“What?” came back in a voice of thunder.
“You pullee tail?”
The man gave him a furious scowl, and uttered a low growl like that of some savage beast, while the little Chinaman slunk toward the bulwark, 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.