Evening star., 1918-12-22

how. We won't have any more barber
rows on the Harris wharf for little
while now. The mixed court magis-
trate gave them sixty blows apiece
and two weeks wooden cangue on
the spot where the fight took place.
You know. 1t isn't such bad idea.
this Furnishing man on the place
where he commits the crime; it gives
them all good chance to see justice
administered"
That's so, chief" answered the as
Sistant. 1--WE sometimes thought 1t
wouldn't be so far out of the way to
have a little of it in the old country.
That's what they used to do in the
old days Of the stocks and whipping
post, you know, and, after all. the
wooden cangue is only another form
Of stocks. But doesn't 1t remind you
Of the Arabian Nights. this silly non-
sense about BARRIERS? Just think of a
light in London and lot of barber
chaps nearly killing each other just
because they didn't go to the same
church! They're worse than Moham-
medans, they really are"
'Is that what started 1t? l didn't
hear the first of the evidence"
"Why, yes; you see two old BARRIERS
of the BARRIERS Guild have had the
monopoly of shaving the coolies on
the Harris wharf for years; and yes
terday along came q couple OF new
chaps who don't belong to the guild
and don't worship the same BARRIERS
idol and set up their shop. and up
starts the. fight with those Chinese
onS matt They're Sf ss ssaF ssoo to0 io% e wSo
rushed into separate them, came near
being badly cut.y
1 Just another case of Him no chin
chin same joss,' as Detective Chang
says when / ask him what starts the
ordinary street wheel-barrow fight,
"They certainly are mighty clan
nish, SIR"
The foregoing conversation between
the inspector and his assistant in
the inner police Office was hardly over
when a knock was heard at the door
and the native officer on duty brought
in the chit-book from the British con-
sulate and handed q message marked
urgent" to>his chief.
We'll, here we are again; I wonder
what's up now? Perhaps the BARRIERS
are at 1t once more"
perhaps It's a lot Of their friends
come down to the wharf.to get even
with the other fellows. They often do
that, you know"
. The inspector tore open the envel-
Ope, saying as he did SO to the officer:
You tellee coolie waitchee answer"
The message read as follows:
To Inspector Arthur Gubbins, Shanghai Po.
Gce: Sir-In the absence up-river OF Str
Thomas Bradley. X. G. M. g.. the consul gen
eral, I beg to request your presence, without
delay. at the consulate. to consult about dis dis.
turbance Of q very serious nature that took
place in the Statement las last evening; :, I am,
II. B. NJ. Vice Consul, In Charge.
Handing a reply to the waiting mes
hn In f1rrn to
Morehead and asked, as he passed the
paper over to him: "Whats this? Any
report from headquarters or from the
branch station about a row last
f1ight?"
well, perhaps there's some reason
for the native officers keeping 1t Sc
cret. I'll go right over and see what
it's about.
took his official cap from the hook.
and hurrying out to his waiting jim
fik-sha, ordered the cool!e to take
him to the consulate. He was ushered
1T once into the private office and
after. the usual greetings was asked
to take a seat at the consurs desk. the
doors having been closed and the cur
tains closely drawn.
h'Gubbins." began his majesty's rep
fesentative, "I'm in q quandary and
I've sent Tor you 10 nelp me OUT. Vo
been q good many years in the service
Ind flatter myself that know these
people pretty we'll, but every now and
then something new turns up and l
ind myself as puzzled as an ordinary
tlobe-trotter on his first arrival. You
have had q good deal of experience in
dealing. with them, too, but l imagine
that sometimes you get into fix as
well as myself and then you have
"Have to send for some old mission
Ary who speaks the local lingo to worm
It out Of them" said the inspector, help
ing to finish the sentence.
t"Yes, after all, we study and study,
but the people who live among them
day and night are the only ones who
ever really get under their padded
vests as my chief says"
'"Thats SO, and yet, do you know. old
DR.. johnson Of the Mission Hospital
told me only last week that some times
he's just as badly off as we are, and
he's been out here forty years and
speaks the lingo like a native"
"He's right, he's right-well, here's the
case: This morning. when came down
to breakfast, I notice my No. boy had
bis head all plastered up. | asked him
what was the matter and all l could get
was, My makee fallee down stairs last
hight Now that would have gone all
tight II the No. 2 hoy hadn't come in
E few minutes later with a bandage
around his eye, and when I asked him II