THE KING'S MAHOUT 5 



Choo was an unusual type, as already I have inti- 

 mated. The humdrum life of the fruit and vege- 

 table boats, of haggling over trades in rattan, and 

 of, between times, pulling a heavy oar, had become 

 as iron in his soul long before he found the real 

 trail in the jungle. Deep in his heart was the 

 realization that life for him lacked the spark 

 which makes it worth while ; yet until that eventful 

 day far in the forest, he knew as little of what he 

 really wanted as did his father. On the day he 

 found the elephant encampment, however, Choo 

 found his spark and his vocation. 



Now filial duty rules strong in the Asiatic son, 

 and Choo had no thought of deserting his father ; 

 but by Oriental cunning he brought it about that 

 the rattan business, necessitating up-country trips, 

 became his chief concern in the firm of Lee Boon 

 Jew & Son, while the vegetable and fruit end of 

 the firm's interest fell to subordinates. Thus it 

 was that Choo took up the double life of elephant 

 catching and the more prosaic, if profitable, occu- 

 pation of rattan trading. It must be recorded 

 that he neglected neither and prospered in each; 

 to such a degree, in fact, did the rattan and 

 bamboo interests develop that Lee, the father, 

 found his position in Bangkok advanced from 

 small trader to one whose shipments were solicited 

 by the local steamship company. 



