Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1891-10-09
TAKEN BY TARTARS,

49, 1Ofc i " ho u SuD-llculpUtQC Ill tho
Royal British Navy, serving on Her
Nlajcstys gunboat Ticker, commanded
by First Lieutenant (now Captin) Charles
Napier. We were cruising Chinese
waters, keeping our eyes ope, for a lot
of Tartar pirates who are tie pests of
these sens, and are dreaded b. ali honest
trading vessels. We were living ut the
mouth Of the IIo.Tong, snail river or
creek emptying INTO the tactic, aad
Commander Napier had sent ne, with n
'boatswain named Joe Mated and n
launch's crew of twelve mei, up the
creek to hunt for and, if possible, to
destroy the stronghold of crtain Tartar
pirate who had recently radc himself
particularly obnoxious
VIC got into the creek ud rowed up
about five mics without fiNling anything
or anybody, and without hing molcsted
i'll any way whatever. Ten | THOUGHT
we had gone far enough but, being
young aud painting for glcy, | dctcrm-
incd 10 rcconnoitre lite further in
land. So, taking with III, Joe AInxtcd
and two men, and giving riders to the
men LETT in charge of the bat that il we
did rot return in forty-cigl hours they
were to come in search of L, we started
upon what was un6ioubtcdl,a very fool
hardy trip.
The whole river bank oil either side
was 4 cen:c jungle for acut half
mile, breaking into belt ot,ine forest
and then into the open. lie. and there
were narrow cuttings down the river
sitie-the river was only a)ut eighty
feet wide, about the widtLof fairly
wide strcet-and occasionallyoue came
upon my village with caring and
small ! ce farms. The inlbitants OF
these villages, we suspected, IL took IA
hand in the piratical cxcurshs which
the Ticklcr was endcavoring suppress,
but on the present occasion was the
head man Of small tribe, pich even
attacked the village pirates emselves,
that we were after
1t was early mo-ning-abol5 O'Clock
when we started ont UP our ex-
'crrsion. We thought to takedvan.apc
of the cool morning air and, Necessary
rest IN the shade during the tense heat
of the day. OF course wavere we'll
armed. We each carried aol,'s navy
revolver, the men had each rifle and
cutiass aud my sword eng fully
aware of the possibility closing our
way and not getting back toie boat. we
biazcd the trees along our rte and cut
n path through the undersrth. We
also kept lookout for arushcs. for
there was little doubt thsour pirate
know perfectly well that vwere after
him. We were not QriteO we'll ac
.quainted with the countrys he. how
!, ever. We made the disccry too late
y and to our bitter cost.
After about two hoursuttInc and
hacking at the dense un6yrowti, and
having reached the belt ofine tree,
ordered a halt, and we : down TO
breakfast. For,two of o,barty it was
their last meal. Go nohow how il
happened, for had risen thy feet and
was again moving onward lecting the
men 10 follow instantly, en- | heard
Joe Maxted's voice SHOUTING me:
"Mr. Martin! Lie down your face
Flat down for Gods sake'
1t sa'ed ms life. justrned an in
slant, in time to see my poor able
bodied scamcn on their ks with a
dozen arrows in tire body each, and
Joe on his face on the alnd. The
whole wood seemed to be &c with the
most horridlysrigged Tar villains |
set eyes on. Some had rks on their
faces and all carried jaycli and great
swords. Well, threw up, hands. |
couldn't do less.
In an instant we wereirrounded.
and, leaving the two deld dies where
they lay, we were draggedony until
we came to large clearingout quar-
ter of q mile away, the istence OF
which we had never sus,el. Here
was sort OF a village of l,boo hu:s,
little more than an encamp:t of about
eighty or a hundred men. e were in
the hands OF the pirates wtd come to
extermina:e. There was rine for it.
They would exterminate I'VE had
rot chance. Our men win't come
after u: for two days. Re was nc
hope of release. We mt just a.
we'll make up our minds to
Up 10 this time we haden so far
apart, separated by our gus, that we
could not speak to each otbr suggest
any plans. When we reac the clear
y ing, however, we were brit toyeth.
ser, and marched before thost villain.
Gus looking rascal ever .eyes on
evidently the chief of thand. joe
was filling the air with thost Lowell,
and choice selections from truly mag.
aidcsnt vocabulary of Biisgatc, anl