartily and echoed, "All light Pedda
waaf, sa, repeatedly.
Mr.. Rogers had told me prior to my
departure that the pier he named was To-
Gated near a tall clock tower "amidships
of the town." as he had expressed it; so
/ was rather surprised to see that the
boat was heading for an isolated wharf
abutting from the sea wall near
Happy Valley, which L recognized by
the obelisks and gravestones. In du-
bious tone of voice / asked if that was
really the place had to land at, and the
pig-tailed skipper assured me so conf
dentially that it was "Pedda waaf, :"
that /, unacquainted with the menda-
cious habits of the Chinese, felt bound
to believe him, and ascend to the jetty,
though its appearance differed much
from the description of it the mate had
given me.
"S'pose you wanchee chair you come
long me-" said the boatman, as he fol-
lowed me up the steps ; and as l saw no
one near to whom / could apply for in
formation, had to accept his services
as guide, and follow in his wake. He
obsequiously offered to carry the dispatch
boxes, but l refused to part with them,
so he merely muttered sort of chuck
ling ejaculation and trotted on.
Presently we came to small row of
tenement-houses, and my guide induced
me to enter one by telling me that his
brothers, who were chair bearers, lived
above, and that he would rouse them
from their slumbers and order them to
carry me to G's hong.
Out of my innocence of the Chinese
character, believed him and, think
ing all was right, placed the two cases
L had with me upon the floor, and set
tied myself upon trestled bed, where
upon reposed bevy of small children
and curly-headed animal that appeared
on first sight to be dog, but which
subsequently discovered was a juve-
nile pig AS my guide left the apart
ment, ascending by a small ladder to the
floor above, aquaint little, Acknowledged,
olivaster Chinese girl entered, and, after
staring at me i'll spec CHESS astonish-
ment for moment, came toward me
and whispered a word into my ear, the
purport of which did not understand,
so | only smiled and nodded in answer
until became aware, by her peculiar
gesticulations, that she wished to con-
vey me information that, in Yankee par
lance, / had better "get, as L was by
no means respectable society.
My guide and his confreres were max
ing such a noise by their boisterous
wrangling above my head that l sudden
ly became convinced that mischief was
meditated and that was singled out as
the victim and when my comical little
companion pointed at the dispatch
boxes with her taper little finger, and
afterward drew her hand across her
throat in most significant manner, it
instantly occurred to me that my secret
was coveted, that L had fallen among
thieves, and that foul measures might
be resorted to in order to obtain possess
sion of my treasures.
Naturally impulsive in my actions, l
seized the tin cases, and merely nodding
adieu to the girl, slipped quietly out of
the house and ran swiftly across paddy
field in the direction of the city. Though
L proceeded as noiselessly as possible,
the boatman, who had stationed himself
at an upper window, detected my fight,
and when turned my head to recon-
hotter, saw four Chinese, headed by
the captain of the sampan, running to-
ward me at pace that promised soon
to overhaul me.
Fear lent me wings, but my speed was
not equal to theirs, and, as they gained
rapidly, 1 quickly planned in my mind
the most feasible method of foiling their
nefarious scheme, which L instinctively
guessed was robbery, if nothing worse.
After crossing the paddy field, gain
ed the high road, upon which was able
to accelerate my pace but unluckily,
in my Ignorance of the route / ought to
take, l turned off to the eastward in
stead of proceeding in an exactly oppo-
site direction. My pursuers were about
twenty yards astern of me, when the
road took semi-circular sweep round q
huge boulder, and, as / darted past the
ponderous mass of granite, / saw to my
right grove of stunted trees, the dense
underground and foliage of which L felt
| COulu Hue me. l. leIU Une TOtCl, anu, en-
tering the grove, selected the tallest OF
the trees, and prepared to ascend but
/ found it would be impossible for me to
carry up the dispatch boxes so, exert
ing my utmost strength, L uplifted q
fragment of rock that lay in a grassy
hollow, placed my treasure beneath it,
and then climbed the tree with sailor
like agility.
L had hardly stretched myself out flat
upon one of the upper branches before
my pursuers tracked me to the foot of
the tree, and began chattering like
I monkeys, evidently wondering whittier
L had disappeared but dry offshoot
from the branch on which L was snap.
ped with sharp report, revealing my
whereabouts, and an exultant chorus oil
laughter broke from the Chinese as they
espied me, for they evidently thought
they had me fairly shared.
BY the direction of the old skipper, q
smart, athletic young fellow began to
ascend the tree; 1 drew my clasp-knife
and, grasping limb, stood ready to re.
pei my assailant if he had the temerity
to come near me. The scoundrel saw
was in earnest, and he descended, amid
the ieers of his fellows-none of whom
however, were willing to supply his
place.
Then they gathered heap of large
stones and commenced to pelt me will