The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-04-25
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!, HONOR AMONG THIEVES. !
BY MORGAN ROBERTSON.
(copyright, 1897. S. S. Mcclure Co.
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when you have made a more than
successful cruise, on which you have
ravaged the coast from Callao to the
isthmus; when your hold is filled with
he choicest of brandies, wines and
liquors-with fancy groceries and the
finest of silks, brocades and, broad
cloths, and the covers of four treasure
chests in the tween deck will hardly
close over the contents; lastly, when
your number is reduced by nights,
sickness and quarterback correction
from 40 TO 20, and your share in the
spoil is increased in like ratio, II is
hard, very hard, to lie in the scuppers
under a hot Pacific sun and whistle for
a wind, with your island retreat just
below the western horizon. a fat and
tempting Chinese junk a half-miie off
in the same direction, curious, though
Guiescent man-of-war three miles east,
and Palm Tree island to the southwark,
toward which the current is setting,
threatening to receive you on its shark
infest ed reef.
Such conditions would try the pa
thence of gentler souls than Captain
Swarth and his crew Their brig was
taking in water through started butt
in spite of the thrummed topgallant
sail under it-at the rate of foot an
hour, while the one gang that they
dared show 10 those inquiSltlVe gov
eminent glasses to the eastward could
not pump her free. In fact, the water
gained Wind was what they wansed;
wind would settle the whole matter.
They could man all her crew, transs'iip
what was good of her cargo, lead the
+bulldog' a chase to the southwark
and dodge back to their island TO ca
reen and refit, divide up and rest. They
knew that n-of-war-thougn she
IL "a haF II
speed and gunnery, and feared her not
with wind.
Yank Tate, the carpenter, sounded
the pump-well and groaned gentle
oath. No good, cappen." he said, as
he walked aft with the sounding rod;
''must be up to the second tier now.
Captain Swarth swept the smoky no
rizon with his glasses. There was TO
sign of even a catspaw; the motionless
nlan-Cf-War-a gundeck slcop-lay out
lined against the haze with the dis
1inct detail Of a steel ensraving-eVery
block, rope and reef-point showing
Aboard the junk big, fat Chinaman
sat at the tiller on the high poop, nod
ding. as though asleep, while the rest
of her crew were hidden. Palm Tree
island was hearer-he could plainly
hear the surf crashing on the barrier.
Get the boys up, Angel" he said to
his long-legged, solemn-faced mate.
MAN both pumps: and Chips. this to
the carpenter-'.sae what you can do
with the lumber down below Make
balm pump if you can
Then we'll have that feller's boats
down on us" answered the mate: and
lose the junk, tOo-they've got sweeps
aboard. Them rags won't fool the brass
buttons after they see our crowd He
pointed to a string of signal flags at
the gaff end, which, in answer to
previous inquiry of the ship. had given
the official number of the last brig they
had taken-that now lay on the bottom
40 miles east. why not hold on till
dark. Bill? The moon'u bring wind
Wen likely have her boats here soon
anyhow; they're only waiting till it's
cooler. AS for the junk, let her go;
there's not much in her. We've got to
float. above ALL and float high. or we
can't get away when the wind does
come. We can fight the boats off"
Guess yer right, Bill. Pity we lost
ours. We could be through wi the junk
fore this if we had 'em. Man the after
pump ne called.
The carpenter had disappeared in the
'tween-declS. and the cosmopolitan crew
with growls and hurrahs, according to
their individual appreciation of the sit
uation. arose from the hot Geek and
shipped pump brakes. AS they did so a
trenor ran through the brig. and the
water alongside was broken into minute
ripples-
tain; barrels adrift in the hold? Pump
away there. DULLES; tighten her up
he shouted to the men.
Look at the Cinnamon, Bill said the
mate The crew of the Junk had come
to life. Not less than 40 lOnetailed
Celestials were Gying about her deck;
some lowering the heavy mat sails:
at the sharp prOnged wooden anchors
evidently getting them ready. But the
sudden showing of the II extra White
men on the deck of their neighbOr did
not seem TO be the cause Of their aSi-
tation, for they swung the light craft
around until the two painted eyes in
the bows looked al the brig, and pulled
in the sweeps.
She's . pirate-a Chinese pirate"
cried the captain; no trading junk
carries that crew. Blown off the coast,
likely" The men heard and a howl Of
execration arose from the briggs deck
not from offended virtue; ii was rather,
the protest of union against noa-union
labor. Pickings were scarce and hard
earned in these seas. even when junks
and praus kept out of the business The
howl was silenced by a shout from the
man at the wheel
Look at the island-look. Look at
it he cried.
Palm Tree island had arisen from the
sea and receded. The low cone Of the
island was mile farther TO the south
ward, but It lowered in the air, and
around its base was wide gray Offset
which descended steeply 10 the sea. 1t
had been the barrier reef.
Earthquake, Angel-thats what we
fell" shouted Captain Swarth. The sea
bed has sunk and we're being sucked
into the hollow. Well get the back
wave soon. Batten down fore and aft,
first thing-'fore you shorten sail"
They noticed that the man-of-war
was Chewing up royals and tOpSallant-
sails. that the Cinnamon had disap-
peared behind the rail. and that the
northern horizon. though hidden by a
newly-formed fog bank, was unques-
tionabIy elevated-they seemed to be
looking up hill. None too socn was the
carpenter called and matches and COM
panionways covered and secured, for,
suddenly. about a mile up the slope ap-
peared a dark line across the water 1t
deepened. raised and approached
comber; a liquid wall which blottad out
the fog bank 1t reached the half-ciad
ship to the eastward, and they saw her
lift her bows to il: then, while every
thing above topmastheads sank in a
confused tangle, roll on her beam ends
and disappear behind the wave
Hang on. everybody" roared Cap
tain Swarth. as ne slipped the blight
OF a rope over his shoulders. Lash
yourselves.
The sloop-of-war had taken it bow
on. and though dismasted. had ridden
through. The brig and junk presented |
their braodsides-the latter intentions |
aIlv. perhaps from some canon of Chi. |