Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1894-04-06
A CONSTANTS DEED.

How Captain Bellamy's life was saved
at Isl Chau has never yet been told.
Every officer and man who belonged
to the Chrysolite on that disastrous night
recollects, of course, that, while endeav-
oring 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 one remembers also that
when on the following morning the Chi
namen 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 thick stone
wall
His left leg was smashed at the knee
by jingal ball, but around his thigh
was a bluejacket's silk handkerchief,
neatly applied in such way that a nickel
tobacco box placed beneath it effectively
compressed the femoral artery and
stopped the bleeding. TWAS well known
that both box and handkerchief had be-
1onged 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 acknowledged from
the first that he owed his life solely to
Larch's devotion and skill. Yet the
whole story has never yet been told.
Captain Bellamy's recent death puts me
in possession of his private journal, and
SO enables me to tell the tale.
When the Chrysolite was commission
ed at Portsmouth for the China station,
Captain Bellamy took 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, OF in the boats, or on the various
expeditions. James Larch, the captains
coxswain, was in continual attendance
upon Miss Violet and her mother. Vio-
let Bellamy was then barely 10. In
England she had led 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 10 spe-
cial encouragement to any one. On the
other hand, she discouraged no one. 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 very pretty face and
figure, supplemented by high spirits, un-
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 command of the Borer,
and at least half dozen sublieutenants
and midshipmen, besides army subal-
terms and civilians, were turned upside
down by Violet Bellamy. And if these,
who only encountered her at social func-
tons, were SO seriously upset, it is little
to be wondered at-when we recollect
that human nature is not confined to the
classes that James Larch was also over
balanced.
His associations with her were, though,
in one sense, more distant and more
purely conventional than those of any
gentleman in the colony, of a privileged
character. He helped her to mount when
she went for ride, he wrapped her
cloak around her when she left the ball
room, he carried her a hundred times
from the ships boat to the shore, or vice
versa, lest she might wet her feet. Her
breath had famed his face, her light
form had rested in his arms, and while
he never by word and seldom even by
look betrayed his feelings he neverthe-
Jess steadfastly, and with all his being,
Worshiped her.
Larch was a young and smart petty
officer. AS such he had promising Ca
reer before him, and no doubt he would
have been wise had he strictly minded
his own business and endeavored to be
content with the sphere in which it had
pleased Providence to place him. Bnt,
like many of his betters, he went down
before Violet Bellamy.
1t was at the beginning of the third
year Of the commission that the Chryso-
lite was suddenly dispatched to Isl
Chau. There had been a riot and mas
sacre there, and Captain Bellamy was
ordered to teach the local mandarins a
severe lesson.
One morning the Chrysolite arrived
off the place and sent in certain de-
mands, which, unless complied with in
three hours, were to be enforced by
means of the resources Of civilization.
The three hours elapsed, the demands
were not granted, and with absolute
punctuality the CArysolite began to shell
the fort from her inch B. L. guns
The Cinnamon laid low and did not re
ply with SO much as Q single shot. Mis-
led by their silence, Captain Bellamy
after dusk had fallen led ashore much
weaker landing party than he would
have employed had he anticipated re
sistance, Not until the men had tum
bled out of the boats did the enemy ope1
fire, and then the captain knew he ha(
made mistake. He still hoped that HI
might avert disaster by rushing the fort
and he made the attempt; but, as ha'
been already shown, he failed and fell
His men surged past him for a few
wards, but were then repulssd and driv
en- back pellmell In the confusion ant
darkness they missed him, and he wa
left living, with his left knee mangled
to bleed to death Or to get speedie
n1,ietus from one of the many bullet
1hat were Whistiing after the retreatin|
bluejackets.
It is astonishing that he escaped bein
hit a. second time, for not only were th
Cinnamon firing with rifles from the fort
Init the men in the boats were using thei
machine guns. In five minutes, though
t,e worst of the storm had passed away