“Sure popee,” grinned the Celestial. “Me startee out on own hookee. Keepee bookee, keepee cashee, pay intlest, sabbe?”
“He must be a peach,” remarked Jack.
“More like a big liar,” grunted Prawle. “They all are.”
“Heap fine bankee, fine safee, heap big sign. Plenty Chinaman deplositors come filst off. One he say, ‘Mistoe Bankee Plesident, me catchee some monee washy-washy—maybe tlee hundled dollah—you keepee him for me?’ I tellee him, ‘Sure Mikee. Puttee in safee. Pay intlest.’”
“The dickens you say,” gasped Prawle.
“Another comee; he say, ‘Me winee sebbenty dollah, catchee buttee in guttee—makee heap fine cigalettes—you keepee?’ ‘Allee light,’ me say, and sockee wad in safee. Plenty scads come inee—more’n ’steen hundled dollah. Me livee high—eatee loast beef, maccaloni, flied rice, lasbelly puddin’. All sudden Chinamen all comee and wantee boodlee back. Want buy lotlee tickee, some other foolee t’ingee. Me lookee in safe, countee scads, tellee come back to-mollah fo’ clockee, gettee wad den. When all go, me pullee down blind, packee glip, puttee in boodle, skippee out filst train, go Saclamento, changee namee, gettee dlunk, blowee in wad, laise old Nickee; in mornin’ findee me busted, walkee lailload tie, bimeby gettee lost, most starvee, now me leady to wolk—cookee, washee, ilon—anything.”
“Suffering jewsharps, if you ain’t the biggest liar I ever met—and I’ve seen some good one in my time—you may throw me into the creek!” said Prawle, in a tone of disgust.
“No liee—tellee tluth allee samee Melican man.”
“Are you willing to wheel a barrow?” asked Prawle, pointing to one of those useful instruments.
“Sure t’ingee. Me wheelee ballow.”