Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-16
BY NORMAN KLEIN. y

| bx HUFFMAN hLElN.
The six Chinese were awake anc
ready when the Hongkong agent Of the
smugglers' syndicate stepped into the
little house near the Kowloon docks.
MY instructions are to take only $500
now" he said. The six newcomers said
nothing. THE other $500 you pay when
safely in America"
Chong Fat, who had come from the
Standard Oil tank farm at Swatow, took
some money from his shirt.
Those who ask for too much find
that everything goes amiss."
Those nearest the fire are soonest
warmed" retorted the agent. Pay me
quickly, for the journey begins"
| The others paid. Chong Fat sighed
paid. He had been working for this
hour for IS years since he was 20. The
six followed the agent out to the road
! At the docks, where great liners doomed
in the night, they came to small
sampan.
when you travel by boat" said
Chong Fat, "be prepared for duck
ing"
Everybody is fat in America. I will
be glad to get there" said Chin Gin at
his side. Americans eat enough for
three men,"
Six Struggled Aboard Ship.
The Hongkong waterfront yonder
fiickered with light. The men sat
silently as the little boat crept out into
the harbor. They were alongside a
small freighter. The agent spoke to
somebody aboard. There was wait.
Somebody called over the side.
Make haste" the agent said,
The six tourists clafnbered up the
rope ladder. Chong Fat grasped his
little bundle, his worldly wealth:
"A journey of thousand miles be-
gins with one step" he reflected: The
sides Of the freighter seemed cold and
unfriendly. 'He who rides a tiger. is
afraid to dismount."
On deck the six huddled In the well.
The skipper looked at them He smoked
a pipe. ;, ....u.s r,,,,n r,,,
"The poorer one Is, the more devils
one meets" said another.
The skipper led the syndicate agent
and his six countrymen below. The
agent turned and said. "You are In
luck. The sailing Is quickly" and went
up on deck. The skipper ordered the
six men to climb into three empty
packing cases. They heard a seaman
mailing down the lids. Boxes were put
on top of theirs. Chong Fat protested
shrilly. The skipper thwacked the box,
swcre at Chong Fat. =.
Chin Gin crouched in the case be-
side Chong Fat. Chin Gin had worked
as a servant on 1.-THE Peak" in Hong
kong. he understood English. He said
ut Is bad start. The captain Is
bully"
inspectors Visit Hold.
Some time later, men were heard In
the hold. They were British customs
inspectors. Somebody. kicked HOLLOWAY
on one of the cases. There was silence.
They heard the skipper talking in
gratiatingly, then the men passed on.
Chong Fat smiled idly. for ne knew
money had been passed.
some time later the freighter was
heading out to sea. The six Chinese
promptly became sick. The hours
DRAGGED. They did not know day
had changed to night or night to day.
They were no longer sick, but hungry
and thirsty. They thunped fists, crieo
The packing cases were opened. A
sailor brought bowls of rice and tea.
The freighter was now out in the Pa
cif1ic. The six Chinese were allowed to
make camp near bulkhead. During
the trip across the meals were few ana
Chin Gin, the one who spoke Eng
lish. protested, and sailor hit him IN
the mouth. Chin Gin was weak ana
fell down, and the sailor kicked him
as is the Lancashire way. Chin GIN
lapsed into unconsciousness. He dream
ed he had become house boy Tor q
New York millionaire.
Then a storm attacked the freighter
and pummeled 1t and flung 1t around
and the six terrified Chinese, locked In
the hold, saw the water creeping at
their feet. A mate put them on the
hand pumps but did not give them tea.
They worked many hours through the
storm and expected to drown.
Land on Mexican Coast.
At last they were of the coast. The
sun was shining. OF q sudden the skip
per was rushing down the stairs. He
drove them back into the packing cases
and nailed down the lids. After while
a liuuor searching party from United
States Coast Guard destroyer came
| aboard, The Chinese heard them In
the hold and shivered, but finally the
giiardsmei1 left.
THE freighter. put into Ensenada
Mexican seaport near the American
border. The weary Chinese were taken
ashore to a fisherman's shack. There
were about 20 other Chinese hidden
there. One night man OF the SNUG
glers' syndicate took II aboard FISH,
: Another took Chong Fat, Chin Gin
and three others in a motor car, which
sped through sandy wastes over trail
Of ocatilla and choya cactus.
"The fool I'M hurry drinks his tea
with a fork" grunted Chong Fat
frightened. He wished, he hadn |
needed the invitation OF his cousin II
Newark. His body still ached from Thu
tourney In the packing case.
But he endured the ride to Tie
Juana. The driver pulled up at shack
behind q saloon. Two nights later 9
wizened little American led the i've
| Chinese north along the beach at the
mouth Of the Tia Juana River. Choul
Fat was soon footsore. The man next
| to him groaned at every step.
Patience and a mulberry leaf vii
make a silk gown" Chong Fat said
Their guide turned on them.
Trapped by Border Patrol.
Shut UP you, you Chinks'
They walked far out from shore un-
| der cover of the darkness. The tide
was out. They reachd Imperial Beach
a village on the American side, and
went to a weather-beaten house. Two
days of waiting. A man came with
motor car.
"You wanchee go chop-chop2" HI
cried impatiently, when he and thu
guide from Tia Juana demanded thu
second payment Of $500 from each man
You wanchee no catchee 'Melicar
bobby? All right, can do" and HI
pointed to the waiting car.
"Who stands still IN mud sticks ir
it," Chong Fat said, and he paid ovel
his money.
The Others did, too. They got in tn,
car. The driver made two get dowr
on the floor. They we're thin. half
starved. He forced the other thre,
somehow into the rumble seat compart
ment and closed 1t.