Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-08-08

| quietly ana raen watch our opportunity to
esesre Perhaps they viii not XII ~ At
| The seoundress rushed upon us. and q
FEY minutes Iater We we.e lying in the
| cabin. bound hand and foot. We had bid
den each other q last farewell. expecting
seemed that our hfdeous captor had other
plaus.
Over Us stood the mandarin and three Of
| 'Sar?-' (-cut'') said one Of the latter sig
nificantiy saving the air sideways with his
hand.
| take them alive to his exceIlency Yeh. TIL.
foreign devil we shall be able to pass of
| as an offtcer. and SO obtain the reward, as
| well as having the qualification Of seeing
nim treated to the ling chy q. e., the hor-
| rihle torture Of cutting into ten thousand
piecesl. As for the woman. she has brought
disgrace upon our nation, and will be made
an example Of
A moment later they went on deck
Scarcely had they vanished up the com
panaonway when slight tap came against
the bulkhead across the cabin, and heard
the voice Of my father-in-hw.
| HI. captinr said he. me no have die
Twelve piecse men have makee hide down
fefes!ae. 'Spose by M BY some mandarin
man man m NAL GO, 20 ashore. spose you makee
All right, A-choon1." 1 said. Keep
close where you are. think likely some
Of them Will 90 ashore with the plumber.
I
then We will make fight for the ship"
The Information that twelve men were
slowed away in the forecastle was well
| come news Indeed, and for a moment my
when l came to consider our chance. and
the dreadful fate that awaited us, 1 grew
| despondent again.
oh Se-she.'' I cried. why did you pre-
| vent me- from shooting? We should then
have been killed at once. but now
Wait. my husband. Remember I am
| armed; l have your revolver and my dag
| ger. We have yet a chance. When the
men have gone with the iunks there will
| hot be many soldiers left on board; then I
will slip my hand out. cut the ropes that
last effort. If we fail, then it will be q
quick death"
Just as she finished speaking the man
DARN returned to the cabin accompanied
by an attendant who carried writing ma
terials. Seating himself at the table he
wrote letter, which he handed to the man
in waiting.
BE off, now" he said, land convey this
to the officer In charge of the tt-mungs.
Take half the men with you; leave me the
other twenty-five. Use the fast boat and
make the men bend to their oars. for 1 am
in hurry to have the ti-mungs brought
round"
Away went the bearer of the letter and
presently we heard the ropes cast Off and
hope and excitement Only twenty-five
men left on board-oh. If only my brave lit
tie wife could set me free, and could Nber-
ate the men in the forecastle.
These thoughts were suddenly interrupted
by the mandarin.
Hi foreign devil!' he cried. How
muches dollar have got? What place keep
ee he?
flashed upon me that by giving them up
and INDUCING his passion Of avarice 1
might throw the wretch of his guard:
dollar in top drawer. other cabin I re-
piled.
Chucklfng to himself he marched into the
cabin 1 had indicated and presently re-
turned with the money in his hand.
More doIlar!" he cried. not yet satisfied
More dollar. What place. have got more
doilar?"
mo more" I replied.
"Dollar! Dollar. 'Spose you no talkee me
what place have makee hid, me killee you
wife, and he laid hts hand threateningiy
upon his sword.
I shuddered at this dreadful threat. and
knew not what reply to make to satisfy
him. But Se-she's mind was busy at work
en- a plan.
..Ycu havee my dollar" she said. you
find In smailo piecee box under table
toward the inner cabin. He had taken but
q step or two when quick as thought
she slipped her small soft hands from the
rope which bound them, and drawing her
and drove the weapon with all her strength
into his back. The blow was aimed with
fatal precision, and the mandarin fell life
less to the floor. One low moan escaped
him. and that was all.
Next instant the little woman was at
my side. cutting away the ropes from my
hands and feet. This done she handed me
the revolver which she had concealed about
her person when we were captured
1t was now necessary for me to steal
forward and release the men. Creeping
stealthily up the companion stairs peered
cautiously around. 1t was just that silent
| chilly oppressive hour of the morning be-
tween black night and gray dawn, when
en- dark night the darkness Is most pro-
found. and Its peculiar haziness makes all
objects most Invisible.
The imperialists were assembled round
a couple Of big lanterns. following the
usual and besetting vice Of Chinese soldiers
and sailors-that of gambling. They were
| 80 intent upon their small wooden cards
and their ftar!ng lanterns threw every
other part Of the deck into such deep
shallow. that m lnaged to reach the fore
castle hatch undiscovered. With infinite
caution I removed the fastening and de-
sCended to my men. There were nine Can
| tonese and three Manila men. All were
armed. In few seconds I told Ihem how
matters stood, and called upon them to fol-
low me- then, one by one, we crept up the
ladder.
Fire" I crted. The voIfey swept half
the gambling guard into eternity and with
hAyonet and eutlass we drove The rat
overheard. Just as A-ch0onR came running
up from his hiding place to assist u.s.
We get up our anchor and spread sail
as quickly as possible, and before O'Clock
In the morning we were riding safely ut
anchor In Hong Kong