The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1898-03-12

could see the junk under the foot of the
mainsail; rig out your boom-Tll look
out for him."
When Hart first reported the junk,
Mr.. b had taken one of the lights
from the pinnacle, and this he now
held over the side SO that it could be
seen from the junk-though the moon
light would have rendered the ship Wis
ible for miles. No sign of life was
made on board the junk, and we were
getting very close to her-a big, four
masted box, of full 300 tons.
"Starboard little there, Dunn"
said Mr.. B to the man at the
wheel; "starhoard a little; let her
come up point or two"
"Ay, ay, sir" answered the helms
man, and the ship hung obedient to
the order. sufficiently to have cleared
the junk.
"starboard, sir, starboard! or we'll
be into that junk, sir!" roared Hart
from the foreyard to the officer of the
watch; but Mr.. B had no idea of
doing anything of the kind. He remem-
bered the Chinese pilots advice: "Tf
anything gets in your way, give it the
stern"
port, there, Dunn, port!" was his
order to the helmsman, in sharp, de-
cisive manner; lover with it-quick's
your play. Down off that foreyard,
men; down with you!'' he continued;
but he wasted breath in giving the last
command, for the sailors on the yard
had heard the order given to port the
helm, and knew that it meant cox
iision with the big junk BY the time
the ships head commenced to swing
for the Cinnamon, they were all on
deck.
The second mate was terribly white,
but as cool and collected as though he
were merely washing decks, instead of
coming big ship, Flying list" with
a stiff breeze, to a deadly collision with
another vessel crowded with human
beings.
There was no tremor in his voice, as
he called out to the man at the wheel:
STEADY so, Dunn; starboard a little,
starboard!" and the next instant, as
the Be rushed fair for the junk's
waist, his shout, Hold on all-hold
on" was as clear and ringing as ever
had been his order to clew down g. top
| sail. The watch below was sleeping
still, for though it has taken me some
time to write this account, yet not
more than five 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 a half minute elapsed after
the order to port" was given before
all was over.
The alarm on cur 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 to the
confusion. Capt. R hurried up to
Mr.. B, who was now standing on
the taffrail, looking asterr at the
helpless junk, and inquired.
What is the matter, Mr.. B?
What is it, sir?"
ooh, not much, sir!" was his an
swer. "A Chinaman 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, Mr.. B-!" said he; those
poor creatures-how could you be so
careless, sir?"
st was not carelessness, sir" re-
piled the officer; sit wasn't my fault
that knocked down his masts. |
tried all 1 could to give him the stern
fair in his waist. It was an accident
that 1 didn't do it-not bad manage
ment."
They may be sinking, sir"
VERY likely-hOpe So anyhow"
Blue lights and rockets were shown
from the crippled junk, and answered
by others from all points of the cora-
pass. But we kept on our way, neither
knowing or caring what became of her
and at sunrise not a sail was to ue
seen of all the fleet we had rlu
through during the night.
The junk may have been only a fish
erman; but her movements were very
suspicious, and she had a very big
crew for a peaceful trader. WhGther
she was sunk by the force of our blow
or got safe into port to repair her dam
ages, is more than 1 can tell. But we
congratulated ourselves during the reHt
of our passage on our escape from a
Chinese pirate, and had no sympatb =
to spare for those who must have beea
killed by the fail of her mast along Tbs
crowded deck.
Our Chinese cabin passengers thor
oughly approved of Mr.. BIS style