But Poker Jack of Shasta had hurriedly declared that he wanted to speak to a man who was passing, and had disappeared.  The doctor walked to the door, mounted his horse, and rode away.  I noticed, however, that there was a slight smile on his bronzed, impassive face.  This led me to wonder if he was entirely ignorant of the purpose for which he had been questioned, and the effect of his information.  I was confirmed in the belief by the remarkable circumstances that nothing more was said of it; the incident seemed to have terminated there, and the victims made no attempt to revenge themselves on See Yup.  That they had one and all, secretly and unknown to one another, patronized him, there was no doubt; but, at the same time, as they evidently were not sure that Dr. Duchesne had not hoaxed them in regard to the quality of See Yup’s medicines, they knew that an attack on the unfortunate Chinaman would in either case reveal their secret and expose them to the ridicule of their brother miners.  So the matter dropped, and See Yup remained master of the situation.

Meantime he was prospering.  The coolie gang he worked on the river, when not engaged in washing clothes, were “picking over” the “tailings,” or refuse of gravel, left on abandoned claims by successful miners.  As there was no more expense attending this than in stone-breaking or rag-picking, and the feeding of the coolies, which was ridiculously cheap, there was no doubt that See Yup was reaping a fair weekly return from it; but, as he sent his receipts to San Francisco through coolie managers, after the Chinese custom, and did not use the regular Express Company, there was no way of ascertaining the amount.  Again, neither See Yup nor his fellow countrymen ever appeared to have any money about them.  In ruder times and more reckless camps, raids were often made by ruffians on their cabins or their traveling gangs, but never with any pecuniary result.  This condition, however, it seemed was destined to change.

One Saturday See Yup walked into Wells, Fargo & Co.’s Express office with a package of gold-dust, which, when duly weighed, was valued at five hundred dollars.  It was consigned to a Chinese company in San Francisco.  When the clerk handed See Yup a receipt, he remarked casually:—­

“Washing seems to pay, See Yup.”

“Washee velly good pay.  You wantee washee, John?” said See Yup eagerly.

“No, no,” said the clerk, with a laugh.  “I was only thinking five hundred dollars would represent the washing of a good many shirts.”

“No leplesent washee shirts at all!  Catchee gold-dust when washee tailings.  Shabbee?”

The clerk did “shabbee,” and lifted his eyebrows.  The next Saturday See Yup appeared with another package, worth about four hundred dollars, directed to the same consignee.

“Didn’t pan out quite so rich this week, eh?” said the clerk engagingly.

“No,” returned See Yup impassively; “next time he payee more.”