The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-08-31


were with our backs to the wall, hand
ing our weapons and sweating into
Our shoes. Outside we heard sca.y
hands feeling and running along the
boards as if hunting for cracks
Suddenly the woman howied again,
and the sound of the hands outside
stopped, and Sawyer, who was hold
| ing down the old woman, dropped on
the floor. and sat up like child who
has been spanked.
Again the woman let out a screech
and Sawyer's face was a study. The
yellow half-breed was hopping across
the floor showing his teeth, and then he
began to circle round the grinning fool
who wanted his laundry. and pretty
soon the grin on Sawyer's face lost all
| its fun, and his tongue commenced to
stick out and his eyes turned in his
head.
And still the half blood boy hoped
around him, following the yelpings of
the old woman. and never taking his
face away from Sawyer.
Look at Donald"' groaned the doc
tor.
Tie superintendent face was purple,
and he was watching the goings on
with look of absolute idiocy. His hands
We're all swelled up, and the veins
showed most distinctly under the thick
hairiness. His eyes, so far as I could
sec, were fixed on Sawyer's neck, and
| I looked carefully myself. Then the
doctor and 1 saw together, and we got
up out of our places But the scaly
hands outside began to scrape up and
down and along the wall, and we knew
| it was no use. So we watched the thin
| line of black blood ooze out on Saw
yer's neck all around, and wondered
how far out his tongue would come.
When Sawyer fell over, Donald let
out a scream like horse. The yellow
boy stopped hopping around, and
dropped something from between his
teeth. This something squirmed and
writhed like silver wire for an instant,
and then curled up across Sawyer's
chest.
THAT explains it perfectly and lucid
ly.'' whispered the doctor, land 1 pray
rnerciful God that I may be the
next. l can't watch it again"
Just then Big Donald leaned over,
and said, confidentially, It's a great
show. I've seen Ben Ching do this be-
fore"
1 looked at the superintendent. His
face was a blank and his lips moved
aimlessIy. Then at the doctor. The
latter was drunk with fear, but he
managed to chatter into my nick,
Hes crazy. Ben Ching and his devil
left here twenty years ago. 1 know
it for a fact, because I read it some
where in a book of fairy-tSales."
Brace up!'' said I, land don't go
daffy so soon. There's plenty for two
sane men to do here without talking
nonsense" But 1 was scared myself
till the hollows of my arms and knees
ached.
1 had heard of Ben Ching.
Then the old woman got on her feet
and made a long talk, pointing first
to Sawyer that was and then at the
yellow half blood painting beside it.
Donald seemed to take it all in, for
he nodded his head wisely, and pres
emily made a speech himself. The old
Chinaman doddered in a corner ard
made passes to get ho.d of my cleaver.
Before the old lady answered Dom
AIDS speech, the superintendent got I'M
der liquor again, and was determined
to have those clothes. Come on!' he
sang out to the doctor and me, land
let's get our partners things"
You dry up!" battered the doctor.
you leave go mention of those buds.
Sawyer's dead"
But Donld was too far up in the air
with his new notion to be manageable,
and he swayed out into the room and
demanded the clothes.
"Shut up and come out of here!' yell
ed the doctor.
Il WON'T" said Donald I'LL have
those clothes. 1 came for 'em, and 1
won't go way without en-
The doctor and I pleaded with him,
but it was no good at all. He was
locoed. Presently he made for the old
woman just like Sawyer did. Dig up
them Clothes" said Donald, cor I'll
wiring your neck, We old WITCH
Outside the scraping of the scaly
hands began all over again, and it
seemed to me heard soft feet running
about the shed.
"Get hold of hint" shouted the doc
tor, and we both made for him.
But we were too late. he slid off the
old woman's knees and upon the floor,
where he lay grinning. Then he strain
ed with his hairy hands at something,
and cried: Ben Ching! Ben Ching:
Damn you!"
And the old Chinaman got up and
cackled, and the yellow boy hoped
around the floor and faced Big Donald,
and presently the superintendent shiv-
cred and paved a little at the floor,
and the veins under the hair On his
hands stood out like blue cords.
The yellow half hloOd SfOpned hfc
jumping and opened mis- teeth, and
something white and shiny-a silver
wire-dropped on the floor and curled
up over the breast of Big Donald, who
was dead. with his tongue out and a
coil deep in his neck.
II want a drink" said the doctor in
my ear.
JOHN FLEMING WILSON.
San Francisco, August, 1905.