The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-08-31
DEVIL AND
BEN CHING
Story by an Advertiser
Man in the,
Argonaut.
Concluded from yesterday

Concluded from yesterday
Big Donald settled the matter by de-
cisring that he would get those clothes
| If he had to wade the river of Hades
with his trousers in his teeth. DON
aid was Enthusiastically drunk.
An hour later fell into an unspeak-
ably filthy ditch and as 1 wallowed out
a sitting odor of musk choked me and
a dull splash showed me that an al
| Iigator had been rudely awakened.
Sawyer was ahead, singing blasphe-
mously.
A little later we crawled under a
barbwire fence, picked our way over
piles of rubbish, and ran against long
rambling wooden shed.
This is the place. said Sawyer.
Now how does he know?" the doctor
asked in my ear.
He is specially conducted by the
Evil One / answered, being still wet
with the sweat driven out of my pores
by the smell of the musk and the splash
while back.
Yes, this is the place. said Donald,
and hammered on the door.
Through the chinks in the wall I saw
the shifting of lights, and presently
the door was opened, and an old Chin
aman, wrinkled like toad, stuck his
head out
open the door," shouted Sawyer,
and lurched against the Chinaman.
You bet, Mr.. Chink," said Donald,
and we all filed in. The doctor came
last, and he whispered to me to keep
awake. This is no place to be sky
larking,'' he warned.
The length of the long shed ran two
tables piled up with dishes, clothes,
and rubbish of all sorts. Various lines
across the top of the room carried dry
ing clothes and threw queer shadows
On the floor.
There were three people in the room
when We got in. There was the old
Chinaman himself, shriveled woman,
and a young half-breed.
Sawyer and Donald talked lot
about the clothes they came for, and
the Chinaman said they weren't dry
yet, and they had a general argu-
ment, without any language to speak
of. Then ] heard Sawyer get abusive,
and when the Chinaman's voice
dropped a couple of notes and then
rose to a scream, looked at the doc
tor.
This is rotten business said he
"Donald's drunk, and that little imp
CT Sawyer is risking the necks of
ali of us through pure calf-ignorance
He makes me SICK
HE does sure" said l. But we
mustn't let them scrap too much 1
reckon Sawyer has got it into his head
from living in California that he can
hit Chinaman anytime he wants to
without asking leave"
IF he tries that on here" replied the
doctor, resignedly, I'VE might just as
Well quit. This neighborhood is filled
with Cbinks. We couldn't get away ten
yards We're in the wrong house, you
bet. Donald ought to know that"
We rather hoped things were going
all right, but presently Sawyer noticed
the woman. and made a dive at her.
Here's pledge he said, roughly.
dig up my clothes. Mr. Chinaman, or
you don't get your wife back I'll take
her in exchange
The woman screeched, and the doctor
and I Fl otested. Let her CO." said I,
shes an old woman, and you've no
call 10 use her roughly"
You're doing this, are you?r asked
Sawyer. imprudently.
''They amt in this DEAL" assented
Big Donald. This woman's white, and
I dor.'t see as she's entitled to much
consideration, anyway. We're doing
this alone
The Woman was white, and when she
raised her voice some more I just pick
ed up a cleaver lying on the table, and
the doctor got hold of a machete from
the wall, and We made camp behind
the table with our backs to the wall
and candle between us. "Tf there's
going to be any trouble we might as
well be ready" said the doctor, and I
agreed with him.
BY this @tine the Chinaman was in
state, and he ran about under the
clothes on the line. and his pigtail
flowed after him like the tail of a kite.
And all the while the woman was
screeching, while Sawyer held her down
lie chair, and laughed as if he'd
die because she didn't like it. Then
Big Donald took a hand, and cursed
the Chink in way to make ones
head dry UP like paper in fire 1t
seemed to me that there was something
more than whisky and quinine back
of it all, and Sawyer's drunken laugh
ter grated horribly on my ears. We
were too close to the pits mouth
shall I put that Sawyer out of the
way?" asked the doctor, shuddering.
Il wish We could" said +. "but he's
sup osed to be white, and we can't do
anything but see him through. But
Big Donald's sure in the tar runs.
Hes bewitched,'' said the doctor.
looked at his small eyes under the
big brows, and then at the smallish
hands with the big veins running under
the hair. Big Donald was indeed far
gone. BE was snarling at the old
Chinaman. and the shadow of his hea
on the wall beckoned horribly.
Suddenly the half blood boy ran out
from somewhere along the edge of the
room end the old woman yelled at