Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1890-08-02


@Z<I and fell like
~ savage incanta-
7fion disturbing the peaceful sunset
air.
1t was the song of All Lee. He lay
fiat upon his back, stretched at iull
length upon the floor. a grain sack
beneath his smooth head, his bare
brown feet keeping time to the harsh
chanting. In his rough sunburnt
hands he held a Chinese song-book, a
soiled thin pamphlet OFFICE paper, and
over him through the open door
poured the full golden flood OF a
California sunset.
it had been a hot, toilsome day for
All Lee. Since early morning be had
patiently plodded hour after hour,
behind the old bay mare with thecu
-tiyator in the great vineyard on the
slope of the dusty hill. Not a cloud
an the brilliant blue of the sky all the
day through. had for moment soft
eened the suns steady glare upon his
faded black hat and STOPPING shoul.
ders. Though a thoroughbred hea
then, he was heartily glad thatit was
Saturday night, and ''tomolIow Sun.
day, no workee.'
He had eaten his frugal supper o
rice and dried fish, drank his tea,
and with rice bowl and chop-sticks
still on the floor beside him he was
taking his ease, the week hard work
well ended.
Out by the low, struggling white
washed stables were the ranchmen
smoking and talking socially. Fore
most of the group stood Murphy, thu
.overseer, furnishing a big snake
whip aimlessly. But All Lee never
thought OF joining them. They were
no comrades of his. He was n sort
.of ranch Ishmaelite, rather vicious i
the truth must be told, and by ma
ture ugly, mentally and physically
The only Chinaman on the place, hi
was looked down upon with mingled
hatred and contempt by the othel
men and he in turn cordially detesteC
them all, particularly Murphy. tn,
foreman. The latter had tried hi
best to drive All Lee away from tn,
ranch, to which he had come Will
other extra hands during the rush 0
the the vintage season the autumn
before. But Dr. Morgan, the pro
prietor, though like his foreman
strongly anti-Chinese, had taken (
fancy to surly All Lee, and refused tt
discharge him.
absorbed in his song the singer
rpaid no heed to his audience of one
"A 6-year old, faxen-haired, blue
eyed boy standing in the doorway
and evidently slightly awe-stricker
as he stared into the little room
Only when the fast-waning lighr
caused him to turn his head did Al
Lee notice the chubby face of his tim
id visitor.
Slowly rising to his feet he said
with friendly grin:
4Hullo, boy! You likee me sing?'
The child pushed back his littl
blue-ribboned straw hat, with d;
shrug advanced few steps.
30 yes" he replied, returning AL
Lees smile, you know you sing 81
funny. But dad says he will lick m
goOd'n hard il | come in here to Sc
you. Sabbe?'
"Yeher, me sabe. He no good
You likee come, you come" oh
served All Lee, graciously. /
was Murphy's boy Tommie, an,
because of that fact he sometime
glanced at the urchin with an evi
look. But because of the trustin,
blue eyes, the bright innocent face
but more than all because of tn
plainly shown liking of the DO.
TOR ngly All Lee, the Chinama
9,Egng also human, frequentl
forgot it was Murphy's bo
TO whom he gave so many cur
nous sweetmeats, peculiar to the ia
roff fiowery kingdom. Just now Ii
realized only the pleasing fact tina
THE needless Tommie had venture
into the hut at the risk ofu whipping
So he came forward with a beam
ing smile, his long pig-taiI reachin
nearly TO his bare heels.
You like come, you come, all
same" he said, placing a brown. tot
hardened hand on Tommie's silver
young head.
At the same instant a quick, heav
step crunched the gravel outside an
the burly black whiskered Murphy
whip in hand, filled the low doorway
"Come out o. that, Tommiel'' con
manded the father angrily. "Didn'
a tell yez ter keep away from this di