about? Because he wasn’t there. My lad, I’m glad you didn’t venture out here alone. Particularly if you’ve brought the pearls as I presume you have.”
“Well, in a way, I’ve got them. About this Louie Wong? You know him, I suppose?”
“Yes. And I saw him at the station the other morning. Look at tomorrow’s Eldorado Times and you’ll find the big story, under the personals.’Our respected fellow townsman, Mr. Louie Wong, went to San Francisco on business last Wednesday.’”
“Wednesday, eh? What sort of lad is Louie?”
“Why—he’s just a Chinaman. Been in these parts a long time. For the past five years he’s stayed at Madden’s ranch the year round, as caretaker. I don’t know a great deal about him. He’s never talked much to any one round here—except the parrot.”
“The parrot? What parrot?”
“His only companion on the ranch. A little gray Australian bird that some sea captain gave Madden several years ago. Madden brought the bird—its name is Tony—here to be company for the old caretaker. A rough party, Tony—used to hang out in a barroom on an Australian boat. Some of his language when he first came was far from pretty. But they’re clever, those Australian parrots. You know, from associating with Louie, this one has learned to speak Chinese.”
“Amazing,” said Bob Eden.
“Oh, not so amazing as it sounds. A bird of that sort will repeat anything it hears. So Tony rattles along in two languages. A regular linguist. The ranchers round here call him the Chinese parrot.” They had reached a little group of cottonwoods and pepper trees sheltering
