The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-24

taffrail, the ship emerged from the mist.
which we left behind us, looking for all
the world like some lofty gray wall or
cliff, and we found ourselves without the
slightest warning in the very midst of a
fleet Of Chinese junks manned by the
most villainous looking lot OF Mongolians
that / have ever seen. Whether Ii was
to take advantage of the lifting of the
Cog or possibly to get away from the
junks. the officer on the bridge shouted
down into the engine room TO increase
the rate of speed. At the same moment
there appeared on the deck Of a junk,
which We We're passing at distance of
less than stones throw, white man
stark naked. Knocking down with his
fists couple OF Cinnamon who were
endeavoring to stop him, he raised his
hands imploringly toward us and shouted
in English that had an unmistakable
New England twang, For Gods sake.
help" With fiashlike rapidity at least
a dozen Cinnamon jumped upon him and
bore him down into the hold. He dis
appeared from sight, but a moment later,
when the junk was already several hun
dred yards distant and beyond the reach
Of the voice. l could see him struggling
upon deck again. his face and body
streaming with blood. At this precise
minute We ran into another impene-
trable fog bank as dense and as thick
as the last. which concealed everything
denly, the engines slowed down again.
Much concerned, / FASTENED to the
bridge and COMMUNICATED to the officer
of the watch what had witnessed, urg-
ing him to stop the vessel and to attempt
to rescue the unfortunate captive. for
such took him to be, from the hands
Of the ruffians. The officer, who ac-
knowledged that he, too, had seen the
man end heard his cry for help, went to
the length Of stopping the engines and
of going down 20 the captain to report
and to ask for instructions. couple of
minutes afterward he returned to the
bridge, and, without vouchsafing any in
formation, gave orders to steam ahead
at rate Of speed which appeared to me
terribly dangerous in view of the fog.
1t was not until later in the day, when
chatting with our skipper in his cabin
after tif1in, that I had. an opportunity
OF discussing the matter and OF asking
for an explanation.
THE CAPTAINS REASONS.
There is no doubt" said he. that the
white man of whom you caught sight
was the survivor Of the crew OF some
American or English ship plundesed and
sunk by pirates. and who, for reasons
which we cannot tell. has been spared
from the general massacre which these
casions. 1t Is not the first time that 1
have known them to hold white men,
white women and little children. pas
sengers Of some Inflated ship, captives
in their possession, and may God help
the poor creatures. But / am equally
sure that those junks through which We
sailed were pirate junks, and any at
tempt that We might have made to res
cue their prisoner would have been at
tended by risks OF the gravest charac-
ter. have on board here, as you know.
nearly 500 Chinese passengers and only
a small number Of white sailors, the ma
jority OF my crew being Lascars For
all know more than half Of my Chinese
passengers may be confederates OF the
pirates we just fell in with, and would
have taken advantage OF any attempt We
might have Taade to rescue the man in
order to rise against US and to assist
their friends on the junk. We are not
prepared for any such emergency, and il
is only by dint Of the sternest discipline
on board that we manage to keep our
Chinese passengers under control and in
proper subsection Before we could have
got that man out of the hands OF those
devils. even II everything had been in
our favor, they would have cut his
throat to prevent him from disclosing
any Of their secrets. and there was quite
a suuclent force OF men on Doard mat
fleet OF junks to have got the best OF US
In any conflict. even without their hav-
ing the advantage Of the cooperation of
those Cinnamon we nave tween decks
Remembering the large amount OF
specie that have on board-and mind
you. the character OF my freight Is well
known at the port from which We sailed
Remembering. too. that 1 am response
BILE for the lives Of my white passengers.
who include a number Of women and
children. / did not hesitate when the
second of1cer came to tell me this morn
Ing Of what had taken place to order