HOP LUNG AND THE FISH
By the end of the first week all of the boys felt thoroughly at home on
Big Horn Ranch. They had visited many points of interest, including the
cowboys' bunkhouse and also the big range to the eastward, and they had
likewise tramped over a number of the hills and tried their hand at
fishing in the river.
"It certainly is one dandy place," remarked Jack to the others one day
when they were coming up to the house from the river, each with a
fair-sized string of fish to his credit.
"We certainly never had such fishing as this in the East," answered Gif,
as he looked at his string admiringly. "Just look at the size of 'em,
will you?"
"I wonder what Hop Lung will say when he sees them," remarked Fred.
"I've got a scheme!" cried Andy. "Let's have a little fun," and thereupon
he unfolded to the others what he had in mind to do. They readily agreed
to his suggestion, and all came up to the ranch house by a roundabout
way. Then Spouter called out loudly:
"Hop Lung! Hop Lung! Come out here a minute!"
A moment later the Chinese cook appeared, a long soup ladle in on one
hand and a carving knife in the other.
"You callee me?" he queried.
"Yes," answered Spouter. "I want you to come around to the front of the
house and tell me what you know about this," and he motioned to the cook
to follow him around to the big veranda.
No sooner had their chum and the cook disappeared than the others ran
into the kitchen. Here at one side was a home-made kitchen cabinet, the
top within a foot of the ceiling.
"See if you can find the big bread-board," said Randy. "I guess that will
answer our purpose."
"And here is the fishing line," added his twin. "We can run it from the
ceiling over to the window and then outside."
The line was run to the window as mentioned, then fastened to the ceiling
back of the cabinet, and then to the back end of the board, which was
placed flat on the top of the cabinet. On the board the boys placed the
fish, laying them out in a row from front to back. One fish was placed on
the pulled-out shelf of the lower part of the cabinet.
"Now then, clear out before Hop Lung catches us," said Andy. And the lads
lost no time in disappearing.
In the meanwhile Spouter had taken the Chinese cook to the front of the
ranch house and then to an out-of-the-way corner where there was a large
spider's web.
"Hello, he's gone now!" exclaimed Spouter, in a tone of disappointment.
"Do you see him anywhere, Hop Lung?"
"Hop Lung see what?" demanded the puzzled cook.
"Why, that great big blue and gold spider with white feet!"
"Blue an' gol' spide?" queried Hop Lung. "See black spide."
"Oh, no, I don't mean the black spider. I mean that great big blue and
gold spider about that long," and Spouter showed up his two forefingers
six inches apart.
"Noee see spide so long dat," answered the Chinese cook, shaking his head
doubtfully. "Sploutel maybe see catpillal."
"No, it wasn't a caterpillar. It was a spider. Although I think it might
have had wings."
"Um, wings! Spide he all the samee buttelfly," announced Hop Lung. "No
see him," and he got down on his hands and knees to peer up into the
corner to make certain.
Spouter continued to engage his attention until he heard the boys coming
around the corner of the house. Then he turned to them as if in
surprise.
"Hello! I thought you fellows were off fishing," he remarked.
"So we were," answered Gif calmly.
"I got a nice little fish, Hop Lung. I laid him in the kitchen for you,"
remarked Andy.
"You git only one flish?" queried the cook in surprise.
"Well, maybe you can catch more," put in Randy.
"Hop Lung no go flishee. Hop Lung cookee," was the calm reply. And then
the cook walked back to the rear of the ranch house.
Watching their chance, the boys stole back, some to the window where was
located the string which had been attached to the board on the top of the
cabinet, and others to another window from which they might see what
would take place. Hop Lung had gone inside and picked up the fish left on
the cabinet shelf. He looked it over, wiped off the shelf carefully, and
then took up the fish and disappeared into the pantry with it.
"Now then, Andy!" whispered his twin. And thereupon Andy gave the string
in his hand two or three little jerks. From the board on the top of the
cabinet a fish fell down to the shelf below.
It had hardly fallen in place when Hop Lung came from the pantry. He
looked to see how matters were going on the stove, and then turned again
to the cabinet.
A queer look came over his face when he saw the fish lying in the same
place that the first had occupied. He looked toward the door to find no
one there.
"Him funny," he murmured in his Pidgin-English. "Him vellee funny." Then
he took up the second fish and walked into the pantry with it.
No sooner had he done this than Andy, doing his best to control his
laughter, jiggled the string again. This time, as luck would have it, two
fish came down, to light side by side on the cabinet shelf.
Again Hop Lung entered the kitchen and again he looked at what was
cooking on the stove. He stirred the mass in one of the pots carefully,
and then came back to his cabinet to get some seasoning.
When he saw the two fish lying there his eyes nearly started out of his
head. He jabbered something in his native tongue and then looked around
wildly, first to one side of the kitchen and then the other. Then he
looked toward the door leading to the dining room and then he came to the
door leading to the yard.
"Duck!" was all Andy said, and he and the others lost no time in getting
out of sight.
Hop Lung looked carefully around the yard and then came slowly back into
the kitchen. He walked again to the stove to see that nothing was
burning, and finally came back to the cabinet and picked up the two fish
gingerly. Meanwhile, the boys tiptoed their way back to their original
positions at the windows.
"He'll begin to think the cabinet is haunted," whispered Jack.
"Either that, or else he'll think he's bewitched," answered Gif.
And both were about right, for the poor Chinaman looked all around the
cabinet and even behind and under it, and then he looked under the table
and the chairs. Finally, still bewildered, he walked into the pantry with
the fish, which he carried before him at arm's length, as if afraid it
might bite him.
"Better give him a shower now, Andy," whispered his brother, and
thereupon Andy gave the string a strong pull which sent all the remaining
fish tumbling down on the cabinet and the floor. The noise reached Hop
Lung in the pantry, and he came forth on a run.
When he saw the quantity of fish that had appeared so miraculously he was
nearly dumbfounded. With eyes and mouth wide open and hands up-raised he
uttered a sudden yell of fright and dove through the doorway leading to
the dining room and the living room beyond.
In the living room Mrs. Rover and Mrs. Powell were sitting doing some
sewing. The sudden appearance of the Chinaman caused them to look up in
astonishment.
"What is the matter, Hop Lung?" demanded Mrs. Powell, as she sprang to
her feet.
"Flishee! Flishee!" screamed the cook. "Kitchen full flishee! Hop Lung no
knowee where flishee come! One flishee--two flishee--two flishee
more--whole blame kitchen flishee!" spluttered the cook, his eyes rolling
from one side to the other.
"Gracious me! is the man crazy?" asked Mrs. Rover, rising. "What does he
mean by 'flishee?'"
"Flishee! Flishee!" repeated Hop Lung. "No flishee--all flishee!"
"I can't imagine what he's driving at," remarked Mrs. Powell. "Where is
the trouble, Hop Lung? In the kitchen?"
"Les, Miz Plowell. Kitchen all flishee!"
Without ado the lady of the ranch marched into the kitchen, followed by
Mrs. Rover. All the ladies could see were the freshly-caught fish resting
on the cabinet shelf and the floor.
"I don't see anything the matter here except that some of your fish are
on the floor," remarked Mrs. Powell calmly. "You had better pick them up
and wash them off."
"Did the boys catch those fish?" asked Mrs. Rover. "They said they were
going fishing a couple of hours ago."
"Boys clatchee one flishee," announced Hop Lung. Then a sudden idea
entered his head, and he made a quick leap to the yard door. He was just
in time to see the boys trying to retreat, all laughing merrily.
"You foolee Hop Lung! You foolee Hop Lung!" he shrieked wildly, and of a
sudden came back into the kitchen, scooped up several of the fish, and
ran outside again. Wildly he threw one fish after another at the lads.
"Hop Lung, stop that!" commanded Mrs. Powell sternly. "Those fish are too
good to throw away!"
"Bloys fool Hop Lung," was the reply. "One flishee--two flishee--four
flishee--all whole lot flishee," he continued, trying his best to
explain. And then by pantomime he showed how he had found the first of
the fish and placed them in the pantry.
"It's nothing more than some of their tricks, Hop Lung," said Mrs.
Powell. "They had no right to play such tricks, and I'll call them to
account for it. But you had better pick up the fish which you threw
outside. They're too good to be thrown away."
"Hop Lung flix bloys, play flishee tlick," answered the Celestial. And
then a little later he set about preparing supper.
The boys did not think it wise to return to the house just then, and so
wandered off to the stable where the ranch horses were kept.
"It was certainly a rich joke," remarked Fred, with a chuckle.
"I'll bet Hop Lung will have it in for us for that," returned Randy.
And Hop Lung did have it in for them, as they were to learn in the near
future.