The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1895-02-14

/ different islands and bays. AS we drew
near the southern mouth Of the big river
we came across plenty Of evidence that
we were approaching headquarters.
Whang- Hoa- Wing was retreating before
us ana seeking to draw us into a trap.
From tho time we started out not a
craft of his was allowed to put to sea,
and his force Of 800 pirates was strength
e1led by 100 fishermen, whom he press
ed into service. We got news Of him
now and then and here and there, and
it was always to the effect that he was
concentrating with a view to attack us
with his whole force at once and make
a speedy capture. One morning we cast
anchor off Hand island, which lies di-
rectly to the east Of the southern mouth
of the river, and woheavily armed boats
crews We're sent ashore to pick up all
possible information from the inhabit
ants. That island was believed to be
the pirates headquarters, but the native
population were reported to be peaceful
and law abiding and might perhaps give
us few pointers. Nothing was to be
learned, however. The natives protested
that they had not seen or heard of tho
pirates for many months, though it was
plain that they were III fear and were
telling lies The boats had just return.
ed when native craft came alongside
from the river. She was a small affair,
with only three men aboard, and one OF
those was a. German sailor who had
been in the hands of the pirates for two
weeks, and who was now sent to us as q
messenger.
The German had been one Of the
crew of the brig Carlos, which had been
captured by pirates Is days previously
20 miles offshore as she was coming
down the Yellow sea. The brig was a
peaceful merchantmen, carrying crew
of ten and not having even a musket
aboard. Three juuks, each having about
40 men, overhauled and boarded her in
a light wind. No resistance was made,
and the captain promptly gave up the
ships money and answered all ques
tions about the cargo.
The pirates seemed a good natured
lot at first, but when they had found
out all they wished to they suddenly
fell upon the crew and butchered every
one, excepting the man Kropf, who hap
pened to be below at the time the at
tack was made. He did not escape scot
free, however. They cut off his ears,
pulled most of the hair out of his head,
burned him with hot irons, and he had
suffered dreadfully during the two
weeks he was a prisoner. After the
butohery the pirates looted the brig OF
such cargo as they fancied and scuttled
her. The pirate chief must have had Us
in mind when he saved Kropf's life,
for he now sent him as a messenger to
say that he was ready to fight u.s. He
could have surprised us on several diff
ferent occasions, he said, but what he
wanted was fair stand up fight with a
craft sent out by the government to
catch him. If the Red Dragon would
get ready and stand out to sea for ten
miles on the morrow, he would show up
with his fleet and fight her in broad
daylight. He knew her strength in crew
and guns. and he would fight her with
ten craft and $50 men to make it a
fair battle. Ill.,. -, ...as..sgg.ii5, .s2ss,.s
It was ''defi'' which Rhodes must
take notice Of The question Of it being
the proper thing for naval officer to
accept such challenge from a pirate
would not count with the government
He would be expected not only to fight
him, but to go down with his ship rath-
er than be taken. However, Rhodes was
anxious enough to fight, and no sooner
had it become known to the crew that a
"defi" had been sent by Whang-Hoa-
Wing than the men cheered and cheered
and begged that it be accepted. Accept
ed it was on the spot and word sent to
the pirate chief that next morning at 10
O'Clock, if there was wind enough to fill
the sails, the Red Dragon would proceed
to sea and await his feet. While none
of the Chinese craft carried heavier met
al than a nine FOUNDER, and the Red
Dragon carried four eighteens on side
and Long Tom on pivot, it would
have been folly to hold our assailants
too cheap.
Their craft were swift, easily han
died and the fellows desperate lot.
Besides their cannon and small arms
they had hand grenades and stinkpots,
y /