The times., 1898-06-19

Merryong, who every time he wished to
attract my attention. used to beat my
legs with his long tail | fancied that he
was doing ii now, with AN absolutely
physical wrench / tore my hot eyes away
from the skyiisht and looked down.
The breeze had. freshened considerably,
making fhe LY-chee tumble about a bit
And with the increased motion the dead
Chinaman was rolling TO and fro. and
humping his head against my bound ank-
les. And the shock of meeting those up
turned, staring eyes Sand the terrible face
with it's lips curled, grinning back from
the stained teeth, and the great cash in
the throat opening and closing in ghastly
protesting fashion, saved me, / verify be-
lieve, by the consideration of fresh hCr-
ror, from becoming raving lunatic.
| do not know what period of time went
by while. the awful anguish of expec-
fancy broken, dreamily and with senses
in some sort 4numhed. .,stared back at the
staring dead man. But l remember
wishing'Ie could speak To him. and ask
him 10 lie quietly and leave me alone,
wishing, too, that / could move my feet
out of his way and out of the black pool
that was gathering around and over the
toes of my canvas. shoes and spoiilnS
them But all at once there fell on my
ears a sbund that made me raise my head
and sent a wave of life and hope pulsins
through every artery in my body IN re-
sponse TO the regular .thump, thump OF
a steamers screw. Twisting my head
around, ,san'-1both heP-lghts coming
right down upon the Ly-chee. and distant
a bare mile. AS she approached | could
distinctly make her out to be long, low
double funneled boat going through the
water at a great. rate. Suddenly lost
the green light. She was keeping away
Then the red one disappeared. She was
fna = M
mcrs beating on my heart; ana the
stream of sparks from her tunnels flying
into my brain. Impotently. as, ] realized
the full misery of the thing. | groaned
and painted forth ihoarse noises. audlDle
perhaps a yard away lmpotently
writhed and struggled till the tautened
ropes reached the bone on legs ana Wrlsts-
But ever fainter and fainter came the
thump of the screw. And as despair
utter and complete, settled once more
into nv soul. my head fell on my breast,
and once more i entered the dark valley
of the shadow, from which had emerg-
| ed only to partake of the bitterness OF
new death.
Sitting there scarcely conscious. and
with my eyes shut / suddenly fei thdt
| some strong strange light was beating on
| their lids. Looking up, sa" thdt lne
whole ship and the sea round about l.
|
| that seemed to dart into and rest on every
| part of the Ly-chee. In my first surprise
! | imagined that this perhaps was out
| blaze preparatory 70 the explosion ieto
been so long expecting. a notion as IN
stantly dismissed. as heard, almost
| alongside now. the loud humping o'
screw, and saw the steamer. not 2UO yardS
away. playing on the Ly-chee with her
searchlight Then as If thoroughly To
hear fnto me the blessed truth. a voice
| hailed Steamer ahoy"' But l coul'
/ give them no signal. And during lew
! minutes of such agOnized suspense as l
| know I shall never be permitted 10 pass
| through again-God being ZOO merciful for
| that heard the sweetest music the
| world then held for me, the swift cheep
| through their blocks Of a boats davit-
| fails Then II seemed but second or two
| untu hearty wholesome English faces
| were looking into mine. and ready hands
cutting away at my bonds and removing
| the gag while there came TO my ears as
| II from A very far distance across the sea
| expressions Of wonder, execration. and
! pity. They told me afterwards that be-
| fore swoousd. as I did directly they as
sisted me to my feet, I muttered the one
| word Boilers"
When I came to myself again II was
| sunrise. and was lying on mattress
| spread on the after skylight of II. NJ
| gunbOa- PSyche, my WFlSlS anu anne
| swathed in bandages, and the taste o
| strong brandy In my mouth.
| The Internal villains" exclaimed the
| captain. as 10 him and his officers ! told
| my story. brokenly and with long pauses
| for I was weak and feverish But Il
we have any luck. we may punish then
yet: the winds been against them al
night Where'n they be. Mr. Courte'
| nay?"
"Off Tiu-ko Point. SIR" replied the first
| lieutenant. ''by my reckoning
Exactly the place I had in my mind.
| said the captain. I'VE can fix them ur
| yet I do hope and believe Now, ne
| went on. addressing me. don't exert
| yourself. The doctor, here, says you
| be all right in a day or two. There's the
| Ly-chee just astern of US. Her CAPTAIN
| and one of his mates we found dead
| stabbed and shot, thrown off the bridge
| as you told US among the deck cargo
| Another white man lay in his bunk with
his head smashed to pieces. The engineer
| was lying across one of his cylinders, shoi