Then Jones--my own pardner--looks up with a sigh; "It's your wash-bill," sez he, and I answers, "You lie!" But afore he could draw or the others could arm, Up tumbles the Bates boys, who heard the alarm. And a yell from the hill-top and roar of a gong, Mixed up with remarks like "Hi! yi! Chang-a-wong," And bombs, shells, and crackers, that crashed through the trees, Revealed in their war-togs four hundred Chinees! Four hundred Chinee; We are eight, don't ye see! That made a square fifty To just one o' we. They were dressed in their best, but I grieve that that same Was largely made up of our own, to their shame; And my pardner's best shirt and his trousers were hung On a spear, and above him were tauntingly swung; While that beggar, Chey Lee, like a conjurer sat Pullin' out eggs and chickens from Johnson's best hat; And Bates's game rooster was part of their "loot," And all of Smith's pigs were skyugled to boot; But the climax was reached and I like to have died When my demijohn, empty, came down the hillside,-- Down the hillside-- What once held the pride Of Robertson County Pitched down the hillside! Then we axed for a parley. When out of the din To the front comes a-rockin' that heathen, Ah Sin! "You owe flowty dollee--me washee you camp, You catchee my washee--me catchee no stamp; One dollar hap dozen, me no catchee yet, Now that flowty dollee--no hab?--how can get? Me catchee you piggee--me sellee for cash, It catchee me licee--you catchee no 'hash;' Me belly good Sheliff--me lebbee when can, Me allee same halp pin as Melican man! But Melican man He washee him pan On BOTTOM side hillee And catchee--how can?" "Are we men?" says Joe Johnson, "and list to this jaw, Without process of warrant or color of law? Are we men or--a-chew!"--here be gasped in his speech, For a stink-pot had fallen just out of his reach. "Shall we stand here as idle, and let Asia pour Her barbaric hordes on this civilized shore? Has the White Man no country? Are we left in the lurch? And likewise what's gone of the Established Church? One man to four hundred is great odds, I own, But this 'yer's a White Man--I plays it alone!" And he sprang up the hillside--to stop him none dare-- Till a yell from the top told a "White Man was there!" A White Man was there! We prayed he might spare Those misguided heathens The few clothes they wear.