Los Angeles herald., 1892-05-08
CATCHING A COOLIE.


exact date-that was an able seaman
on board the ship John E. Redwood, of
Phillipsburg. engaged in the East India
trade. This was my first deep water
voyage Before this had been in west
ern ocean vessels. During the dog
watches my mind was filled with the
wonders to he seen in a deep waterman.
4 heard many yarns about the marvellous
tricks in juggling of the natives of the
countries we visited, and of the fairly
desperate agility of the thieves that in
Tested the seaport towns of India and
China.
After an uneventful voyage we ar
rived at Bombay, and one of the crew
having been chosen for night watchman
the rest of US were employed in working
cargo. The watchman's duty consisted
in keeping a vigilant watch from 6 in the
evening until next morning. He was
responsible for everything that was
stolen. The rest of the time he was al
lowed to do as he pleased.
My chum Bill Davis was chosen for
this duty, and we rather envied him.
To see him sitting down in the shade
smoking his pipe, while we were work
ing our soul cases off under a broiling
sun and with scarcely breath of wind
to stir the air, was enough to make any
one envious.
One Saturday afternoon Bill came to
me as was taking quiet smoke and
asked me to stand his watch that night
AS Bill had been good shipmate l
could not refuse him, although I was
dead tired. All hands except the cap
tain, the mate and myself, left for the
beach, bourd on a grand lark.
1t was still daylight, but even then
the ship seemed lonely and deserted.
The captain and mate were sitting on
the poop abaft the after house, having a
game and smoke. l fingered around
the BOBBY hatch and thought of the good
times ashore and felt lonelier every min
ute.
After sunset there was scarcely any
twilight, for the change between day
and night was almost instantaneous.
What little breeze had been blowing
throughout the day had died out, and
the sea was like an immense mirror.
The sky was cloudless, and it was one
of those perfect nights that are only
seen in small 1atitudes. The men-of-
war started drilling with their search
lights, and the sight, as the light fell on
some stately ship, making her stand out
in bold relief while the rest of the fleet
WIS an ind;stinguishable mass of shad-
iUws, was one never to be forgotten.
Watching the various doings in the har-
ihor served to pass the time, and soon
forgot my surroundings, SO absorbed did
i become in the different things that
were going on Nothing disturbed the
stiffness but now and then boatload
of drunken firemen going off to their
vessel and disputing with their boat
man. Occasionally some one would
start song, and as it drifted over the
water it's harshness was lost and only its
beauty remained.
One by ore these sounds died away,
and as there was nothing left to divert
my thoughts they came back to myself
and the ship. The silence was oppress-
i've. felt insignificant in the midst of
it. How small I was! My mind was
uneasy and restive. In fact, I was nerv-
GUS, and I could not account for it. In
order to calm myself as well as to kill
time l began walking up and down the
poop; but having worked hard all day
I was soon tagged, and began hunting
around for something that would occu-
py me. In my wanderings found two
or three sheets of New York newspa-
per. This was prize. l rugged the bin
nacle lampin the wheelhouse, and fixing
myself comfortably in the captain chair
I crowded on all sail for intellectual en-
joyment.
The only thing could find was stock
reports, advertisements and shipping
news. This was rather of disappoint-
ment, but started in to read those
found some of them quite interesting
and presently was taking solid com
fort in reading what l felt to be spe.
cies of news-dry as it was-from
home.
The door in front of me was open
and the moon had come up full Every
thing in its direct rays was bathed il
the brightest light, but the shadows
were horribly dark. l happened to
glance up as puzzled over queerly
worded notice, and my eye caught, for {
second only, the shadow of the head ant
shoulders Of coolie. AS l saw it, there
flashed through my mind the yarns tha
/ had heard about the coolies stripping
themselves, then oiling their bodies ant
swimming off to vessels with thei
''dhu" or daggers; plundering the un
guarded crews and disemboweling al
who tried to seize them as they slipped
through their hands. l jumped for thu
deck, sheathknife in hand.
When got on deck there was no on
I'm sight, and listened for some sound
but all was as quiet as deep under
ground cell. 1t was as though both O
us were even holding our breath so tina
we should not betray our whereabouts
There was not even the tapping of wave
against the ships Sides AS 1 started t
sneak to the after part of the whee
house could hear my heart beat, an
the sound of my footsteps as my bar
feet lightly touched the deck. When
reached the corner of the wheelhouse
brought my knife down around the col
ner to the full extent of my arm. Nc
feeling anything ventured to loo
around the corner. Not seeing any on
turned the corner, and in this way
xrocoodod oroup1 tho bouco coraf,1l