The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-01-29

he observed another Chinese to saun-
ter along, also with a sack upon his
shoulder, and, after the same precau-
tion TO see if he We're watched, open
the same door and disappear in the
darkness.
Now, All Kim, not being bright of
mind, was unable to think what this
might mean, and, after a study, decid-
ed that ii was q case to lay before his
friend. the shrewd Wong Chez. He was
therefore about to move from the door
way 70 put his idea into execution,
when he observed a third Chinese to
come along, also with q sack upon MS
shoulder. and, after the same precau-
tons, to enter the same house.
All Kim, at this, was partly in fear,
for if the three sack-bearers thought
it so important that they should not
be observed they might think it Of
enough Importance to attend to the 81
lencing of one who had observed them,
and, for all his slOwness of mind, it
was in his thought that before he
sought the shrewd Wong Chez ii would
be we'll to know how many men with
sacks went through that door So he
waited and watched with care and kept
himself within the shadow. that none
might see him. There We're now and
then men passing along, but none of
them bore sacks upon their shoulders,
and none of them passed through the
door with the ITO Let sign upon it.
Yet as he " atehed. he was startled on
d sudden to see the ITO Let sign it
self disappear like the handkerchief
that the juggler throws into the air.
And All Kim. having watched vainly
for further signs of the men who had
gone through the door, Joined a party
of three who passed, and becoming one
of the crowd, went on his way to find
his friend the shrewd Wong Chez.
the case was explained. There are
many things in life that we do not IN
derStand. We should therefore en-
deavor to learn them from those who,
perchance, may know more than we.
Said you that these men were of q
size?"
"Illustrious Wong Chez. 7 had not
said. But, as l remember them, one
was tall and thin, and one was III mid
die size and stout, and the third was
small and spare"
Did the tall man have a scar from
his eve to his chin? And did the
stout man have a wart on his cheek2
And was the small man lame in the
right Leg"
not see the scar nor the WaTt for the
darkness, but, as I remember, the small
man did have the trace of a limp"
You have done well, my inquisitive
Kim. And if you go TO the Joss tonight,
pray TO him for your friends, for there
is mischief afoot."
DO they threaten my friends?" asked
An Kim, in an awestruck voice.
Pray that it be none of your
friends said Wong Chez with a mys-
teTious shake of his head, for When
those three men went through that
door, it meant no good TO the man who
passes through IL after them"
Then I shall not pass it," said All
Kim with a SILVER; and I shall stop
at the house of the JOSS as I go home
and pray that none of my friends seek
the place" Then. after a moment Of
silence in which his curiosity rose su-
perior to his fears, he continued:
Does your most profound wisdom in
form you of the names of the three
men who went through the door?"
Wong Chez considered and answered
with half-closed eyes:
rs there one among the tongs who
has not heard OF the Three Brothers of
the Hatchet, who are a tong by them
selveS2 We do not speak their names -
Yes, / have heard" said All Kim.
with a shudder. But were they ever
known in our tOng2'
If you had been present at the meet
ing you would have remembered, my
good Kim, said Wong Chez. 1T was
in the tenth year of Kwong Suey, not
three years since, when Now Yip Ting
refused 10 pay his dues to the tong,
and his case was brought before the
meeting of the association. Then we
sat in the dark, and the Voice of the
Tong read the charge against Now Yip
Ting. And we listened in suence, and
when it was asked if we would forgive
the debt, there was no voice raised for
the merchant; for he had made his
riches through the favor and protection
of the tong. and he would evade the
dues that even the poorest must pay
So. when the Voice of the Tong spoke
through the darkness. and said that we
had choice TO forgive the debt or to in
fiict the punishment, there was a mutter
as Of the thunder that sounds in the
distance. and it was the sentence of
death 10 Now Zip Ting. Then il was