The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-02-10

said I, wonderinsly. s" Mr.. Hardy, "a
below and inquire what is amias." -
But the mate had scarcely begun to de
scend the ladder before he called out:
Mutiny. sir, below. Some of these
Chinese VILLAINS Have" -&f@ r %
h Then he was dragged down by unseen
hands, and left the sentence unfinished
while almost instantly the screw ceased
to revolve, and the steam came rushing up
the waste pipe, as the Cassandra floated
idly down the current. "A cry of surprise
was uttered by the passengers, and was
answered by another cry-the fierce, ex.
ulting yell Of barbarians assured of an
easy victory, as forth from the mangrove
fringed waters of neighboring creek
there emerged three lorchas, their straw
sails spread to catch the breeze, and their
long sweeps lashing the water into troth
as the frantic rowers tugged at them,
while Outstripping these came ON score
of boats, sampans and canoes, full of wild
and scantily clothed figures, who came on
as fast as paddle and pole could urge their
light skiffs, ;tlourishing their weapons
with every possible gesture of brutal
menace. 49,
Hooked around for Bates. He was, as
expected, among the Chinese ON the
fore deck, some OF whom had overpowered
the engineer and iremen and stopped the
engines, while the others were obviously
preparing for rush att Then threw q
glance at the approaching pirates. g. II
Hamilton is unable to keep his promise,
heaven help u.s." said /, with a groan, as
my eye ranged over land and water, with
out seeing aught but what was hostile.
They shall not, anyhow, say that
failed to do my best. Cast loose that
gum" ordered, pointing to brass CARO-.
made: train it forward, and when l give
the word, fireP' ~ ~
The pick of my English crew obeyed,
as sailors do obey. when they respect their
officer; and the advancing Cinnamon, in
| whose hands now cleaned knives and
swords, drew back as they were confront
ed by the threatening muzzle Of the can
non.
Chicken hearts!" Numbered Bates,
who was a really bold villain, and he add
ed some words in Chinese, which revived
their courage. YOU'D best give up,
Captain. Its no use. I spiked every gun
OF the lot with my own hands"
II know you did, you traitor" shouted
Duckett, the second mate, suddenly
emerging, armed to the teeth, from the
cabin-hatch; "but Capt. Hepburn and l
were clever enough to set all right with
out your being the wiser. All, you
thought me stupefied, did you, with the
drugged liquor? You're mistaken, my
hearty, for I pitched brandy and opium
overheard together, and"
Before the second-mate could complete
his speech, Bates had drawn his revolver
and fired three shots, the first of which
grazed Duckett's left temple, while the
third wounded me slightly in the shout
der. Bang! in answer, went the brass
gun, and the grape shot swept the FORE
uecks as with the scythe of death, moving
down the mutineers like grass. But al
ready the canoes and sampans were grap-
ping with us, and the ladies' shrieks
blended with the war cries of the pirates,
as wild forms came clambering over the
Cassanara's bulwarks, and the Chinese
craw, cowed for a moment, plucked up
spirit enough to renew the attack.
What was that? Surely could not be
mistaken. 1t must bet was ringing
British cheer that reached me, in the
midst of all that fiendish discord, and
promised hope. "A boat, yes. and anoth-
er, came towards US as fast as the gallant
rowers could urge them with their tough
ashen oars. The beats of H. N. s. Wasp,
no doubt, for here, from behind the
friendly shelter OF a mangrove-tu fted
creek, emerges the gunboat herself, send
ing shot and shell with unerring aim into
the enemy's midst; so that, before five
minutes were spent, one of the lorchas
had sunk and another was on fire; while
the savages in the canoes were only too
thankful to beat a retreat as rapidly as
possible shorewards. As soon as the gun
boat was seen, and the Wasp's blue. jack
cts came scranbling up the side, the ras-
cally native contederates of the pirates
flung down their arms, and with abject
entreaties for mercy fell upon their knees,
and were put in irons to await their trial
at Shanghai.
Bates, the chief culprit, lay dead upon
the deck, riddled with grape-shot from
that very gun which he had confidently
believed himself to have rendered HARM
less; but we had to deplore the loss of
poor Hardy and of the head engineer,
both of whom had been cruelty put to
death by the Chinese mutineers, on whom
had devolved the task OF stopping the en-
gines as the steamer drew near to the net
spread to intercept her passage. The
pirates received on that day a severe les
son, for the Wasp kept up her fire until
the third lorcha also was destroyed and
the flames were rising from the huts of a
village whittier our late foes had fed.
"1've kept my word, Frank, as you
see!" said Hamilton, as we shook hands
on the gunboat's quarterback, after the
straits had been swept clear Of the pig
tailed enemy; but though, by means Of
native spies and bright lookout, man.
aged to prepare my counter ambush with
out yonder sea-thieves having suspicion
that u gunboat lay hidden so close to that
man-trap of theirs, confess it was near
run thing after all. The cunning of that
Bates, or whatever his name was, in stop
ping the engines was what was unpre-
pared for; and but for the bold face YOU
put on it, old fellow, l should have ONLY
been in time to find the Cassandra's deck
a shambles. To you, quite as much as
to me, belongs the credit OF this affair"
SO the mercantile community of Shang-
hal and the naval officers of the squadron
were good-natured enough to think, for,
on the steamers return to port, found
myself lionized and made much of by all,
and more OF hero, am sure, in Lilian's
eyes than deserved to be, for, after all, I
had but done my plain duty. The graft
tude of the merchants to whom the cargo
belonged took q practical form, for not
only was 1 presented with handsome
sum as salvage. but was appointed to com.
mand the Dalhousie, a fine bark in the
China and Australian trade, Of which l
am still Captain, while it is understood
that on my return from my next voyage,
Lillian is TO become my wife.
As for the treacherous owners of the
Cassandra, Messrs. chung and Sin-lin
tsi, they at first assumed an expression If
injured innocence, but were at last over
borne by the evidence given by their &C.
completes; and finding Shanghai too hot
to hold them, decamped to some other
province. having, as. it was said, bribed
the local mandarins to connive at their
flight. As for the Cassandra, she was, l