save
leetle money. Want go back China visit. I have cer-tificate. When I
come back, say it's no good. Put me in jail. Don't know why. Stay
long time. Send me back China. Then I come Mexico. Can't cross line;
say damn Mexican Chinaman. I raise cotton--I raise lettuce--make
leetle money. Maybee twent' thousan'.

"Misty Jenkins say 'Ah Sing, want pick my cotton?' I say, 'Maybee.'
He say, 'Give you ten dollar bale. You do all work--feed Chinamen.' I
say, 'Vellee well.' Lots Chinaboys need work. I hire seven
hund'--eight hund'--maybee thousan.' I feed 'em. I pick cotton. Pick
eight thousan' bale. Take all my money feed 'em. I owe Chinaboys
fifty thousan' dollar.

"No pay. No see Misty Jenkins. No cross line. Misty Jenkins pay
sometime maybee--maybee not." The old Chinaman shook his head
fatalistically.

"And you spent all you had earned and saved in forty years, and then
went in debt fifty thousand to other Chinamen to pick that cotton, and
he hasn't paid you a dollar?"

"No pay yet; maybee some time," he replied, stoically.

"What a damn shame!" Bob seldom swore, but he felt justified for this
once. "Can't you collect it under the Mexican laws?"

Ah Sing slowly, futilely, turned his hands palms outward.

"Mexican say Misty Jenkins big man. Damn Chinaman no good no way."

Noah Ezekiel came in from the field.

"As my dad says," remarked the hill billy, "this Chink has held on to
the handle of the plow without ever looking back. The field is O. K."

"How much will you need, Ah Sing?" Bob turned to the Chinaman.

"Maybee get along with thousan' dollars--fifteen hund' maybee."

"All right," said Bob, "I'm going to let you have it. You can get the
money three hundred at a time as you need it."

Bob stood thinking for a moment.

"Ah Sing," he said, decisively, "how would you like to have a partner?
Suppose I go in with you; furnish the money and look after the buying
and selling, tend to the business end; you raise the cotton. Me pay
all the expenses, including wages, for you; and then divide the
profits?"

The Chinaman's face lost its stoic endurance and lighted with relief.

"I likee him vellee much!" He put out his hand. "Me and you partners,
heh?"

"Yes," Bob gripped the hand, "we are partners."

CHAPTER XVIII

Nothing Bob Rogeen had overheard about Reedy Jenkins and his schemes
had so intensified his anger as this treatment of the patient,
defenceless Ah Sing.