The National tribune., 1891-04-30

pirate turned. lie WAS now right asteTn,
aud ihg chase would be- a long one
UNLESS SOME ACCIDENT SHOULD HAPPEN.
MY men were now fully warmed ur, and a sub
stitutc poor tO be sure bnt something, WIS
being used as am oar. AZ the pirate turned the
point the side OF the boat was lor a moment to-
Ward me. and poured IN "a yollcy OF three
fIQe.bal's which did some little DAMAGE fIr
sputcr lew about and Tor few seconds the
rowiua ceased bat was again renewed and with
extra yiEar WHil0 lle firing CuUrC'y ceased.
Thev were hpuiiug every energy TO oyrrlak-
inr u-. while kupl Up running fire Of rather
unlpra.u Nalur, iOr the distance WAS great and
the ho.l very unsteady. This cessation oi hr-
ing gave mu time 20 plan, aud, calling the
Chiuamaa aut 90 steer. aud telling him 10 60
straight aI the nuxt point, ! entered the cabin
and got down both my double -barrelcd shot
guns These j loaded with heavy charges OF
n0WdpF ard double charge of buCksh0t. HaV-
ing my loading tools could do this easily. i
filled a carTidgc-Case fuii of powder 70 the
enc, only leaving room for the wad, he hnck-
shot then poured into the muZllc aud rammed
down paper 90 keep 10 IN. j then charged my
Winchester with It's full complement of l3
rounds, aud took all up onto the alicraeck.
THE PIRATE WAS GAINING
and Coming up too fast 10 give me hope for
escape by speed alone, and then j made mp my
mind 10 turn the tables on them aud cluse the
action.
We were now nearing the point, which was
high aud steep. Reckoning on the usual lorm,
and th ca vague remembrance OF that especial
poiul ] kept close 10 il, and once more took
the helm. sending the steersman down into the
cabin al. Wc swung sharply ronud lbe point
out 81 sight D ran the boat close under the
bank aud somewhat behind the hook Of the
curve and put her nose solidIy into the mud,
A howl Of agony arose from the men, hut j
moti0uel lor ieuce and drove them also down
oul 0f sight. The pirate would pass The point
a. / bad. aud before discovering us wuuld he
almost WitEin stones throw, and then j in
tended pouring ia my four charges Of buck
shot aud thcn my rife AZ such close quar-
tcIs. aud taken by surprise, j counted on .
complete wiping out of the enemy, and turning
the chase into q retreat
Breaihcssiy i waited, aud soon heard the
quick beujing of the oars, and second later
the bow. sharp sud long, came round the point
then the whole boat. j had feared till then
thc result, now ] knew that The game was
mine The four rowcIs were in a huuch while
The stcersman was close behind them, aud the
sixth probably ia the
BOTTOM OF THE BOAT, WOUNDED.
AZ shout the men ceased pulling; nowhere
could The steersman see the pursued boat; hut
not ior long. for, without a thought OF pity
poured I'D the whitening fire from one, two bar
rels though the heavy charges nearly took me
OF ny feet Sezng the second gun, j made
haste 10 fire. No! ] never fired the Others
for there was no one to fire az, ~ the deck was
empty and not a live man ia sight. Yes there
was; for the pirate Captain had al the first lre
sprung over into the water aud was now swim
ming back toward the point as hard as he could.
Laying down the shotgun, j took my rife and
fired at the slaven crown as ID bobbed along j
came close, bHt could not hit, so jumping ashore
from the bow OF the boat ] ran up onto the
crest oi the point but only 10 see a fleeing,
semi-nHde figure running across the fields. l
sent long shot after him, and think lac bears
the mark ol the bullet, Tor be fell 1lat but
quick y rose and hcd on.
Returning to tie boat, ] found my men still
cr0urhud dUHn I'D the cabin, aud when ] sum
moned thom on deck they seemed lothe 10
come out Bat when they saw the pratical
boat floating without sign of lie about ID,
they appeared dazed bui Immediately SET about
getting tic boat clear Of the bauk, Tor the tide
was falling
By the time we were afoat again the drifting
boat was almost around the next point, aud The
Oarzmeu made all haste 10 oyertaEc g. Tor now
that they were the superior force, they were
quite ready DO turn pirate themselves. Durug
the hall hour that it took % ovcrtalza the other
boat WHs going over in my mind The pro-
prcty of passing d hy without touching OF
even looking at it. for row Ia my cooler mo
meuis ] dreaded 20 see
1uE TERRIBLE HAVOC MY BUCKsH0r
bad produced My doubts were UNNECESSARY,
for when we turned tho point aud came iu
sight again. we ssW another boat busily engaged
with The prize As We drew near rouversa-
tiOn iu loud tones commenced aud oytdept.y s.
the whole episode was retailed. a. the bullet
holes iu our boat. the spliuJ-red oar etc, HCre
exhibited. Dl the men, two were dead, two
F... fH H|Hr .T-H
latter Was iHr FIRST one 81 the rowers who Was
hit hFiih q rife bail while pulling carly 10 ihe
chase. Al four OF the mon who received The
shot 1un Vollcy were fairly uGdlDd, au4 the
sight in toe boat was revolving, b was 70 spat-
tered over with blood.
There Eas nothing left 10 loot 50, taking
the oars out we fastened the piratica craft 90
the stern aHu pulled away 10 the uraraat wiz
lape. Hero, before tha local magistrate, the
story was repeated with more eXaggcratious
Tor, Hhun wg rose d leave. my men were
trcaicd as though they were heroes, while tho
cog ol iorc lner WAS pushed aud iosiIcd
a. oi small account ] was glad 10 leave tho
boat llchlna, bot my crew really felt grIeyel
that thcy could not take it along, 10 parade
before ihc eyes Of tie village folk.
We low began 10 cut through canals. and
everywhere we bad 10 stop aud relate how my
valiant crew slew the pirates. by Eugl ish-
speaking boatman would wave a bamboo pole
with hook in the end and, bringing il down
violently,
WOULD SAY DAM PILUSG,p
and then look around for applause. This thing
went 0n until We reached -hanghae but by
that tIme J was out Of the story altogether.
aud ] presume. was depicted as covering with
terTnr on ihe bottom OF the boat while my
sturdy b1atmcn repulsed aud slew the enemy.
lt probably saved me some trouble with Tie
local Chinese as ID was. j never heard a word
81 the matter again, and the only reminder
bad wH- "a good gmO0tHbOrc 500 gun ruined.
being so expanded that il was dangerous 60
nee, hesiucs lame shoulder, that Tor week :
was black aud yellow from the viOleut rcco!.
oi the heavy charges
Some two years afterward ] saw the oxecu-
zion OF "a riyrT pirate IN Canton and the fellow
had the rIcatIICe uf a iihu-buIct wound in ihc
left shoulder behind. ] have often wondered
lf he wHE not my pirate Captain come Al last
70 full reckoning. Perhaps 80, but even than
~ was not just retr.bution. The law Furnishes
with death 20 the pirate kills 20 silence the
Wltucases. li lighter punishment were given,
robbery without murder would probably be
tic rule. NOR the exception. j heard OF many
plratIcal executions while ] was on tile coast
but never again WIS troubled for ] alwHvs
observed more caution, especially about my
men. j always suspected that the Captain 81
n.y b0at NAs boz league with the piFat.cal boat .
crew, aud would have shared the spUiis.
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Tho tarpoa Is the hegaiops atlanticus o