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CHAPTER1
THELordhavingmadeClungandplacedhimwhere
hedid,therestfollowedbytheinevitablelaw
ofmatter-of-course.Nobodyunderstoodthis.Clung
leastofall.Thewhitessaidhewas“justaplain,
nogoodChink,growingupforaropenecklace;”the
Chinesesaidhewas“possessedofadevil.”Clung
probablythoughtthatbothpartieswereright.
Heneversaidso,butthenClungwasnotgiven
towords.Thewhiteswouldprobablyhavelynchedthe
boysavefortwothings:first,Clungconfinedhis
attentionstotheMexicans;second,everyonehad
awarmspotinhisheartforoldLiClung,theboy’s
father,whoranthelaundryinthatArizonatown.Inthe
SouthwesttheywilltellyouthatwhenaChinaman
isgoodhe’snottoogoodtobearwatching,andwhen
aChinamanisbad–well,he’sawful.Clungwasbad.
Hekilledmen.Everybodyknewhisrecord,oratleast
apartofit,butforthesakeofoldLitheypostponed
theinevitablehanging.Nevertheless,ifClunghad
beenbuiltinadifferentway,orhadlivedinadifferent
place–
ThelotofaweaklymanintheSouthwest
ispeculiarlyunfortunate.Thereisnoplaceforhim;
peoplewonderwhyheexists.He’sapublic
encumbrance–aneyesore.Clungwasweakly.For
aChinesehewastall;amongwhiteshewasofmiddle
height;buthewasexceedinglyfrail.Hishandswere
likethehandsofawoman,small,transparentalmost.
Itwasagracefulthingtowatchthatdelicatehand
againsttheuglyred-brownofawhiskeyglass.Hiswrist
wassoslenderlymadethatifastrongmanhad
graspedhimtheretheboneswouldhavecrunched
together.
Obviouslyhewasahalf-breedofsomesort–perhaps
hismotherwasSpanish,thougholdLiwouldnever
speakofthat.Shemusthavebeenwhite;otherwise
therewasnoaccountingforthefine,palecomplexion
