Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1893-05-13

some surprise, as this was unusual In
these parts, where the traffic was con-
siderable and detachments of pirate
prows and junls were by no means an
uncommon sight, and it made us reflect
uneasily that some more important
enemy than usual might be keeping
the lesser fry away, the same as the
presence of the shark clears out the
shoals of smaller fish.
All night through we had to keep a
close watch, the more particularly as
there was no moon, while a white fog
hung over us, allowing only our ears to
warn us of the approach of the enemy.
Morning dawned misty and white,
| and so dense that we could only see a
foot or two in front of us; one of these
| chill dense fogs which come sometimes
of an carly morning in the China seas,
| and betol1en a change of wind. At the
| present time the old breeze which had
carried us along had left us, and we
were now submerged in that fog with
hanging sails, and rolling about in a
dead calm.
There were twenty-eight of us al
together, counting the captain and
| mates, and every mothers son was on
deck fully armed, and frightened almost
| to breathe as we listened, with our
heads stretched forward, for the sound
we dreaded-the splashing of oars, each
| man praying for wind to come or the
white curtain to lift, so that we might
| know the best or the worst, for it was
horrible to have to wait in that unccr-
tainty and suspense.
We should be able, perhaps, to hear
them If they came on in force, for never
yet was there boat filled with rowers
but had some careless strokes IN it; but
that would not help us much, for almost
with the sound they would be swarm
ing over the sides before we could see
them, while the unmistallable creal1ing
of our yards and chains would have
| guided them to us.
At last, after long spell of anxious
waiting, the dreaded sound came and
from different directions-the soft hiss
ing OF water pushed aside by swift and
vigorous strokes, and then the pirates
were upon us in hundreds while we
were desperately fighting for our lives.
l had glirnpses of the yellow-faced de-
mons with their shavcn heads and their
pigtals plated and twined round in
black coils, as they burst from the
mist, all but naked, and hacked at Us
with their long, sharp knives while
their snally dark eyes cleaned with G
sinister glitter. A silent host of re
morselcss murderers, they went about
their fell work like spccters, while oul
side shouted and shriekcd as they tool
or gave the quietus.
1t was u rapid but furious struggle O.
ferocity and numbers, against British
courage but without method, therefor,
as might have been anticipated mum
bers carried the day-if we had only
been able TO have sent shot or TIVE
amongst them before they landed, W.
might have kept them at bay, and YET
when had seen the leader had no
even that consolation.
l was wrestling with a slippery ant
naked savage, after emptying my re
volver into the crowd, when all at one
:. saw a gigantic figure In full armo
of chain and plate loom up through tn
mist as he hewed his way along TIL
deck, and for one fatal instant paused
so fascinated at the apparitiou of full.
seven feet of grim and silent fcrocit
, towering above the hordcs, with
protesduc visor Of bronze covering tn