The Topeka state journal., 1919-10-25


the old priest from the temple across
the water comes and takes look at
him. They're great at that sort of
thing, but it would never do for US
to leave him there: there d-De thou
sand or more of them there in less
than half an hours time, sir, and
it would block all the unloading in
the port for the rest of the day. Be
sides that, we're just a little afraid
of stir-up among the wharf-coolies,
for this is the fifth case we've had
inside the week and that's quite I'M
usual, sir" added the inspector, as
he bade the Consul goodday and
hurried the ambulance along the
water front.
Just at the corner of the wharf,
as he was turning into Prince Albert
road, Colonel Clifford recognized
one of his own coolies from the con-
sulate, who evidently was taking the
deepest interest in the proceedings
and jabbering away with all the lung
power at his disposal. He couldn't
understand a word of what he said,
but he seemed to be repeating the
same words over and over again. He
took oUt his notebook and pencil and
made an attempt to- jot them down.
They sounded like TOW low WOW
chow shang'' to him as nearly as he
could catch them, so tTow low WOW
chow shang" they went down in the
book, and he determined to ask his
interpreter just what they meant.
'Is Mr.. Choo in the officer" he
inquired of the servant when he
entered.
my tinkee have got," was the la
comic reply of the hall boy.
"Te1l him I would like to see him
for moment in the inner office"
Mr.. Choo promptly appeared, clad
in the long blue gown of the Chinese
scholar, which he had adopted i'm
mediately on his return from his
school days in England.
"Mr. Choo," the Consul said, mo-
tioning him with all courtesy to a
chair, Il have jotted down some
Chinese words here which 1 heard on
the street, and l shall be very much
obliged if you will kindly translate
them for me-" showing him the page
in the notebook. Choo slowly ad-
justed the inevitable horn spectacles
(worn more for their impressiveness
than for any real aid to vision) and
spelled the words carefully out:
TOW low WOW chow shang." He
repeated them over several times and
then said, May 1 ask where you
heard these and in what connec-
tien?"
"You can't catch them, then. right
offhand, can you? 1 am afraid my
Chinese isn't very smooth as yet"
well, you see, sir, just very
slight difference in their sound to
your ear makes a very considerable
difference in their meaning. They
may mean a nummber of things; for
instance, if you heard them in a res
taurant, they would probably be,
Serve my meal upstairs; if you
heard them in the tailor shop they
might be, Cut my coat a little
higher but if the circus was in town
they would be, Take me to see the
Good graciousi" exclaimed the
Colonel, you don't mean to say you
can get all those different ideas just
out of those few words"
| THAT is one of the distinctive pc
culiarities Of the language, sir, and
it is rather difficult to explain it to
Europeans, as they have no system
of tones to correspond to it. May
not ask again. sir, just whom you
heard utter the words?"
"Why, certainly, it was one of my
own coolies. down at the wharf
there"
''Well, If you will send for him,
sir, we can get at it in moment"
1t took over an hour for the coolie
in question to saunter home again
and when he appeared he was
promptly summoned into the office
After being assured that he was not
to be disciplined or punished in any
=
ingness to speak.
What were you calling out at the
wharf, with the rest of them?" asked
the interpreter.
s'Tao lao ngao cha slang" was the
instant reply. Mr.. Ghoo turned tC
the Consul and said, 'FThe words are
perfectly clear now, sir; they mear
simply, He has carried the mysteri
Gus tea chest!'
Carried the mysterious te;
chest! What tea chest, and who car
ried it, and where and iwhen?"
This question on the part of tn,
Consul was the signal for a dialogu,
between Choo and the coolie tha
seemed almost interminable. Final
ly the explanation came, and it wa
this: There was a curious supersti
tion on the part of the cargo coolie
J
tea brought down from the interio
to the foreign .wharves there was one
the handling of which would certain
J ly prove fatal to its bearer. unles
he had promptly paid his devotion
! and his dues to the Goddess of tn
, Tea Shrine. This was the inexorabI
penalty which she demanded of he
, children who neglected her. Fiv
victims in aAweek at the Hong Konl
: wharves had conclusively proven tn
truth of this to the native mind, an,
} they had naturally supposed that tn
: one whom the Consul saw was tn
) sixth. To make assurance doubl
, sure, however, they always sent 80
| the old priest from the temple acros
: the harbor to officially give hi
judgment. The foreign coroner an
: the doctors might give all the opin
| ions in the world as to the cause o
. death being anOplexv or heart dis