“are the Black Flags that every now and then infest Chinese waters. I wonder if ‘Burnt-face’ were ever apprenticed to the Black Flags.”
“Don’t talk about him any more,” murmured Dave, after a backward glance. “The Chinaman is now returning our late courtesies by following us.”
Attracted by the window display of a shop that dealt in Hindu curios, the two young naval officers went inside.
“I want to buy something pretty with which to surprise Belle,” Dave explained, as the chums roamed through the shop, inspecting the hundreds of quaint and artistic articles offered for sale.
“You expect her to reach Manila the 26th of the month, don’t you?” Dan asked.
“The 16th,” Darrin corrected his chum.
“Due here in eleven days?” cried Dalzell, sharing his comrade’s pleasure in the thought. “My, Dave, you’re a very lucky young man!”
“It seems ages since I said good-bye to Belle,” Dave went on musingly. “Dan, it almost seems as if I had not seen my wife since she and I were high school sweethearts.”
“I can take my oath that you’ve seen her more recently than that,” laughed Dan. “Yet I know that it must seem a long while between your meetings.”
A Hindu salesman, wearing European clothes, topped by a real Hindu turban, now approached them.
“Something really nice for a lady,” Dave nodded.
“Pardon, excellency,” replied the Hindu, with a low bow. “Is the lady – ah – young?”
“Yes,” assented Ensign Darrin.
“May I – ah – inquire whether the young lady be – ah – wife, sweetheart, or sister?” suggested the Hindu, with a second bow that was lower than the first.
“Why do you need to know that?” demanded Dave, frowning slightly. “She’s the finest girl on earth. Isn’t that enough for you to know?”
“Then,” declared the Hindu imperturably, “she is your sweetheart, and in that case I am certain that I know exactly what to show you.”
“Oh, you do?” grimaced Ensign Darrin. “Then trot out the best you have.”
“Will your excellency condescend to step this way?” proposed the Hindu, with the lowest bow yet. “I shall exert myself to show you the very finest that we have suitable for distinguished presentation to a sweetheart.”
Down to a vault, at the rear of the shop, the salesman led the way. Opening the vault door he nimbly slipped out two trays of exquisite yet eccentric Hindu jewelry.
“Now, let the excellency gloat over these,” begged the salesman, throwing out a bewildering array of rings, brooches, amulets, bracelets, neck chains and the like, set in a dazzling array of precious and semi-precious gems.
“How much is this chain?” asked Dave, picking up one of beautiful workmanship.
“The price of that, excellency, is twelve hundred dollars, but as a very special favor to an officer in the Service I will allow it to go out of the store at eleven hundred.”
Sighing, Dave laid the chain down.
“It is not fine enough, I know, excellency,” glowed the salesman. “Now, look at this chain. Is it not handsomer?”
“Yes,” Dave admitted.
“This chain, excellency, is a wonderful bargain at fifteen hundred dollars.”
Dave sighed, but declined to examine the chain.
“Even if you had the money with you,” remarked Danny Grin, “your wife would hardly think you displayed good judgment in spending almost a year’s salary to buy her a chain.”
“Oh, it is for your wife?” exclaimed the Hindu, in an almost shocked voice.
“Yes,” Dave assented.
“Oh, in that case, excellency – ”
With incredibly rapid movements the Hindu put the articles back into the two drawers, shoved them into the vault and closed the door.
“Here you are, excellency!” cried the Oriental, springing to a near-by counter. “Here is a chain of considerable beauty, and it costs but six dollars.”
Giving a momentary gasp, Darrin eyed the fellow, then suddenly reached over and took him in a tight collar grip.
“What do you mean, Mr. Insolence?” Darrin demanded sternly. “Do you wish to insinuate that a sweetheart calls for a handsome gift, but that anything is good enough for a wife?”
“Er – ah – in my country, excellency, when one buys for a sweetheart it is one thing. When he buys for a wife – ”
“Then thank goodness that my country isn’t your country,” uttered Ensign Darrin disgustedly, while Danny Grin implored:
“Before you let him go, Davy, turn him around this way so that I may register at least one kick!”
But Darrin suddenly released the rather frightened fellow, saying crisply:
“Show me some pieces of jewelry at prices around fifty dollars.”
At first the salesman displayed several pieces for which he asked from seventy-five to a hundred dollars.
“You’re wasting my time, but I won’t waste yours,” Dave suddenly broke in, turning away.
“Wait a moment, excellency. Do you realize, excellency, that you have not, in any instance, attempted to bargain with me?”
“Do you mean that you expect me to work you down to a lower price?” asked Ensign Dalzell, lowering his voice.
“It is customary to bargain, excellency,” replied the Hindu, with a bow, though not so low as he had displayed at first.
“I’m not going to bargain with you,” Dave declared quietly. “At any price you name for an article I shall either accept the price, and pay it, or else refuse further to consider that article. And don’t waste any more of my time. At the first sign of it I shall quit your store and not enter it again.”
Still the Hindu tried high prices for a while, then suddenly held up a necklace set with small, beautiful bits of jade.
“Eighty dollars,” he exclaimed.
“Mex?” broke in Dan quickly.
“Of course, excellency,” confirmed the Hindu.
“See here, David, little giant,” Danny Grin rattled on, “we’ve been going it a bit blind. We’ve been thinking of gold, or American dollars, while this man has been talking on the basis of the Mexican silver dollar.”
In the Philippine Islands the Mexican dollar is still the basis of currency. As this dollar is worth less than half of that amount in gold, the price charged by the Hindu, translated into American money, amounted to less than forty dollars.
“I’ll
