,
and began to coil up his _queue_ once more, after which he bent forward
over his bundle, his eyes half closed, and evidently thinking so deeply,
that he was quite ignorant of what was passing around. Perhaps he was
wondering where he would be able to sleep that night, perhaps of how he
was to obtain work. At any rate he was too much occupied with his
thoughts to notice that the big fellow was slowly edging his way toward
him.

"They are going to play some trick, Esau," I said softly. "What a shame
it seems."

"Yes; look. That other chap's going to help him."

"But it's too bad."

"Yes; lots of things are too bad; but it ain't our business, and if we
interfere we shall get into trouble."

I heard my companion's words, but they did not make any impression on
me, for I was too deeply intent upon what was taking place before me.
There was the little Chinaman bent forward, blinking and apparently half
asleep, and there on either side were the men, evidently about to
disturb him in some way or another.

All at once, after exchanging glances with the others, I saw the big
fellow place his foot just under the Chinaman, and give him a lift which
sent him up against the other man, who roared out angrily.

"Where are you coming to, you yellow-eyed, waggle-headed mandarin?" he
cried; and he gave the poor fellow two or three cuffs and a rude push,
which sent him staggering against his first disturber, who turned upon
him furiously in turn, and cuffed him back to the other.

"Why, it's like playing shuttlecock and battledore," said Esau grimly.
"If they served me so I should kick."

But the little Chinaman did not resist in the slightest degree; he only
bore the buffeting patiently till such time as he could rescue his
bundle, and escape to the other side of the deck, where, as if he were
accustomed to such treatment, he shook himself, pulled down his blouse,
and, amidst the roars of laughter that had arisen, he placed his bundle
on the bulwark, and folding his arms upon it, leaned there gazing out to
sea.

"I do hate to see big chaps bullying little ones," said Esau in a
whisper, as I stood hoping that the horse-play was at an end, for I
shared Esau's dislike to that kind of tyranny; and though the little
Celestial was nothing to me whatever, I felt hot and angry at what had
been going on, and wondered why Gunson, a strong, a powerful man, had
stood there smoking without interfering in the least.

But my hope of