The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-05-26
for strangers.

| III ldcl, inc most prOnCa ole poTJlOu OF
our cargo was opium, which we had
| taken in at Rangoon and intended to
work off at some of the northern ports
where we had safe customers, bat as
both our captain and craft were well
| known to the trade, we had to take eX-
ira precautions so as to avoid the pro-
hibitive people and keep clear of the
pirates as well, who infested these wa
| tiers.
! Our ingenuity was taxed in order to
outwit the government party, and many
| pretty devices We're hit upon, to conceal
| this dangerous portion of our cargo,
| which I need not enumerate or describe
| just at present. Our captain. having q
regular talent for mechanical con-
! trivances, spent most of his spare time
inventing covers for the precious drug;
| indeed often wondered why he wasted
his splendid gifts in this way when he
might have made a fortune ashore by
taking out patents for his inventions
and serving a grateful government in
| stead of cheating it. But as he said
himself, he had once tried to pass
luC oulCto III du
honest fashion. and preferred ever after
to devote his abilities to steering clear
of them as the most profitable and the
manlier game.
Tho pirates were different consid-
GRAFTON, however, and Kept US all lively
and anxious about the wind; with a fair
breeze we were pretty safe, for our YES
al rood ooi1ar ,
fight we could hold our own with our
deck-guns and small arms, as well as
other projectiles to keep off and swamp
the cut-throat boarders, but when the
wind fell, then also did our spirits, for
small mercy would the savage hordes
show to their captives once they got a
footing on board ship.
We knew them of old, for many
tussle we had had with them in the
past, so that their Internal coura ge
and ferocity were not matter of mere
surmise on our part: and we did not re-
quire to be kept TO our duty of watch
ing, for each night we lay down with
our weapons ready, and little inclina-
ton for sleep, with the expectation of
being called up to action at any mo-
ment.
/ was acting az supercargo on board,
and this had been my third voyage to
Chefo, our furthest port of CALL and
having gone through one fight already
could listen with the greater interest
to the tales told by those on board Of
more experience, for our men were most
" veterans in the illicit traffic, and
could spin yarns CORY enough to color
good-sized city.
Shi-Hwang-th devil mandarin, and
his gang-was the vague impersonation
of all the piratical vices; whom we had
heard about, but as yet no one on board
had met
His notorious name was a common
enough theme and his qualities almost
supernatural in their vague atrocity. so
that he was properly regarded as the
dreaded scourge OF the sea. We had
met natives at different places who had
seen him and had come upon his traces
ashore-villages laid waste and the in
habitants massacred almost TO 4 man.
after being tortured in the most diabol-
zeal way; but hitherto the ocean had
covered up his secrets. for 1t was said
that no one ever escaped his clutches
when afoat, and thus we could only
guess at his plan Of action.
We should know him when he came,
they all said, as we must know death;
a single experience not to be repeated
or spoken about afterwSrd, for his com
ing was death and destruction.
This was the mythical parsonage who
occupied our thoughts morning. noon
ard night. after we left Foochow and
bore up toward The Yellow sea. and
whom on this third voyage "a fatcd
70 meet
We were trodavs' sail from Nacaszki
and at the most critical part Of our roy-
age when THAT re had dreaded came 70
pass Hitherto we had been favored
with steadv wind and an ocean per-
fect!y clear o! sails, which caused Is
>one surprise. Is this was unusual in
these parts, where the traffic was cen
siderable and attachments Of pirate
prows and junks were by no means al
uncommon sight. and 1t made Us reaec.
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
Ali night through we had 20 keep a
cioSe watch the moro particularly as
there was 10 NOON. while white fog
hung over 20 allowing onig cur ears ~