LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2092, 6 November 1880, Page 3

LITERATURE.

AH OHOY—BABBABIAN, AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES ATTENDING HIS CIVILISATION. By E. H. Clotj«h. [Argonaut."] (Cgnelvded.) •Drunk by jingo!' ho remarked. 'Thet looks kinder civilised, anyhow,' he added, as he extinguished the light of the brass lamp. He then descended the guloh to the arastra again. Bath Manuel and himself had all they could attend to, the process of ' cleaning up' requiring great care and celerity, and they ; knew that it would be daylight before they could rest from their long labor The light of the lanterns shone with a spectral glare over the revolving machinery, casting the outer world into deeper shadow. A gentle breeze swept down from the steep hillsides, through the wide opening in the shed that covered the arastras. The great volume of water, roaring through the long pipe, precipitated itself from the narrow nozzle and struck the wheel with a tremendous crash, and with force sufficient to move drags in the arastra tubs weighing tons. The machinery creaked dolefully; the huge quartz rocks acting as drags, slid uneasily round and round, rattling their chains as if seeking to free themselves from a captivity that was steadily wearing them out, grinding them to powder. Amidst this scene of turmoil and seeming confusion moved the forms of Burns and Manuel, busy with shovel, hoe and pan, their whole attention apparently centered upon their work. It was probably two o'clock ia the morning when Ah Choy began to recover consciousness. He moved slightly, and a momeut after emitted a sibilant sound, as if commanding silence Then he muttered something in his native dialect, bidding farewell perhaps to the joys bo vividly visioned in his sleep. He raised himself upon his elbow, and looked out into the night, glanced up at the stars and grunted. He heard the dull roar of the hurdy-gurdy, and the scraping of the drags on the floors of the tuba. He heard the night wind sighing in the pines, the oriokets chirping on the hillsides, the distant hooting of an owl, and—a curse, a volley of oaths, fierce exclamations, hoarse replies, blows, the struggling of strong men in combat.

The direful sonnds came from the arastra, mingled with and superseded the groaning of the drags, the shrieking of the machinery, and the howl of the water striking the hurdy-gurdy. The timid soul of Ah Choy trembled with a nameless terror; his barbarian heart leaped Into his throat; his blood congealed in his veins. His first impnlse was to fly. He sprang from the bank, and in the effort fell prone, earring with him a chair by the bedside, and in his straggle his hand came in oontaot with a revolver, which Barns habitually kept there. The cold steel of the barrel seemed to infuse something akin to courage into Ah Ohoy's trembling heart. He remembered the donble barrelled shot-gun which he had seen hanging against the foot ef Scotty's bunk. He secured it, and, with the pistol in one band and the shot-gun in the other, he sallied forth to succor his 'fiiend,' whose voice he now recognised, execrating foes, against whom it appeared he was nnable to successfully oontend. The noises of the arastra machinery had suddenly ceased, and only the voice of Sootty was heard by Ah Choy, as he ran down the trail to the main entrance to the shed.

■ let me up, ye d d greasers, gi* mo a fa'r show an' I'll clean out the hull bilin' of ye, Five to one is a game anybody kin play, but ye don't care to gi' me elbow room—gi' me a "-owbar, and I'll scatter ye like quartz dust in a gale of wind, carvin' knives and all. Ye come to rob me, eh ? —mebbe murder me, ah!'

There was a resounding crash, and the shed trembled from peak to foundation. An American boot, hobnailed and solid as iron, had sought the pit of a Mexican stomach, and dashed the bandit backward against the yielding plneboards. Maddened with rage the breathless Mexican arose, steadied himself an instant, and rushed headlong, knife in hand, npon the prostrate Scotty, pinioned as he web in the folds of a strong lariat, and held down by four muscular men. Before tho murderous Mexican could reach his victim there was a terrible explosion, followed by a yell so wild and demonised that it chilled the blood in the veins of Burns. Before the combatants could recover from this surprise and terror there was another explosion, and a succession of horrible shrieks; smoke, sulphurous and stifling, filled the shed ; and the Mexicans, unable to withstand the awful and to them mysterious attack, fled helter-skelter through the openings and up the gulch. At their heels followed the two avengers. Sootty, freed from his bonds and armed with the revolver. Ah Choy with the shotgun clubbed, wild with the delirium of the fray. At intervals there was a flash of sulpLu'» ous lightning; an echoing report, and the fleeing robbers beard the leaden messenger of death whistle olose to their ears.

At last the jet of flame and the whistling bullet told. There was a shriek of agony, and one of the dark forms reeled and fell. Ah Choy was upon the prostrate ruffian in an instant, and the uplifted shot-gun descended with a resounding crash, splintering skull and cheek-bone with the resistless force of the blow. Scotty could not restrain his fury. ' Civilised by the living Peter! Pard, gi' me yer hand. Ye've got the sand, an' thet's the highest grade o' the ore o' civilisation ; ye ken draw on me fur all I've got, an' ef ye top my figger I'll sign my note ; d—d if I don't. Ye've saved me a thousan' to-night an' my life and I ain't the kind to furgit them sort o' favors.'

* Injun gone up ?' enquired Ah Choy, raising the shot-gun, preparatory to dealing the Mexican another blow, if the verdict should be negative. ' Well, if he ain't, we'll mighty soon find out,' answered l'urns. 'You take that hoof an' I'll take this un, an' we'll fan'ral proces aion him back to camp. Ye needn't hunt for soft places, 'cause I reckon his hide's tough, a' he ktn stan' it —don't matter much ef he can't.'

An Inspection of the man by the light of the arastra lanterns revealed the fact that it was Manuel, the treaoherons employee cf Burns. The light also revealed the equally important faot that Manuel was dead. 'So much for a t hie via' greater,' commented Scotty. I don't reckon he'll play any more low games on nobody. His goose Is cooked, an' he'll eat it In a hotter place 'n the one he hails from, I'll bet,"

1 Then, turning to his Chinese silly— < I say pard, what's yer name ?' ' Me name ? ' ' Yes, yer name. Yer a brink, double baked an' tougher'n hard pan, an' I ginerally git acquainted with my friends, 'specially ef they've got the true grit like yon' ' Me oallem my name Ah Choy.' 'Well, let's shake Ah Choy. I go my bottom dollar on you from this out, an' the fast galo that looks crooked at you's got to gi' me a mighty good reason why. Them's my sentiments, an' I'm oiviliocd.' And thus, in the estimation cf Scotty Barns the Caucasian did Ah Choy the Celestial cease to be a barbarian.