The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-27
Ii CHIN ON WATCH.
STORY OF AN ADVENTURE WITH
PIRATES IN CHINESE WATERS.

Treachery i'm an Engine ROOn-Run-
ming Down Three JunIks Loaded
with Murdercrs Swift Punish
ment for Sea VuItures.
From the Pittsburg Dispatch.
Our steamer had just cleared Singapore.
My duty in the engine-room was done. and
/ was sitting with the mate on, the bridge
watching the downward sweep of the
tropic dusk. at puts me in mind of a
theater sunset he was saying: they al
ways go by the run. And that was a pref
ty theatrical bit you had in the engine
room," he said TO my chief who had
joined us. We had found all the nuts
but one off the connecting-rod head; had
another half-turn been made our engines
would have been scrap heap.
"Only once has it happened before, -
said my chief, land there was a grand
tableax, as you call it, but not in the en-
gine-room. Our stem and two wall-eyed
junks were the actors. 1t was up there"
jerking his head northwards There
was nothing but thousand odd miles of
water and a busting of islands between
US and Hong Kong" The mate held a
lighted match to the chiefs pipe, and set
him drifting on with the current of his
you seehit was years and years ago.
and | was second in a local boat-Hong
Kong to Yokohama. We we're the iirst
to employ China firemen. We had been
repairing and had put on a fresh crowd,
all except one, Ii Chin. Ii was near mon
soon time. and the second day out we were
sitting, as we might be here; out there
was no sunset on view.
at had been hazy all day. and we were
watching the moon rising; just past full;
it looked as If some one had dashed one
side off the true 1t got up through the
haze, big and blood red like a fire balloon
at old Cremorne. mean, staggering
swell had set in, so oily that 1t had no
more go to it than the slush in greas-
er's bucket. We were all pretty well
hipped and morose, being company for
no one except the sea, ana that-well, that
looked as IL it wanted to be sick and
couldn't. Ii Chin, who was decent for
a heather was in charge below. My chief
was sitting on the rails, and somehow he
went over the side. You know pretty well
how things like that galvanize every
body. Lose him? No, the oily swell saved
him. for the old man ran the boat straight
hack in her own wake which was marked
out like a dusty road at night through
a hilly country. Well we came to where
he was yelling and got him out. BY all
law the old man ought to have got into
a splitter, but instead of that he said.
Look here Mr. GamwelP--that was my
chiefs name-I knew something had TO
happen i'm this cock-eyed, no-side-up-look-
ing weather, but don't believe this is
the only thing tonight.
And we all Sald together. -Inat s just
what | was thinking, sir as they do at
church when the parson pipes out.
- Then send her ahead and let's get
it done with, he said.
" Give her steam, Ii Chin I shouted
down the skylight. Ii Chin looked up and
chittered. Hi no talkee .talkee: come
chop chop So went down to him.
Il was pretty green in those days, and
whatever came within a hairs breadth
of happening made me feel as squeamish
as if it had come off OF course, you grow
out of that, but then felt my hair creep.
Our high pressure connecting rod was on
the down throw with only single nut oni
She had the old style engines, remember,
and when they went on a burst they went
handsomely no tinkering up, new en-
gines, perhaps new ship; may be even new
hands However we began to screw up
at least the chief did; he'd only trust him
self. Presently he showed nut under my
nose: That your trade mark2' he asked
The nut was chipped and scribed with
bad spanner marks, which Irepudiated.
'sIn what followed can never quite
settle Ii Chin's share IN the programme.
This was how we were after we had fixed
all tight again: II Chin was leaning
drought the eccentric rods with tho lamp;