CUSTOMS 247 



The theives are also organized and have 

 a head man, though the organization should 

 not be confounded with that of the beg- 

 gars. Each thief is assigned by the head 

 mail to a definite destrict and is thereto 

 restricted under a penalty if he violates 

 his instructions. If there has been much 

 stealing in a neighborhood it will stop at 

 once if the neighbors will pay tribute to 

 the "king of the thieves." It does happen 

 that this head man falls into the clutches of 

 some greedy official and is made to dis- 

 gorge, and if obstinate he is "put to the 

 question." 



Perhaps no people in the world are 

 more completely subjected to the belief in 

 good and bad luck than the Chinese. Every 

 phase of their life shows that the idea of 

 fate or luck permeates and influences the 

 entire fabric of their society from the Em- 

 peror to the peasant ; a fact that has been 

 noted by writers on "things Chinese" as a 

 marked characteristic of the people ; their 

 confidence is every day a striking mani- 

 festation of this belief. The luck day in 

 the year and almost every hour of the day 

 is good or bad for something, and the lucky 



