Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-02-10

| must be something 10 account for the ex-
traordinary appreciation of my nautical
merits shown by sin and his partner The
sort of shippers whom Chinese shipown-
ers like TO engage are-well, perhaps are
best defined as men of elastic conscience,
ready to drop the honest trader at short
notice, and to be smugglers or worse when
crooked courses promise high profit
1t so happened that my doubts were to
BE solved, and with vengeance, for as
was making my way homewards by a
short cut from the house of Mr.. Travis,
heard my own name mentioned and
mechanically came to a halt, close to a
ruinous godora, or native warehouse, void
of goods now, and through the rotten aud
preached bamboo walls of which caught
a glimpse of two persons in earnest con-
versation. One wore the flowing robe
and satin boots, which sufficiently denot-
ed his nationality; the other was in Euro
pean garb.
"We must cut his throat" said the
latter, thoughtfully; for Frank Hep
burns clear grit, though | never liked
the dog"
Must you, indeed, Mr.. Batess"
thought /, for / had recognized my
precious first officer in the gentleman in
black shore-going clothes; but, with
your leave, there go two words to that
bargain"
"You do as you muchey like. You
masterp' answered Sin, with cackling
little laugh, for cruelty, to Chinaman's
fancy, always suggests itself in the light
of a good joke. Perhaks Nose com.
Portable. No tales tell"
But" said Bates, meditatively, lit
will be a tough job and tis<lish one.
There are those forecastle fellows out of
the Windsor Castle that you would clap
ON board"
"Well, well, my dear Bates" returned
the Chinese, coaxingly; would il do for
them to say: Ah-chung and partnership
no decent hand, only scum Of grog shop,
and their own Lascar what you call? No
wonder Cassandra no able TO make fight
of il in the Narrows."
"Ah, that's it. Hepburn will make a
fight OF it, and those Windsor Castle chaps
will stand by him. Six brass guns, too,
and long rifled gun amidships. j tell
you---"
"And tell you," interrupted the Chi
naman, becoming excited, "you finch
now, and Ah-chung 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 ran
som, Or" and he ended the sentence
by passing his yellow hand edgeways
across his throat. And as for guns,
why Sure some one thereT'
For bit of bamboo had cracked under
my feet, and / thought il wisest To hurry
away before my presence on the spot
should be detected.
What was / to dog Nothing was clear
er but that the foulest treachery was de-
signed, and that tlife and property were
alike in danger. The Cassandra had on
board Il valuable freight belonging to ma
tive merchants, who were to sail with us,
along with other wealthy passengers, Eu-
ropean and Chinese. From these latter a
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 surreptitiously
sold into the Japan or Indian trade after
her cargo had been unlOaded and the evil
dence of unwelcome witnesses summarily
suppressed.
What was TO do? ! might, by de-
nouncing the plot to tie admiral in COM
mand of the station, Illustrate or defer It's
execution, but that was all. IL needs a
strong case TO procure any action on the
part Of the imperial authorities against
rich Chinaman, and / mad but my bare
word TO set against the assertions OF Bates
and Sin. i might resign, but then, with
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 nm especial friend
of mine, Commander OF Captain Hamil-
ton, OF II. NJ. gunboat Wasp, a dashing
officer and an excellent seaman, who had
never forgotten in the difference OF our
present rank old schoolboy frolics shared
In England Well, | could not have
wished for safer confidant, and in few
moments had told him all. A long talk
we had together, and 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 NIL
the white sails of the pleasure boats that
danced merrily around Us. Lillian stood
among the ladies on the quay, waving
her handkerchief. / marveled TO myself
what would have been her feelings had
she known how soon the spotless deck OF
the Cassandra was likely to be Redeemed
with blood. All Chung and his partner
Sin were there, too, to give US parting
blessing as we went out like sheep, as
they fully intended, to the slaughter. But
| kept my own counsel, and the rascally
owners Of the steamer saw in me nothing
but dupe. -
There were, as ! have said, suHdry pas
sengers, rich Chinese for the most part,
with some Europeans, and few ladies
and children. The cabins were large and
commodious, and we kept, as usual In
that luxurious country, capital table, nj
which mirth and merriment reigned. And
all this while, as the champagne corks
popped, and the piano tnkled, and gay
| groups chatted under the awning AFT, muir
| der, stealthy and pitiless, lurked Ike a
couchant tiger ready 10 spring upon his
prey. Bates was there, civil, silent,
scrupulolsly attentive 10 his duty, but
often to be seen comforting with set OF
| brawny, rass-complexioned mariners,
| belonging TO the Chinese portion OF the
crew, and whose countenances beiied
them sorely II they would not have been
more at home on the deck Of pirate junk
| than on that Of respectable crait like
ours. OF the European sailors, by far
| the most reliable were four or five stalwar'
A. BIS, lately discharged from the Wind.
A. 49,. EsRd