The Gallant Charge of Hop Wah.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 78, 28 September 1907, Page 14

The Gallant Charge of Hop Wah.

It was a wonderful pipe. The bam- j boo stem was bound with slender f6rrules of green jado and the mouthpiece was of flawless ivory. The little concavo bowl, which looked amazingly like a tiny mushroom, with its head averted, was cunningly wrought in solid silver. In the back room of his laundry Hop Wah inspected it with a delight that was childlike — touching tho ferrules gingerly ! one after another, prodding a slender yellow forefinger into the silver bowl and thrusting the ivory mouthpiece between his thin lips, while ho chanted profuse blessings in the Cantonese tongue upon the head of his cousin's wife's brother, who had sent him this most precious giji I from far-otl' Pen-lung. 'lhe front door of the laundry was locked aUd tho curtains at the big windwvs were drawn, for the (Saturday j nigbi ruTJi of patrons was over, and the i wee small hours of a blustering Sunday morning were creeping oa apace. On the street outsida all was still, save now i aud then the droning of the wind or the i inaudiin iaughter of belated revellers. in the back room the frost stood thick [ upon tbo dingy panes, but tho u'ttle bulg. iug stove, still encircled about the waiut by its cordon of omnipresent llatirons, glowed red-hot, ana filled tha plnco ivitn ;v tropic warmth which even tho chill au, creeping in thiougti the warped window fiomes, could not dLpsi. Tho single gas-jet on the wall uas turned just high enough — frugal soul that Hop Wah was I—to1 — to permit of one's moving about wlthuab scraping hj& shins on Uis twu huga washtubs or tripping headlong over tfce mattress stretched on the floo* m one corner. Long and lovingly Hop stood beneath tlie. gas-jot,- fingering hi 3 gift jn a vorittifale abandon ot pride and delight; holding it in his mouth, now at, this angle, tow at that; turning it slowly to and fro that the feeble light might glisten oa tlie jade and the ivory. A clock in a neighbouring steeple boomed out tho first hour of tho mommg. }lop unlocked a little closet on tho wail above the wushtuLw, tuok out/ a sluall bono bottle and a spirit-lamp and set them on thb floor beside the inattross. Outetflo the wma vrah rising. llop scratched a tiny loop-hole on the frosted pane and peered out. Tho irregular row of lamps in tho alley were but sickly yellow spots. A fine dry snow was be» ginning to pelt down. He turned to his own eni'g quarters with a, sig_h of contentment, and catching Up the spirit-lamp, lighted it at tho tiny flame of the gas-jet. Then he opened the bone bottle, drow out as much thick • viscid liquid as clang to the end of a pin thrust into it, and deftly cooked it over th'e thin blue flame of tho spirit 1 himp. This he placed In the silvei 1 boyv'l of the pipe, and settling himself j comfortably on tho mattress, held the j bowl over tha spirit-lamp while he nihaled long deep draughts of the smoke. The little room was filled with a pungent sickly vapour; the corpulent stovo glow cd like an angry red demon ; the storm without howled ehiveringly and set the windows rattling in their crazy frames; but of all this Hop Wah reoked little. Ho was at peace with tl.o world, with himicli, with all thipga animate' ■ arid inanimate. buiplj, U wds v tat ! tbing to have' a cousin's wife's brother, ! who possessed such discrimination in the i matter of oi>ium pipes. lie held it from him to gaze ou i& again with oye3 of grcody admiration and mnny soli chuckles of delight. I'ill after piil ho cooked and smoked, and with each succeeding pill tho pipe grow in va!«£ and the generosity of its donor in *ar Pen-lung became of even yet greater magnitude. At last his head went back, and with a sigh of unutterable peace, ho sank into a huddled heap on the mattress. It was noon when Hop awoko and stroiched his stiffened limb*. It had ceased- snowing, but leaden clouds hung in the sky, and the world without was prey aud cold. Hop prodded the dying fire in the stove into glowing life, and sat down on tho cdje of a waditub to meditate. This waa Sunday, end a variety of div-ovsionG presented themselves to his miiivi. There whs the- Chinese »Sundayschool at the church jutb round f.ho co*ner, lor one tiling ; there was the fantan gamo at Ah Poy'a in CLinatown for anothor. '. Hop's eye fell on the pipo lying on tho matfcrc-ss, and his aombio faco brightened. Here wos diversion enough without going out into the cold biting air. Hero was peace and contentment, and all tlie things that Mero good in life, in this bono bottlo and thia msitenrork of a pipe. - Mr. Hop Wah's' indulgences in the joys offered by the bone bottlo had berctofoie been very temperate — for a CLiuaman ; but who could -resist the temptation of cueh a. pipe of silver and jade and ivory, especially when it h?d travelled all tue way Irom one's- cousin"s wife's brother, who dv/elfc in tho provinco of Pen-lung? He arose and lighted the spirit-lamp, thereby settling the matter. Sundayschool and Ah Poy's would do for another time. They vould wait. Both were firmly established institutions. , All day long Jllon Wall lay on th& mattress, now dozing away into a paradise- of tbo senses, now arousing himself to cook a frojji piil. It wa3 a long gqld'Sii <!-ay, filled with, everything to p)oa£,e tho eyo-and e.ir. it'witA tin Elysium Hop ha-d uevor before entered; for heretofore, iemember, he h»id>been temperate with tho pipe— for a- Ptn-luno; Chioamun. As the-.'aliadows of the grey twilight came creeping q», t!je walls ot' tho little ■room fcoomod to recede. The j)laco becauw a. veritable Efjeji of bloom ; n, ipavvellous teDjple iwd its great bulk ftky-ww-d, and tiny silver bells tinkled nmsically. The ; douor of the pipe, Hop's cousin's wife's brother, csvnio from the temple and gat 911 the va.sb.tub. whicli, trutji to ball, was np lonsrw a washtub, but n. golden stuirway leading up to the temple. This was very gratifying, thought Hop. It gave him an excellent opportunity to texjness Ids thanks to tho jnost distinpmshod' brother of his cousin's wile. He proceeded to do co in dignified Cantonese. The only trouble wat that he could not mako his tongue, go fast enough to keap paco with his thoughts. Golden sentences flowed from hia lip's like rich music, and others yet nione. goldtn, rushed forward in hia brain demanding uttor- ■ aneo. I Hw coubin's wife's biothor sat there, listening; giavely. He was clothed in tha fine !.ilkon robes of a nja:idarin, and he whs smiling giaciously. Uut suddenly, in the middle of one of Hop's most neatly turned phrases, his kinsman made a horrible grimace. Hop paused, astounded, aud bojan another sentence. His kinsman mode another grimace, and ran out hia tongue at him. Hop wns shocked, but with admirable forbeaianos hp began yei. a- third sentence. Tho behaviour of the other was hoiriblo beyond belief. Hop's speech stopped shoit. He felt hia pulses lcj,p angrily. As he paused, iiis cousin's wife's brother leaped to his feet, -and began to curso him viloly. Hop's heart beat like a trip-hammer. Ho wos fiuffotiatiug with wrath' But the climax was reached \rh>"n his cousin's wifp's brother, having exhausted his fatook of epithuls on Hop, be'<an to roviio Kow's uncostois. Hop snra-ng to hi^ ftiot. Tlie rilvor belli;, wrtueh lwd been tinkling rli\thmicnli.v, legan to ruinblo nr.d jnr \fl <iai.liijiij diacoivlßi Tlw 441^4 anjl the teniplo

faded into the familiar back room with tho stovo and the washtubs, and the frosted window-panes, but .there, perched on the stove, sat his cousin's wife's biothor, and his cousin's wife's brother, still reviled Hop's ancestors. llop was in a paroxysm of insane fury. "Glet out! Glet out!" ho yelled. His kinsman merely redoubled his verbal attacks on Hop's forbears. Hop caught up the pipo from the mattre2s and swung it threateningly. His cousin's wife's brother slid noiselessly from the room and settled himself on the counter over the money-till. Hop made a rush for him and swung the pipe. For some unaccountable reason it missed its mark and was smashed into bits against the edge of the counter. Tho i cousin's wife's brothex- laughed coarsely. That was too much. Hop pulled open the till and took out the revolver ha kept j there, and seizing a cleaver which lay j near it, he made another rush for the [ grinning man. The latter quitted his seat on the counter and fled. Hop saw him tear down the street, and started" after him in hot pursuit, flourishing his revolver in ono hand, and his cleaver in tue other, while the winter air was r ent with his bloodcurdling yells of ''Yah-ee ! Yah-ee !" Had Mr. Hop Wah's miud been less taken up with the scandalous behaviour of his cousin's wife's brother, he might have noticed the excitement in the street hard-by. For some moments previous- to his hasty exit from the laundry in pursuit of his foul-tonguod kinsman, tho street had been in an upronir. Men, shouting and yelling, were running to an alley, from which camo the sounds of combat-— grunts, curses, and tho thud of heavy blow 3. Patrolman Flynn had attempted to arrost ono of the South-street gang who was wanted on a charjre of petty larceny, and the gang had rallied ' quickly to tho rescue. Just as Flynn was emerging from tho alley with the' man in his clutch, they had pounced upon him and torn tho prisoner from him. He- had drawn hi» revolver, but before he could use it, a. well-aimed kipk on .his wrist had sent it flying ; his ni^ht-stick was wresteil from his graep ; his helmet smashed in ; a brutal blow from one of tlie crowd,' hid laid' open a gash in his temple, ucd now with blood streaming into his -eyes and his head xoeling, he was blindly striving to keep his feet, while a. score of fists rained blow after blow upon him. It was tho gang's moment of cowardly retaliation. Into this very alley, . wild-eyed and yelling like a Comonche, his cleaver and his revolver waved recklessly alolt, his loose garments flapping in the- wind and his baT& feet crunching the snow, darted' Mr, Hop Wab, pursuing the phantom of his opitim-'razed brain. Bang ! bnng \ went the revolver. Two bullets whistled overhead in uncomfortable pTOxiinity. A man on the out«kirt3 of tho crowd nearest this unlooked-for porjl, &ent up a waniinj; cry: — "Look ojit for the Chink ! 'Look ont for tho Chink !" There was a moment of- confusion. Those- on tho outer edgo of the crowt!, incontinently stampeded ; these nearer ths officer struggled to get oul. Thero were howls of terror as fne crowd broke apart and^ fled for safety, some -ducking headlong Into open cellarways, some flying down the alloy with all the speed that fear puts into cowardly h-aels. And after them sped 1 Mr. Hop Wah, firing wildly until -the five chambers in the cylinder of his revolver Were- emptied. At ths lower end' of the alloy, Hop suddenly stopped. Th« cold- air had cleared the fumes of opium from his brain. 'Where was he? What had happened? He str.Ted stupidly ai the cleaver v.ud the smoking revolver in his hands. A. sudden sickening tenor laid hold upon him. What had* he doao 1 He turned about. Down the alley ho could- 6ee a bareheaded policeman with. Wood streaming down his faco comiu; towards him. Mr. Hop Wah let, out wnothor yell— not an insane yell this \ime, but a howl of honcsfc, wholesoma He sped down the- ali*y as if liic life depended upon it, Flynn' following after nnd shouting weekly, '"Hi, thoro, John, wait a minuto. can't you?" Hop. tore madly around, the block and reached tha laundry breathless and iar spent. On the way he had hurled both his weapons in tho gutter. Faint and giddy, his knees shaking so that they could soarcely support him, ho tumbled In, lockcdi tho door behind him, and crawled under the counter, where he loy shaken from he;d to foot by violent 6pasins of unreatoning, terrible fear. When Fiynn 1 cue-Led the laundry, it was dark ,-iml iilont. A little rotund man came trotting breathlessly up to the big patrolman. "It was a foinc thing he done, a foine thins 1" ho dftdarcd imporuantlv. "I aoen it all. Ho out of tlio la'ndry wid his gun sn* his hatchet wbin tho *fnicaa begun, an 'oS ho vihjt loike ho wsr goin' to clean out tho whole ward. Think of it, Flynn ! An him nolliin" but a Chink !" "Is hs in th-:re?" asked Vlynu, bras'ir>e!y. "Dead cure he is. I seen him come ba-"k not loivo minutes ago." Flyuu rattled tho door. There was no response, lls thumpsd it lustily. All wub ;ilent. It w:is tho work of but a. foit* minutes to force the door inwaid. Flvnn entered and lighted the gas. Tho place was apparently deserted. On tho floor lay a Lroken opii'm pipft — nn elaborate atl'eir with a silver bowl and feirulos of re'il jads. "Come on' out here, John,"' Flynii called. "Como out and show yomself. I'vo come to tell you 1 won't forget the job you did for me to-ni^ht." In tho big deep voice was n. ripg of sincerity that could not be lnistikcn. There was a moment's silence- followed) by a scratching and a rustle. Hop Wuh, ashy grey in the fao: and still trembling, avoso from behind, the count*? !iko romo wan ghost. Jtle cmiled with sickly bravado. Flynn leached 01 er ar.d iaid abig paw on his s-houlder. "You don't lopk it,", ho laughed, "I swear you don't luok. it! V/lieio'd you B«t tho nerve to stampede that gang, John ?" 1 The Chinaman looked at him suspiciously for a moment ; thsii a subtle cunning camo into the bloodshot eyes. "Huh ! Mlo& gleat fliojid. to 'pleeso," •Mr. Hop Wah explained' craftily.— John Barton Oxford, iv the Broadway Mugaaiu«. 4 Some time ago an Englishman nnd his wife, whilo Uavollmg up to Paris, wpre annoyed by the nideiuss oi severs! young wen in the adjoining compartment, who amused themseheo with btaring at the lady through the little window of (he dividing partition. They took no notice of tho gentleman's wmonstrancw, so finally losing patience he made a dnsh at tho window, which he &musbcd, tha glat.3 entering the noso of tho individual who was peeping «t that particulai moment.' The injured youth lodged a complaint, the usnnl report was drawu Up, and the Englislnr.au had returned homo and had forgotten till about tha business, when ho camo back to Paris tho other day to find that he had been cciidemnsd by default to six days' imprisonment for nssault and to damages in the amount of two hundred francs. Luckily for him tho interval allowod for opposition to this scntenco had not expired, so ho lost no timo in obtaining iv revision of the case, with the tcsuK that he has now got oif with a tino of twenty-five francs as the total amoufft of tho penalty to which ho exposed himielf whea ho protested rathor'teo empuat}calJy ugaintt this insolent- conduot. ,