Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1906-03-29
When Lung Sing
WhiStIed
By CLAUDE PAMARES


- ~
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The foreman at the Star ranch had
come up to the house in the middle Of
| the afternoon ON some errand, and as
lie passed the cook house where Lung
Sing was securing his pots and pans
he heard a sound that caused him to
stop in his tracks and exciaim:
well, I'll be hanged!''
Lung Sing was whistling. He had
been cook at Star ranch for over
year and had never been heard to whis-
| tie before. Indeed. he never hummed,
never smiled, never talked unless di-
rectly spoken to. He was put down rs
surly and crossgrained, but as he was
a good cook and as none of the men
cared copper whether he talked or not
he still held his place.
WHAT'S the matter?" asked Colonel
| Spears wife, who was mistress of the
ranch, as the foreman finally reached
| the door.
That heather back there is whis-
Ting"
"Well, can't heather whistler"
1A4NlN - 44o Nv AAf Jul A-0IAE
| Sing has been here over year, and
! this is his first toot Wonder what has
| happened to chirk him up?''
Il can't say. had him In here an
| hour ago and told him that he'd have to
take the blackboard tomorrow morning
and drive over to Plue Fiji to meet
| Fannie Williams She's coming on to
| stay with us a month or two you know.
| They think something Is the matter
| with her lungs. and the doctor has rec
| ommendcd this climate. The colonel
| has got to go over TO Wolf Creek, and,
Of course, the rest Of you are busy"
"But-but / don't like the idea," said
| the foreman as he scratched his head.
"Why don't you?"
Because Lung Sing Is vhistling.
When n heather whistles look out for
him."
The woman laughed and turned away.
and minute later the foreman was
walking Off He passed the cook house
again, and the Chinman was still whis-
ting softly TO himself
Hes at it again, and I'll bet he's up
to some deviltry. I'll tell the boys to
keep an eye on him"
AS soon as he had cooked the mems
breakfast rext morning Lung Sing set
out on his ten mile drive to the rail-
road. He was given many words Of
caution by the colonels wife, and he
promised over again to drive slowly
aud bring the girl and her trunk safely
to the ranch His face was as impas-
siye as washboard until he had left
the house half mile behind him; then
he puckered his mouth and began to
whistle. Between whistles he gri.ned
and smiled
An hour and half later lie drove up
to the little station on the plains, and |
when the train came In his passenger
stepped from one OF the parlor cars.
Lung Sing welcomed Ler with grunt. |
He grunted again as he put her bag
gage aboard the vehicle. and lie put ON |
blank look ls the station agent said
10 the girl:
II suppose he's the cook over at the
Star and they sent him because all the
others were busy"
"Oh, Ill excuse him." laughed the
girl MS she settled herself. And next
moment Lung Sing was driving away.
1t was in June, and the weather was
cool and pleasant. aud the girl almost
forgot the man beside her as mile after
mile was passed. Once or twice she
wns conscious that he was whistling,
but as She didn't know whether China
men usually whistled or not she did
not give the matter O second thought.
She had been informed by letter that
the drive from the station to the ranch
house would not occupy over two hours
at the farthest. That meant her ar
rival by noon. Her watch showed her
when that hour had como round, but
she could see no sign OF civilization. In
fact, she Saw that the vehicle had left
the road, such as ii was, and was pro-
cecdlng over the unmarked plains.
"Arc we almost thefe?" she aaksd ms
she turned 10 Lung sing and spoke
for tho iirst time since leaving the
station.
"LIlle whIle-lille while" he replied
as he stared straight ahead,
But how Is Il that YOU are off the
roadT
'Load allie light"
A minute later the Chlnaman was |
whIstling. 1t wasn't the honest whis-
tie OF an American, but there was |
something hypocrltIcal and deceivlng |
about It. The girl had nothing further |
to say. The man would not have been |
sent IL he hadn't been all right, and TX |
he had left the track 1t was probably |
10 take short cut and reach the /
house all the sooner IL was not until |
her watch marked l o'clock and the /
ysnicie was being driven among the
scrub pines and cedars along n stretch |
of foothills, that the girl turned and |
seized Lung Sing by the arm and ex-
claimed;
u know you are not taking me to
The ranch housed What do you mean |
by thisT
"Allo light-alle light" replied the
Celestial as he hurried the horse for
ward
"But 1t Is not all right! Let me out
ut oncew
He seized her. with one hand to hold
her Ia the seat while he guided the
horse with the other. but In the strug-
gle the animal was relned into tree,
and the vehicle stuck fast Then Lung |
Sing developed the plot that had been
working IN his brain ever since the
moment lie was told that lie must drive
over for the visitor
With u ileree scowl on his face, In
his pigeon English he ordered the girl
TO nrocccd In certain direction. Far
ty rods beyond where she had left the
blackboard there was rocky bluR hid
den under the oedars and In the blum
q cave Of considerable dimensions,
Upon entering the cave he tied the
girls hands and feet and then retraced
his steps. The vehicle was backed Off
the brink of gorge the harness flung
over II, and then the man led the horse
into n thlcket and cut It's throat.
When he reappeared at the cave he
unbound his victim and lay down on
fiat stone at the mouth and told her his
plans. lie had heard OF brlgands and
holdups and abductions. He had ABB
Quoted her and would hold her captive
until Colonel Spear was willing TO
come down with $1,000 In cash and
promise not to set the law on his tran.
He had been wondering for several