Quong

“ Mr Gunson must be here, I thought, for Quong would naturally be drawn to him as a strong man who would protect him.
“Come along,” I said; “we are right after all.”
“No, no, stop!” he cried, seizing me and holding me back, for Quong evidently heard our voices, and darted back among the trees.
“Nonsense,” I said, struggling.
“Keep back, I tell you. ’Tain’t safe. They don’t know it’s us, and somebody may shoot.” ”

“ Despite his endeavor to adopt the manner of Quong there was a flash to Sheridan's eye and a ring to his voice that told of his spirit being in his plan.
"Modern altruism," said Quong quietly. "But possible. You mean to love your neighbor as yourself, Mr. Sheridan. You would make them prosperous against their own wills. In China, if such a scheme were possible, I should order the land owners to come in and pocket most of the profit as a tribute to my own brains. But you set an example of true democracy." ”

“ This cache does not now belong to any one, but Quong's possession of its secret, which he shares with me as a partner with him, gives us first right of discovery. However, others who might happen to be on the ground might put in claims, whether they would be held legitimate or not, which might tie up matters.
"Quong is the only man who knows how to find it. He gives me a half interest, mainly because I aided him against Hollister at Metzal Depot and at Coyote Springs. And also because he is interested in the plan to make Chico Mesa a top-notch cow country, from feed to beef. ”

“ When Quong Lung would have seated Wau Shun on the chair of which the highbinder had such a lively recollection, the coolie shook his head, saying: “Nay, who is thy slave that he should sit in the presence of the Most Powerful. The ground thou treadest is good enough for him.” ”

“ Quong cally pack.”
“Humph!” ejaculated Gunson; “if we don’t employ him, he’ll follow us, so one may as well make him useful. We can easily pay him; it will not mean much. Here, make yourself up a pack.”
Quong smiled with pleasure, and taking the blanket Gunson threw him out of his chest, he had it soon full of stores and necessaries, a bag of flour being added to his load. ”

“ Quong went on the even tenor of his way, cooking meticulously from the recipes in the book and scoring success after success. He never mentioned his rescue nor did Sheridan refer to it. But he sensed that the Chinaman had a lively appreciation of what had been done for him and was waiting, in his mysterious, Oriental way, for the moment in which to show his gratitude. Why such a man had isolated himself on Chico Mesa remained an unanswered and constant query. ”

“ How he contrived to follow the text and the contour of the vegetables at the same time, without disaster to fingers or potatoes, seemed a marvel to Sheridan, but Quong was doing it, the parings were fine and continuous, potato eyes were whisked out with a deft twist of the knife point.
"Everything goes wonderfully, Quong," he said. "You were a godsend. You are an artist as a chef but I suspect you capable of better things than cooking for a ranch outfit. For one, you have studied English with excellent results. ”

“ Half an hour later, we were seated together enjoying a hearty meal, which had the peculiarity of making the canon seem less terrible to us, while as to Quong, everything was the same to him, and he was ready to go anywhere that Gunson indicated as the way.
“Now,” said the latter, as we finished, and Quong took our place as a matter of course, “what do you say? It must be midday, when we always have a nap till it grows cooler. Shall we have one now or start at once?”
“It will be cool enough in there,” I said.
“Have a nap,” said Esau; “we’re all tired.” ”

“ Quong was well established by noon and a lunch served, of cold food, except for coffee. The horses were picketed and one man was chosen to stay in camp. Sheridan gave his three men a little talk.
"We are after a cache of gold, boys," he said. "The secret of it is Quong's. I am his partner in the deal. It is going to be a hard job to tackle. Very likely pick and shovel work. But each of you have got a share in it. So has every one on the ranch. I am going to use mine, if we get what we are after, to start the irrigation for Chico Mesa that you all know has been my plan for a long time. ”

“ When they got him on Quong Lee's bed and loosened up his clothes the old divekeeper made a personal examination.
"What do you think, Quong?" demanded Old King Brady when at last he pulled away.
"Him velly bad," was the reply. "Me muchee flaid, Blady."
"You consider him dead?"
Quong Lee nodded.
It was despairing, but as the old detective had already come to the same conclusion he said nothing and at last the Chinese doctor came.
Instead of being the old man they had expected to see, he was quite a youthful looking proposition.
Moreover, he wore American clothes and spoke perfect English. ”

“ The dawn of Christmas Day was rosy when Wau Shun reached Quong Lung’s store. The bells throughout the city of San Francisco were once more frantically announcing the birth of the Babe of Bethlehem, as Wau Shun gave the signal of “The Brethren” on Quong Lung’s electric bell. It was answered by a deep voice that came through a speaking-tube, the end of which was so cleverly hidden that none but the initiated could find it: “Peace attend thy feet! What brother needs succor?” ”

“ For there was a faint curl of smoke rising up from among the trees, and I knew that it was Quong making a fire to get us some tea.
“There, Esau,” I said, “Quong’s getting ready to cook something. Come, you go, and let’s have a rest and a good meal.”
“Ready to cook indeed! Why the sun’s cooking one side of me now. There, look at that.”
“Yes,” I said, as I looked in the direction indicated; “some kind of eagle.”
“Yes; flying away as easily as he likes. Don’t it seem a shame that a stupid bird should be able to go along like that, and we have to climb and fall down?” ”

“ After they had drunk, Quong Lung resumed his seat, and lighting a cigar, he said: “It is not meet that he who hath saved my life this day should crouch on the ground like a dog. Let Wau Shun take my own particular chair, whereon none have sat save those I would honor—nay, I insist”; and Quong Lung pointed to the great chair of ebony, broad enough to accommodate two men such as himself. It was adorned with a shield of bronze, richly carved and inlaid, that formed its back; and it stood on a dais of burnished copper, and might have been the throne of an Oriental potentate ”

“ They all stood gazing at us in a stolid way, till the man who had guided us went up to them, and then one of the party turned back to their cluster of teepees and came up to us directly after with a friendly offering in the shape of a couple of freshly-caught still living salmon, which Quong bore off eagerly to a spot above the camp.
“But the Indians,” I said to Gunson. “Shall we be safe?”
“Safe or in danger, my lad,” he replied, “I want food and rest. This is the worst day’s work we have had. Ah, I am beginning to believe in Quong. Here, let’s help the little fellow. ”

“ Sheridan glanced at Quong and found no encouragement. If they had been in China he supposed Quong would have set a thousand coolies to work and basketed the dirt away. But they were not in China. The nature of the friable dump demanded a gang of men and a lot of time, short of a steam shovel or a hydraulic Long Tom; both out of the question.
"We've got to sink a shaft," he said, still revolving the problem for a better solution. They might riddle the mass like a Swiss cheese with shafts without hitting a wagon or knowing they were near one. ”

“ The three riders were asleep, the wounded man lying with his head pillowed on Red's lap. Sheridan was not so much on watch as unable to sleep. Quong's eyes were closed but every now and then the lids opened to show glittering slits of wakefulness. Occasionally there were sounds high above as if the cold was loosening, shifting the clay already loosened by the blasting. ”

“ Loo Quong, and talked to him at length in Chinese. Loo Quong interpreted to me. “It is the woman,” he said. This woman he had pitied as she told him of the abuse she suffered at a brothel in San Francisco, and he had bought her from her mistress for $500. Quite in accordance with the dictates of Chinese morality, he had made her a sort of American wife. That is to say, he had his wife and son in China, and this woman was to be, after a sort, his wife in America. This he now understood to be inconsistent with Christian character ”

“ I said, for I was hot and faint with exertion. “I shall be glad of a mug.”
“Hot flesh tea,” cried Quong, beginning to rake the fire together. “Makee cakee dleckly.”
“Why, Gordon, what brings you here?” cried Mr Gunson. “You belong to the opposite camp. Raydon hasn’t let you come gold-washing?”
“No,” I said, hurriedly. “Have you seen those men?”
“What men? There are plenty about here.”
“I mean those men you quarrelled with on the steamer about Quong.”
“Eh? ’Bout Quong?” cried the little Chinaman, looking up sharply. “Bad man on puff-boat pullee tail neally off. No.” ”

“ Sheridan wondered whether the man's sensitory system was different from that of a white man, his nervous combinations less complex, or merely under better control. In Quong's case, however it might be with others of his countrymen, Sheridan was inclined to think that his will ruled.
"They nearly had you, Quong," he said as they neared the ranch.
The Chinaman looked at him.
"A clock does not strike until the hands reach the hour," he said.
That was all. No word of gratitude. Yet Sheridan felt the man was not ungrateful, in his own way. He caught up with Jackson. ”

“ The whole slope is quite rotten, and nothing holds the stones together.”
I looked round now, and found that we were at the very bottom of a steep bit of precipice, down which something blue was coming cautiously, which we recognised as Quong.
“What is it, my man?” said Gunson.
“Come ’long down get pack,” said Quong. “You velly bad?” he continued to me.
“No, no, we must leave it,” said Gunson; and I looked at where my pack lay, tightly done up in its blanket, about a score yards away.
“Leave pack?” cried Quong, looking at Gunson as if he thought him mad. “Leave fo’ Indian man come find? No. ”

“ But now, with his pipe drawing freely, he asked the question that was rising to the lips of all the defenders of the cave, save Quong the Imperturbable. To watch Quong, cooking, detached from all but his immediate task, made the knife-fight appear like a dream.
"How did you get here, in the nick of time, Mary?" he asked. He called her Mary frankly enough before all of them. Any other title would have seemed inadequate. The fact was patent that he was her lover, equally so that she would not resent it, and he knew that all the group, riders, sheriff, Quong, were gentlemen. ”

“ His name is Quong. He is shorter than Margie, who is only nine, and has much more of a baby221 face, but a great deal of dignity; and he assures me, when they go out together, that he shall take good care of Margie and the baby, and if there is any trouble he will call the police. We felt a little afraid to trust them with him at first, because the Chinese are so often attacked in the streets; but he has unbounded confidence in the police, and has a little whistle with which to call them. It reminds me of Robin Hood ”

“ Directly after Quong came trotting back in a quick, comical manner, tucking his plate up under his blouse, and seizing and shouldering his pack, an example followed by Esau, who was the quicker of the two, and he kept a sharp look out all the time.
“Now if you went behind that rock and roared, Gordon, or I was to fire my piece, there would be a stampede.”
I looked so ready to do what he first proposed, that Gunson said seriously—
“No, no; we have no time to waste;” ”

“ One queer stipulation he had made—that the severed hand, with its golden nail-case, should be given to him when he left hospital. And this bargain I faithfully carried out.”
“Most extraordinary,” I said. “Did you ever learn the identity of the old gentleman?”
“He was very reticent, but I made a number of inquiries, and finally learned with absolute certainty, I think, that he was the Mandarin Quong Mi Su from Johore Bahru, a person of great repute among the Chinese there, and rather a big man in China. He was known locally as the Mandarin Quong.” ”

“ In there!” cried Esau.
“Yes.”
“Why, you must be mad,” he said. “Isn’t he? No man couldn’t get along there. It would want a cat.”
“I don’t know,” said Gunson, thoughtfully. “Here, let’s camp for a bit.”
At these words, Quong, who had been rocking himself quietly to and fro, jumped off his bundle, looked sharply about him, and then made a run for a niche in the side of the gorge right up in the entrance, where the sides literally overhung. ”

“ Quong fine gole. Washee gole.”
“Washee gole! Where is it then?”
The Chinaman took back the tin, shook it, peered in among the grains of sand; shook it again and again; then shook his head instead, and looked up at Gunson.
“Yes; washee gole,” he said, in a tone of voice which seemed to mean, “but it’s gone away now.”
“Fancy, my lad, fancy. There, lie down and rest. I’ll have a try when we come to a likely place. We must work in the river.”
“No; too muchee water,” said Quong.
“Yes; here. We must go up higher.”
“Quong washee gole,” said the little fellow again. ”

“ Two days passed in peace, and then a third, with the inaction telling upon us all. For we were constantly on the strain, and the slightest sound suggested the coming of an enemy.
“You see we cannot stir,” Gunson said to me. “We must keep together. If one of us played spy and reconnoitred, the chances are that the enemy would come while we were away.”
“But what does Quong say?” I asked. “He went down the stream last night.”
“That there are thirty parties between here and the river, and that means some of them are new-comers, making their way up here before long. ”