Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1890-03-12
MY STRANGE PASSENGER.

We were on our way from Hong Kong t,
| Foochow on the coasting steamer Namoa
writes Ernest Wilkinson, U. S. N, in TIL
Washington Evening STAR when Capt. n.
my 'fdus Achates' of the voyage, looked a
the gathering clouds to the westward and re
marked: Il hope it won't rain before we ge
into Annoy; we are just thirty miles away"
How do you know the distance SO exactly
| captaing"
Look at that rock, and over beyond it vol
| can see through rift in the clouds littl'
| specl1 like pin point on the top of that blacl
mountain. The pin point is a tall pagoda OF
that high cliff. and the 2aGoda is as good sign
| board for this town as if that whole blacl
| cliff were painted in white letters a mile hgl
| and half mile wide--A-M-OY. never set
| either the pagoda or the city that cold chill
does not run over me-"
"Will you tell NE Why, captain?"
Certainly, but lisa long story; well, here
goes:
Annoy was one of the first treaty ports in
China open TO foreign commerce, and for q
long time the noted hatred Of the Chinese for
foreigners was more intense than at any other
! port. l was then captain of a steamer on the
! first line plying between Annoy and the Eng
lish colony of Hong Kong, some two hundred
miles away
One cloudy evening in November l went
ashore in Annoy TO make a few final prepare
tons for my ships departure the next day.
While on shore | noticed that my footsteps
were logged by a disreputable looking coolie,
who approached me with great earnestness
IN has manner as soon as we had renched a
comparatively open spot, where the growing
darkness shut out the teeming hordes of a
Chinese city. l saw that it would be impos-
slble to avoid an encounter il this strange
follower should prove to be a highwayman.
So carrying my hand to my hip pocket
where l felt the friendly grip" of my re-
volver, waited for the nan to come closer
l then saw that the coolie was in great dis.
tress, and moved by his earnestness | stopped
to listen to his tale. The man explained, in
Chinese and ''pidginn English, that he had a
brother in Jail who was to be beheaded in
two days more for capsizing in a sailboat and
drowning his passenger, e mandarin's son.
The mandarin, bent on revenge, had thrown
the boatrnan into prison, where the farce of
trial had been gone through with, and the
innocent man had been doomed to die The
SOOiiC Seiiu UileiI Wefe NTelCneuiV
poor but that they had managed, by the sale
of most of their belongings, to raise money
enough to bride the jailer to allow the prisoner
to escape, and all that was necessary to save
his life was to get him away on some vessel to
the nearest foreign colony. The poor Great
ure fell on bis knees and implored me to save
his brothers life
lie would give me anything Everything
he had-only to give the hunted creature
hiding place, to save fellow being from the
keadsman's ax All this was muttered be-
tween broken sobs, and the poor man wept
as if it were he himself who was only to see
two more suns rise before the earth would
drink up his life blood.
| felt my sympathies intensely excited,
and yet / knew the treacherous nature of the
Chinese and the danger in interfering with
their ideas of justice, and, wishing either to
test the truth OF his story or to prevail upon
the coolie to choose some other means for his
brothers escape, | said: ''i1l stow him away
and carry him down TO Hong Kong for five
hundred taels" about five hundred and fifty
dollars, thinking that such price would be
utterly beyond the coolies means. The DOOR
man seemed staggered at the enor,nity of the
sum, large fortune to one of his class; but
he rallied in moment and said he supposed
he would have to pay it; that it was a fear
fIl sum, that he was very poor, and to raise
so much money his family would have to sell
all they owned; but he must save his broth
er's life; if the captain insisted he would
have to pay it.
Ny sympathies were now still more keenlv
aroused, and seeing that the unwelcome pas
senger would be sent, and not caring either
to break my word or to profit by the poor
wretch's misfortunes, / said: We'll, I'll do it
for the regular fare about ten dollars bring
him down to the wharf at II 80; | am going
off to my ship then"
The coolie seemed overpowered with iov.
and was still ''kow-towingn his thanks as |
moved away and he disappeared in the dark
ness.
had no sooner reached the wharf about
1l:45 p. M, then was touched by the same
coolle, who now offered himself as ''sampan"
man. followed him tc the boat, and there
say another man IS poorly clad as his broth
er. When We shoved off l noticed both
were very clumsy with their oars, but as nv
ship was close to tho wharf we were soon
alongside
Here handed my overcoat to the boatmau
ard he picked up bundle tied Chinese fash
ion IN large handkerchief, and we went on
board, leaving my new acquaintance in the
boat. | sent my steward forward on an err
rand that would .detain him for few mo-
mentS, and then had the coole deposit his
bundle in a small closet in the cabin and told
him that that must be his brothers hiding
place until we put TO sea, and that he mus
be quick 20 get into it,
At motion over the side the condemned
man sprang out OF the boat, which he had
made fast to the gapgway, and slid noise
lesSly aft through the cabin and into the
closet. | turned the lock and put the kew in
my pocket
But as he passed the cabin lamp. curiosity
had LED me 10 take = searching glance at nv
strange passenger, and, in spite Of his I'M
kempt hair and soiled ami battered clothes.
his light complexion ard refined features re-
yealed in the coolies brother @ Cninaman
OF the higher classes
then tried TO scrutinize the boatman. but
the mans back was TO the light, ami, TIE
steward returning just then. paid my sam
pan fare, and my strange acquaintance de
parted.
turned in. wondering who nv mysterious
might 5e, and my thoughts were
not without vague misgiving: of the noted
treachery Of the Chinese.
woke early, and had hardly begun dress
ing before herald came 70 inform me that
the viceroy OF the province desired TO see me
50 his ''yalnen' at 10 that morning. This
strange summons ! ~ once connected with
my harocrins an escaped prisoner. ami, full
OF vague Gistrust, had almost decided either
TO p;.- - sea TWO hours before the advertised