The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-07-26
HIDING FOR LEE.

China, open for foreign traf1c. l ar
ranged my affairs at that place sooner
than l expected; and as no steamer
bound for the South was in the harbor,
or expected for some days, l determined
to proceed In the Heather Bell, a bark
rugged sailing vessel OF about three hun
dred tons register.
l was well acquainted with her cap
tain, but what perhaps chiefly induced
me 10 take passage in his vessel was the
fact OF his daughter being aboard. Lot.
tie Moore was golden-haired, blue.
eyed darling, upon whose fair head some
seventeen summers had smiled. Upon
her mothers demise she had Quilted
her home in England to accompany her
bereaVed father in his wanderings from
cline to cline.
The Heather Bell sailed from Swatow
just as day broke. On the evening OF
the next day, a little before 10 O'Clock, i
was sitting with Miss Moore in the sa-
loon, admtrlng some water color
sketches that young lady had executed,
when the chief mate entered.
"There's large junk coming right to-
ward us, sir. BY the numDer Of sw eeps
she pulls, reckon she carries consld-
cradle crew." he said.
knew what he meant, and so did the
skipper, just as well as il he had spoken
all that was passing in his mind; more
over, / appreciated his motive LOT reti-
cence, for if he had said plainly that he
feared she was pirate, 1t would have
alarmed the fair girl, WHO, thoughtless of
danger near, was chatting SO ylvacious-
ly with me.
Captain Moore ran upon deck, and
when l heard him shortly atterward tell
the mate to call all hands, ] also pro-
ceeded to the poop, and found him gaz-
ing lntently through pair of binocular
Yancing with turled sails in the dead
calm, Leing propelled by an array of oars
that flashed and glittered in the phos-
phOrescent water.
'HL's an ugly customer, and no mis-
take. We shan't have much Of show il
be attacks US. but Will let him see that
we are on the alert. Perhaps we can
manage to intimidate him." he said, as
he stopped down and commenced cast
ing adrift the lashings OF u small cast
| iron tour-pOunder tuat was only useful
as signal gun.
Directly this unformidabe cannon
was loaded with blank cartridge and dis
charged, the junk altered her course,
and passed under our stern a consider.
able distance Way.Captain NJ Moore, W hen
he noticed this movement, was inclined
to think tnat Sue was a mere trading
junk.
AT midnight retired to my berth,
and had just sank in the sweet embrace
of sleep, when | was startled to waketul-
ness by the boom Of heavy gun, while
the crash OF failing spars, mlngling with
Its echoing thunder, told me plainly
that our vessel was attacked, and that
the first shot had taken terrible effect
| upon ner.
Igrasped my revolver, and rushed
| through the saloon toward the com.
pauion-way, only haltiug for the instant
! near the mlzzen-mast " CLEAN u cutlass
| from Inc rack which surrounded IL, ere
| asceuded to the deck. Tne scene thai
| met my eyes on gaming it battles all de.
scrlptIol. Tangled cordage, rent sails
and rIven spars lay In confused heaps
around, and from under the chaoLll
| RUNS issued deep groans OF agony from
| Lhe wounued and aylng, while my yriads
| of torches aboard hu1e junk tnat hat
ranged alongside, shed across the sea
weI' d, yellow glare, revealing only toe
| plainly the dread effects OF wanton car.
mage.
AS the junk ran under our bows,
multitude OF fierce demons, powder
gr!med and Unsuitable i'll their lust tol
OiOUd, clambered to our deck, ant
pressed their way aft. Tue fallen spars
anu muItilariouS impedlments ef1Gctu
ally prevented any one passing alont
the port side, so captain Moore, three
seamen and myself, Jne only survivors
rushed LII the alley way to starDoard o
The ueck-house, and there stood resu
lutely al bay.
Our murderous antagonists poss sec
no firearms, but eacn one carried ;
short. p0nderous native sword, called 9
pa Keen; these, however, we're of bu
{l4t.e aVah against the winged messeu
gers OF death our trusty reyUlyers sen
Into the midst Of the advancing horde
luntli j. btcaln2 apparent to them and tC
us that our ammunition was gviug out
"Flnd LJttle, MIR. Carter. We nave
no chance; but, tor heavens sake, save
her from these merclless wretches.
nave my death wound now," cried the
skipper.
sprang down the cabin stairway
anu found the lair glrl kneeling at the D..
ole lmEloriDg succor from on hlgh. HeI
face was glastly pare, and tremor Wis
IDLY cOnvulseu her frame when she saw
my b!ood-sLalned bow.
Are they subdu4u? Where is m,
father?' she cfled, as sne spraug TO he
feet.
l caught her in my arms, and bore be
bodily Oh deck. 1t mad been my inteu
ton to place her i'll the Captains gig
tnat hung in The quarterdavi.s, and low
er il into The sea: but hardly had W.
emerged from tue companion haLch
W hen above the CLASH OF steel, and the
yfoans Of the wounded, heard ring GU
from three hundred tnroats, word o
dreadful import-"SnlnsW Victory !!
aud knew that my brave comrades ha,
peeu beaten uoWn--tnat tue pirates heiI
undispuIed possession OF tne vessel.
Whle in Snatow the ships jolly boa
or dingy, had been injured; ana, sine
our departure, the carpenter had beel
employed repairing her bottom, as sh
lay inverted on The poop. l knew tina
should not have time to lower the gi
when heard the war cry change 10
note OF triumph; and L insLincLlVely lei
that our only chance Of escaping deaf
Law in concealing ourselves beneath lh
little Gingy, as the Cabin and hold won.
be thoroughly searched for plunder.
ruraWl under quickly. l will loIlo'
lyou," | whispered i'll the year OF Lh
Terrified gill, as raised the stern of tn
Agnt cralt.
AS II mechanically, she obayed me
then, with much difficulty, managed /
creep under myself: ana scarcely mad
Recovered our traIl tenement 10 the dec