The Chinese Parrot (Charlie Chan Detective Series) — page 78: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

ee, 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 a handsome adobe ranch house—an oasis on the bare plain. "Here we are at Madden's," Holley said. "By the way—have you got a gun?" "Why, no," Bob Eden replied. "I didn't bring any. I thought that Charlie—" "What's that?" "No matter. I'm unarmed." 78 comiicboeoe S CO