Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-08-09

paper. Inc poor devils were unnerseO
as soon as they saw the trap into which
they had fallen, and devoted all their
energies to getting away. We could
outsail any of the junks. but it was
quick work with four of them. They
were sent to the bottom one after an
other. and as we came up with the fifth
| we ran her down. Our stem struck her
on the starbOard brOadside and cut her
almost in two. She had at least thirty
| men aboard. and there was one long.
despairing shrek as they went down
to watery graves. A few came up to
clutch at the wreckage and beg to be
taken aboard, but not one of them
would the Captain lend q hand to. Such
as the sharks did not get hold of drifted
out to sea with the tide. 1t was fear
full retribution, but these men were
monsters. Inside of thirty minutes
from the time we opened fire the
fleet was at the bottom and at least a
hundred pirates had paid the penalty
of their crimes.
Our captain was lamenting the fact
that he had not picked up one or two
in order to secure information when
there was a row forward, and it was
announced that pirate had been found
hanging to the chains. When brought
aft he was ready to do any thing to
save his life. His name was Mung-
Hang. and he had good cause to be-
lieve that We would reverse it. He
was the captain of the junk we had
run down, and was ready to tell US all
about old Chin-Lung. The bay was
his rendezvous, but his plumber was
hidden on the coast near Foo Chow.
There were barracks for the men up
the bay, and thirty or forty men there
at that moment. They had captured
French brig several days before, and
she was then at anchor in the bay
waiting for Chin-Lung's return. He
was then up among the Loo Kioo ISL
ands with four junks to capture o
large ship which had drifted into shoal
water. but was not abandoned. If We
would spare his life he would pilot US
anywhere and prove his gratitude in
any way. Shin-Lee took him in hand
for a few minutes, and then announced
that We could ,depend upon him. We
ran into the bay. brought up alongside
the brig, and sent forty men ashore to
clean out the place. Not pirate was
to be seen, all having bolted for the
woods. Every thing which would
burn was set on fire, and a prize crew
was put aboard the brig to navigate
her to Hong Kong. She reached the
port safely; and our salvage money
went far to reimburse the company for
its outlay.
When we sailed out of the bay it was
to look for the boss pirate. He was
nearer than we thought for. At eight
o'clock next morning we saw his feet
dead ahead, on its way back to For
mosa empty handed, and by ten We had
the junks under fire. These were q
drawer lot OF men. Knowing they could
not outsail us, and seeming to suspect
that We were an enemy. they closed in
right for fight. It did not last long,
however. We had one man killed by
the fall Of a block from aloft. and three
or four wounded by the bullets from
their ancient firearms, and in return
not a man of them escaped. In less
than an hours fighting altogether
We sent nine junks and two hundred
men to destruction. Butchery. was it?
Well. call it SO; but remember that in
the previous twelve months the feet of
this old pirate had captured no less
than ten foreign craft and six traders,
and that every man, woman and child
aboard had been murdered. There was
no sentiment about Climbing. He
thought Of nothing but blood and plum
der. and he would cut a child's throat
with smile on his face.
We were now ready to sail in search
of Shung-WOng. who had less power,
but was just as great a villain. These
two leaders had divided up the terri
tory, and compelled all lesser pirates
to join them and come under their
control. So. then, we had only two
men to strike at to down the whole lot.
At the close OF the third day after
heading for the south We came upon
the track of the piratical feet. A
trader in woods and dyestuhs had been
Overhauled about a hundred miles
north Of the northern group of Phil
lippines, called the Little Philippines.
The crew consisted of three men and q
boy, and the vessel had only part of a
cargo. Shung-Wong had boarded her
himself. and although the crew were
native Chinese. he could not restrain
his bloody hand. He demanded sum
equal to $500 in American money.
There was only about so aboard. and
he personally cut the captains throat.
had the others logged. and went on his
way to the bay of Luzon, which is on
the west side of the island of that
name. We spoke the trader. and no