The Washington times., 1904-07-31
Bv DOUGLAS STORY.

IN FOO is ''mafoo." native
groom. of colleague OF mine He
~ IS called groom out of courtesy
TO the correspondent. AS a matter
of fact. the relations between master
and man are somewhat difficult Of def
milton. Were this published anywhere
nearer than 10000 miles away 1 should
hesitate at the designation. Sin Foo's
arms are long, and his revenges discon-
certfEg.
He Is small and 1.-THE and wiry. with a
cunning, wizened face, and the nose OF q
dwarfed Shylock. His eyes are black anc
beady. his teeth white and shining, his
pigtail gloriously glossy. His fayorite at
tire is a suit of velveteens- In character
and In appearance he is a very gypsy OF
a Chinaman.
Sin Is Ubiquitous
Engaged as a groom. Sin Foos other
qualities early made themselves appar-
ent. No Cooks courier ever was SO
ubiquitous. go perplexingiy polyhedral-
We had started from Niuchwaag IN an
official launch 10 make the journey TO
the Yinkow Railway station. AT the
commencement we blew the head on
cylinder and ceased to exist as steam
er. This was little of hindrapee 70 our
locomotiea since the tide raced up
stream at as many knots an hour as inc
boat had registered upon her omclai
trial.
1t was somewhat of an enbarrass-
ment. however. when we reached our
intended destination Without steam 70
fight the current the anchors felusSu
to hold. Sometimes bow on. sometimes
stern on, most frequently broadside on
we whirled past the landing stage the
railway station, the goods sheos' on
ward into the dusk of pecuharly IN
inviting night
First Revelation.
Bv good fortune an anchor caught
snag and gripped. 1t held long enough
"a let ma Chamber into a numbering sam
nan II was then the usefulness OF Sin
! Goo first revealed itself. The little fig
ura in velveteens was transformed into
! a most efficient ship-master instinct
/ t,-el,, he took command OF the eXpedi-
/ ton sang his orders in minor Chinese
nadences. encouraged the oarsmen
stored the course. and brought us
safely to shore
! pnce landed. our troubles began. we
u,ere couple of miles from the sta
ton on a cI-umbling clay bank. All ouI
! belongings were heaped about US II
Was already night. The locomotive
from the distance shrieked its sum
mons. Sin Foo set off into the dark. H'
looked like one OF the wicked sailors Of
the woodcut in my boyhood's Robin
/ son Crusoe" We were very lonely and
somewhat apprehensive. Our first ex
/ pedition in search Of war had left u
stranded on a sandbank.
Suddenly from the darkness happened
/ Sin Foo Following him was & string o
! coolies. who, noisily jabberi1g. should
cred our baggage and tramped into tn
night. Sin Foo marshaled the column
/ Stumbling over the hummocks, blunder
( ing through the sand drift, eventual.
we attained the station.
The train already was an hour behini
1 its starting time. Every seat was &C
cupied The patience OF the official
was exhausted Thanks to the towboat
the current, and the sand, we had out
stayed our welcome.
A Russian station in war time is lil1
/ other stations under military control
| Ii is a place where the stutterng for
eigner Is a supremely obnoxious obsta
Gle 10 the proper conduct of business
We felt the delicacy of our position
Foo saved the situation. lie ealQie