246 SHOOTING IN CHINA 



dozen will collect in front of a shop and 

 sing and beat on a broken gong or anything 

 else that will make a noise and worry the 

 the shopkeepers until in sheer desperation 

 a small piece of money is throwi to them, 

 when the gang will move on to another 

 shop to repeat the provoking song and 

 noise. If the shopkeeper should report to 

 the police the beggars would possibly be 

 arrested and punished by the magistrate, 

 but such a proceeding would prove ulti- 

 mately expensive, and the more effective 

 way has been adopted by the shopkeepers 

 of paying an annual tribute to the beggar 

 king. The amount having been agreed 

 upon and paid the beggar king sends a 

 representative vv^ho posts on each of the 

 tributary shops the Chinese character " to 

 see." All shops that have this character 

 so posted are exempt from further solicita- 

 tions, and a beggar will not importune that 

 shop so long as the notice remains where 

 he can see it. 



Somewhat allied to the beggar question 

 is the thief question, for in the country it 

 is understood that the beggar of the day 

 is the thief of the night. 



