AH SONG HI.



LETTER III

SAN FRANCISCO, 18--.
DEAR CHING-FOO: I stepped ashore jubilant! I wanted to dance, shout,
sing, worship the generous Land of the Free and Home of the Brave. But
as I walked from the gangplank a man in a gray uniform--[Policeman]
--kicked me violently behind and told me to look out--so my employer
translated it. As I turned, another officer of the same kind struck me
with a short club and also instructed me to look out. I was about to
take hold of my end of the pole which had mine and Hong-Wo's basket and
things suspended from it, when a third officer hit me with his club to
signify that I was to drop it, and then kicked me to signify that he was
satisfied with my promptness. Another person came now, and searched all
through our basket and bundles, emptying everything out on the dirty
wharf. Then this person and another searched us all over. They found a
little package of opium sewed into the artificial part of Hong-Wo's
queue, and they took that, and also they made him prisoner and handed him
over to an officer, who marched him away. They took his luggage, too,
because of his crime, and as our luggage was so mixed together that they
could not tell mine from his, they took it all. When I offered to help
divide it, they kicked me and desired me to look out.

Having now no baggage and no companion, I told my employer that if he was
willing, I would walk about a little and see the city and the people
until he needed me. I did not like to seem disappointed with my
reception in the good land of refuge for the oppressed, and so I looked