Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-06-19

imagine. I was by this. pretty well knocked
out. and I don't know how matters would
have gone, only that boats crew of
Baage {Rst b then Of came on the scene ana
ing and striking right and left. until one
Of the men gave her poke with bayo.
ret. when she suddenly calmed down and
she e rh has eas peter Ta begged
out before we got HIM On board. Nine
turned out to be nothing much worse than
a flesh wound. although fd lost lot of
blood from It, i'-7 ''''
'".'As you may guess, the skipper of the
Badger was in a PETER when he'd heard
my story: Certainly ], had no witness and
the bag kept her motth as close as a rat
Malay Interpreter on board, and he gave
the captain a hint. So, when the bag heard
that she was ODE taken back to Perak.
her native Place, and there handed over to
the tender mercies Of the sultan-at that
time our very good friend-she made a
clean breast OF everything, including the
attempt to poison me with the juice of the
klang-klang berries. Four hundred guild
ers was the price of Peters connivance,
and promotion to one Of the Java lights If
the plan succeeded.
This confession of the hays was a bit
of luck for me, and Capt. Cardigan compli-
pany on the way ia behaved, having I'M
doubtedly saved the Badger. whose officer
Of the watch was steering by the false
light when it suddenly disappeared. The
captain also said thar ne ,, Woula Ie2res pre- ny
kept his word said Harding. as he rose to
go on deck for a minute, my presence
here proves. II you'll refill the kettle III
be back again in very short tune: =,
himself, in reply to a remark Of mine. u
was lucky. But you mustn't think that I
came here straight away. Thistle prize
Of the Service amongst the lights-is my
rtxy{h c. IN n,t
worked my way up, helped. of course, by
the little matter I've been telling you, and
together with What in my young days was
called a very fair education: Well, the cap
noRWas s1S tie Gan e ST dn s a9 doWn
and let the Dutchman go scot free. But
s5t q stick Of the Bitten was to be seen
throughout the straits Of Macassar Still
per of country wallah told US he'd seen
her off Breton, an Island round in the
Banda sea. Sure enough. one morning,
there we found her, at anchor off ma
tive town. Now, she was both faster, car
ried more men, and was more heavily
armed than we were. But Capt. Cardigan
had made up his mind that there was to
be no International row over the matter.
1t had to be settled as privately as possible
and strictly between the two ships.
$50, with the men at their quarters, guns
run out, and the old Badger stripped for
fight, we ranged up to the Dutchman in
the quarter deck, and ordered-ay. ordered
the Blitzen's captain to come on board.
And whether 1t was the sight of the bag,
OF that they were unprepared, l don't
know. but, by CAD, sir. he came, he and his
first lieutenant, and they were received at
the gangWay as If they'd been princes of
the blood.
Then our skipper and the first lieutenant
and the Dutchman' all went below. What
passed there / don't know. But presently
they came up again-the Dutchman looking
very sour. Then our gig was piped away,
and the whole party got into her l man
aged to slip in, too, and off we went to a
little lump of an island pigeon shooting"
as l heard the first huff whisper to the
doctor.
well, the two shippers and their lieu
tenants put their hands in their pockets
ard strolled away into the bush Presently
our second huff and the doctor, each carry
ing hand bag, stroiied after them. No
body else left the boat. In about ten mill
nutes we heard a couple of shots, then
TWO more. Sports good!s said one of the
middies But the master, who was in
charge of the boat never. winked.
After a while thecparty came strolIine
back again. But Won Helms. the Dutch
captain, walked lame. and had his arm in
sing. And there was blood On the doc
Also, as We pulled on board again, noticed
IRON where l sat that our skipper had a
heat round hole through his cooked hat
ara that the gold lace on his right shout
"A
were getting aboard their own boat l look
ed at the Dutch lieutenant he was the
same fellow who'd called me an English
rascal at Mat Aris-and l said in the best
of his lingo that 1 could manage, AT leas.
that's one Dutch rascal who'll think twice
before he sets traps for British man-o'-
war
His hand went to his sword like a flash.
But our second huff, who understood, tap
ped Fin on the shoulder and pointed to the
BOAT, and, with a scowl. he got in
Also the bag was politely escorted down
me q. gangway and transhipped. We had
those Dutchmen fairly cowed, bluffed by
our audacity and their own bad conscience
NO, l never heard a word about the af
1alr afterward l stayed with Capt. Cardi-
gan until he was promoted to the Polyphe-
mus corvette, and dare say 1 might nave
STUCK TO the service only my shoulder was
always bit stiff, and got rather worse, If
anything, as time went on So left. and
through the captains influence, got light
ana 1hen others, and so on here Now. It's
a a., WIG night, and you'd better turn in here
tlll morning. No use trying TO get back -
own 70 I'm going to the telephone to talk
90 went to bed and dreamed of Mat
Ar; Arls and the bag, for whom took Hard.
iAs "hen ne woke me for morning coffee
~