The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1898-10-26
MIGUEL, THE PUNKA-COOLIE
A Tale of Manila.
BY Charles b. Howard.

funny Spanish, if her husband was
doing his work to my satisfaction, and
as often assured her that he left
nothing to be desired, whereupon she
would pat his shoulder in approval,
and they would converse in their own
language. all g's and MS apparently.
One afternoon, toward the end of
June, there entered the Office an old
Chinese merchant, Quin Leng by
name, who long before had lived in
the Philippines, but who now resided
at home in Hongkong, and came
across the troublous China Sea occa.
sionally on business trip.
After the usual long drawn greet
ings, We proceeded to business and
were deeply involved in the prices of
hemp and sugar when his glauce hap
pened to fall on Miguel, pensively
laboring at the punka-cord, and he
stopped arguing with an abrupt
''Wah-piar'ithe Chinaman's usual ex-
clamation Of surprise.
Then, with an apology to me, he
rose, waddled across the room and
held out his hand to Miguel, saying,
Como va,-how goes it,-Senor
Ortiz?"
Miguel took the proffered hand
with stately bow, and replied, quiet
ly, "Muy bien, gracias, very well,
thank you, ,-senor. trust it is we'll
with your grace, alsoP"
All this was very much out of or.
der. How came high-class "Chino''
merchant, and mandarin of the blue
button at that, to be greeting thus
cordially an old punka-coolie, infinite
ly beneath him in that social stand
ing which the Chinaman holds SO
sacred?
My bewilderment was probably Wis.,
ible in my face as Quin Leng resumed
his seat, for he smiled like yellow
half-moon, and said, in his queer
pidgin-Spanish:
"That man, Miguel Ortiz, years
and years ago was the chief clerk and
'majordomo' of Augustin, Ramon y
Ca"-a famous old Spanish house in
Manila, long since failed and gone.
Did you know that?"
shook my head, and he went on:
"He was discharged for stealing
money, they said. What a pity 1
never believed it. All, Miguel and I
were good friends in the old daysr
"How did it happen?" asked.
81 cannot say" he replied, "but the
story was that Miguel was left alone
in the office all that afternoon, and
afterward could not account for three
hundred silver dollars which had been
brought in. 1t is strange, also," he
added, looking around. ''This is the
very same Office they had then"
"How long ago was it?" 1 asked.
"Let me see-it was the third of
June of the year 49,, L have reason
to remember it well, for it was the same
day that my godown-warehouse-wa
sadly damaged by an earthquake, and
1 had to pay eighteen pesos for the
three coolies that were killed in it"
Our business was soon concluded,
and as Quin Leng went out he laid his
long-nailed hand on Miguel's shoulder
and said smiling, "Back in the same
old nest, old bird, eh?" And Miguel
replied with quiet, Isl senor."
So this was the story Of my queer
punkero, 1 reflected. Surely he had
been amply punished by all these
years of poverty and degradation-re-
duced from a position of trust, with
comparative wealth, to living in nipa
hut among the lowest class Of natives.
How he had managed to live in the
meantime L never knew; but it troubled
me good deal during the next few
days to see the patient old fellow at
his mechanical, ill-paid labor-with
that crippled son to support, too, 1 re-
fected.
1 could not pay him more than other
punka- coolies received without getting
all the other business men down on
me. Although 1 wanted to give him
some employment more worthy of his
ability, I was only the agent of a great
house at home, and my responsibilities
were too heavy already to justify my
placing in position Of any trust man
accused of theft. L knew none of the
other houses would take him, for
could not conscientiously recommend
him, and younger clerks were to be
had in plenty.
So punkero he remained, till one
day, during q rush of business, another
clerk was needed at the godown to help
check and tally weights. As no one
else was available at the moment, I
sent Miguel down. In the afternoon
he brought back his tally-sheets, so
accurately and neatly made out that 1
concluded after all to keep him at that
work, Tor there would be no possible
opportunity for dishonesty of any sort,
and it would enable me to raise his
wages slightly.
So new punkero, considerably less
remarkable in aspect, was established
on the one-legged stool, and Miguel
spent his days in the godown, report
ing at the Office late every afternoon.
He displayed little or no appreciation
of his promotion, and when on pay day
1 handed him the additional pesos, he
merely thanked me gravely; but the
next morning 1 found his sonora wait
ing for me, and she was so overpower-