“‘Yes,’ says he.

“‘Well, git your plug, and we’ll amble along together.’

“So we rode in, right cheerful, instead of quar’lin’.  I made him come along to Maggy’s cabin, to show it weren’t a bluff about the money.

[Illustration:  “So we rode in, right cheerful.”]

“Poor Maggy, she wipes her eye on her apron, and says she’ll start for our camp at oncet.

“I called the Chinaman aside, confidential. “’You take care of lady!’ I shrieks at him.  ‘Lady—­you take care!’ I dunno why it is you think if you holler loud enough you can make a man understand anything, but it’s a fact.

“My chink bobs his head.  ‘Take clare laly,’ he says.

“‘Yaas!’ says I.  ‘I rustley monnellee!’

“He bobs his head again.

“‘Lusselleemonellee!’ he answers, kind of vacant.

“I sot down.  ’Twas clear he didn’t have no idee of my conversation.  So we went over it for two hours, me drawin’ maps and wigglin’ my fingers, and makin’ faces to illustrate a man with an ax-cut in the small of his back, and a lone widder-woman takin’ care of him, till at last, by bringin’ hands, face, and feet all into the game, with a small hunk of kerfoozled English language here and there, a light broke on his heathen soul.  He near bobbed his head off.

“‘Me makee all lightee for Sclaggsee, you bettee, hellee dammee!’ says he.

“He was that earnest I overlooked the name.  ‘Good,’ says I.  ’Now, Charlie, you cut wood, haul water, and keep things goin’ out there and your fifty is waitin’ for you on Tuesday.’

“Maggy did a crow-hop when she found she had to travel with the chink, but I told her it was O.K., so she got aboard an Injin pony and off they goes to Pete.

“Well, dear friends and brothers, I sincerely hope you’ve never had to raise fifty dollars in a busted camp.  The boys done the best they could, but a can of corn had to stand for fifty cents, and a pair of pants that would take Tartar Charlie somewheres about the knees drew a credit of two-fifty.  Four iron knives and a busted coffee-pot stood for a case, and a pair of scissors with one blade broke half off, and a mouth-organ that only sounded in spots, was equal to two iron dollars.  I got eighteen fifty in cash and the balance was junk.

“‘Well,’ says I, ’he’s no better’n a road-agent, and I can’t help it, nohow.’

“For all that, I sot in Jim Holt’s place of a Tuesday afternoon feelin’ low-spirited when I looked at the heap, when who comes sailin’ in at the door but Tartar Charlie, wearin’ a grin that took two turns and a half around his face.

“‘Laly comee!’ says he.  ‘Petee comee!’

“‘On what?’ says I, ashamed to show surprise to a yaller Chinaman.

“‘Joss man fetchee!’ says he.

“‘Certainly!’ says I.  ’That’s what he ought to do; don’t get excited.’  I did my wonderin’ about the joss man in private.  ’Sit down, Charlie.’