The Press., 1906-08-08
When Lung Sing
WhiStIed
By CLAUDE PANaAREs
Copyright, 1905. by Il. o. ParOellu


come up to the house In the middle OF
the afternoon on some errand, 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, I'll be hanged!
Lung Sing was whistling. He had
been cook at Star ranch for over q
year and had never been heard to whis-
tie before. Indeed, he never hummed,
never smiled, never talked unless d.
rectly spoken to. He was put down as
surly and crossgrRined, but as he was
a good cook and as none of the men
cared a 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 whis-
Ting"
"Well, can't c heather whistler
"There Is no law against 1t, but Lung
Sing has been here over a year, and
this Is his first toot. Wonder what has
happened to chirk him upT
81 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 Piue Hill to meet
Fannie Williams. She's coming on to
ctay with us 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 got to go over to Wolf Greek, and,
of course, the rest Of you are busy"
"But-bur don't like the idea," said
the foreman as he scratched his head.
'Why don't your"
Because Lung Sing Ii Whistling.
When a heather whistles look out for
him.
The woman laughed and turned away.
and a minute later the foreman was
walking of. He passed the cook house
again, and the Chinman was still whis-
Ting softly to himself.
"He's 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
and bring the girl and her trunk safely
to the ranch. His face was as impas-
sive as a washboard until he had left
the house half q mile behind him: then
he puckered his mouth and began to
whistle. Between whistles he gricned
and smiled.
An hour and half later he 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 grunt.
He grunted again as he put her bag
gage aboard the vehicle. and he put on
a 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
girl as she settled herself. And next
moment Lung Sing was driving away.
It 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 whistling,
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
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 come round, but
she could see no sign Of civilization. In
fact, she saw that the vehicle had left
the road, such as it was, and was pro-
ceeding over the unmarked plains.
"Arc VIC almost therep she asked as
ahe turned to Lung Sing and spoke
for the first time since leaving the
station.
lille while-lille WHILE" he replied
as he stared straight ahead.
But how is 1t that you are of the
roadP
Load ale light"
A minute later the Chinaman was
tie of an American, but there was
something hypocritical and .deceiving
about 1t. The girl had nothing further
to say. The man would not have been
sent If he hadn't been all right, and IL
he had left the track it was probably
to take q short cut and reach the
house oil the sooner. It was not until
her watch marked 1 o'clock and the
vehicle was being driven among the
scrub pines and cedars, along a stretch
OF foothills, that the girl turned and
seized Lung Sing by the arm and cx-
claimed:
ST know you are not taking me to
the ranch house! What do you mean
by this?"
"Alle light-alle light" replied the
Celestial as he hurried the horse for
ward.
"But 1t 10 not all right Let me out
at once!' ..-
He seized her with one hand to hold
her In the seat while he Guided the
horse with the other, but In the strug-
gle the animal was refined into a tree,
and the vehicle stuck fast. Then Lung
Sing developed the plot that had been
working In his brain ever since the
moment he was told that he must drive
over for the visitor.
With q fierce scowl on his face, In
his pigeon English he ordered the girl
to proceed In n certain direction. For
ty rods beyond where she had left the
blackboard there was a rocky bluff hid
den under the cedRrS and In the bluff
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 OF
the brink of gorge, the harness flung
over II, and then the man led the horse
into a thicket and cut its throat.
When he reappeared at the cave he
unbound his victim and lay down on q
nat stone at the mouth and told her his
nj ne - - AvA< 40 nj