CHITS AND CATS
"Out o' the way!" he roared. "What thing you do here? You wantchee catch bamboo-chow? Vamoose!"
The Chinaman meekly disappeared in the crowd. Borkman turned and stalked into a dark alley across the bazaar.
"Why should he abuse that poor coolie so?" Miss Holborow wondered. "I never saw him lose his temper before."
He was gone a noticeable time, but reappeared all sunshine.
"I saw a little curio in a shop the other day," he announced, smiling down at them with benevolent respect. "I was reminded of it just now, and—er—made bold to get it, Miss Holborow, as a present to Chao Phya. I hope he'll accept it."
He handed over a silver collar, hung with three rather large bells, fluted cockle-shells that tinkled musically. It was wrought with raised
[ 53 ]