ay with the embarrassment, and it was only a few
minutes before an intelligent expression began to appear in the eyes of
some of the boys, and one of them, who was always ready for anything
new, turned to his companion and said:

"You go and find Chi, and bring him here."

"Who is Chi?" we inquired.

"He is the boy who knows more games than any of the rest of us," he
explained.

Away he ran and soon reappeared with a very unpromising looking boy
whom we recognized as a street waif that had been taken into what some
one called our "raggedy school" a few years before. He was a glum
looking boy--a boy without a smile. There was a set expression on his
face which might be interpreted as "life is not worth living," or,
which would be an equally legitimate interpretation in the present
instance, "these games are of no importance. If you want them we can
play any number of them for you, but what will you do with them after
you get them?"

All the crowd began at once to explain to Chi what we wanted, and he
looked more solemn than ever, then we came to his rescue.

"Chi," we asked, "what kind of games do boys play?"

Slowly and solemnly Chi wound one leg around the other as he answered:

"Lots of them."

This is the stereotyped answer that will come from any Chinaman to
almost any question he may be asked about things Chinese. "For
instance?" we further inquired.

"Forcing the city gates," he answered.

"Play it for me."

The boys at once appointed captains who chose sides and they formed
themselves into two lines facing each other, those of each line taking
fast hold of each other's hands. The boys on one side then sang:

He stuck a feather in his hat,
And hurried to the town
And children met him with a horse
For the gates were broken down.

Then one from the other side ran with all his force, throwing himself
upon the hands of the boys who had sung, the object being to "break
through," in which case he took the two whose hands had been parted to
"his side," while if he failed to break through he had to remain on
their side. The others then sang. One from this group tried to break
through their line, and thus they alternated until one side or the
other was broken up.

The boys were panting and red in the face when the game was over, a
strong argument against the
Chinese-are-not-much-given-to-vigorous-exercise theory.

"Now play something which does not require so much exerc