The times., 1898-06-19

as doctor, / could make myself useful
to them IL they would spare my life. Not
very heroic this, perhaps; but then again,
there's nothing heroic, either, In having
your throat cut like ration sleeps 1
was prepared to go great lengths in the
way of eating humble-pfe to avoid any
/ such a fate at such hands. Having fin
ished transshipping the silver. together
with some of the casks and cases off the
main deck, the pirates, rather to my sur
prise. dragged along the two as yet un-
conscious passengers, and threw them
heavily on 10 the junk. Then, at last,
| from somewhere or other, suddenly ap-
peared Jimmy. Fumbling about, appar-
emily to see that my bonds were secure,
] heard zip as one of the strained coT
strands flew asunder to the touch of
keen knife. Then came an imperative
call, and he fled swiftly@iHto the shadows
cast by the iunk's great sails just as the
steward and the Malay walked up to me.
The moon was under a cloud: but they
carried a lantern. by whose light they
viewed me all over soon discovering the
knife and the cut rope. NJ saw the stew
ard examine the knife clos GY, while the
| Malay knotted me up afresh. and more
tightly than ever. Then Ethe steward
taking thick silk kerehief from around
my throat, proceeded to e1fectually gag
| me. And seeing that j was not to be done
| to instant death. ] said never a word.
| Good night DOCTOR remarked the
| Malay. Personally. | don't wish you
| any harm: but youv seen too much. Ac-
| cording to my calculations, the Ly-chee
will blow UP in about a, couple of hours.
! And, anyhow, you'll make better end
i ing than if Kwa Fung here, had his way
| with you. Good-by, and the pair turned
| and went. few minutes later / saw
| the dark sails of junk swaying to the
wind like the wings of some great night
| bird. as she glided past the Ly-chee's s
stern. leaving me alone and helpless with
| the dead Save for the ripple of the little
waves against the bows, and the grind of
! chains as the sea twisted rudder and
| wheel alternately to port and starboard
| the ship was silent.
In vain | strained my gaze down on to
| the main deck, where. among the dark
hollows and crannies of the cargo, knew
the captain and second mate must be ly-
| ing, dead or desperately wounded. / could
see nothing. For a while / sat there.
swathed in ropes, helpless as any num-
| my, staring over the mooniit sea. Then
! all at once, as / caught sight OF dark
I speck far astern, knowing it for the junk,
| / remembered the Malays last words, and
| my thoughts fed to the engine-room, and
| in fancy | saw the big Scotsman lying
| there dead and the fires roaring fiercely
| under the newly-filled boilers, fast gen
! Grating steam for whose force there was
no outlet but a general burst-up. About
/ another hour and the explosion would
take placel And. while the cold sweat
! burst from every pore. / strained and
heaved at my bonds until they cut deep
! into my flesh and ! was near choking.
/ Alas, they never slackened an inch. Even
| the chair was immovable-laShed to the
| vessels rail. Before leHging the pirates
had run up the trysail and ib. and these
filling on the starboard tack the steamer
xN-1g
! that low, dark line under the moon that
| knew must be the coast between Hong
! Kong and Swatow
How long had the junk been gone? I
| wondered. Was my time nearly up for
| saying gOod-by 70 the world? / must try
| and pray. But do what | might, / could
not keep my attention fixed All my soul
| seemed in my ears, and To the sound Of a
louder creak among the cargo, or shrill-
er note of the wind in the rigging. my
F., nerves leaped and thrilled, eXpectant OF
| the last dread moment Truly the sor-
rows of death compassed me. and the
pains of hell came about me, and yet |
could not, as | felt I ought to do make
| my peace with this world and prepare
my soul for the next one. From where
| I sat the glass skylight of the engine
| room was ali aglitter in the pale sheen
and on this my eyes became fixed with
a dreadful intensity, until at last the
gleam of the glass seemed to burn them
/ like an incandeSCent fire. The breeze
was cold but my clothes We're wet
! through with sweat, and / could see il
dripping from my fnger-tips like water
on to the deck. Brave men are said to
! have waited for death with indifference.
! fearing nothing. But 1 think that in most
| cases. they had company. And believe
me, it is a very terrible thing TO sit
| bound helpless, dumb, alone, expecting
eternity with each passing moment. and
with the agony of a great fear in full
| possession of soul and body. / think
that If l could have cried aloud, have
cursed. or wept. or prayed with an au-
dibe voice the strain had lightened.
But the gag. although soft and not
hurting much. allowed me only the max
ing of inarticulate groans. as / painted
for breath and stared with eyes that felt
like hot Goals, ever fixed fascinated on
1 the moonlit glass of the engine-room
Presently ! somehow fell to thinking OF
a favorite collie-dog had once owned al