The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-09-04

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ship on an uncharted rock, and when he
was appointed to another was ordered
to a bad station, where he nearly lost
his wife and his own life of fever. With
his recovery came the most unfortunate
part OF his career, for just as he was
about to be relieved charge was pre-
ferred against him by the admiral of
the station Of SO base and wicked de-
scription that all those who heard it re.
fused at first to entertain the notion.
He was court martialed and expelled
the service. Since then the charge has
been proved to have been entirely with
out foundation, but by the time that
was known my poor father had died in
exile. He appealed, but what was the
use Of that?
"To q proud, headstrong man, con-
scious Of his innocence, such disgrace
was unbearable, and he at length fled
from England, resolved to shake it's dust
forever off his feet He went to India but
the result of the trial was known there,
and every post was barred to him. He
passed on to Singapore, and finally to
Hongkong. but always with the same
result By this time everything that
was obstinate and worst in him was
reused, and when the admiral, the same
who had brought the charge against
him, was transferred to the China sta
ton my father sought him out in Shang-
hal, decoyed him outside the city, re-
quested him to publicly admit that the
charges he had brought against him
were false, and on his refusing pro-
duced pistols. invited him toa duel and
shot him dead. Then, while the police
were hunting for him, he fitted out
boat, with large sum Of money that
had some time before been left Kim,
collected dozen other men as desperate
as himself, tested them thoroughly be-
fore he trusted them, and having bound
them to secrecy set off to find an island
where they could lead their own lives
unhindered by the outside world. This
was the place they came to, and those
old houses near the harbor were their
first dwellings Once in every six
months my father went off to Hongkong
for supplies, and it was during one Of
these excursions that he met the man
whose destiny it was to recognize him,
and SO hasten the trouble that lay be-
fore him. High words passed between,
them, and the result was betrayal,
and fight with the police, in which
two men were left dead upon the beach,
That was the beginning of the end. The
same night boatload Of marines put
off to arrest my father, who was in the
act OF getting his schooner under weigh.
When they came within mailing dis
lance, they were challenged and asked
their business. The officer in charge re-
piled that he held warrant for my IA
theirs arrest. But the latter had no de-
sire to fall into the authorities hands
again, so he babe them stand off. The
officer, however, ordered his men to
board. Again they were warned not to
approach, but they paid no heed. The
result may be imagined. A volley was
fred from the schooner, and four men
out of the six constituting the boats
crew, including rj,e officer in charge,
fell dead.
Without more ado my father got
under weigh and raced for his life out
OF the harbor, pursued by three shots
from the cruiser in the bay. From that
day forward he was prescribed man.
Rewards were offered for his capture
in all the principal ports of the east not
only by the English government, but
by the rich residents of Singapore,
Hongkong and the treaty ports. Consid-
ering that it was not their affair, this
action on the part Of his former friends
SO enraged my father that he swore that
if ever one Of the signatories fell into
his hands he would make him pay dear
~ for his action. 1t may interest you to
know that Mr.. Vesey, the man whom
you perhaps remember abducted, was
the chairman Of the meeting that offer
ed the first reward for my father, and
years afterward for me.
We'll, months went by, and once
more the stores on the island began to
run short. 1t became imperatively neces-
sary that fresh supply should be OBJ
tanned. To do this my father repainted
and rerigged his boat, disguised himself
and his men and sailed off for Shanghai.
Reaching that port, he sent his mate
ashore to make the purchases But sus-
picion seems to have been aroused, the
man was arrested, and had not my IA
Their been warned in time and put to
sea he would have shared the same fate.
But he was resolved not to be beaten,
and at the risk OF his life he went back
and ashore. By means of subterfuge,
which it would take me too long to ex-
plain, he succeeded in rescuing his COM
panion. In the. course of the rescue,
however, a man was killed, and this
closed the treaty ports even more firmly
to him than before.
THE matter had become terribly
serious now. He could not go into any
port for fear of being arrested, and yet
stores had to be obtained for the starry
ing island. To headstrong man like
my father, rendered desperate by DELHI
crate injustice, there was only one nat
ural way out of it, He made for Hong
kong, chose dark night, went down
the harbor in junk, boarded trading
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