Weekly Trinity journal., 1876-08-05
NUMBER 81.

how, say that failed to do my BEST
Cast loose that gum" ordered, pointing
to brass cannon train it forward, and
when give the word, fire "
The pick of my English crew obeyed.
as sailors do when they respect their off
GERS, 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 ~ thundered Bates,
who was really bold villain, and he add
ed some words in Chinese, which revived
their courage. "You'd best give up,
Captain. It's no use. | spiked every
gun of the lot with my own hands"
"I know you did, you traitor " shout
ed Duckett, The second mate, suddenly
emerging, armed to the teeth, from the
cabin hatch; "but Captain Hepburn and
| were sharp enough to set that right
without you being the wiser. All | you
thought me stupefed with the druggel
liquor, did you ? You're mistaken, my
hearty, for pitched brandy and opium
overheard, and"
Before the second mate could finish.
Bates had drawn his revolver, and fir d
three shots, the first of which grazed
Duckett's left temple, while the third
wounded me slightly in the shoulder.
Bang in answer, went the brass gun,
and the grape shot swept the fo,e-deel1
as with the scythe of death, moving
down tho mutneers like grass
But already the canoes and sampanS
were graphing with us, and the ladies'
shreks, blended with the war-cries OF the
pirates, as wild forms came clambering
over the CdSsdndta'S bulwarks, and tho
Chinese crow, cowed for momelt,
plucked up spirit, and renewed the ut.
tack.
HarI what was that? Surely, |
could not be mistaken. 1t must be--it
was ringing British shout that re' c o
me, in the midst OF all that 6endish dis
cord, and with it came hope A boat,
yes, and another, camo toward us as
fast as the gallant lads could urge Il EN-
with their tough ash oars. The boats OF
Her Majesty's gunboat Wasp, no doubt,
for here, from behind the friendly shelter
OF u mangrove.tufted creek, emerges the
gunboat herself, sending shot and She'[
with unerring aim into the onemy's midst;
so that, before five minutes were spent,
one of the lorchas had sunk, and anoth,r
was on fire while the savagos in tho ca
noes were only too thankful to beat re-
treat rs rapidly MS possible to the shore.
As soon as the gunboat was seen, ond
the Vap's blue-jnckets scrambling up
the side, the rascally native conte dcrates
OF the pirates flung down their arms, Al d
with abject entreates for ,rcy, fell up
on their knees, and were put in irons to
await their trial Mt Shanghai.
Bates, the chief cuprit, lay dead upon
tie deck, riddled with grapo-shot frIm
that very gun which he had confidently
believed himself 10 have rendered harm :
less but we had to deplore the loss OF
poor Hardy and OF the chief enginee E,
both of whom had been cruel y Iut to
death by the Chinese mutnt ers, on whom
had devolved the task OF stopping tho en-
| gines ~ tho CoSsdhdld drew rea the net
spread to intercept her passage.
The pirates received on that day II
severe lesson, for the Wasp kept up her
fire until tho third lorcha also was de-
stroyed, and tho flames were rising from
the huts Of a village whittier our late foes
had fled.
"Ive kept my word, Frank, rs yot
sec !" said Hamilton, with smile, a.
we shook hands on the gunboat's quarter
deck, after the straits had been swept OF
our pig g-tailed enemy "but though, by
means OF native spies and a bright look-
out, [ managed to prepare my counter
am bush, without youder sea.thieves hn>-
ing suspicion that gunboat lay hiddt II
so close to that trap Of theirs, con-
fe,s it was u near-run thing after ALL
The cunning Of that Bates, or whatever
his name was, in stopping tho engine,
was something | was altogether unpre
pared for and but for the bold face you
put on Il, old fellow, should have only
been in time to find the CasSaadrd's 90 *
u shambes. To you, quite AS much a'
to be, belongs the credit Of this affair. -
So tho mercatile community OF Shang-
hal and the naval officers OF the squadron
were good -natured enough to think, and
say, for on the steamers return to port,
found myself lionized and made much
Of by all, and more ofa hero, in Lllian's
eyes. | am sure, than | deserved to be,
for, after all, had done nothing but my
duty,
The gratitude Of the merchants to
whom the cargo belonged took substan-
tial shape, for not only was | presented
with a handsome sum Of money as sal
wage, but was appointed TO the &C ccmmand
of the DdIhou&e--a fine bark in the Chi
ma and Australian trade, Of which | am
still captain, while it is understood that
on my retnrn from my next voyage Lii
ian is to become my wife.
As for the treacherous owners OF the
Cassandra, Messrs. Ah-chang " Sin'lin'
tai, they at first assumed an air Of injur-
ed innocence, but were at last overborre
by the evidence given by their accom- :
pices and finding Shanghai too hot to
hold them, decamped to some other prov
ince, having, as it was said, brIhed tho
local mandarins to connive at their Hight
AS for the Cassandra, she was | undtr'
| .I -. n.nn4n1 70 Tho nsn OF The (nl-