The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-09-27
CHAPTER XVII.
RESCUE OF ANNIE RALsToN.

RESCUE OF ANNIE RALSToN.
Ny emotion can be more easily i'm
agined than described when I recog-
nized in the thin, worn man my old
friend Langston.
I wanted to rush to him and clasp
him in my arms. I wanted to shout
and scream my joy in his very ears.
But something in his appearance held
me back. He looked like sick man
did Langston-and some occult in
fuence warned me not to declare my
identity to him with too great O sud-
denness. He had evidently suffered
much. He was not the robust athlete
had once known, in whose massive
arms the power of horse lay hidden.
He looked haggard. His eyes had a
shifty wey that was not natural to
them. His mind was evidently not at
rest. I knew that he believed me
dead at the bottom of the China Sea.
Should declare myself in an awkward
manner, the shock might be too much
for him. T knew that it would be
difficult for him to recognize me with
my brown skin, yet I hoped that the
sound of my voice, if we came to speak
to each other, would give him an ink
ling of the truth.
The commanding officer stepped
from the boat to the land. After him
came Langston. They were followed
by other officers and several sailors
and marines, all fully armed and ready
for any emergency. They were not
yet near enough for me to hear their
voices, but T could tell from the ex-
pressions on the faces of Langston and
his companion that they were having
heated discussion. Langston re-
peatedly pointed to the tower and
seemed to be insisting upon some
thing. The officer shook his head and
appeared to be in doubt. Langston
began to look worried.
They came toward me.
T stood, surrounded by my officers,
waiting to receive them. AS they ap.
preached, I noticed that the COM
mender was handsome fellow, and
bore himself with q dignity becoming
the representative of my own great
country.
"You surrender to the United
States?" said he, stopping before me
and studying me and my officers with
a wondering look.
"And right glad am I to do it," I
replied. "You might have come in
and taken us without shot, and
wonld have been made welcome"
Langston peered at me curiously.
His face was very pale. He was very
| nervous.
"You are the commander of the
forces of Hen-Ko-Hi?" demanded the
officer.
"No, I am nothing Of the kind.
The forces OF Hen-Ko-Hi--most of
them-are buried in the forest be-
tween this and the nearest town on
the island"
"By heaven, this is strange!" NUT
tered Langston. He started toward
me, but the hand of the officer re-
strained him.
"Be careful" said the salt to my
friend. "Let me do the talking now"
Then to me: 81 am Captain Harwood
of the United States Navy. My ship
yonder is the Beaver. ! came here,
under orders, to demand an American
prisoner from the hands of the Gov
error, Hen-Ko-Hi. The story was
that this Hen Ko-H was a murderous
; tyrant, and has held two American
prisoners for months. One of them
escaped and reached the American
consul at Hong Kong. Investigation
showed that Hen Kohl was carrying
things with a higher hand than was
permitted by his royal master, the
Emperor. He was supposed to be
merely the Governor of penal colony,
whereas he made the criminals sent
under his care his friends and soldiers
and lived riotously and wickedly.
Now, WHO are you, and where is the
man I want?"
II am the King Of Talmooch. Hen
ko-Hi was Governor until yesterday.
The people over whom he had ruled
so long without mercy arose in their
might snd crushed him at blow. I