The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1876-04-06

. a"HHtHfH 49, y Nhat = ~ -
vas making my way bomcwRrd, By
short cut, from the house of Mr. Travis /
beard my own name menl 1onea, aud nso,
ebaaleal'y came 90 . halt. close 70 3 ruiu'
Gus god0wu, VI native warehouse, void
VI goods new, sud through the rotten
and preached bamboo walls Of which
caught a glimpse of Two persons 10 eAr.
meet conversation. Oue wore the aow-
log robe And satin boots which Sufficient.
ly denoted biz nationality; the other vas
dressed 10 European garb
We must cut bis throat, said the iAlter
thoughtfulIy, for Frank Hepburns clear
grit, though I never liked The dog.
Must yea, indeed, Mr.. Bates, thought
/, Tor had recognized my precious first
officer 10 The gentleman 10 black shore
going clothes; bot with your leave, there
20 two words to that bargain.
You do as you muchey like. You
master, answered Sin, with cackling
liule laugh, for cruelty, to Chinaman's
fancy, always suggests itself In The light
Of a good joke Perhaps more comfort
able. No one tells tell
Bat, said Bates medilatiyely, il viii
be tough job and ticklish one There
are those foreeastle fellows out OF the
Windsor Castle that you would clap on
board.
Well, well my Gear Bates, returned the
Chinese coaHingly, would ii do for them
to say, Ah-chang aud partnership no
decent hand only scum Of grogsbop, and
their own Lascar what you call? No
wonder Cassandra no able 70 make fight
Of ii in the narrows
All, that's it, Hepburn will make
fight Of it, and those Windsor Castle
chaps win stand by him. Six brass guns,
too, and a long rihed gun Amidsbps, |
tell you
And tell you, Interrupted the China
mau becoming excited, You finch now,
and Ah-chang say, Sin say Bates turned
coward, Bates no good, he not got ten
thousand silver dollar, nor two, nor one.
| say steamer must be boarded, cargo
must be taken, passenger pay ransom or
and he ended the sentence by passing
his yellow hand edgeways across bis
throat and as for guns-sure some one
there?
For a bit of bamboo had cracked un-
der my feet, and thought it wisest to
hurry away before my presence on the
spot should be detected.
What was to do? Nothing was clear
but that the foulest treachery was de-
signed, aud that life and property were
alike in danger, The Cassandra had on
board a valuable freight belonging to ma.
tive merchants, who were to sail with
us, along with other wealthy passengers,
European and Chinese. From these lat
ter heavy ransom could probably, by
threats or torture, be extorted while
the steamer was no doubt insured for
her full value, and could probably be
sold into the Japan or In
dian trade, after her cargo had been un-
loaded and the evidence of unwelcome
witnesses summarially suppressed.
What was | to do? | might, by de-
nouncing the plot to the admiral in com
mand of the station, Illustrate or defer
its execution, but that was all. II needs
a strong Gaze to procure any action on
the part of the imperial authorities
against rich Chinaman, and had but
my bare word TO set against the assertion
of Bates and Sin. | might resign, but
then, with a more compliant captain, the
Cassandra would go to sea, and
Why, Hepburn, are you asleep or
awake? cried genial voice, as found
myself confronted by an especial friend
of mine, commander Captain Hamilton,
of IL. NJ. gunboat Wasp, dashing officer
and All excellent seaman, who had never
forgotten in the difference OF oul present
rank old school-boy irolics shared in
England. Well, could not have wished
for safer confident, aud in few min
utes had told him all. A losg talk we
had together, aud when we separated,
Hamilton's parting words were; Leave
it to me, Frank, to see you well through
this.
We sailed in fair weather and with a
smooth sea, and just wind enough TO fill
the white sails of the pleasure boats that
dance merrily around US. Lillian stood
among the ladies on the quay, waving
her handkerchief. maryelled to myself
what could have been her feelings had
she known hew soon the spotless deck OF
the Cassandra was to be Redeemed with
blood. Ah-cbang aud his partner Sin
were there, too, to give us parting
blessing as we went out like sheep, as
they fully intended TO the slaug ghter. But
kept my own counsel, aud the rascally
owners Of the steamer saw ia me nothing
bat dupe.
There were, as | have said, sundry
passengers, rich Chinese for the most
part, with some Europeans, and a few
ladies and children. The cabins were
large and commodious, and we kept, al
usual, in that luxurious country, capi-
tai table, at which mirth and merriment
regned. And sll this while, as the
champagne corks popped and the plano
tinkled, aud gay groups cbatted under
tie awning aft, murder, stealthy aud
pitiless, lurked Ike c0uchant tiger
ready to spring upon his prey Bates
was there, civil, silent, scrupalously al
fant}ya m hie dutv hat offeu 10 bs reau