* These imprecations are printed on the ascending scale by way of endeavor to show how the speaker delivered them.

Breakfast now! and all the cradles stopped at once.

“What a delightful calm,” said Robinson, “now I can study my police-sheet at my ease.”

This morning, as he happened to be making no noise, the noise of others worried him.

“Mr. Levi, how still and peaceful they are when their time comes to grub.  ‘The still sow sups the kail,’ as we used to say in the north; the English turn the proverb differently, they say ‘The silent hog—­’”

“Jabber! jabber! jabber!—­aie! aie!”

“Hallo! there’s a scrimmage! and there go all the fools rushing to see it.  I’ll go, too!”

Alas! poor human nature; the row was this.  The peaceful children of the moon, whom last we saw gliding side by side, vertical and seemingly imperturbable, had yielded to the genius loci, and were engaged in bitter combat, after the manner of their nation.  The gig umbrellas were resolved into their constituent parts; the umbrellas proper, or hats, lay on the ground—­the sticks or men rolled over one another scratching and biting.  Europe wrenched them asunder with much pain, and held them back by their tails, grinning horribly at each other, and their long claws working unamiably.

The diggers were remonstrating; their morality was shocked.

“Is that the way to fight?  What are fists given us for, ye varmint?”

Robinson put himself at the head of the general sentiment.  “I must do a bit of beak here!!!” cried he; “bring those two tom-cats up before me!!”

The proposal was received with acclamation.  A high seat was made for the self-constituted beak, and Mr. Stevens was directed to make the Orientals think that he was the lawful magistrate of the mine.  Mr. Stevens, entering into the fun, persuaded the Orientals, who were now gig umbrellas again, that Robinson was the mandarin who settled property, and possessed, among other trifles, the power of life and death.  On this they took off their slippers before him, and were awestruck, and secretly wished they had not kicked up a row, still more that they had stayed quiet by the banks of the Hoang-ho.

Robinson settled himself, demanded a pipe, and smoked calm and terrible, while his myrmidons kept their countenances as well as they could.  After smoking in silence a while, he demanded of the Chinese, “What was the row?”

1st Chinaman.  “Jabber! jabber! jabber!”

2d Chinaman.  “Jabber! jabber! jabber!”

Both.  “Jabber! jabber! jabber!”

“What is that?  Can’t they speak any English at all?”

“No!”

“No wonder they can’t conduct themselves, then,” remarked a digger.

The judge looked him into the earth for the interruption.

“You get the story from them, and tell it.”

After a conference, Mr. Stevens came forward.