The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-06-06
NEW HAVEN MORNING JOURNAL COURIER MONDAY

4 are your Annoy IflendS up lo-a OIL OF
| piracy, eh?"
| mo savee; no savee," replied Jimmy,
| turning actually green with fear, while
! showing the whites of his eyes in a
horrible manner as he stared over my
shoulder What you wantee? Me
| cooks mate, No savee," he continued
as, turning, I found myself face to face
with the steward, a tall Chinaman with
a long, broad, red scar running down
the side of his left cheek from ear to
chin, giving him very truculent look.
| Me steward, sah," said he, darting
most malignant glance at Jimmy.
"Sheef steward. You wantee Watah;
me blingee you. Soda-wattah, blandee,
lemon quash, whissakee; all bling
s'pose you wantee."
Just at this moment up came the Sec
ond engineer with a badly torn finger,
and realizing that 1 had somehow got
Jimmy into trouble with my evidently
overheard question, I took the evil
faced Malay into my berth and dressed
the wound.
Are there many Annoy men on board
the Ly-chee?" I asked presently
"None at all, that know of, /" he re-
piled. why do you wish to find out?"
Curiosity only" / said carelessly;
"Im studying the different types of
Chinese. That's ALL
He grinned and said: WELL you'll
probably have good chance if you're
going in for that sort of thing. Can't
say that I'm fond of them myself
I'm Batavia-born, and that's a cut
above Chinaman, isn't it?
Very much so, indeed" I replied po-
litely, although the man was uglier
even than poor Cabbage Jimmy.
"Then you can't give me any informa-
ton about the men we have with us
now?"
None" said he; land perhaps it
would be as WELL" he added, with a
nasty look in his snakelike eyes, ''if you
We're not too inquisitive. There's a
hint worth all you've done for my fin
ger" and off he went to his engine
room again, leaving me with firmer
chief brewing aboard.
That same night, sitting on the deck
enjoying the cool breeze blowing off
the land, was startled by seeing what
appeared to be a big fire right ahead,
which burned for a minute or two and
then went out.
TITS junk showing a fare" heard
the second mate say to the captain on
the bridge Immediately above me.
BLAST 'em," growled the skipper;
'the brutes are always getting in the
road! I've run few down in my time,
anil serve this fellow the same if he
doesn't clear out" and Selling the ST
ren-wire, he loosed a blast that made
me start
1t was dark, but away in the east
astern a tightening of the sky showed
where the moon would soon rise.
Port your helm!" shouted the skipper
presently to the Chinese quartermaster.
"Portee!" replied the man from where
he stood at the wheel, right aft; for the
Ly-chee was an old-fashioned tank,
built before the days of "nid-ship''
steerage.
All at once, looking up, saw that
the bridge was crowded with men, their
dark forms outlined against the sky.
There was a scuffle; the report of pis-
toll; then another; then the sound of
, bodies crashing on to the cargo FIFTEEN
, feet below.
; As 1 jumped to my feet the Ly-chee
slowed, and I heard shot in the en-
gine-room. Before I could beside on
, anything there was a rush of men
against me, and I was forced back in
my chair and tied so thoroughly hand
and foot, that I lay like a log. Then
the steamer stopped altogether, and lay
gently heaving to the swell. I called to
( the captain, but there was no reply.
Also, saw the bridge was empty AS
term the moon had risen like globe Of
palest, purest silver A little way from
t me the Chinese passengers were
screaming. I had never heard men
l scream before, and it made me shiver
1t was exactly the long drawn scream
t ing of a pig when he first feels the
knife And, as yet, nobody had
7 touched them. But the crew, headed
by the Malay and the steward, were
breaking out the boxes of dollars and
piling them on deck. Upon these their
owners now flung themselves, needless
$ of the kicks and knocks which present
A ly left two of them senseless alongside
$ their treasure.
, Meanwhile, the steward, as shouted
I again for the captain, came to me, and
remarking blandly, you makee toe
t muchee low" he coolly bent my head
' back over the chair, and already had
: the edge of his long, sharp knife
against the skin of my throat when the
} Malay, noticing him, crossed over and
, pulled him away from me, saying some
!, thing to which the other assented, but
l with evident reluctance.
' "He wants to study" said the brute
with grin, wants to pry into the for
, nation of your trachea and jugular
: Che had, I was told afterwards, been a
e pet pupil of the Raffies Institute in Sin
e gapore), but there's lots of time And
g you'd better keep your tongue between
: your teeth
l The decks now were nearly as light
: as day; and as the steward walked to-
5 wards the group busy about the boxes
t 1 saw the one Chinese passenger who
was still conscious, though badly
e bruised and bleeding from several
e wounds, rush forward and clasp him
: round the legs with both arms. AS he
: squatted there, quite silent at last, an6
with laughable look of pleading mis-
t cry on his upturned features, the stew
, ard after gazing at him for moment
e suddenly forced his head back and
/ plunged the knife into his throat. Roll