Smyrna times., 1900-11-14

1t. Chee-Wing-Su's agent was also |
there to collect his blackmail. There |
would be 80 Cinnamon aboard of us |
when discharging cargo; but, though |
they were viliainOus lot, we felt no |
fear of them and did not keep the crew |
even under arms. We were within q |
days sail of port on our return when
the captain was struck by an idea.
Chee-WingSu knew that our cargo
would be a heavy one. Suppose he
should have planned to cut the clipper
out in harbOr? All he had to do was
to put men enough aboard, and when
he had eXterminated the crew and tax
en- possession who was to betray him?
He had men who could sail the craft,
and by giving her new coat of paint,
n new name and making some changes
in her rig she could not be recognized.
Even If she were, what would her own
ers dare do about it? To have set up a
claim would have been to convict them
selves of smuggling. AS for wiping
out a score of Europeans, he would
consider that as a sort of duty under
any circumstances.
Before we made harbOr everything
was prepared and every man instruct
ed. In response to our signal dozen
sampans appeared, and the first man
on our decks was the rascally old
Chee- Wing-Su. He was effusive good
natured and slick as grease. He said
there was cause for haste in unloading.
as the custom officials had suddenly
become active, and he was permitted
to order about so men on board to
break out cargo. AS soon as our an
chOr was down all but two or three Of
our crew disappeared, and the captain
and agents sat down to luncheon in
the cabin. Not a box had yet gone
over the rail when the Chinese on deck
broke loose. In 80 seconds every man
but the captain was sailing into them.
They were armed with knives only.
while we had cutlasscs. No firearms
were used. The fellows made a good
stand for about five minutes. and then
we began driving them. No quarter was
given. When the last living yellow
devil went overheard. there were &c
dead ones on our decks. OF course, the
row was heard in the cabin. At the
, first sound Captain Walters laid hi:
revolver on the table before him an(
said to Wing-Su:
"There seems to be some skylarkin.
: going on above, but we will not in
: terfere with it,"
2 ''If my men are creating any trouble
: I must go up and stop it," replied TIL
, old pirate.
: Your men are all right. and you will
! remain right here"
! They heard the sounds of battle ant
: knew that the Cinnamon were beini
t driven overheard. but the captain talk
S ed about the voyage and the profit
5 and pretended ignorance of the rea
4 state of affairs When the fight ha
: ended. the anchor was lifted and tn
. clipper sailed away out of the harbOl
/. Chee-Wing-Su played the hypOcrite a
e first Then he clustered and threaten
). ed, and at the end he broke down an
l. became disgustingly abject. The ager
d on board with him was in the plo
e He refused to give it away at frs
s but when he knew that death was I'll
o alternative he talked fast enough. II
i. game was to seize the clipper an
IS cargo and murder us ALL and if we ha
D. not been on our guard it would hay
e been carried out to the letter.
Is We made run for another por
o. Chee- Wing-Su made a big offer for
W life, and as a matter of law we had /
o. right to punish him. | must tell yO
g. however, that law or no law. he w;
re hung by the neck to the yardarl
ne while the agent was landed on an Il
Of inhabited island. 1t was a high han
IS, ed thing to do. you will say, and y
st the governor Of Shanghai, who cOu
ed have been bribed any time for $40 al
who hadn't an honest hair in his hea
he came out in proclamation and publ
ty ly thanked Providence for remOvi
MI a bad man from earth. A few mont
is later he somehow got knowledge as
lie who owned the clipper. and he seem
lai inclined to raise a fuss, but with I
set own hands carried him $3.50. and
lid laughed and grinned and rubbed
to hands together and let the affair DIR
ge. there and then.
re- "
n