"That same old yellow sinner," confirmed Melton complacently.

The Chinaman himself was shocked for a moment out of his Oriental
stolidity. A delighted smile spread over his face and he broke into an
excited jargon of "pidgin English," of which the refrain was:

"Velly glad slee. Wah Lee velly glad slee."

Then in a burst of grateful memory he threw himself to the floor and
tried to put their feet upon his head, as a token that he was their slave
for life. But they jerked him upright in a torrent of eager questioning.

"You old rascal."

"How did you ever get here?"

"I thought you were back in China by this time."

But Wah Lee's smile was more expansive than his vocabulary was extensive.

"Him tell," he said, pointing to Mr. Melton.

"I thought it would be a surprise party," that worthy chuckled as he
refilled his pipe. "So I didn't tell you anything about it nor did I tell
the Chink that you were coming. It was a surprise, all right," and he
chuckled again.

"It won't take very long to explain," he went on when his pipe was
drawing well. "You remember that after you got back from your trip
to the Canal you gave him money enough to go West and start a little