Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1898-02-26

masted box. of full 800 tons.
starbosrd little there. Dunn -
sara Mr.. B. TO the man at m,
wheel; "starboard a little; Let her
come up a point or two"
Ay. ay. sir" answered the helms
man, and the ship hung obedient 10
the order. sufficiently to have cleared
the junk.
starboard. sir. starboard. or wen
Dc into that junk, sir," roared Hart
from the foreyard to the oificer OF the
watch; but Mr.. B. had no idea OF
aoihg anything OF the kind. He remem-
Dered the Chinese pilots advice. 81,
anything gets In your way. give II the
stern"
Port. there. Dunn, port" was his
order to the helmsman, in a sharp. de.
oisive manner; "over with it-quick's
your play. Down on that foreyard
men; down with you'll" he continued.
nnt ne wasted breath In giving the last
command. for the sailors on the yard
mad heard the order given 20 port the
neim. and knew that II meant a col
lision with the big Junk. BY the time
the ships head commenced 70 swing
Tor the Cinnamon. they were all ON
deck.
The second mate was terribly white
nut as cool and collected as though he
were merely washing decks, Instead OF
coming a big ship. flying list" with
stin breeze. TO deadly collision with
another vessel crowded with human
beings.
Ihere was no tremor in his voice. as
ne called out 10 the man at the wheel:
Steady so. Dunn; starboard a little.
starboardi" and the next instant. as
the Be rushed fair for the junk's
waist, his shout. Hold on ail-hold
on was az clear and ringing as ever
had been his order 20 ciew down a ton
sail The watch below was sleeping
stili. for though II has taken me some
time TO write this account. yet not
more than i've minutes actually elaps-
ed from the time the junk was FIRST
reported from the foreyard before we
LEFT her wreck behind us on the ocean;
and not half minute elapsed after
the order 70 port" was given before
all was over.
The alarm on our own vessel was
hardly less than that on the junk. The
watch below. including the captain and
mate. rushed out without stopping to
RIG themselves up, and the Chinese
merchants added their jabbering 10 the
confusion. Capt. Re- hurried up to
Mr.. b.. who was now standing on
the taffrail. looking astern ut the
hnlpiesS junk. and inquired:
What il the matter. Mr.. b?
Whai IL II. slrg"
oh. not much, sir!" was his an
swer. "A chlnaman got In the way,
and knocked the sticks out OF him
that's all. sir"
The shrieks could be plainly heard
astern still. and Capt. Rs kind
heart was moved TO sympathy at once.
oh. hr. B--," said he; those
poor creatures-how could you be SC
caraless. slrf"
1T was not carciessness. SIR" re-
piled the ofieer: ''it wasn't my fault
that Knocked down his masts. |
tried all could 10 give him the stern
fair In his waist. II was an accident
that ] didn't do it--not bad manage
ment."
They may be sinking, SIR"
VERY likely-hope 30. anyhow"
Blue lights and rockets were shown
from the crippled junk. and answered
by others from all points OF the COM
pass. But we kept on our way. neither
knowing or caring what became OF her,
and at sunrise not sail was 10 be
seen of all the feet we had run
through during the night.
The junk may have been only a FISH
erman: but her movements were very
suspicious. and she had very big
crew for peaceful trader. Whether
she was SINK by the force OF our blow,
or got safe into port to repair her dam.
ages, Is more than can tell. But we
congratulated ourselves during the rest
OF our passage on our escape from
Chinese pirate, and had no sympathy
10 spare for those who must have been
killed by the fail Of her mast along the
crowded deck.
Our Chinese cabin passengers thor
oughly approved of Mr.. B--'s style
OF dealing with the junk, and seemed
10 be all OF opinion that II our ship
had been lifted up sufficiently to clear
her Ito do which we should have had
to shake the wind out of our sails),
that the junk would have shot along
side 10 leeward, and our voyage would
have ended then and there. The China
men had no pity for their countrymen.
for they would have been the first vic
tins had we been taken.