Philip is a solicitor whose solicitations are confined to Hongkong and
the Far East generally. Just now he is also a special constable, for
the duration. He is other things as well, but the above should serve
as a general introduction.
In his capacity as special constable he keeps an eagle eye upon the
departing river steamers and the passengers purposing to travel in
them, his idea being to detect them in the act of attempting to export
opium without a permit, one of the deadly sins.
A little while ago Philip came into the possession of a dog of
doubtful ancestry and antecedents, but reputed to be intelligent.
It was called "Little Willie" because of its marked tendency to the
predatory habit. His other leading characteristic was an inordinate
craving for Punter's "Freak" biscuits.
One day Philip had a brain-wave. "I will teach Little Willie," he
said, "to smell out opium concealed in passengers' luggage, and I
shall acquire merit and the Superintendent of Imports and Exports
will acquire opium." So he borrowed some opium from that official and
concealed it about the house and in his office, and by-and-by what was
required of him seemed to dawn on Little Willie, and every time he
found a _cache_ of the drug he was rewarded with a Punter's "Freak"
biscuit.
At last his education was pronounced to be complete and Philip marched
proudly down to the Canton wharf with the Opium Hound. There was a
queue of passengers waiting to be allowed on board, and the ceremony
of the examination of their baggage was going on. Little Willie was
invited to take a hand, which he did in a rather perfunctory way,
without any real interest in the proceedings. Indeed, his attention
wandered to the doings of certain disreputable friends of his who had
come down to the wharf in a spirit of curiosity, and Philip had to
recall him to the matter in hand.
On a sudden a wonderful change came over the Opium Hound. A highly
respectable old lady of the _amah_ or domestic servant class came
confidently along, carrying the customary round lacquered wooden box,
a neat bundle and a huge umbrella. She was followed by a ragged coolie
bearing a plethoric basket, lashed with a stout rope, but bulging
in all directions. Little Willie sniffed once at the basket and
stiffened. "Good dog," said Philip; "is that opium you have found?"
The hound's tail wagged furiously, and he scratched at the basket in a
paroxysm of excitement. The coolie dropped it and ran away. The _amah_
waxed voluble and attacked Little Willie with the family umbrella. The
hound grew more and more enthusiastic for the quest. Philip issued the
fiat, "Open that basket, it contains opium," and struck an attitude.
The basket was solemnly unlashed amid the _amah's_ shrill
expostulations, and the contents soon flowed out upon the floor of the
examination-hut. There was the usual conglomeration: Two pairs working
trousers (blue cotton), two ditto jackets to match, one suit silk
brocade for high days and holidays, two white aprons, three pairs
Chinese shoes, three and a half pairs of Mississy's silk stockings,
several mysterious under garments (from the same source); one
cigarette tin containing sewing materials, buttons of all sorts and
sizes nine empty cotton-reels, three spools from a sewing-machine, one
pair nail-scissors (broken); one cigar-box containing several yards
of tape (varying widths), cuttings of many different materials,
one button-hook, one tin-opener and corkscrew combined, one silver
thimble, one ditto (horn), one Chinese pipe; one packet of tea, one
ditto sugar, one tin condensed milk (unopened), half a loaf of bread
(very stale), two empty medicine bottles--but no opium!
Little Willie was nearly delirious by this time, and tried to get into
the basket, which was now all but empty. The search continued, and two
rolls of material were lifted out: five and a quarter yards of white
calico and three yards of pink silk. This exposed the bottom of the
basket, where lay a tin! Ah, the opium at last. Philip stepped forward
and prised off the lid triumphantly.
The contents consisted solely of Punter's "Freak" biscuits.
Little Willie has been dismissed from his position as Opium
Sleuth-hound.
* * * * *
[Illustration: THE FAVOURED UNIFORM.
_Indignant Lady_. "I SUPPOSE _I'D_ HAVE HAD A CHANCE IF I'D HAD
BREECHES ON."]
* * * * *