The morning times., 1895-07-12
p GOXSWainS Dead.


How Capt BeIlamv's life was saved at
Tsi-Chau las never vet been told
Every officer and man who belonged
TO The CHrysolite on that disastrous night
Tccolleots, OF course, that while endeav-
oring in Tie darkness TO storm the fort
the captain fell, and that when our people
were driven back headlons to the boats
he, with many others, was missing Every
one remembers, also. that when on the
following morning the Cinnamon were
sheIled out OF the place and the blue-
Jackets and marines again landed Capt.
Bcllamy was found lying, not where lie
had fallen, but a couple OF hundred yards
10 the right sheltered on the side OF the
enemy by a thick stone wall.
Ills Igft ia- was smashed at the knee by
q jingaI ban, but aToGnd his thigh was a
hueiacsyrs silk handkerchief, neatly APP
piled iu such a way that nickel tobacco
box placed beneath il effectively com
pressed the femoral artery and stopped
the bleeding IL was well known that
both box and handkerchief had belonged
10 James Larch, the captains CoXswain,
whose ivad BODY. with half a dozen bullets
through il, was found on the "my's side
Acknowledged from the first that he owed
his life solely 10 LaIch's devotion and
skill Yet the whole story has never yet
beea told Capt Bcllamys Recent death
puts me iu possession OF hIs private Jour
nal, aud so enables nae to tell the tale.
at PuTl >nlOUt IA for the CANA station, Capt
Bsiamy took a house at Hong Kong, and
IN dee course, Mrs Bsllamy and her only
daughter, Violet, followed INN thither
in tGe second year OF The commits ion tie
CArysuliie was AZ Hong Kong for several
success I'VE months. and during that period
lie ladies came on board nearly every
day. There were piCniCS on shore and
water parlIss aiioat, and if not on the
ChTysniIta hen in the house, or in the boats,
ur on the various expeditions. James
Larch the captains CuNswain, was in
continual attendance upon Miss Violet ANA
her mother. Violet Beiiamy WAS then
barely eighteen H. England she had led "A
somewhat dun life, and al Hong Kong she
ioSt no ,me III redres~ing The balance OF
her existence, which was by no means
dJl there
II was not perhaps her fault taat
every officer Of The garrison ana OF The
squadron was IN love with her or was
prepared to be-, for She gave no special en-
uuuTaEenleut 20 any one. On the other
hand. she discouraged no one. The larger
the number OF her admirers the greater
q
from the situation. Among them she was
like a child in room fuU Of toys some
She damaged, some she smashed irrptriev-
ably, bat without the slightest malice or
WIrkeuUeSS She simply had never Te-
RllZ.d the powers and responsibilities OF
very pretty face, and figure, supple
meuted by high spirits, untirIng activity,
and abundant health, and although she
spread r4ln around her, she never for an
instant intended to do harm 10 anybody
There were many who suffered Com
mander Corcoran OF The flagship, Major
Br0wlaIEh ol the Royal Bucks, Staff surgeon
Bennett or the BHdport, Lieut. Mapin in
command Of the Borer. and al least Ealf a
dozen suhlIeutenaBts ana midshipmen. be-
sides army suDalterHs aud civilians. We're
turned UPSIDE down by Violet Benamy
And II these, who only encountered her at
Social functions. were SO seriously upset,
IL is httla 10 be- wondered at--when we recol-
lect that HEman nature Is not confined To the
ClaSses-that James Larch was also over
balanced
HIS associations with her We're, though,
an one sense, more distant and more purely
conventional than those Of any gentleman
In the colony, OF a privileged character
Re helped her 10 mount when she went for
3 ride, he wrapped her cloak around her
when SHE left The ball room. he carried her a
hundred times from the ships boat 10 the
shore, al vice versa, lest she might wet her
sect Her breath had famed @s face. her
light form had rested ia his arms, and while
Es never by word and seldom even by look
betrayed nis feelings he nevertheless stead
fastly, ana with all his being, wOrshiped
{iar
LaTch was a young and smart petty Of
ficer AS such he had a promising career
before him, and no doubt be would have
been wise had he strictly minded ms ogTn
e.
theSpleFs IN whiChlt had pleaseaP i PrOYIuence
10 place him. But, like many of his bctters,
be went down before Violet Beliamy
II was M the beginning of he third year
or the commission that the ChrySoiite was
suddenly dispatched 20 Tsi-Chau. There
had been a riot and "A massacre there, ANA
Capt B-idny was ordered TO teach the
local mandaTus a severe lesson.
One morning the ClrySolIte arrived off
the place and sent IN certain demands,
which, unless complied with ia three hours,
were TO be enforced by means OF the IT,
sources OF civilization. The three hours
elapsed, the demands were not granted,
and with absolute pUnCJuallty the ChrN-
s0lte began 10 shell the fort from her SIX
inch b. L. guns. The Cinnamon laid low
and did not reply with so much as q
single shot. BIisled by their silence, Capt.
Bellamv after dusk had fallen led ashore
much weaker landing party than he
would have employed had ne anticipated
resistance. Not until the men had tumhled
out OF the boats did the enemy open fire,
and then thc captain EUCw he had made 4
mistake he Stin hoped that he might
avert disaster by rushing the fort and he
made the attempt; but as has already
been shown. be failed and Icll. His men
EurgeG past hIm for few yards. hut were
then Tcpulsed and driven back pellmen.
In the confusion and darkness they missed
him, and he was lett lying with his left
knee m3ngIcd. to bleed TO death or TO get
a Spccller quleius from one OF The many
bullets that were whlstling after the re
treating bucisckcts.
II is astonishing that he escaped being
hit a second time, for not only We're the
Cbuamen firing with rifles from the fort
hut the men in the boats were using their
machine guns. In five minutes, though,
the worst OF the storm had passed away,
and with the luIl Capt. Bellamy saw a
dark figure slowly dra wing near him from
the right He fully expected to find that
his visitor was one OF the enemy armed
with mission TO put an end 10 him. or
perhaps drag him into The fort, where death
mIgh. be administered a little at a time,
and though a brave man he was much re,
lievcd wnen he was able 20 distinguish
thai the newcomer was one Of his own
people.
beg pardon. sir, 1 hoped it was YOU"
whispered a voice which the captain at
once recognized as that Of his COXSWain.
~EopeGr' gTowled tbc captain. What
do y0a lncan by haping, you sCoundrr2
Here 1 am with my knee smashed. bleed
ing 10 Geathr'
sad news for Miss Violet" muttered
Larch
'C0uf0uHd Miss Violet and you too!
Bear a haUd here and pun me out OF TINS
II You can The beggars will be blazing
away again IN a minute "
''MuSa't move you,- sir, till I've tied up
4