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Show BDQQDQfaDQiaDaaQBHaiaaaiaaaaaaaQGDDBiDQia B llTHE VENGENCE OF HOP SINGl I (BEFORE THEY CUT OFF THEIR QUEUES) 1 By Norman II. Pitman g H . , ; , ' n M Hoi) Sing Was n Chinaman, worthy of fame, Of vil'aioua habits and praiseworthy name. Wore il not fot' those facts, bo it said in advance, There Would ha ilo oxous for this tragic romance One morning lie woke with it tonguo in his too, Which, bottis transcribed in a language you know, Means aoho in the head. There was nothing to do But bathu it with water poured on from his shoe. That I his waf (Uite propel' you'll soon understand, As shoo ill Chinese is tlio' word for a hand. But, enough of his troubles! Wo must not digress. His loe-tongliQ departing, lie started to dress. After smoothing his locks and arranging his Queue, . . " , . . . , He drew on a gown of tlio palest sky blue, For out in Cathay where the months are called moons, .... ., The men don the frocks; and their wives, pantaloons. pant-aloons. All hail to I ho nation where ovory man gets His dues, and the women are all suffragettes. He now took his breakfast, perched up Qn his bed, i Which wag. built in his room, out of brick, be it I said, ' . . i And ate with much noiso from a savory disli His favorite dainty, a fresh-curried fish. I After flirting his chopsticks at galloping pace, i His next undertaking was washing his face, ! For the well-bred Celestial his toilot completes i By cleansing his visage just after he eats. ! His ablutions over, our epicure rare Shouted loudly for a lackey to saddle his mare; i "But first rub her dovn, neck, shoulder, and I thigh, . ! Or I'll play you a tune with my fist in your eye. Curried rice, fowl and fish are delicious to pat, j But a well-curried horse) is a still greater treat. Ho mounted his steed. 'I Tis a glorious day. Tell my friends, if they jcall, I have gone out to i play." . , .. i Dear reader, frown not, "nor speak out your clis-i clis-i gust; . i He didn't play bridge, dijln't b'long to a trust, 3 And the lessor devices for gaming, I ween, i Wero unknown to this iran of integrity clean, i In the idiom quaint of that far Eastern clime, I To go out to play moans" to have a good time. 1 With heels in tho stirrups, instead of his toes, a Through the wide-open portal ho pompously i goes. a Nor to left nor to right does he venture a bow, 3 But with small silken fan keeps the sun from Ins a brow, , . ,. n i i a While his roan, trotting on at a dignified rate, H Departs from the town at the EasU-Northorn 3 Thuffar all is well with the haughly Hop Sing, a But alas for tho future, and what it will bringl a An American rider now chanced to appear Just in front of our lordly Chinese cavalier. a The highway, quite narrow, was filled with a g throng fj Of soothing humanity toiling along. . Noither one of tho horsomon was anxious to g An inchrNfrom the path;. each desired to reserve a For himself tho ontiro right of way in tho street, S As of course vou must see it was surely unmeet That such gentry should mix with a beggarly n crowd , Of vulgar plebeians, unwashed and uncoweu. Yet straightway such feelings were forced to take g H wing, g H For each ono, intending to do the fair thing, o H Turnod out in the manner by custom made trite, g H The first to the left and tho second to right. q H Now, being well versed in his own country's jH style, g M And guiding his steed without malico or guile, o l Each knight, satisfied with the effort he'd made, g H Deemed the other to blamo for the sudden block- q H adc o 1 Thorofore, whon their horses rubbed noses, the 3 m twain n H Glowered rudely, rollocting each other's disdain. D B H Tho Yankee, incensed at so boorish a breach jH Of good manners, was first to seek solace in a IH speech: g H "Why, don't you move on, you uncivil pigtail? n H Aro you moored to the ground?" Of no cartnly j avail g H Was the question; the other stood dumb, n H Until, wiih a snap of his long-benailcd thumb, n H He spoke in an accent polite, bowing low: U H "I beg your most worshipful reverence to know, Q H That so worthless a fellow as him you address, H H Though tho hunter's vocation ho does not pro- q P foss, d BC Has found time to ride down many species of q H game. a H Lions; tigers, and such have succumbed to hi3 3 ,H aim, q 'H And yot, when it comes to American swine, a H It must bG confessed ho would fain draw the H 'H lino." c H H "Whats that?" yelled the other, his voice grow- g H ing thick, g H With a burst of wild anger: "I'll show you a n H trick 1" o M But ere I he last word issued forth from his q H throat, u H And ore his opponent in anger ho smote. g fM A swift swooping shadow swept low o'or tho pair, q H With a whirring of wings in the dusUladon air. g H A grapnelhook grappled the Chinaman's queue, q H And, lifting him up without further ado, H Clean ovor tho Yankee, horse, rider and all, g H Set him down with a thump on tho high city q VH wall. d 'Twas a flying machine that had kidnappod Hop g H Sing H Tho first to be seen in historic Poking. g jH H Full sorely Hop wended his way to the street, q H With a heart full of hate at his luckless defeat, a H But his body was sorer, wo cannot deny, g M From tho bruises induced by his failuro to fly. o H H Now loudly ho cursed tho American lout q jH Who had met him on horsoback ?tnd failed to n m turn out. g H His eyes sparkled hatred, his heart burnod with n M ire n H 'Til do' itl" ho shouted hio voice was on fire H "No one will prevent mo, for nobody can! n H Tho most deadly revenge I will take on this man!" g H n Alas for Hop Sing; that his ond wo must tell, g H Yot ho died a brave death and demeaned him- H self well. H A duel, you ask, pistols, swords, or tho like? H Ah, no; 'twas not thus for our hero to strike. n That ovoning, relentless, ho settled tho score, g tM By killing himself at his enemy's door. a , o 1 |