in regard to the quality of See Yup's medicines,
they knew that an attack on the unfortunate Chinaman would in either
case reveal their secret and expose them to the ridicule of their
brother miners. So the matter dropped, and See Yup remained master of
the situation.

Meantime he was prospering. The coolie gang he worked on the river, when
not engaged in washing clothes, were "picking over" the "tailings,"
or refuse of gravel, left on abandoned claims by successful miners.
As there was no more expense attending this than in stone-breaking or
rag-picking, and the feeding of the coolies, which was ridiculously
cheap, there was no doubt that See Yup was reaping a fair weekly return
from it; but, as he sent his receipts to San Francisco through coolie
managers, after the Chinese custom, and did not use the regular Express
Company, there was no way of ascertaining the amount. Again, neither
See Yup nor his fellow countrymen ever appeared to have any money about
them. In ruder times and more reckless camps, raids were often made by
ruffians on their cabins or their traveling gangs, but never with any
pecuniary result. This condition, however, it seemed was destined to
change.

One Saturday See Yup walked into Wells, Fargo & Co.'s Express office
with a package of gold-dust, which, when duly weighed, was valued at
five hundred dollars. It was consigned to a Chinese company in San
Francisco. When the clerk handed See Yup a receipt, he remarked
casually:--

"Washing seems to pay, See Yup."

"Washee velly good pay. You wantee washee, John?" said See Yup eagerly.

"No, no," said the clerk, with a laugh. "I was only thinking five
hundred dollars would represent the washing of a good many shirts."

"No leplesent washee shirts at all! Catchee gold-dust when washee
tailings. Shabbee?"

The clerk DID "shabbee," and lifted his eyebrows. The next Saturday See
Yup appeared with another package, worth about four hundred dollars,
directed to the same consignee.

"Didn't pan out quite so rich this week, eh?" said the clerk engagingly.

"No," returned See Yup impassively; "next time he payee more."

When the third Saturday came, with the appearance of See Yup and four
hundred and fifty dollars' worth of gold-dust, the clerk felt he was no
longer bound to keep the secret. He communicated it to others, and
in twenty-four hours the whole settlement knew that See Yup's coolie
company were taking out an average of four hundred dollars