The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1894-03-23
A COXSWAIN'S DEED.

How Captain Bellamy's life was saved
at Tsi-Chau has never yet been told.
Every officer and man who belonged
70 the Chrysolite On that disastrous night
recollects, Of course, that. while endeav-
pring in the darkness to storm the fort,
the captain fell, and that when our peo-
pie were driven back headlong to the
boats he, with many others, was miss
ing. Every n remembers also that
when on the following morning the Chi
manner were shelled out of the place and
the bluejackets and marines again land
ed Captain Bellamy was found lying,
not where he had fallen, but a couple
of hundred yards to the right. sheltered
on the side of the enemy by a thick stone
wall.
His left leg was smashed at the knee
by a jingal ball, but around his thigh
was a bluejacket's silk handkerchief,
neatly a~ppliedin such a way that a nickel
tobacco box placed beneath it effectively
compressed the femoral artery and
stopped the bleeding. It was well known
that both box and handkerchief had be-
longed to James Larch. the captains
coxswain, whose dead body, with half a
dozen bullets through it, was found ON
the enemy's side Of the same wall. Cap
tain Bellamy himself acknowledges from
the first that he owed his life solely to
Larch's devotion and skill. Yet the
whole story has yet been told.
Captain Bellamy's rece4t death puts me
in possession of his private journal, and
so enables me to tell the tale.
When the C%hrysolite was commission
ed at Portsmouth for the China station.
Captain Bellamy took a house at Hong
Kong, and in due course Mrs. Bellamy
and her only daughter. Violet, followed
him thither. In the second year of the
commission the Chrysolite was at Hong
Kong for several successive months, and
during that period the ladies came on
board nearly every day. There were
picnics on shore and water parties afoat,
and if not on the Chrysolite then in the
house, or in the boats, or on the various
expeditions. James Larch, the captains
coxswain, was in continual attendance
upon Miss Violet and her mother. Vic
let Bellamy wa then barely is. In
England she had led q somewhat dull
life, and at Hong-Kong she lost no time
In redressing the balance of her exist
ence, which was by no means dull there.
It was not perhaps her fault that ev-
cry officer of the garrison and of the
squadron was either in love with her or
was prepared to be, for she gave no spe-
cial encouragement to any one. On the
other hand, she discouraged no me-. The
larger the number of her admirers the
greater was the enjoyment which she de-
rived from the situation. Among them
she was like child in a room full of
toys. Some she damaged, some she
smashed -irretrievably, but without the
slightest malice or wickedness. She sim.
ply had never realized the powers and
responsibilities Of q very pretty face and
figure, supplemented by high spirits, I'M
firing activity and abundant health, and
although she spread ruin around her she
never for an instant intended TO do harm
to anybody.
There were many who suffered. Com
mander Corcoran Of the flagship, Major
Browleigh of the Royal Bucks, Staff
Surgeon Bennett Of the Bridport, Lieu
tenant Maplin in commando of the Borer,
and at least half a dozen subIieutenants
and midshipmen, besides army subal-
terms and civilians, were turned upside
-E