Several Chinamen were already busy among the ruins of the burnt houses, as we saw, and it was Chinese labour that Alister’s friend had resolved to employ; but he seemed to think that, though industrious, those smiling, smooth-faced individuals, who looked as if they had come to life off one of my mother’s old tea-cups, were not to be trusted alone among the salvage.
“Every thief among ’em ’s as good as a conjurer,” he declared, “and can conceal just anything up his sleeve.”
Thus it came about that when Dennis and I went down to the stelling to meet Alister, as we had agreed, and delivered the messages of hospitality with which the young engineer and Dennis’s cousin had charged us, we found that he had made an engagement to help the burnt-out store-owner for such time as we should be out of seamen’s work, on terms which were to include his board and lodging.
“Alister, dear! I admire ye with all me heart,” said Dennis impetuously. “I never saw such an
industrious, persevering fellow. If all Scotch lads take the tide of life at the flood as you do, small blame to ye for making your fortunes; and well ye deserve it.”
“There’s not a doubt about it,” replied Alister complacently. “And I’ll tell ye more. Find me arty grand work, if it’s at the other end of the airth, whether it’s digging a dyke in the desert, or bigging a mountain up to the moon, and I’ll find ye an Aberdeenshire man not far from the head of it.”
Dennis’s face seemed to twitch with a dozen quick thoughts and smiles, as Alister turned away to meet his new employer, who had just appeared on the stelling.
“They have wonderful qualities,” he said gently. “I envy them, I can tell ye, Jack. What’s an idle lout like me good for? Will I ever be able to make a home for myself, or for any one else? They do!” He spoke earnestly, and then suddenly relapsing into an imitation of Alister’s accent, which was his latest joke, he added with twinkling eyes, “and they save a wee in wages to their ain trumpeters—whiles!”
And having drawled out the word “whiles” to the uttermost possible length, he suddenly began to snap his fingers and dance an Irish jig upon the wooden planks of the stelling. This performance
completely demoralized the Chinamen who caught sight of it. “Eyah!” they cried, they stopped work, they chuckled, they yelled; they doubled themselves up, some of their pig-tails came down, and one and all they laughed so frankly and immoderately, it was hard to believe that anything like deception could be amongst the faults of these almond-eyed children of the Flowery-Land.