“Yes!––and he’s a pretty wise guy at that.
“He was up before Thompson, the Government Agent, one time I was there. Thompson was trying to get him to take an oath over something. He asked Sing how he would like to swear, whether by kissing the Bible or in the Chinese way.
“Me no care,” said Sing, “burnem paper, smellum book––allee same Ah Sing.”
“Thompson saw how much the Chinaman cared about oaths in general, so he got busy and pretty nearly scared the daylights out of Sing.”
“What did he do?” asked Phil, as both continued unpacking their gear.
“Oh,––he made Sing swear by the live chicken. You see, a Chinaman will always tell the truth when he has to cut a live chicken’s head off over it. If he happens to be guilty of anything and says he isn’t and cuts the fowl’s koko off,––he is sure to die for his prevarication. We all die, anyway, of course,” commented Jim, “but not so suddenly, evidently. Then, if John is accused by someone of doing something he didn’t do and he pleads innocent and cuts the infernal bird’s headpiece off––the other fellow cops off.”
Phil laughed, and worked on his fingers as if endeavouring to figure the thing out.
“It’s quite easy;––simple as A.B.C.,” commented Jim, “only you’re too darned thick skulled to savvy,––that’s all.”
“And I guess the chinks think we are pretty dense not to understand,” put in Phil.