"I guess so!"

"Well, you'd better guess again. It is just like the crazy thing you would try to do in one of your soft moments. Give it to me! I'll take mighty good care of it. It is all that may lie between your guilt or innocence some day, even if it is after Brenchfield is dead and gone to his well-earned reward. A whole lot hinges on that little bit of paper. It has got to be kept good and secure. Come on, softy,--hand it over!"

"If I do, will you promise never to use it in any way unless I consent, or unless I am not in a position to give you either my a.s.sent or dissent?"

"Yes!--I promise that."

"There you are then." Phil handed it to Langford, who opened a pocket in his belt and put it carefully inside.

"Guess we might have a bite of supper now,--eh, what!"

They drew in to the table; and that Christmas Eve supper was almost hilarious, for now there was no shadow between, and it meant an intense relief to both.

When the supper was nearing its end, Ah Sing, accompanied by two of his faithful feline devil-chasers, came in. He seemed somewhat sadder and more bland than usual.

"What's the matter, Sing?" queried Jim.

"Oh,--me plenty mad,--me feel heap swear."

He sat down very disconsolately, and the cats took immediate advantage of the shining moment by rubbing and purring pleasantly round and against their master's legs.

"Tell us about it then. We savvy, Sing."

"Oh,--my wifee--you know--she allee way live China. She make me angly.

My fliend in China he send me photoglaph Chinee girlie. Me want get another wifee,--see!"

Sing handed over a picture of a typical country Chinese maid.

"Gee!--she's a fine looker,--isn't she, Phil?" exclaimed Jim with a wink, handing it over for Phil to examine.

"You bet she is!" conceded Phil.

Sing did not seem to enthuse.

"Oh, may be! Not too bad! Not velly muchee good! She thirteen year old. Her father he want me pay two hundled and fifty dollar for me catch her. I no likee velly much. I catch another. See! That one, she fourteen;--she cost four hundled dollar."

The second picture was that of a decidedly prettier girl with a much more refined appearance than the first.

"Oh, she best. Sure thing!" said Jim.

"Yes,--she pletty good."

"You catch her, Sing?"

Sing shook his head ruefully.

"No!--I no catch her. Make me heap swear. I save up four hundled dollar; I send allee money my wifee. I tell her buy that one for me,--see!

"She send me letter. I get him to-day. She tell me she get money, but she no buy other wifee for me. She buy house and ten acres land. Next time I go China, I tell her 'd.a.m.n!'--see. I plenty heap swear."

"I think she was a darned good judge," remarked Phil, as he and Jim laughed loudly.

But Ah Sing could not see the joke nor could he grasp wherein came his wife's good wisdom.

"What l'matter, you laugh?" he said. "Chinaman first wifee, she boss;--second wifee she do allee work. I catchee second wifee help my first wifee--see!"

"Pshaw! That's all right for a bluff, Sing, but it won't go down,"

cried Phil. "Come on;--cheer up, and have a drink! This is Christmas time."

"What you got?" asked Sing, brightening,--"Scotchee whisky?"

"No siree! This is none of your sheebeens," replied Phil.

"You catchem sam souey?" returned Sing, his voice high and piping.

"Sam souey pletty good."

"No sam souey,--you tough nut! Here!"

Phil handed the Chinaman a bottle of lemonade. Sing's face fell.

"Ah,--no good! He cleam soda."

"Well--what's the matter with it? I suppose you want something with a kick in it."

"Kick? No savvy kick! Allee same, cleam soda you pullem cork--plup--whee--phizz--he jump out all over and he run allee way down stair before you catchem.

"Feed'm chicken cleam soda. No good Chinaman!"

"Yes,--you slit eyed Mongolian! That reminds me," exclaimed Jim, his mouth half-full of apple-pie. "Talking about chickens,--what you do with all our chickens?"

"Chickens? No savvy!" innocently commented Sing, as he replaited and tied the black silk cords at the end of his pig-tail.

"You savvy all right,--you son-of-a-gun!

"Phil,--when we came here there were thirty-six chickens in our pen.

We've had two to eat ourselves. I counted only fourteen there to-day.

That's twenty chickens gone somewhere."

Ah Sing still shook his head.

"I know, I savvy!" he exclaimed suddenly. "Coyote catchem!"

"Coyote h.e.l.l!" shouted Jim.

"Ya,--you bet! Coyote h.e.l.l evely night. You hear'm?"

"Sure we hear them. The darned brutes howl and laugh and keep us off our sleep every night the moon is up."