Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1897-12-29


Maine and owned in Boston, and she
sailed like top and was commanded by
man with the heart OF lion. The day
after we got the guns mounted and the
kegs aboard we cleared for Korea, and ev-
cry mothers son Of a Chinaman in Fuchau
knew to dollar how much we had aboard.
For the first three days out the men were
drilled at the guns, and we found them a
stout and fearless lot Of fellows. The Chi
nese soldiers were under command OF a
lieutenant, and though he talked very big
as to what would happen in case we were
attacked we sized his crowd up for lot OF
skulks. They were half starved, cring-
ing lot. armed with muskets almost as
dangerous to them as to an enemy, and we
left them out of the count altogether when
figuring on our chances.
On the morning of our fourth day out
Of Fuchau, which was the morning OF a
certain July 8, we found suspicious look
ing junk bearing down on us from the
west She ran down to within mile OF
us, established our identity, and then laid
her course parallel with ours. As the
breeze was light all day the junk held her
own, and just at sundown two more crafts
of her size came down on us from the lee
of the Chin Chin islands. Word must
have been sent on at least three days ahead
Of u.s. We had a turn at scrutinizing each
craft through the glass, and Captain White
said
"They are pirate junks without
doubt, and they are after the dollars in
the cabin. They won't attack us tonight,
but tomorrow morning they'll close IN.
Tell that heathen lieutenant to step aft. "
The native officer came aft, trying to
look very brave. He and his men had
made up thoir minds as to the junks and
were already wishing themselves back at
Fuchau. Captain White had been in the
China trade for 20 years and could speak
the language almost like native.
"Look here, Ling" he said to the lieu
tenant. "Those three junks are full OF
pirates.
"Yes, they are pirates, was the answer.
"There must be 100 men altogether,
while we have less than 30. D'you think
we can beat them off
sOf course not. We must give up the
dollars and hope they will spare our lives.
It would be foolish to expect to beat them
off,"
"Oh, that's the way you feel about 1T,
is i'll" growled the captain as his face took
on sterner look. ''See here, you squint
eyed, whito livered heather, did you ever
hear of country called the United States
Of Americap"
II hear Of that" was the sulky reply.
"And have you ever heard that we have
day over there called the Fourth of July
"a holiday on which everybody whoops
yells, gets drunk, fights and goes to bed
happy"
elmo hear"
sThen you hear now. Tomorrow is the
day. We shall be in the China sea instead
of the United States, but that makes no
difference. We are going to whoop, yell
and fight If those junks attack us, we
are going to lick blazes out of them and
have patriotism enough left for fireworks
in the evening. You and your gang are
already looking for a hole to crawl into,
but let me tell you something more-if
you skulk, II you don't stand right up to
the rack and fight like devils, then by the
land Of Goshen we'll turn loose on you
and wipe you outi
"How--how can 80 men fight 1902"
| faltered the native.
"How2 How? Why, 60 for 'em like a
| ton Of wildcats and never let up until the
| last one is licked! They won't attack us
| before daylight, and you ve got all night
| to brace up your backbone. Go back to
your men and tell em what say. Well
| have our eyes OH you as well as the pirates,
and / tell you you've got 10 fight Or pc
| shot down.
| The entire crew heard the captain Is
| words. as hg meant they should, and they
| cheered again and again as the native Off
Ger withdrew The five Englishmen
| among them didn't relish the Fourth OF
July business to any great extent, but they
| were happy over the anticipated fight, and
il the crew Of white men had been 30 we
| should have felt no uneasiness. Night
closed down with the three junks q mile
| to windward, and each one Of them held
| its position through the long hours. We
| could have gone of to leeward and made
| : stern chase Of it. We could have turned
| back and hoped they would not dare to fol
| low.
"No, I'll be hanged II doi' shouted
Captain White. I'm bound FOR horea
| under charter, and II there were SIX 5unks
| instead Of three / wouldn't vary . point
| from my course. Durn an American
who'll run away from anything on the
glorious Fourth"
/ We should have daylight at 1 o'clock,
l and % after midnight we made a. ready
e could be. 10 our great sAtisfaction The
breeze began to freshen Just before :
O'Clock, and when the nrst signs Of dawn
came otealing over the waters there ws.
wind enough to do with the White 6Quall
j y Va saw At. livery dag NJ had aboard
no snatter what nat,cnAlity. W. hoiseed'