Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1906-05-04
When Lung Sing
WhiStIed
By CLAUDE FANFARE


come up to the house In the middle OF
the afternoon on some GRAND. and as
he 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 exclaim:
well, III be hangedl'
Lung Sing was whlstllng. He had
been cook at Star ranch for e a
year and had never been heard to whls-
Tie before. Indeed. he never hummed,
never smiled. never talked unless d.
rectly spoken to. He was put down as
surly and -crossgrained. but as he was
n good cook and as none Of the men
cared n copper whether he talked or not
he still held his place.
whats the matter?' asked Colonel
Spears wife. who was mistress OF the
ranch. as the foreman finally reached
the door.
THAT heather back there is whls-
Ting"
"Well, can't n heather whistler
"Therc IS no law against It. but Lung
Sing has been here over a year, and
this is his first toot. Wonder what has
happened 10 chlrk him upT''
Il can't say. 1 had him in here an
hour ago and told him that he'd have to
take the blackboard tomorrow morning
and drive over to Plnc Hill to meet
FANNIE williams. She's coming on TO
Etay with Us a month or two. you know.
They think something Is the matter
with her lungs. and the doctor has rec
commended this climate. The colonel
has rot to 20 over 10 Wolf Greek. and,
of course. the rest Of you are busy"
'But-but I don't like the Idea" said
the foreman rs he scratched his head.
'7Nhy don't your"
Because Lung Sing IS vhistling.
Wien n heather whistles lock out for
him"
The wonan laughed and turned away.
and a minute later the foreman was
walking of. He passed the cook house
agaia, and the Chinman was still whis-
Ting softly to himself.
Hes at it again. md I'll bet he's up
to some deylltry. I'll tell the boys to
keep an eye on him.
As soon rs he had cooled the mems
breakfast LeXt morning Lung Sing set
out on his ten mile drive to the rail-
road. He was given many words CT
caution by the colonel's wife. and he
promised over again to drive slowly
aud bring the girl and her trunk safely
to the ranch. His face was us impas-
sive 10 a dashboard until he had left
the house half II mile behind him: then
he puckered his mouth and began to
whistle. Between whistles he gricned
and smiled.
An hour and a 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 her with Il grunt.
He grunted again as lie put her bag
gage aboard the vehicle, and he put on
n blank look us the station agent said
to the girl:
81 suppose he's the cook over at the
Star and they sent Him because all the
others were busy"
"Oh. I'll excuse him." laughed the
hAAA 40 bAE nEAAAtu AtAaEAAs anu nGAI
moment Lung Sing was driving away.
1t was In June, and the weather was
cool and pleasant, and the girl almost
forgot the man beside her as mile after
mile was passed. Once or twice she
was conscious that he was whlstling,
but as she didn't know whether China
men usually whistled or not she did
not give the matter a second thought.
She had been informed by letter that
tie drive from the station to the ranch
house would not occupy over two hours
ut the farthest. That meant her ar
rival by noon. Her watch showed her
when that hour had come round, but
she could sec no sign Of civilization. In
fact, she saw that the vehicle had left
the road, such as 1t was, and was pro
cecding over the unmarked plains.
Arc we almost there?' she asked as
she turned TO Lung Sing and spoke
for the first time since leaving the
station.
Lille whlle-lille while" he replied
as lac stared straight ahead.
But how is it that you are or the
roadY'
Load ale light"
A minute later the Chinaman was
whistllng. II wasn't the honest whis-
tie Of an American, but there was
something hypocrltical and decelying
about it. The girl had nothing further
to say. Tho man would not have been
sent II he hadn't been all right, and II
lie lad left the track It was probably
TO take n short cut and reach the
house all the sooner. II was not until
her watch marked / o'clock and the
vehicle was being driven among the
scrub pines and ccdars. along n stretch
OF foothills. that the girl turned and
seized Lung Sing by the arm and ex-
claimed:
Il know you are not taking me to
the ranch house! What do you mean
by tIlsY'
"Alle llght-alle light" replied the
Celestial MS he hurried the horse for
ward.
"But 1t Is not all right Let me out
at oncc.r
lie seized her with n hand to hold
her in the seat whil0 he guided the
horse with the other, but IN the strug-
gle tie animal was refined into n tree,
ana the vchirlc stuck fast. Then Lung