The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-27

I was half in. half out OF the crank pit.
and the chief was at my back. He had the
spanner. All in a breath he dragged me
backwards, nat my head cracking on the
plates. and / saw the sDanner so spit
Wrought the standards. a didn't hit any
metal, but something soft.
Then he clasDed his hand on my face
and held me stone tight. and something
came down and rubbed my chest. scratch
ing memo more-and through his fingers
| could see the crank moving. but IL had
passed me. IL any one believes that en-
slnts maven souls, Just you stick hlm
IN the crank pit, and let her go. only dead
slow and just 10 clear you. That convert
ed me.
HE dragged me right out. kissing in
my ear, " hip up on deck: tell EN- TO
shoot on sight any who leave the stoke
hole. He slammed the iron door tween
the oilers and US and turned on Ii chin
who was sim holding the lamp, and had
him by the throat before he could finish
no Robbery. all samee white man. As
Jumped past the starting platform l saw
one of the new stokers lying on his back.
his face a thing OF horror. That was the
soft thing the spanner hit. and you know
what size "A connecting rod takes.
Both mates and the old man were on
the bridge watching something ahead. All
In sweat / sang out my message, and
the old man never asked why or where
fore, but popped into the chart room and
slipped a revolver in the second mate 5
hand saying; It's come TO US then The
mate didn't move. so the old man yelped
at him, Why dye stand there, Mac
Are you white-livered?"
Now Mac was a Greencock man, and
he said, " ken. sir I want orders frae
you. and I'll shoot your ain brother. JUST
m a quiet and matter of fact way. And
Scott he would. l know them.
shoot anything that comes out OF the
stOkehole.' said the old man, and Mac
slid along whistling soft and quiet 10 his
station. Yes. that was il, Annie Laurie; .
but il wasn't for her he laid down and
died. Poor Mac; he got sand-bagged az
New Orleans over a chit OF a Yankee girl
not iii to black his boots.
1.-THE old man grabbed me by the arm.
Look here he said, pointing out three
sails wallowing along between us and the
moon. That's the little game your friends
below are after. Their friends are com
ing in TO join in. And by thunder, SO
is our stemr He turned on the chief
mate like a flash. You jump down with
Mac into the stoke-hole, and make ev-
cry pig-tailed heather stoke her up to the
blow-off Wipe EN- out If they've any
lip. Scoot!
a terror | never dreamt that mar
with a wife and family could have looked
such a demon.
You, he cried to me. Jump below and
don't let the engines move hand
II only went below the skyllght and
told the chief from there; didn't care
TO pass that thing on the platform again
And besides / wanted to see what was go
ing TO happen / was all on the jump
like a white-faced girl; so | stayed, look
ing out. ,,-.,.. l.. a.,
trough like a lame duck. All the crew
had turned out forward after hXing up th'
turned-in China fireman. The three 1unk'
came on in a line abreast down the wind
There was heathenish feeling about eN
erything-that red, lop-sided moon making
a big Gravity snake on the oily water
the three junks sliding along and us lai6
al, three things j re
membered: the slap OF the water undel
our stern, the rattle of the Junks sall'
Mapping against their masts. and our olt
mans fist; he was pounding time on th'
rail Then she began to blow on
''All at once he roared out. Port, hare
a-portv and rang her full speed, and W.
began TO move. Lord! IN three mlhute'
we had got our pace.
THE junks had turned after us at hrst
hut they seemed to guess something wal
wrong, for one sheered on. Presently
we'd done the half-circle and headed stem
on 10 the other two. Then i reckon the,
realized The first broke out into hght
and shouts; she was right under GU
boyys and YOU could hear her split like dr.,
9Tsv5ood Her big battened mainsail rat
tied on our foc-sle head like a shower o
canes The sea itself seemed TO yen al
round us as we steamed through the catg
rail We'd hit the other and smashed on
side off and, as we pranced by l saw
her men sliding off her deck like a spill
cart load of turnips as she heeled over
| Her rasts caught our after boat and tor
| il away. Then she beam-ended an
| slumped
AFTER hitting the first junk the old maj
| had been tramping up and down the decl
| like a mad fellow The third junk ha'
! got some distance away, but II was no use
| after her we went, our old man roaring
and shaking his fist at her; then AL a
once he quieted. and conned us IKE
! Thames steamboat skipper. And we hi
that Junk clean in the stern and rod
| over her from end to end. 1t was sicken
| ing to see the struggle in our wake;
| ran and asked him II we weren't going L
save some of them. He knocked me cleal
off my feet ! was silly for more than tel
minutes, and when l pulled together W
were still running ahead.
my chief was binding up my head, AM
the old man was staring behind. All a
once he screamed: Lord, what have
| doner and chucked up his arms and fel
back He never spoke more, but wen
out next morning, We made the heather
| stoke us back to Hong Kong-and jail.
went to a hospital completely knocke'
/ over