ort green grass of the turf that thus
received its refreshment. Then somewhere near, silhouetted against the
sky or distant mountains, on the slight elevation of the irrigation
ditch bank, we were sure to see some of the irrigation Chinamen. They
were strange, exotic figures, their skins sunburned and dark, their
queues wound around their heads; wearing always the same uniform of blue
jeans cut China-fashion, rubber boots, and the wide, inverted bowl
Chinese sun hat of straw. By means of shovels wherewith to dig, and iron
bars wherewith to raise and lower flood gates, they controlled the
artificial rainfall of the region. So accustomed did the ducks become
to these amphibious people that they hardly troubled themselves to get
out of the way, and were utterly careless of how near they flew. Uncle
Jim once disguised himself as an irrigation Chinaman and got all kinds
of shooting--until the ducks found him out. Now they seem able to
distinguish accurately between a Chinaman with a long shovel and a white
man with a shotgun, no matter how the latter is dressed. Ducks, tame and
wild, have a lot of sense. It must bore the former to be forced to
associate with chickens.

Over in the orchard, of a thousand acres or so, were many more
Orientals, and hundreds of wild doves. These Chinese were all of the
lower coolie orders, and primitive, not to say drastic in their medical
ideas. One evening the Captain heard a fine caterwauling and drum
beating over in the quarters, and sallied forth to investigate. In one
of the huts he found four men sitting on the outspread legs and arms of
a fifth. The latter had been stripped stark naked. A sixth was engaged
in placing live coals on the patient's belly, while assorted assistants
furnished appropriate music and lamentation. The Captain put a stop to
the proceedings and bundled the victim to a hospital where he promptly
died. It was considered among Chinese circles that the Captain had
killed him by ill-timed interference!

Everywhere we went, and wherever a small clump of trees or even large
brush offered space, hung the carcasses of coyotes, wildcats, and lynx.
Some were quite new, while others had completely mummified in the dry
air of these interior plains. These were the trophies of the
professional "varmint killer," a man hired by the month. Of course it
would be only too easy for such an official to loaf on his job, so this
one had adopted the unique method of proving his activity. E