“That won’t work,” said he.  “In this country white men can testify against Chinamen all they want to, but Chinamen ain’t allowed to testify against white men!”

What a chill went through me!  And then I felt the indignant blood rise to my cheek at this libel upon the Home of the Oppressed, where all men are free and equal—­perfectly equal—­perfectly free and perfectly equal.  I despised this Chinese-speaking Spaniard for his mean slander of the land that was sheltering and feeding him.  I sorely wanted to sear his eyes with that sentence from the great and good American Declaration of Independence which we have copied in letters of gold in China and keep hung up over our family altars and in our temples—­I mean the one about all men being created free and equal.

But woe is me, Ching Foo, the man was right.  He was right, after all.  There were my witnesses, but I could not use them.  But now came a new hope.  I saw my white friend come in, and I felt that he had come there purposely to help me.  I may almost say I knew it.  So I grew easier.  He passed near enough to me to say under his breath, “Don’t be afraid,” and then I had no more fear.  But presently the rowdies recognised him and began to scowl at him in no friendly way, and to make threatening signs at him.  The two officers that arrested me fixed their eyes steadily on his; he bore it well, but gave in presently, and dropped his eyes.  They still gazed at his eyebrows, and every time he raised his eyes he encountered their winkless stare—­until after a minute or two he ceased to lift his head at all.  The judge had been giving some instructions privately to some one for a little while, but now he was ready to resume business.  Then the trial so unspeakably important to me, and freighted with such prodigious consequence to my wife and children, began, progressed, ended, was recorded in the books, noted down by the newspaper reporters, and forgotten by everybody but me—­all in the little space of two minutes!

“Ah Song Hi, Chinaman.  Officers O’Flannigan and O’Flaherty, witnesses.  Come forward, Officer O’Flannigan.”

Officer—­“He was making a disturbance in Kearny street.”

Judge—­“Any witnesses on the other side?” No response.  The white friend raised his eyes encountered Officer O’Flaherty’s—­blushed a little—­got up and left the courtroom, avoiding all glances and not taking his own from the floor.

Judge—­“Give him five dollars or ten days.”

In my desolation there was a glad surprise in the words; but it passed away when I found that he only meant that I was to be fined five dollars or imprisoned ten days longer in default of it.