Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1899-01-03

/pp
IIs drcir ou ~ small red paper
ent TO a white man and never know the
tortur' that Christian feels. and one
day. arter dinner, when | was just
a-lyin fat down on the bank, squirmin
and clutcbin the short grass to keep
from yellin, who should 90 by but that
pizenous SEQ Yup, with grin on his
face
'Melliknn man plenty playee TO him
loss after eatin, ser he. but Chinaman
smellee punk, alice same, and no hab
got
II knew the shiny cuss was just pur-
tendin he thought was prayin TO my
joss, but I was that weak hadn't
siren tn, boys, TO heave rock at him
Yet it gave me an idea J"
"what was it:" they asked eagerly.
"I went down 10 his shop the next
day, when no was alone, and | was feelin
mighty bad, and got hold Of his pig
tail. and / allowed I'd stuff II down his
throat IL he didn't tell me what he
meant. Then be took piece Of punk
and liz il, aud put il under my nose, an
darn my skin, gentlemen. you nigh mt
believe me. hut In "a minute l felt bet
ter, and after q Whit or two was all
right"
"was il pow'ful strong Cy?' asked
the inexperienced one.
"No," said Parker. "and that's just
what's got me. IL was sort Of dreamy,
spicy smell. like hot night. But as
couldn't 20 round 'mong you boys with
/ lighted piece Of punk In my hand, as
IL was set,n off Fourth Of July fire
crackers. | asked him IL he couldn't fix
me up somethin in another shape that
would he handler To use when i was
took bad, and I'd reckon to pay him for
il like as I'd pay for any other patent
medicine. So he fixed me mp this"
He put his hand in his pocket and
drew out small red paper. which
when opened disclosed pink powder.
IL was gravely passed around the group.
"Wby, it smells and tastes like gin
ger. said one.
"It il only ginger" said another
scornfully.
"M.bse IL j. and mebbe IL isn't. " re-
turned Cy Parker stoutly. "Mebbe it's
only my fancy. But il it's the sort OF
stuI 10 bring OH that fancy and that
fancy cures me it's all the same. I've
got about s2 worth of that fancy. or
that ginger, and I'm goin to stick TO
il. You hear me-" And he carefully
put 1t back in his pocket.
At which criticisms and gibes broke
forth. If he ICY Parker, white man,
was going to "demean himself by con.
sulting a Chinese quack, he'd better
buy up lot of idols and stand them up
around his cabin II he had that sort OF
condolences with See Yup, he ought to
% 20 work with him on bis cheap tail
ings and be fumiga.ed all at the same
time. If he'd been smoking an opium
pipe instead of smelling punk, he ought
to be man enough TO confess It, fe. 1t
was noticeable that they were all very
anxious 10 examine the packet again.
but Cy Parker was alike Indifferent TO
demand or entreaty.
A few days later | saw Abe Wyn-
ford, one Of the party, coming out of See
Yup's washhouse. He muttered some
thing in passing about the Infamous
delay in sending home his washing,
but did not linger long in conversation
The next day met another miner at the
washhouse. but he fingered so long on
some trifiing details that finally left
him there alone with See Yup. When
called up Poker Jack Of Shasta. there
was a singU lar smell of incense in his
cabin, which he attributed to the very
resinous quality Of the fir logs he was
burning. | did not attempt to probe
these mysteries by any direct appeal to
See Yup himself. ! respected his reti-
cence. Indeed il had not ! was quite
satisfied that be would have lied to me.
Enough that bis washhouse was well
patronized. and he was decidedly get
ting Oh. ="
It might have been month after
ward that DR.. Ducbesne was setting q
broken bone in the settlement, and after
| the operation was over had strolled in
to the Palmetto saloon. He was an old
army surgeon. much respected and loved
in the district, although perhaps little
feared for the honest roughness and
military precision Of his speech. After
be had exchanged salutations with the
miners in his usual hearty fashion and
accepted their invitation to drink Cy
Parker, with a certain affected careless
ness which did not, however, conceal q
singular hesitation in his speech, began !:
"I've been wsntin to ask you ques-
ton, doc--a sort of darned fool ques-
tion, You know-notbin in the way Of
consultation. don't you zee. though it's
kinder in the way Of your purfeshun.
Sabei"
"Go ON, Cyl" said the doctor good
humoredly. "This 10 my dispensary
hour.
"Oh, it amt anything about symp-
toms, doc, and there amt anything the
/. matter with me. It's only just TO ask
you if you happened 10 know anything
| about the medical praotios of thsss yer
Chinamen?" 81.