The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-05-13

We pecped out at daybreak to find
that we We're approaching an island
one of the group Of three hundred
scattered along the shore of the China
Sea. We could make out about twenty
pirates on the main deck, and knew
that at least half that number were
aft. The junk had cast us off, and the
bark was working slowly past the is
land to make an anchorage to the west
of it, Captain Raynor was for opening
fire at once, but we dissuaded him. If
the pirates had been anxious to mur-
der us they would have attacked long
ago, and it seemed wiser to let them
show their hand before there was any
more bloodshed. by and by the anchor
went down, the sails were Clewcd up,
and of a sudden every pirate deserted
the ship. We at first regarded this
as a ruse to draw us out of hiding, but
after half an hour had passed we
carefully stole out on deck.
y beautiful green island lay on our
starboard side, only pistol shot away,
while there were about fifty huts scat
tered along the beach. We could see
women and children among the men,
and the junk was at anchor further
to the west of us. As to the man who
had been alOft when the fight began,
we could see nothing of him, nor were
we afterward able to ascertain his
fate. 1t is likely that after finding the
pirates in possession he leaped over
board and was drowned. No notice
was taken of us by those on the junk
or beach for a full hour, and we had
time to go over the bark. The pirates
had robbed her foreCastle of all cloth
ing and bedding, emptied the scuttle-
butt of water and carried off all the
provisions they could lay hands on.
There was no way into the hold from
the forecastle or they would have
found and released our prisoners
When he had had a bite to eat we
went down to give them the same.
They had a shrewd idea of what had
happened, and WongLee's brother
bOastingly said:
1--WE shall not be here long, and
will make you pay well for the way
we have been treated. You will all
be dead before noon"
At the end of an hour a boat with a
white flag pulled off the shore, and of
the three men in it we easily recOg-
nized WOng-Lee. He came alongside
=,
and he appeared to be in great humor.
Captain" he began, after looking US
over, Il am a pirate, but am sick of
shedding blood. We could have killed
you all last night, but / had a better
plan. There is my junk with fifty men
aboard. There are over one hundred
on the island. If there We're forty of
you the bark could not be taken out
nf Dppi Inc 1 M
and | don't care to shed more blood,
but | want the money and will have it,"
Then you'll have to fight for it as
long as we have man alive" replied
Captain Raynor.
You are not a fool" continued the
pirate leader. I'VE can run the Junk
down and board you, or do the same
with our boats. If you take shelter In
the cabin one stink-pot sent through
the skylght will drive you all out
Let me get the money out of the bark
and you can be off at once"
Not a dollar of ii shall you have
while l can fire a gum" was the cap,
tain's answer and desperate as was the
outlook we gave him three cheers ant
swore to stand by him.
"Ill give you half an hour to think
1t over" said Wong-Lce as he made
ready to go, and he shook hands al
around as he went over the rail.
We would tight. That was decided
The fact was, no one believed the pi
rates word. The idea was that h,
meant to put us to death, surrender OF
no surrender. 1t would be the break
ing up of his island haunt to let us re,
turn to Saigon and report. He wanted
the money and he wanted our lives